Sales Representative Resume Examples & Template for 2024

Here’s a job offer just for you: A full-time, salaried position offering a competitive performance-based incentive plan, comprehensive health care, 401(k), stock options, and... Badass Amazon shopping discounts!

But are you positive your sales representative resume will land you this one? Let’s make sure it will.

This guide will show you:

• Sales representative resume examples that get jobs.
• How to ace your sales representative job description on a resume.
• Which sales rep resume skills will get you the interview.
• Expert hints and examples to boost your chances of landing sales rep jobs.

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Considering other positions? See our dedicated resume guides:

• Account Executive Resume
• Billing Specialist Resume
• District Manager Resume
• General Manager Resume
• Leasing Agent Resume
• Pharmaceutical Sales Resume
• Retail Manager Resume
• Retail Resume
• Sales Associate Resume
• Sales Resume
• Home Depot Resume 

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Samples.

By assessing over 500,000 resumes produced via our platform, we identified that*:

- The median time for sales representatives to build a resume on ResumeLab is just 28.7 minutes.
- Sales representatives report having about 3.42 past jobs.
- Sales representatives most often include Client service, Customer relations, Problem-solving, and Sales expertise skills to their resumes. 
* The data comes from the last 12 months (August 2023-August 2024).

Sales Representative Resume Example

Sales representatives sell products or services and focus on building and keeping customer relationships. They understand customer needs and promote products or services to meet those needs. Their success depends on their ability to communicate, negotiate, and provide value to customers.

1. Choose the Best Sales Representative Resume Format

Marketing yourself is quite a task. Especially when you only have 7 seconds to grab the recruiter’s attention. To secure a job interview, make sure your sales person resume is polished from the first to the very last line.

Here's how to turn your salesman resume into a real attention grabber in a few simple steps:

• Stick to the reverse-chronological sales resume format. The reverse chronological resume brings your experience and key achievements to the front.
• Choose simple and readable resume fonts. Go for 10–14pt. Write simple headings. Put white space to good use by utilizing proper spacing and resume margins.
• Choose the best resume length. Exceed one page if you have a lot of expereince
• Begin your resume for a sales rep with a resume profile: summary or career objective. Then add experience and education.
• Include a sales representative resume skills section, list your professional certifications, or mention your hobbies and interests.

Expert Hint: Export your resume to a PDF file. Its formatting will stay intact and ATSs will be able to read it.

2. Start with a Sales Representative Objective that Turns Heads

Your sales rep resume summary must whet the recruiter’s appetite. And make them call you. Use this simple formula to write a pitch-perfect opening to your sales representative resume:

1. An adjective (efficient, results-driven)
2. Job title (sales representative)
3. Years of experience (3+, 5+)
4. What you can offer and how it will help (boost territory sales goals by promoting Novartis products and services)
5. Your 1-2 biggest achievements (Regularly exceeded KPIs by 50% and identified 100+ new leads)

This is what it looks like in practice:

Sales Rep Resume Example—Summary

Proactive and team-oriented pharmaceutical sales representative with 5+ years of experience. Eager to boost territory sales goals by promoting Novartis products and services to physicians and other medical personnel. Regularly exceeded KPIs by 50% and identified 100+ new leads.

Experienced pharmaceutical sales representative with major sales successes. Would like to join Novartis and be part of the sales team.

What if You’ve Got No Experience?

If your making an entry-level resume for the sales representative, write a resume objective, not the summary. Focus on your achievements and explain why you’re a good fit. Here’s an example:

Objective for Sales Representative Resume

Highly-motivated sales representative with a BA in Psychology (GPA 3.7). Eager to boost sales figures at Kite Pharma. Part-time sales experience with Pharmaton for 1.5 years. Established and maintained relationships with 20+ key clients.

Energetic sales representative with a degree in Psychology. Previous sales experience in a fast-paced environment. Would love to join your company to help you boost sales.

Remember to add numbers. Numbers speak louder than words. As a sales representative, you surely know this.

Expert Hint: Even though the objective or summary comes up top, you can write it last. Once your entire resume for sales is ready, go through it and select the best parts.

3. Write the Perfect Sales Representative Job Description with Skills

Your experience and skills are crucial. In fact, your resume job description is the only section of your sales rep resume that a hiring manager should read cover to cover. So, give the recruiter all they need and sprinkle your sales representative job description with relevant skills.

Here’s how to get it right:

1. Go through the job posting.
2. Identify the required sales representative skills and duties.
3. Prepare your sales representative job description using the language from the job ad.

