Sales Associate Cover Letter: Examples & Templates to Fill

So, you wanna sell?

First, you need to show your sales skills. 

If you want someone to trust and pay you to sell their wares, you need to show that you know how to sell the product you know best.

Yourself.

With this guide, you will learn exactly how to write a cover letter for sales associate positions that seals the deal.

In this guide you’ll get:

• A sales associate cover letter sample for experienced candidates, and also a cover letter for sales associate with no experience.
• A complete guide on all the things that make a readable, accessible cover letter. 
• A template you can fill-in-the blanks and send off within minutes.

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Looking for other cover letter examples for positions in sales and customer service? See:

 

• Customer Service Cover Letter
• Retail Cover Letter
• Sales Cover Letter

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our cover letter examples.

To start off with, let’s have a look at our two sales associate cover letter examples. See exactly how they present themselves as a great hire and seal the deal.

1. Sales Associate Cover Letter Samples

The first one is a sample sales associate cover letter for Henry, who already has a few years of experience. 

The store hiring is seeking a sales associate that can create outstanding customer experiences, keep up with new trends and of course, most of all—sell.

Here’s how to become the hiring manager’s impulse buy: 

Example #1: Sales Associate Cover Letter

This sales associate cover letter will not be getting marked down anytime soon. 

This is a fine example if you have relevant experience, but what if you need to write a cover letter for a sales associate job with no experience? 

We got you on that.

Here is another potential great hire, Pamela. 

Pamela is applying for a Sales Associate position that requires effective customer service and communication, the ability to work in a team, as well as adaptability.

Pamela has not worked in sales previously, but her sales associate cover letter will sell her on the spot. 

Example #2: Cover Letter For Sales Associate With No Experience

The above two sales associate cover letters won’t be rotting on the shelf. 

Don’t have a CV ready yet? See dedicated examples here: 

• Sales Associate CV Sample

• Retail CV Sample

• Sales Representative CV Sample

• Sales CV Sample

• Sales Manager CV Sample

• Store Manager CV Sample

• Cashier CV Sample

Let’s stock the shelves of your sales associate cover letter with the good stuff.

2. How to Write a Top-Shelf Sales Associate Cover Letter

Here’s how to write a job-winning sales associate cover letter:

1. Format Your Sales Associate Cover Letter Correctly

It doesn’t matter what the product is inside. If the packaging is damaged, dirty, or messy, the customer will just pick up the next item over. Your sales associate cover letter is no different. It doesn’t yet matter what is inside. If the packaging—your cover letter format—isn’t up to scratch, you’re staying on the shelf. 

Then you are going back to the warehouse, to the discount bin, or simply—the bin. Let’s not let that happen.

Here are the rules to follow for a premium brand cover letter format:

• Align text to the left without justification. 
• Use 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Your cover letter font should be the same as your CV font—use a classic like Calibri, Arial or Garamond.
• Use 1.15 line spacing. Drop a line between each section, and between paragraphs.
• 1-page is always enough for a cover letter.

Once you have the packaging ready, it’s time to think about the product. So, what to include in your cover letter for sales associate jobs?

Double your impact with a matching CV and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter builder 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.

2. List Your Details in the Header 

The header of your sales associate cover letter should match your CV header. As technology moves on, people have started omitting their addresses from cover letters and CVs, but for a physically-bound job like a sales associate, you should still list it.Underneath, list the city and date of the letter, and below that, paste the details of the person that’s hiring. 

Check against our template:

Sales Associate Cover Letter Header 

Expert Hint: Most big chains run their recruitment online. There are some specific issues to keep in mind when sending your sales associate cover letter electronically, which our email cover letter guide will clue you up on. 

3. Say Which Job You’re Applying For and Introduce Yourself

There is always going to be a stack of sales associate cover letters and CVs on the manager’s desk in every store. It comes with the territory—it’s an entry-level job. That’s not bad news. A large volume of those will be thoroughly unimpressive. A lot will be just average. You will stand out.  

When addressing you sales associate cover letter, always address the manager by their first name. It shows you have attention to detail. If the name of the manager is nowhere to be found in the job posting, pick up the phone! Start your cover letter by telling them which job you’re applying for, and straight away provide a strong argument in your favour to keep them reading.

Check against our sales associate cover letter sample, or just fill in the [blanks] with information relevant to your cover letter. 

Sales Associate Cover Letter Example: Introduction

4. Demonstrate You’re The Best Candidate

The second paragraph of your sales associate cover letter should clearly lay out why you are the most suitable candidate. Notice, I did not say the ‘best candidate’. You don’t have to be. You have to be the most suitable.Go through the job posting and pinpoint the most important characteristics, experiences and skills that they’re searching for.

Think about some evidence you can back up your claims with, preferably with numbers. Achievements, commendations, statistics from previous jobs—they will all help. Most people don’t keep track of these things or do not talk about them, so being able to estimate your impact will set you out from the crowd immediately. Like this:

Sample Cover Letter For Sales Associate: Middle Paragraph

Expert Hint: Is your sales associate CV up to scratch? The Bureau of Labour Statistics reports that even though there over 4.75 million retail jobs in the US, that figure will decline by at least 100,000 in the next decade. As competition tightens, make sure all your documents are ready to make the sale.

5. Show That You Want To Work There

You have already shown yourself to be a top-shelf item. The third paragraph of your sales associate cover letter should address a little bit about why you want to work exactly there. Find out something key to them—values important to them, or just something you may have spotted while shopping there.

Given how many applications they’re getting, they would rather employ someone who shows a bit of interest in the company.

Follow this template:

Sales Associate Cover Letter Sample: Your Motivation

6. Sell! Include a Call to Action

In this job, you’re going to be selling. Selling is often about acting just at the right moment, when the potential customer is unsure, but is giving you a chance. Don’t be passive. When you’re finishing your cover letter, ask for that interview. Justify it by talking about something important to the company or just your best-selling point.

Here is how we closed a sales associate cover letter example:

Sales Associate Cover Letter Sample: Call to Action & Sign Off

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Key Points

When writing your cover letter for sales associate positions, make sure to:

• Double-check all the header information—for both you and the manager.
• State clearly the position you’re applying for, and show right away that you’re the right match in the first paragraph. 
• Pinpoint the key requirements and responsibilities of the job, and show them that you are up to the task—by describing your achievements in the second paragraph. 
• Demonstrate interest in this employer in the last paragraph of your sales associate cover letter. 
• Make the sale—ask for a meeting, or a call, and sign off. 

Do you have any more questions about writing a cover letter for sales associates? Did you find our sales associate cover letter examples helpful? Leave us a comment, I’ll be more than happy to hear from you!

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