If you want to be a serious competitor for your next application, you need to create a professional resume. We have put together this definitive guide to writing the high-quality resume that you need for landing job interviews and successfully winning the right job for you.
We will be going through all the essential things you will need to consider including how to write, format and structure a resume so you can get your new job application resume to the top of the pile. Here is your guide to write a professional resume sales manager.
Additional Information About The Sales Manager Resume
Based on US labor statistics, sales manager positions generally can pay anything from $55,000 all the way up to $195,000! Due to these high annual salaries, it’s a seriously competitive field. Let’s get started on ensuring that your sales manager resume stands out among the crowd to secure you your dream job! There are a wide range of sales manager jobs out there that will all require different experience levels, so the annual salary that you can expect will depend on the position. Let’s take a look at the following average annual salaries for sales manager jobs in the U.S.
- Regional Sales Manager – $83,000
- National Sales Manager – $86,000
- Sales Director – $102,000
There are many sales manager jobs that pay a lot higher (and lower) than this, it all depends on the specific job position. To provide a bit of perspective, let’s take a look at the following list of examples of annual salaries that real sales managers in the U.S. are currently earning!
- Regional Sales Manager at Aero Precision Industries – $67,000
- National Sales Manager at General Electric Co (GE) – $114,000
- Sales Director at Ericsson Inc. – $150,000
Sales Manager Resume Example
You can see an example of how to write a great resume here
Bobbie D. Mitchell
bobbie.d.mitchell@sales.com
+1234567899
Professional Overview
Expert sales manager adept at building a customer base to increase revenue and consistently exceed sales targets. Excellent communication skills with ability to build strong relationships and customer satisfaction. A thorough understanding of current market trends and competitors.
Work History
Regional Sales Manager, Walmart
06/23/12 – 04/11/21
- Assured all records were current and in compliance with regulations when purchasing inventory and making sales.
- Realigned with company goals by tracking customer behavior, market trends, and current market share.
- Developed new marketing strategies that increased retail sales by 20%
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing
New Jersey City University (1999-2003)
Key Skills
- Lead Development for Potential Customers
- Market intelligence
- Inventory management
- Complex project negotiations
- Business Development
- Excellent communication skills
- Territory sales management
- Retail sales
These sales manager resume examples should be enough to get you started, but if you feel like you want to see more, then feel free to check out our website for another sales manager resume example!
How to Make a Sales Manager Resume
Working your way up in a sales manager career will require lots of hard work, so it is important that your resume demonstrates your achievements and includes everything that a prospective employer may want to know.
- Your resume must contain all relevant information regarding your personal details, key skills and work experience
- The document should be completely personalized to the specific job that you are applying for and should never be generalized!
- You should write excellent cover letters for every job that you apply for to express to your potential employer why you want the job and the passion that you will bring!
The layout of the Sales Manager Resume
Before you begin writing, it’s going to be very important to consider how you will layout your sales manager resume.
We highly recommend that you use the reverse chronological layout – it’s a classic resume structure that ensures that your most recent and relevant information is included first, leaving less relevant information until the end. This will make sure that hiring managers will see your most important sales experience and qualifications first.
The structure of the Sales Manager Resume
Whilst you may be tempted to write your sales manager resume freestyle, there is a proper format that you should follow. The document should be word-processed and ideally should not exceed one page, and all major sections of information (such as your work experience or education) should be separated with their own headings.
Start with the Header of the Sales Manager Resume
The best way to begin your sales manager resume is with a strong header. This will be the first thing that a hiring manager will see, so ensure that it is short, snappy and to the point.
The heading should include your basic contact information, links to your professional social media (such as LinkedIn) in addition to any other essential information your employer should be aware of.
Example of a good header for a Sales Manager
Samuel R. Meador
Sales Manager
987-654-321
samuel.r.meador@gmail.com
White Plains, Connecticut
linkedin.com/samuelmeador
Example of a bad header for Sales Manager
Samuel Ronald Meador
General manager for all things related to sales
987-654-321 or (555) 123-4567
samuelronaldmeador@hotmail.com
House No. 4976, Cook Hill Road, White Plains, Connecticut, Zip Code: 10601
facebook.com/sammymeador
instagram.com/sammysupersales
It should be pretty obvious why these header examples are good and bad. However, if you’re still not sure what to include in this section and would like to see some more examples, check out our website and try out our resume builder. It should point you in the right direction with its sales manager resume template!