Example of Sales Representative Resume Job Description

• Cultivated relationships with restaurant owners and decision makers in the designated territory. Maintained regular business relations with 50+ clients.
• Created and maintained a robust sales pipeline. Identified up to 20 new leads quarterly.
• Analyzed sales/metrics data from the designated territory to help evolve sales strategy.
• Ensured that merchants receive the highest level of sales and operational customer service. Scored 90% in a quarterly customer satisfaction survey.

Key Achievement:

• Exceeded sales targets and activity metrics: KPIs at the level of 170% and 25+ new clients.

• Responsible for contacts with restaurant owners.
• Responsible for day-to-day sales activities.
• Responsible for sales analysis.
• Delivering great customer service.
• Responsible for sales targets.

A good sales resume job description is vital for a couple of reasons.

First off—Your resume will get past the ATS screening stage. If you describe your experience using the language from the job ad, you’ll include the resume keywords the system looks out for.

Second—It’s not enough. You must show the recruiter how good you are at performing your duties. In other words, pepper your sales representative resume with achievements. Remember: Responsibilities/skills + numbers = achievements. As simple as that.

Expert Hint: If your experience for a sales representative job is limited, add relevant volunteer work or other projects. Focus on your achievements and wins.

And one more thing. Customize your sales representative resume skills section. It’s rarely enough to simply list the sales skills you think look good. Instead—Go back to the sales representative job offer to see if the required skills are mentioned by name. If so, these are the skills you have to put on your sales representative resume.

And don’t change the wording too much. ATSs are smart. But not very smart.

Skills to Put on a Sales Representative Resume—Sample List

• Customer advocacy
• Business development
• Interpersonal skills
• Product knowledge
• Marketing skills
• Business operations
• Communication skills
• Collaboration
• Organization
• Sales techniques
• CRM (Salesforce)
• MS Office
• Time management
• Lead qualification
• Relationship building
• Presentation skills
• Rapport building
• Problem-solving
• Relationship management
• Conflict resulotion skills

It might be tempting to simply replicate the entire job ad in your sales representative resume. Do not do it. You will be found sooner or later.

Instead—Describe your experience in the language of the job ad.

Expert Hint: Don’t put each and every sales skill on your resume. Limit yourself to a list of ten top skills you’re confident about. Avoid the so-called presenter’s paradox.

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.

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4. Describe Your Education and Make a Recruiter Stop By

Most job offers tell you what the minimum requirements are. If you have enough of work experience, that’s great. But what if you don't?

Expand on other resume sections like education. Add something more than the college name. List relevant coursework on your resume and extracurricular activities. Make your sales representative resume education section work for you.

Salesman Resume Sample—Education

2008
University of California, Los Angeles UCLA
BA, Psychology
GPA 3.5

Relevant coursework:

• Behavioral psychology
• Statistics
• Social psychology

Expert Hint: If your sales representative experience is limited, focus on your education wins. Student societies, projects, and suchlike can do your sales rep resume good.

5. Light Up Your Sales Representative Resume With These

Here’s the thing. There’s more to being a professional sales representative than having sales skills. Stamina, perseverance, growth mindset, and a compelling personality. That’s what makes us unique.

Spice up your salesman resume with a couple of extra resume sections.

Certifications

• NLP Practitioner Certification

Interests

• Competitive alpine skiing
• World cuisine

• Sport
• Food

Languages

• Spanish (Advanced)

Expert Hint: Your sales rep resume will double its impact with a well-written cover letter. More than half of hiring managers expect you to send both your resume and a cover letter. But less than 50% of applicants send them.

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter creator and make your application documents pop out.

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Want to try a different look? There’s 18 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

Haven't written a cover letter yet? See:

• Sales Cover Letter Examples
• Sales Associate Cover Letter Examples
• Customer Service Representative Cover Letter Examples
• Customer Service Cover Letter Examples

Key Points

Once you know what to pay attention to, writing your sales representative resume won’t be an ordeal. Just make sure to:

• Choose a sales representative resume template that’s right for you. An experienced pharmaceutical sales representative resume needs a larger experience section than an entry level sales position resume.
• Make it look great. Don’t overload your sales representative resume with irrelevant information. Make as much as possible of the single page you have. Use white space to your advantage.
• Tailor your resume to a job offer. Your sales rep resume skills and experience bullets must reflect the requirements listed in the job ad.
• Make your education matter. List your certifications—they show your extra qualifications and prove you’re serious about your professional development.
• Add extra information. Your hobbies do matter as long as they’re relevant to the job. Then, they make you an interesting candidate.

Questions on how to write a great sales rep resume? Do you have useful advice on writing resumes for different sales representative positions (wine sales representative resume or international sales representative resume)? We’d love to hear from you. Leave your comment below.

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