How to write a sales representative resume?

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“It’s not about having the right opportunities. It’s about handling the opportunities right.”
-Mark Hunter

You may have the required skills to climb up the ladder of success in the sales world, but you need assistance in so many ways, starting with a flawless resume that can make the recruiters notice you.

Hiration's Online Resume Builder allows you to create the perfect sales rep resume that can raise your chances of being shortlisted by recruiters and achieve the job of your dreams.

Keep reading our blog to refer to the sales representative resume examples provided along with the thorough description of various factors that involve in resume writing.

Here is a summary of our Sales Representative Resume 2020 Guide:

• Avoid writing "CV" or "Resume" on your resume, instead write your name as the header of your sales rep resume as it has more impact.
• Use the reverse chronology format to frame your resume for sales rep to emphasize your latest and most relevant experience
• Write an objective for your sales rep resume if you have 0 to less than 3 years of work experience. A summary is for only when you have 3 years and above professional work experience.

To impress the recruiter, you need to frame a professional sales rep resume that elaborates on the most efficient skills of yours that relate to the targeted job.

This guide will help you learn about the following points:

• What to write in your sales rep resume and how to write it?
• How to emphasize your achievements in the most impactful manner?
• How to highlight your sales representative resume skills?
• When to add objective in your sales representative resume?

You can go to our Online Resume Builder to write professional resumes for sales rep:

In this blog we will discuss the following topics:

Sales Representative Resume Sample

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Here is the complete sales representative resume example:

What is a Sales Representative Resume & why do you need it?

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A sales representative resume is your ticket to the recruiters' good book, wherein you can bring forth your best to the table as an efficient applicant.

It is the first means of communication between you and the recruiters, hence, you need to make a good impression with your sales rep resume.

You need a resume that is well framed and organized to convince the recruiters that you are the perfect candidate for any specific sales representative job profile.

Most recruiters rely on the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) as it filters the resumes and helps the recruiters to pick the most suitable applicant.

You need to rank high on the ATS as it can help you get shortlisted by the recruiters and get called for more interviews to land the targeted job.

Writing an ATS-targeted resume may be tricky but this blog can help you in writing the perfect ATS-targeted resume for sales rep.

Make sure to read our Guide on do's and don'ts while writing a resume to help your frame a flawless sales rep resume.

How to write your Sales Representative Resume

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The following three stages should be applied in curating your sales rep resume with a professional approach:

• Master Sales Representative Resume
• First Draft of Sales Representative Resume
• Final draft of Sales Representative Resume

Master Sales Representative Resume

Start your resume by drafting the master sales rep resume.

This will be the folder that holds all the important pieces of information you need to frame your sales rep resume.

Pile up all the pieces of information that revolves around your educational venture and professional experience along with your personal information in the master draft.

Remember that this draft can help you frame your sales rep resume at the present time-line as well as for any future updates.

Therefore you need not stress over any point that you are not sure or clear about as it can be used in any of the future updates.

For any required information, you can pick it from your master draft and avoid looking for scattered pieces of information elsewhere.

First Draft of Sales Representative Resume

Once your master resume is done, you should create the first draft of your sales rep resume.

In your first draft of your resume for sales rep, you need to curate the following standard and optional sections:

• Header
• Personal Information
• Profile Title
• Education
• Certifications (if any)
• Awards & Recognition (if any)
• Volunteering Experience (if any)
• Additional Information (if any)

You should frame all the required sections with relevant points to raise your chance of being shortlisted by the recruiters.

Final draft of Sales Representative Resume

Finally, for the final draft of your sales rep resume, you need to effectively compose the sections that we have mentioned below:

• Key skills section: This is the last second section that should be framed after your professional experience is curated. This makes it easy to identify your most efficient skills and highlight them in this section.

• Summary/objective section: This is the last section that should be framed when writing your resume. Creating a summary or an objective for your sales rep resume is important as it is a statement of the entire resume for the recruiters to get an insight into your professional caliber.

Apart from what we have discussed above, you can read our 2020 Guide on how to write a resume to learn more about sales rep resume writing.

Sales Representative Resume Sections

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You need to elaborate on different details about your skills as well as your work experience and for that, you need to frame different sections accordingly.

