3 Sales Resume Examples & Writing Guide for 2025

Writing a sales resume can be more tricky than selling your recruiter their own pen. Luckily, I’m here to help you, and I’ve got the product just for you: this guide! I’ve got more than just a great list of sales skills for a resume—I will also teach you how to list sales experience on your resume and wow the recruiters. 

This guide will show you:

• A sales resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write the best sales resume to land more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put achievements and sales skills on a resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a sales position to get any job you want.

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Take a look at our dedicated guide for a sales representative resume, or check out our other sales-related guides here:

• Car Salesman Resume Examples
• Sales Associate Resume Examples
• Sales Manager Resume Examples
• Sales Assistant Resume Examples
• Retail Sales Associate Resume Examples
• Best Resume Samples for Any Profession

Sales Resume Examples

#1 Sales Resume Example for Experienced Professionals

Now, let’s take a look at another sales resume example, this time for a sales manager:

#2 Sales Lead Resume Example

These two sales resume examples look great. It’s time for a third one: a sales resume example with no experience.

#3 Sales Resume Example with No Experience

What a great set of sales resume examples. Now, let me tell you how to write one that will sell you as a perfect candidate just as well.

1. Format Your Sales Resume Properly

Sales professionals are pros at reading the customer’s needs and expectations before providing great service. Show a similar approach with your resume and actively answer your recruiter’s needs. 

Did you know an average recruiter spends 7 seconds looking at a resume, and an average job opening attracts 250 resumes? Make a readable resume that stands out and distinguish your document from others with the right resume format.

Here’s how to make a great sales resume structure:

• Start with your full name. Then add contact information to your resume. Your resume header section is the best place for it. 
• Choose the reverse chronological layout for your resume for sales jobs. It closes the deal immediately by showing the recruiter exactly what they want to see—your latest job experience—at first glance.
• Divide your resume into distinct sections to boost its readability even more.
• Go with classic and professional resume fonts. Arial, Garamond, or Cambria set to 11–12 points will make your sales job resume highly readable.
• Keep the right resume length: a one-page resume examples work great most of the time. However, if you have 10+ years of experience, use a two-page resume instead.
• Save the resume file as a PDF to keep it intact.
• Name your resume file correctly. Your Name + Sales + Resume will work better than a 50% discount.

That approach to resume formatting gets interviews at the drop of a hat. Read more: Best Resume Writing Tips, According to Experts

2. Craft an Amazing Sales Resume Work Experience Section

Research shows that 20% of all salespeople make 80% of all sales. Make sure your recruiter will be certain that you’re a part of that winning 20%. The best place to prove you’ve got results? Work experience on a resume.

• Keep following the reverse-chronological resume format, putting your most recent job first, following it by the second to last, and so on.
• State your job title, and years worked. Include a company name at each entry.
• Describe your activities and great resume achievements in 4–6 bullet points for the freshest entry and 3–4 for others.
• Transfer the ABC – Always Be Closing approach. But in this case, make it ABCFYRA, or Always Be Clutching For Your Reader’s Attention. In other words, use resume action verbs as they help you do exactly that. 
• Add as many numbers as possible to your work experience section. Numbers pop and you know well that only numbers matter. 
• Tailor your resume to the given job, just like you would tailor a pitch to each customer by appealing to different values.

I’ve won your attention and interest, so now it’s time for the desire and action. With the below sales resume examples, you’ll never want to write anything but in the experience section. See for yourself:

Sales Resume: Examples of Work Experience

The first example delivers the result you want to get: it’s impressive, and it shows a professional at first glance. The second one is too generic, and it shows only your responsibilities and not your accomplishments. 

What about writing a sales resume with no experience or an entry-level resume?

For juniors, responsibilities are out of the question, too. Instead, write about your relevant experience. Highlight what you’ve accomplished in previous jobs and sell your transferable skills: the abilities you can transfer from one job to the next.

Let’s look at the entry-level sales resume example:

Entry-Level Sales Resume: Examples of Experience

Customer service, handling customer inquiries, and having great interpersonal skills. These are some of the skills that are valuable for any salesperson!

Pro Tip: Remember, a sales manager reading a sales resume knows what you do. So change the responsibilities to accomplishments real quick if you see them!

Making a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide, use ready-made content tailored to your job and have a resume ready in minutes.

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3. Polish the Education Section on Your Sales Resume

Having the right education section can be just as important as creating the right work experience section. Especially if you’re only just starting your career in sales and have some impressive achievements from your college days. 

Here’s how to ace your sales resume education section:

• Write down your degree on a resume.
• Include your major and minor.
• Add your GPA on your resume only if it equals or exceeds 3.5.
• Enclose the following achievements in bullet points:
• Cum Laude, 
• Relevant Coursework
• Extracurricular Activities

Here’s how it looks like in action:

Sales Resume Examples: Education

The first example is very relevant and very impressive. The second one doesn’t give you a lot of information while bragging about a low GPA. You know which one will make a great impression on recruiters. 

Pro Tip: If you have 5+ years of experience, you can state your degree, school name, year of graduation and move on, especially if you have a lot of impressive achievements in your work experience section.

4. Pick the Right Skills for a Sales Resume

The skill set of an effective salesperson has to be incredibly versatile. You want to mix hard skills and soft skills. And you don’t want to list them all. Sounds tricky? Let me explain.

Follow these steps to select the best sales skills for resumes:

• Divide your skills into three categories: soft skills, hard skills, and technical skills.
• Go back to the job posting and scan it for the most important resume keywords mentioned. Usually, these are the qualities in their prospective sales hire.
• Cross-reference the spreadsheet and the job ad. See any matches? Great, put those skills front and center on your sales job resume. But don’t go beyond 10 skills!