Is a photo required in the Sales Manager Resume?
It is generally not a good idea to include a photograph on your resume. Around 80% of U.S. employers state that they would not consider hiring an applicant who includes a photograph on their resume.
This is due to the fact that it is irrelevant to the job responsibilities, and this can make your resume appear unprofessional. It’s best to leave the photo out, and if the hiring manager really wants to see a photo of you then they can check out your LinkedIn profile!
Choosing your Sales Manager Title
You will want to ensure that your sales manager resume title is high quality – it’s another one of the first things people reading it will see!
This is your opportunity to explain exactly what you do and why you excel as a sales manager through a resume summary statement, so keep it relevant and concise!
Professional resume summary for Sales Managers
Compelling Sales Manager with experience in the electrical appliance industry. Proven record as a strategic problem-solver with proven ability to expand operations, increase profits, and acquire new customers.
Work Experience in the Sales Manager Resume
Most sales manager jobs will require professional experience in the sales sector, especially if it is a regional or national role! You will want to inform your potential employer of all the experiences that you have gained so far, and the work experience section of your resume is exactly where you should do this.
Describe your professional experiences on your Sales Manager Resume
When writing about your professional work experience, there is a particular format to follow. You should always include the employer that you worked for, the responsibilities you had at the position, and the start and end dates of your employment. When it comes to writing about the specific skills and responsibilities you handled, you should list them as three to five bullet points.
Examples of professional experiences for Entry Level Sales Managers
Sales Manager
Johnson’s Hand Dryers
Hours worked: 40 hours per week, 2014 – 2020
- Verified that all records were current and compliant with regulations before approving inventory purchases and sales contracts.
- Planned and implemented in-store events such as contests and sales-cycle pep talks to promote merchandise and improve customer participation and increase sales.
- Over the course of six years, increased the company’s annual sales by 22% through implementing sales strategies.
Examples of work experience for Senior Sales Managers
National Sales Manager
Korg Synthesizers
Duties begin/end date: 2003 – 2018
- Analyzed market trends to identify new market opportunities and analysed competitor products and services.
- Responsible for hiring and motivating a 15-member sales team which resulted in producing sales of more than $1,750,000 per year.
- Increased sales goals by 27% by implementing a new sales strategy to engage and attract new customers and improve revenues by increasing sales.
Education in the Sales Manager Resume
Sales manager jobs require a great deal of knowledge in the sales sector and this will usually require an excellent educational track record. This should preferably include a university degree in sales or marketing, but you should list any educational qualifications and sales training. Remember to use the reverse-chronological resume format to ensure that hiring managers see your highest education first!
Should you start with education or work experience for a Sales Manager Resume?
Generally, it is best to start by writing about your professional experience first – this is going to be much more interesting to prospective employers than your college education! However, if you are trying to get your foot in the door and do not yet have experience as a sales professional, you should instead begin with your educational history before moving on to relevant experiences and qualifications.
How to properly list your education in a Sales Manager Resume?
Every listing in your education section should follow a basic format. This must include details regarding the educational institution, the name of the course/major, the years that you studied and the GPA/grade that you achieved. However, if your GPA was not very good, leave this out unless they specifically ask for it!
Example of the education section of a Sales Manager Resume
University of Washington, Seattle
Washington
Sales and Marketing
Years Attended Degree: 2011-2014
GPA: 3.9
Skills to put in the Sales Manager Resume
Finding a career as a sales manager will require more than just an educational background and work experience – you will need to demonstrate that you have the skills for the job. The skills section of your resume is incredibly important as it is a great opportunity to show off what you can do and optimize your resume for the applicant tracking systems.
What are the main skills sought for in sales teams?
The skills required for sales professionals cover a wide variety of things. You will need to have an excellent awareness of the sales industry, knowledge surrounding marketing and finance, in addition to any other technical skills that are specified on the job description such as selling skills or leadership skills.
What skills for Entry Level Sales Managers?
- Exceptional multi-tasker
- Business administration
- Computer Proficient
- Energetic involvement with sales team members
- Resolution-oriented
- Lead generation and closing skills
- Rapport and relationship building
- Dealing with customer complaints
What skills for qualified Senior Sales Managers?
- Operations management
- Strong lead development skills through actionable advice
- International markets understanding
- Ability to adapt to company policies
- Sales strategies and goals
- Relations with existing customers
- Resolved customer issues
- Sales forecasting
- Compliance requirements
Whilst all of these skills will generally be useful for a sales managerial position, this list is certainly not exhaustive or specific to the job that you will be applying for! Always read the job description thoroughly to ensure that you include any relevant skills to the position, and don’t forget to check out some more sales manager resume samples if you need more specific examples!
Write the Ideal Resume Hook for a Sales Manager Resume
Next up is writing an excellent resume hook! This is a great way to outline your experiences, general skill-sets and special abilities relevant to the job, so keep it short and snappy!.
Example of a tagline for a Entry Level Sales Manager
Goal-oriented sales representative with more than 5 years of experience in advanced marketing, prospecting and merchandising strategies. Expert at developing products and promoting them to maximize sales.
Resume Sample tagline for a Senior Sales Manager
Experienced sales manager proficient with increasing profit and revenue by developing customer base. Ability to establish strong relationships through excellent communication skills. Knowledgeable of current market data and competitors. Proven ability to work within senior management to forecast trends and implement strategies to increase market share.
Additional Headings for your Sales Manager Resume
As we have already mentioned, it is absolutely essential that your sales manager resume is personalized to the job. For this reason, it is sometimes necessary to include additional headings to provide information relevant to the specific job that you are applying for.
For example, a job description may ask you to provide information regarding successful projects and data to prove it – this would certainly deserve its own ‘job-winning experience’ section to separate this information from the rest of the resume!
Computer skills and certifications in a Sales Manager Resume
Being a sales manager will require a lot of skills in relation to organizing sales data, analyzing charts, making forecasts and communicating online. All of this will require computer knowledge in this day and age, so you will want to include a section outlining any computer experience and qualifications that you have related to the sales sector.
Interests in a Sales Manager Resume
It is not necessary to write a separate section to outline your personal interests – it could even be inconvenient or detrimental to the success of your job application. This is due to the fact that it will distract the hiring manager from what is important and it could even flag up the ATS system for filtering!
Languages in a Sales Manager Resume
Any U.S.-based sales manager position will require you to speak fluent English – how else are you going to make those sales otherwise? Some jobs may even require that you speak another language!
Whenever you are required to speak an additional language, you must provide proof of your fluency. With this in mind, both IELTS and TOEFL (with at least a 30-point score) are acceptable for English.
Sales Manager Resume Summary
We’ve covered a huge amount of information throughout this guide, so let’s take a step back and take a look at this final list summarising what we have learned so far:
- Always follow the format shown in this guide – we guarantee that it will help your resume look professional!
- Never write generalized and irrelevant information within your resume. Every resume should be customized specifically for the job that you are applying for.
- The ATS systems are always checking – always read the job ad carefully to gain awareness of relevant keywords!
- Don’t rush! This may seem obvious, but a rushed resume will always be easy to spot. Take your time as this job could be the next big chapter of your life!
We hope everything that we have covered has helped you get your resume ready! We’re about to finish up, but don’t panic – if you need any more help, you can always find more sales manager resume examples on our website!
Write a Cover Letter That Goes With Your Sales Manager Resume
Finally, we want to let you know how important it is to write an excellent cover letter for your sales manager resume! This is your opportunity to explain why this is your dream job, the passions that you will bring and what will make you a positive asset to the company.
This document should be around one page long and word-processed – don’t forget to read over it a few times to make sure it reads smoothly!
Frequently Asked Questions for a Sales Manager Resume
If you’ve got any last-minute questions, hopefully we can answer them in this FAQ:
How do you describe yourself as a sales manager on a resume?
You should use a header, summary and hook to describe your role as a sales manager – this is your opportunity to sell yourself and explain what you are all about! See our examples above in professional summary section.
How do you put experience on a resume for a sales manager?
Professional work experience should always have its own section. You should outline your experience by listing the employer, start and end date, responsibilities and job position.
What should I put on my resume for sales?
Your sales resume should include everything that prospective employers may need to know about you – this includes contact information, professional experience, educational history and relevant skills.
What is a good sales manager resume objective?
A good sales manager’s resume objective is to demonstrate why you are a good fit for this job, why you will be an asset to the sales team, and what you will bring to the table.