Arrange your standard sales rep resume sections in the following manner:

• Header
• Personal Information
• Profile Title
• Summary/Objective
• Key Skills
• Professional Experience
• Education

The following optional sections can be framed as per the requirement of the targeted job as long as you possess them:

• Certifications (if any)
• Awards & Recognition (if any)
• Volunteering Experience (if any)
• Additional Information (if any)

Read Hiration's Guide to sections in a resume for more details on how to create the sales representative resume sections.

Sales Representative Resume: Professional Experience

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There are three important points to follow while framing the professional section on your sales rep resume.

• STAR Format
• Framing Points
• Bucketing & Bolding

STAR Format

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Use the STAR format to write your work experience and give details of your roles and responsibilities that emphasize your achievements.

STAR format means:

Situation: That describes your situation of the previous workplace wherein you contributed

Task: That describes the task that you were assigned as part of your responsibility

Action: That describes the strategy you used to execute the task assigned to you

Results: That describes the outcome of your actions by executing the assigned task

You have the perfect opportunity to showcase the effective impact of your skills in your job by using the STAR format.

Mention performance figures of the number to add value to your sales rep resume and endorse your specific achievements and contributions wherever possible.

Framing Points

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Using paragraphs to compose your resume for sales rep is a big disadvantage because the recruiter may likely not read it in its entirety due to its bulky nature.

Let us look at the given example to analyze the right way to frame the professional section in your sales representative resume:

Example 1:

"During my period of employment at my previous organization, I accumulated an average of 30 new customers every month through cross-selling. There was a drastic increase of 10% revenue within 5 months with the introduction of the latest trend-based strategies. I was actively involved in resolving the complaints lodged by the customers by negotiating solutions which led to the prevention of 20% customer loss. I was successful in demonstrating accurate product knowledge to customers which helped in achieving customer satisfaction by 100%."

Example 2:

• Accumulated an average of monthly 30 new customers through cross-selling
• Increased 10% revenue within 5 months by introducing trend-based strategies
• Resolved complaints by negotiating solutions & preventing 20% customer loss
• Demonstrated product knowledge to customers & achieved 100% customer satisfaction

Sales Representative Framing Points: Analysis

By comparing the two examples, we can clearly state that framing points (example 2) are the most suitable way to write one-liners as compared to the bulky paragraph (example 1).

Both the examples are stating the same points but a bulky paragraph (example 1) may not be the ideal choice for a recruiter to read as compared to the framed points (example 2) which is more organized and readable.

Make sure to frame your points (example 2) and raise your chance of being shortlisted by the recruiter.

Avoid writing paragraphs (example 1) as it may lead to the rejection of your resume for sales rep even though you possess the required skills for the targeted job.

In conclusion, it is clear that framing points make your one-liners more readable, and hence you should frame your points in your sales rep resume.

Bucketing & Bolding

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Another important factor that can help enhance the professional section in your sales representative resume is the bucketing & bolding of your one-liners.

Let us look at two examples for analyzing the importance of bucketing & bolding your sales rep resume:

Example 1:

• Operated 100% accurate point of sales system to achieve the targeted sales
• Exceeded sales quotas 3 months in a row by effectively using up-selling skills
• Negotiated the terms of an agreement & closed deal worth 10% more profit
• Reviewed goods & products to ensure 100% product quality & delivery
• Awarded Employee of the Month for exceeding sales target on 3 separate occasions

Example 2:

Sales Promotion & Business Growth

• Operated 100% accurate point of sales system to achieve the targeted sales
• Exceeded sales quotas 3 months in a row by effectively using up-selling skills

Negotiation & Quality Assurance

• Negotiated the terms of an agreement & closed deal worth 10% more profit
• Reviewed goods & products to ensure 100% product quality & delivery

Key Achievement

• Awarded Employee of the Month for exceeding sales target on 3 separate occasions

Sales Representative Bucketing & Bolding: Analysis

Framing makes your one-liner readable but you need more than that to get the shortlist that you want from the recruiters.

The two examples given above shows that bucketing & bolding is an important factor that enhances your one-liners more than framing alone.

Example 1 consists of readable points but example 2 gives a more specific and organized statement of your professional experience.

