Sales jobs make up a significant chunk of the global workforce. Simply put, a sales job is a career wherein an individual is responsible for presenting and selling products and services. It also entails generating leads and meeting sales goals. In addition, people with a job in sales are also expected to negotiate contracts with clients, deliver sales presentations, and give product demonstrations.
If you are eyeing a sales job, the first step to success is drafting the perfect resume. An vacancy has elements similar to the quintessential resume structures that everyone is acquainted with; however, there are pertinent differences that need consideration. If you want to design a seamless and captivating resume for a sales job you are interested in, our writing guide will be of great help.
Sales Resume Writing Guide: Top Four Pointers to Consider
1. Your Sales Resume Summary
The summary or objective of your sales resume is a quick snippet of your entire career, concisely highlighting your best skills and qualifications. When writing your resume summary, think of it as a sales pitch. Utilize the summary to introduce yourself to the recruiter, but remember to keep things crisp and straightforward and include keywords from your job description whenever possible. For instance, the optimal summary for your sales resume will be a brief amalgamation of your skills and work experience. In addition, quickly mentioning your previous recognition and success, such as revenue increases, etc., can take your resume objective two notches higher.
2. Use the Right Action Words to Provide Your Sales Resume with an Edge
Certain tried and tested action words can elevate the appeal of your resume and help it stand out from the crowd. For instance, ‘made,’ ‘worked,’ ‘managed,’ and likewise are typical words that a recruiter is habituated to see time and again. However, you can distinguish your resume from your peers and be in a favorable position to grab your dream sales job by using powerful words to highlight your achievements, skills, and your potential contribution to the company’s goals. Some of the pivotal power words are –
- Determined
- Formulated
- Initiated
- Conceptualized
- Spearheaded and more
3. Enlist Your Education Correctly
The third most important element of a resume writing guide is the optimal enlisting of your educational qualification. It is important to note that according to a recent HubSpot research, only 25 percent of salespersons have a business degree. So, if you have a business degree, throw all the limelight into that aspect of your career. Likewise, even if you do not have a business degree, there is not much to worry about, as 75 percent of the sales workforce constitutes people without professional certification.
The right way to order your educational background for a sales job is –
- Degree Type and Name
- University Name
- Years Studied
- Scores in final examinations
- Honors
- Other relevant certifications
Moreover, if you have an impressive sales record and a pile of erstwhile achievements, you may not even need to impress the recruiter with your education. However, briefly enlisting the education section is always a good idea. Likewise, when choosing between education and experience in a sales resume, make sure to emphasize the latter. For example, you can design your resume with an elaborate section of ‘work experience’ at the top, followed by a crisp segment of your educational background.
4. State Your Skills Strategically
As we have already hinted, a sales job is more about practical experience and less about educational achievements. The ideal salesperson or representative’s badge of honor is their ability to increase conversion rates. Besides the ‘numbers’ or the revenue conversion, recruiters will be on the lookout for the following skills, most of which are non-negotiable.
- Time management
- Rapport building
- Product knowledge
- Product Negotiation
- Closing sales
- Product Lifecycle Management
- Client Relationship
- Prospecting
- Contract Negotiation
- Communication Skills
- Perseverance
- Patience
- Adaptability
- Empathy
- Listening Skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Adaptability and more
If you include the aforementioned skills in your resume, it is bound to stand out from the crowd and grasp the recruiter’s attention.
Concluding Thoughts
So, there we have it, the four pointers of the ultimate sales resume writing guide. A little knowledge goes a long way in drafting a resume and perfecting it to the point that no recruiter can ignore you. Our guide is a sure-shot way to design ‘the’ resume that will help you get your dream job in sales.