Wondering how to write the perfect CV for a sales job?
A career in the sales industry isn’t for the feint hearted. It’s fast-paced, relentless, cut-throat and challenging.
But above all else, it’s rewarding!
With the right experience and desire, you can make a lot of money every month.
However, before you can start picking up the phone, knocking on doors or showcasing a product, you’ve got to land the job first!
And this starts with getting the CV right.
While the sales industry often generates an influx of more roles, it’s still very competitive – especially for the roles that come with an attractive benefits package and basic salary.
To help you create a brilliant CV, here are some top tips to get you started.
Your pitch better be good
An opening section is relatively important on most CVs.
However, it’s one of the most important elements when it comes to landing a sales job.
Why?
Because if you can’t sell yourself then you’re definitely going to come unstuck when you’re trying to flog a kitchen sink to an old lady!
Your opening paragraph should be short, sharp and packed full of relevant skills.
It’s your time to shine, so don’t blow it with clichés and tired phrases.
What are the benefits of hiring you?
What kind of experience and skills can you bring to the table?
These are the type of questions you should be answering within a few lines.
Remember, this is the first thing an employer or recruiter is going to see, so take your time.
Include the right skills
It’s all well and good including a set of skills on your CV, but if they’re not relevant to the sales industry your application will book itself a one-way ticket to the recycling bin.
These types of keywords will be searched for by recruiters and employers.
So, if they can’t see them immediately, the rest of your CV won’t matter.
Some essentials skills you should include on your CV include:
Relationship building
A lot of sales is about forming relationships with customers and clients. If they don’t buy into who you are and what the company is offering, you won’t turn prospects into sales. Other similar terms to use are ‘personable’, ‘a people person’ and ‘customer service’.
Highly motivated
Sales isn’t always easy. There are a lot of setbacks and negatives responses involved. Employers and recruiters want to see someone who can keep themselves positive and motivated. This word and general attitude need to shine through on your CV.
Specific product
This isn’t a term per se. Instead, it’s a placeholder where you will need to talk about the relevant product or service knowledge you have. Customise your CV to each type of sales job and this will go a long way. For instance, if you’re applying for a window sales job, include the words ‘window sales experience’.
This element has even greater importance if you’re new to the sales industry and have very limited experience.
Make sure you find similarities between life achievements and other roles.
For example, if you’ve previously worked in the care industry, you’re great at forming personal relationships and helping people.
These are desirable traits and top keywords decision-makers are searching for.
Use examples
Sales is a results business.
Therefore, when you’re creating a perfect CV for a sales job, you have to give examples of how you’ve generated income.
- Were you named top salesperson in the company in a particular month?
- What’s the highest number of sales you’ve achieved from a list of cold prospects?
- How many calls do you average per day?
These are relevant statistics that employers and recruiters love.
Weave these into your CV and you’ll give them a true indication of how good you are.
Name dropping is a good thing
One of the most important factors in promoting yourself for a sales job is to include specifics.
If you’ve sold to big companies or a relevant target audience, include it!
Employers want to see who you’ve successfully sold products or services to and at what level.
This will give them a better idea of whether you’re qualified for the position and have the potential to generate big results for them.
You can include this kind of information within the description of each job you’ve had.
Choose a quality format
Creativity is an integral part of selling these days.
Salespeople must find an angle in order for the customer to get on board with the product or service they’re being offered.
Employers and recruiters will consider the format of your CV, so don’t be afraid to get creative with the layout.
Always include a nice amount of white space and make certain key phrases or statistics stand out.
If the information is too bunched up, they might miss some of the juicy bits.
Ask a friend to take a look at your CV from a glance and get them to list three words that best describe you based on what they see.
What does your CV say to them?
You can then tweak it accordingly.
Enjoyed reading this?
If you’re serious about landing your dream sales job, don’t leave anything to chance.
Swat up on more recruitment top tips by reading the blogs below.
- 4 Steps to Successfully Promote Yourself
- 9 Types of Job Interviews You Need to be Prepared For
- 4 Things an Employer Wants to See in a Candidate
- 6 Ways to Make Your Social Media Look Professional to Employers
Good luck!
