Sales Manager Resume Examples [Templates & Key Skills]

Every great sales manager knows their job isn’t about selling—

It’s about inspiring.

Do you know who your sales manager resume must inspire first?

The hiring manager.

You must convince them you’re the one who’ll get the job done better than the other 250+ applicants.

And this is exactly what you’re about to learn.

This guide will show you:

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

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.

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Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.

Looking for related jobs in sales? See one of our dedicated guides:

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• Pharmaceutical Sales Resume
• Leasing Agent Resume Sample
• Ecommerce Resume Sample
• Leasing Consultant Resume Sample
• Buyer Resume Sample
• Management Consultant Resume Sample

For more examples check our amazing collection here:

• Best Examples of Resumes for Any Job

Here's how to write a sales manager resume:

1

Pick a Good Sales Manager Resume Template

Here’s the thing: we make judgments based on first impressions. And—

Research suggests it only takes 1/10 of a second to form one. This is why choosing the best template for your sales manager resume is so vital. A recruiter’s brief glance may decide about your future.

So—

Make sure your sales manager resume:

• Looks elegant and professional
• Is easily navigable and legible
• Puts white space to good use
• Uses ATS- and reader friendly fonts.

How?

First off, go for the reverse-chronological resume format. It puts your experience and key achievements in the limelight. Also, it’s the best-established resume format and all recruiters feel comfortable reading it.

And—

If you want to be absolutely certain your formatting stays intact on the hiring manager’s end, export your sales manager resume to PDF.

Our resume builder takes care of all the formatting so you can focus on the content. Just pick one of the 20+ resume templates. Customize the colors, fonts, and much more.

All our templates have been approved by recruiters and career experts, and are 100% ATS-compliant.

Here’s a look at what your sales manager resume could look like:

Sales Manager Resume Examples

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Pro Tip: Match your resume to the company culture. Our resume builder offers a range of styles: from creative to elegant to minimal.

Looking for advice on resume length? Not sure if a one-page resume is better than a two-page resume? Get the ideal resume length with our guide: How Long Should a Resume Be? Ideal Resume Length

2

Write a Sales Manager Resume Objective or Summary

If your resume looks good enough—you’ll win 6 seconds of the recruiter’s attention. This is how much (or little) time they’ll spend scanning your sales manager resume.

The trick is to make your resume:

Riveting.

How? By topping it with the choicest opening section. One that will make the other candidates look like they’re applying for a job at a lemonade stand. Before we move on—

Let’s take a look at the differences between a resume summary and objective.

A sales manager resume summary is a brief rundown of your relevant experience and key achievements. It’s perfect for experienced candidates for sales manager positions.

Take a look at these two automobile sales manager resume summaries:

Sales Manager Resume Summary Statement

Here’s a quick breakdown of why the good example leaves the bad one far behind:

1. It starts with your strong character trait.
2. Shows who you are and specifies your experience.
3. Addresses the company by name.
4. Shows what you can offer by mentioning your biggest achievement(s).

And—

5. Offers numbers wherever possible.

Now—

A sales manager resume objective focuses on your skills and shows why you’re a perfect fit for the position. It works best for candidates who want to switch careers, step up the career ladder, or get a place at an entry-level sales management training program for freshers.

Whatever your motivation, one thing remains the same: Your sales manager resume objective mustn’t suck.

Here are examples of right and wrong sales manager resume objectives:

Objective for Sales Manager Resume

The good example focuses on the specific skills the recruiter is after. The ones that show your potential for success in the role of a sales manager.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Looking for more examples of salesman resume objectives and resume summaries? Here’s a selection of our guides:

• How to Write a Professional Resume Summary
• Resume Objectives Examples for All Jobs

3

Make the Most of Every Sales Manager Job Description

Listen: the hiring manager is not looking for a salesman you surely are.

They’re looking for a leader you have to become.

So—let your sales manager resume job description show you’re ready to lead and inspire your team.

How to Prepare a Sales Manager Job Description for a Resume

• Put your latest position up top. Let the previous one follow it, and so on.
• Add your job title, company name, and dates.
• Try not to list more than 6 bullet points for each position.
• Describe your responsibilities in terms of achievements. Responsibilities + numbers = achievements.
• Put numbers where you can. Numbers speak louder than words.
• Tailor your resume to the job. Show what you’ve done that’s relevant to this particular position.

Looks like a lot to pay attention to? Fret not.

Our resume builder will guide you every step of the way when writing your sales manager resume.

Follow our career experts’ pro tips to get every single detail right.

Ready-to-use examples written by HR pros to help you land that job interview. Try our resume builder now.

Now—

Let’s take a look at a sales manager job description from a job ad. All the key skills are underlined:

Sales Manager Responsibilities:

• Analyze sales statistics to define sales potential.
• Ensure customer satisfaction and resolve customer issues.
• Manage day-to-day performance of sales team.
• Motivate, train, and coach sales staff while applying feedback.
• Build consistent lead generation with the marketing team.
• Monitor performance metrics of sales team and report data.

Remember—your sales manager resume must be more than a laundry list of all the stuff you’ve ever done. Show the hiring manager you’re great at doing what they need you to do. Here’s what a tailored sales manager resume job description could look like:

Sales Manager Job Description for a Resume

The difference? In the good example, the keywords from the job ad fit into the natural flow of each bullet point. The bad example is nothing more than a copy-pasted job description from the job offer.

Ouch.

Even if it manages to fool the ATS, the hiring manager is going to feed their shredder with it. Generic resumes are every shredder’s favorite.

Now—

If you want to move into your first sales manager role, you need to follow the same rules. To cut a long story short:

• Customize your experience section to the job description
• Focus on the skills the hiring manager is after

Here’s what your sales manager job description could read like:

Assistant Sales Manager Job Description—Resume Example

This job description proves that this sales rep is ready to inspire their team to succeed.

Remember—you might want to make some parts of your job description stand out more. Use bold to highlight what you’re most proud of. You can also underline, add links, and much more. With our resume builder formatting is easy and intuitive.

Sales Manager Resume Example

Edit the text to direct the recruiter’s eyes wherever you desire. Try our resume builder now.

If you’re still hungry for more information on how to make a job-winning experience section on your sales manager resume, read our guide: Work Experience on a Resume: Job Description Samples and Tips

It’s really simple: you’ll get the job if your skills are up to par.

So—

You must make sure everything that makes you stand out from the crowd gets proper exposure on your sales manager resume.

What skills to include on a perfect sales manager resume?

In short, the relevant ones. Take a good look at the job offer you’re replying to, and pick out the skills the company is looking for

Got them? Chances are most of them are already in your job description. Yay!

But—

You can still sprinkle your sales manager resume objective or summary with some more skills. And put the ones you take most pride in a separate key skills section. Remember, though.

Relevance is key.

It’s not about any skills, it’s about the ones that make you a great manager. If you’re looking for inspiration, here’s a list of some typical key skills for a sales manager resume.

Top Sales Manager Skills for a Resume

• Analytical skills
• Budgeting
• Building relationships
• Coaching
• Communication skills
• Customer service skills
• Delegation
• Leadership skills
• Managing processes
• Market knowledge
• Meeting sales goals
• Motivation
• Negotiation
• Problem-solving
• Reporting
• CRM: Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Sugar Sell, HubSpot Sales
• Sales planning
• Selling to customer needs
• Staffing
• Strategy
• Technical skills
• Time-management skills
• Vision

Pro Tip: Don’t go overboard with how many skills you list. Choose up to 7-9 of your top sales manager skills. This way you’ll avoid the so-called Presenter’s Paradox.

To save space and make your skills section stand out, try moving it to the sidebar on your resume.

The good news?

In our resume builder you can move and rearrange the sections easily.

Take a look:

Add, remove, and move around your sales manager resume sections using our builder. Create your resume now.

Looking for more inspiration on the best skills for managers? Here’s a guide you may find interesting: Top 10 Management Skills: List & Great Advice (Not Just for Managers)

Here’s the thing. You’re applying for a managerial position, you can’t be green behind the ears. You can omit the entire education section entirely, right?

Wrong.

Don’t skip any section. Ever. As a seasoned pro, you’re free to limit your sales manager resume education section to the necessary minimum, though.

List your:

• Degree
• Major/minor
• School name
• Graduation date

Add only your highest degree of education on your resume. There’s no need to dive any deeper.

Senior Sales Manager Resume Sample—Education Section

Need more information on how to list education on your resume? Head straight to our guide: Education Resume Section: Examples for Different Scenarios

At this point, we can easily say your sales manager resume has everything a good resume needs.

It’s done.

Or is it?

Remember—on average, you must beat 250+ candidates. So, let them be the average. For you, it’s time to:

Add value. How?

By including extra sections, such as:

• Awards
• Courses
• Certifications
• Conferences
• Volunteering
• Industry blog
• Language skills
• Interests and activities

Prove your worth to the hiring manager, show you’re a perfect cultural fit ready to drive change!

Not sure what extra sections to add to your sales manager resume? Take a look at our guide: What to Include on a Job-Winning Resume

Yes, it’s true: Only half of hiring managers care about cover letters, according to our HR statistics report. But—less than half of candidates send them.

So ask yourself this question—

Would you rather get the job and overdeliver along the way, or get rejected because you underdelivered Well, let’s take it a step further. Would you rather inspire a team of overachievers, or struggle with a bunch of sluggards?

See how it works?

A well-written cover letter not only can double your chances but also shows you care. This is what’s being tested with the “cover letters optional” blurb in the job ad. And—

A great cover letter that matches the style of your sales manager resume will give you an edge over the other candidates.

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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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Don’t know how to go about writing a cover letter? Here’s a guide that will help you out: Cover Letter Writing in 8 Simple Steps [Proven Template]

Key Takeaway

Here’s a brief summary of the most important points about making a sales manager resume:

• Choose an elegant sales manager resume template.
• Start with a compelling sales manager resume objective or summary. Show off your skills and key achievements.
• Create a relevant sales manager job description for your resume. Focus on your achievements, not responsibilities.
• Include additional sections for extra value.
• Tailor your resume to a particular job offer. Call the company you’re applying to by name in the opening statement.

Are you writing a sales manager resume for the first time? Or perhaps you’re a seasoned pro eager to help the rookies out? We’d love to hear from you, leave your comment below!