Congrats, in less than 5 minutes, not only did you pass the watchful eye of the dreaded resume ATS, but you also impressed the hiring manager.

Here’s a sample list of sales skills for your reference:

Examples of Sales Resume Skills

• Product Knowledge
• Rapport Building
• Interpersonal Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Lead Qualification
• Communication Skills
• Relationship Building
• Active Listening
• Organizational Skills
• Time Management Skills
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Customer Needs Analysis
• POS & Payment Handling
• Conflict Resolution & Mediation
• Customer Service Skills
• Marketing Skills
• Brand Management
• Specialized Product Knowledge
• Contract Negotiation
• Self Motivation
• Client Nurturing
• Adaptability Skills
• Closing Sales & Signing Contracts
• Leadership Skills
• Decision-Making Skills
• Project Management Skills

Next, see how to incorporate sales skills on a resume:

Sample Sales Resume: Skills List

Skills for a Sales Resume With No Experience: Example

Closed-Won!

Learn more about showing your great traits on a resume. Visit our guide: Best Skills to Use on a Resume

5. Show Your Personality and Extra Skills by Adding Other Sections to Your Sales Resume

Time to show your passionate side and prove there’s even more to you than your excellent skills and experience. To create the best sales resume, you should add some extra sections that will help you stand out even more from your competitors!

Here are some extra sections you can add to your sales resume template: 

• Certifications and licenses on a resume easily prove you invest in professional development. 
• Foreign languages on your resume will give you a boost, especially in large companies that work with international clients. 
• Memberships in relevant associations go a long way towards proving you’re dedicated to your career. 
• Awards on a resume demonstrate you’ve earned recognition from the industry.
• Publications and appearances turn any pro into an authority. And having an authority on board is always more welcome.
• Hobbies and interests on a resume add a personal touch; however, in a VP of sales resume, they’d look silly. 
• Volunteer work on a resume gives the recruiter a glimpse of your individuality and commitment to social issues. 

As an example, have a look at how you can include certificates in your sales resume:

Sales Resume Examples: Additional Sections

Relevancy vs whatever the second example shows you. Don’t list English if you’re a native. Don’t list pizza, unless you apply for a salesperson in a large pizza company, but even then, don’t do it like that.

Want to learn more about acing every part of your resume? Read our guide: What to Put on a Resume

6. Create a Great Sales Resume Summary or Sales Resume Objective

Your sales resume is almost ready, but you have to keep rolling a bit more. You’ve got to keep fighting for your recruiter's attention every step of the way: remember about those 250 resumes and those 7 seconds? The best way to keep them interested is by crafting a compelling profile section of your resume. 

It’s like a powerful elevator pitch at the top of your resume, describing your strengths and best accomplishments. But if it’s basically an opening of your document, why do I mention it here? That’s because you write it last. Everything you can use there is already written in your resume.

There are two types of introductions to your resume for sales:

• Sales professionals with 10+ years of experience create a resume summary. 
• Sales professionals with less than 10 years of experience create a resume objective

Great news? There are formulas you can use to make it even easier!

How to write a sales resume summary?

How to write a sales resume objective?

What is an example of a professional summary for a sales resume?

Sales Resume Example: Summary

While the first example is simply perfect with all the numbers, achievements and goals, the second one simply lacks significance.

Now, what is a good objective for a sales resume?

Sales Resume Example: Career Objective

Once again, the first example is a full catalog of things that will keep the recruiter reading on. The second one, on the other hand, gives obvious information that is not impressive nor interesting.

Pro Tip: Whether you write a sales resume summary or objective, remember to include a measurable achievement or two. And keep it short and sweet: 4 sentences should suffice! 

7. Add a Professional Cover Letter to Your Sales Resume

If you’re wondering whether a cover letter is necessary, the short answer is: duh! Not having one can be your losing point against the next resume on your recruiter’s desk. But you need a good one to turn it into your winning point!

Here’s what you should do:

• Format your cover letter properly and make it 100% consistent with your resume.
• Start the cover letter by introducing yourself. Write how you found out about the job and list a few of your sales career highlights to get the reader hooked.
• Emphasize what makes you and the company a match made in heaven. In short, you need to sell yourself in your cover letter, and the second paragraph is a great place to do it. 
• Finish the cover letter with a compelling call to action and an offer to achieve a specific goal for the company if hired.
• Mind the right length of a great cover letter. Don’t go over one page.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to send a follow-up email after submitting your job application. It shows you care about this position and are invested in getting a shot at working for that company.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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Key Takeaway

And there you have it! A perfect sales resume! Before you go, remember:

1. Start your sales resume with the right format.

2. Show your sales experience through accomplishments, not your duties.

3. Include the education section and add what’s impressive.

4. List your sales-related skills, mixing hard, soft, and technical ones.

5. Add some extra sections to back up your soft skills and position you as an interesting hire.

6. Summarize your sales qualifications in a summary or objective.

7. Top your application with a sales cover letter. 

You’re ready to turn that lead into a sale. Good luck!

Do you have any questions about writing a sales resume? Visit the comment section below, and let’s talk!

Still looking for a guide on writing a resume for a different position? Take a look at these:

• Pharmaceutical Sales Resume Examples
• Leasing Agent Resume Examples
• Leasing Consultant Resume Examples
• Insurance Sales Agent Resume Examples
• Grocery Store Resume Examples

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• Eye tracking study shows recruiters look at resumes for 7 seconds, Mercy University
• Glassdoor's 50 HR and Recruiting Stats That Make You Think
• Top Sellers: Characteristics of a Superior Salesperson
• Professional Selling Skills, Achieve Global