Creating unique subheadings (bucketing) for all the relevant one-liner makes it easier for you to organize your statements.

Highlighting your key skills and achievements by bolding them specifies the cause-relation between your action and the result of the task assigned to you.

Always use bucketing & bolding to make your one-liners specific and organized to make it easier for the recruiter to see your efficiency as a suitable applicant.

Here is the sales representative resume example of how an ideal professional experience section looks like:

Read our Guide to writing the professional experience section with a professional flair.

Sales Representative Resume: Key Skills

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Your key skills section can be framed only after going through your professional experience section.

Pick out the relevant keywords used by the recruiter to describe the requirements of the targeted job and highlight them as your key skills.

Make sure that those keywords are justified in your professional experience section.

Refer to the sales representative resume example given below, to have a better understanding of how to frame this section:

Meanwhile, you can also read Hiration's Guide on what skills to put on a resume to learn the tricks for writing this section with perfection.

Sales Representative Resume Summary

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Your sales rep resume requires a summary only if you have 3 years and above work experience.

A summary is the highlight of the overall professional experience you posses by highlighting your key skills and your efficiency.

Mention the number of years you have worked as a professional and focus on providing a figure of numbers to specify your achievement in an organization.

Make sure that your summary is written in only 3-4 lines.

For a detailed guide on how the perfect resume summary is written, take a look at Hiration's Resume Summary Guide.

Make use of our Online Resume Builder to create your sales rep resume with a professional approach.

Sales Representative Resume Objective

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An objective is to be written by those professionals with zero to less than 3 years of work experience.

Also, write a sales resume objective if you belong to any of the following categories:

• Entry-level applicant
• Re-entry into the workforce
• Change in career or industry

Focus on your relevant skills, internship experience, and volunteering experience (if any). Make sure that it is related to the targeted job.

Take a look at our sales representative resume example to get a better insight of how an ideal objective should be framed:

Read our Hiration's Guide on Resume Objectives for a better understanding of writing an objective in your resume for sales rep.

Sales Representative Resume: Header

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Your name is the major factor that gives you a sense of individuality and it works the same for your sales rep resume.

Avoid writing "CV" or "Resume" as your header because it is obvious that it is what you are framing and there is no requirement to mention that on your sales representative resume.

Instead, write your name in font size 16-20 which should be the largest font size to maintain the unique individuality of your sales rep resume.

This helps the recruiters to keep easier track of your resume and hence makes your resume look professional, provided you correctly write your name.

If you have a middle name, write only the initial of your middle name followed by a period.

Example: Austin Bernie Mahone should be written as "Austine B. Mahone"

A well-written header can help your resume stand out amongst every other average resumes.

Look at our sales representative resume example for a better understanding of how this section is ideally framed on a resume:

Read Hiration's Guide on writing resume header to create this section with a professional flair.

Go to our Online Resume Builder to write your perfect sales rep resume:

Resume: Personal Information

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Ideally, three basic things may be required by the recruiter in your personal information section:

• Contact Number
• E-mail ID
• Location

Contact Number

Your active contact number is the source through which the recruiter can get to you for any verbal communication.

You need to give your contact number because some recruiters may want to conduct interviews over the phone or get a verbal confirmation for scheduling interviews.

Avoid making mistakes like, giving out the wrong number and most importantly make sure that you provide only your active and functional contact number.

Give your country’s ISD code as a prefix before your phone number and a plus sign (+) before the ISD code.

Example:(+1) 53628 54829

E-mail ID

One of the most convenient ways for the recruiter to get in touch with you is via email.

• Make sure that you have an official email ID that has your real name to present yourself as a professional applicant who is serious about one's career:

  Example: austin@xyz.com

• Avoid childish and fancy email IDs that makes you seem like an unprofessional person who lacks seriousness in one's career:

  Example: braveheart@xyz.com

Create one if you do not have a professional email ID for your official purpose as it is an important means of communication between the recruiter and you.

Location

Always give your current location in your sales rep resume and avoid giving your full home address or current/previous workplace address as it is not necessary.

Simply mention the city and state you are residing in if you are looking for a job in your own country.

But if you are looking for a job in another country, mention the name of the city and country you are residing in.

Here is the sales representative resume example to make you visually understand how an ideal personal information section is framed:

Make sure to read our Guide to writing personal information as it can help you have a better understanding of framing this section.

Sales Representative Resume: Profile Title

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Use the 2nd largest font size of 14-16 in your sales rep resume to write your most recent job title as your profile title.

Your profile title makes it convenient for the recruiter to identify your level of seniority in any functional industry and shortlist you according to the level of your professional status.

Here is the sales representative resume example to see how an ideal profile title should be framed:

You can get your existing resume reviewed for free by experts at Hiration's Online Resume Review Service.

Sales Representative Resume: Education

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If you do not have enough or zero experience, your educational qualification may be a positive factor in influencing the recruiter.

Your education section requires the following details:

• Name of the school/university you have attended
• Name of the course/courses you have pursued
• Location of your school/university
• Date of enrollment and graduation from each course (month & year)

Align the details given above by using the format given below to compose this section:

{Name of the school/university} | {Location} | {Dates} (in month and year format) {Name of the degree} | {CGPA}

You can also read our Guide on how to list education on a resume for a better insight on how this section is ideally curated.

Look at our sales representative resume example given below to see how your education section should look like in your resume for sales rep:

Go to our Online Resume Builder to frame your perfect sales rep resume.

Sales Representative Resume: Certifications

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Mentioning your certifications on your sales rep resume can boost your value as an efficient applicant.

It is so because your certifications may make the recruiters assume that you are a professional applicant who has gone to the extent of getting certified in your field of work which is quite impressive.

Here is the list of the details that should be written in your certificate section:

• Name of the Certification Course
• Name of the Affiliating Institution
• Location of the Institute
• Dates of enrollment and completion of the course (month & year)

Use the format given below to list your certifications:

{Name of certification} | {Affiliating Institution} | {Location} | {Date} (in month and year format)

In the meanwhile, you can read Hiration's Guide on listing certifications on a resume to learn the art of framing the perfect certifications section.

Sales Representative Resume: Additional Information

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Your additional information should be listed in this section.

Any relevant hobbies or languages that you speak/write (apart from English) should be listed here in this section.

This section can help enhance your other standard sections by highlighting your additional ability to perform your task in a given situation.

For example, speaking more than one language can help you communicate better with more people and help build a stronger relationship that can lead to productivity and smooth functioning.

Read our Guide on how to list certifications on a resume and perfect your sales rep resume.

Here is our sales representative resume example to help you understand how an ideal additional information section looks like:

Hiration's Online Resume Builder features 100+ content templates and 25+ design templates to pick from, so go ahead and choose any pre-filled template and replace them as per your requirement.

Resume Review

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Get your sales rep resume professionally reviewed by our resume experts at Hiration. The review will be done in compliance with the below-mentioned parameters:

• Compliance with industry norms
• Content Relevance
• Recruiter Friendliness
• Design Compatibility
• Conversion Scope
• ATS Compliance
• Global Compatibility
• Performance Assessment
• Resume Formatting (font, margins, the order of sections, etc.)

Resume Builder for Your Resume

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Our resume builder comes with the below-mentioned resources:

• Option to save unlimited resumes
• 25+ resume designs
• Full rich-text editor
• Unlimited PDF downloads
• 100+ resume templates
• 1-click design change
• A sharable link
• Live resume editor

This is an opportunity you would not want to miss. So don't wait too long and make use of Hiration’s Online Resume Builder now!

Key Takeaways

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Read the following point to be kept in mind while writing your perfect sales representative resume:

• Always start your resume by framing the professional experience section
• Use a power verb to start each point in your work experience section.
• Write a resume summary when your work experience is 3 years and above.
• Write objectives only when you have less or no work experience or in case of a change in career.
• Use the reverse chronology order to write your work experience section
• Avoid writing any of your key skills in phrases
• Use the appropriate tense of power verbs to write your one-liner points
• Always provide the correct details in your personal information section

Now that we have come to the end of our 2020 Guide on Sales Representative Resume, you are now ready to write your perfect sales rep resume.

Go to Hiration resume builder and create a professional resume for yourself. Additionally, reach out to us at support@hiration.com and you can get 24/7 professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries.