5 Sales Person Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

You are a sales person superstar and a multitasking marvel.

You relax customers and transform smiles into sales with your positive attitude and upselling skills.

You go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure customer needs are taken care of, and they have the best possible shopping experience.

But how do you include all of that in your sales person resume?

Don’t worry we’ll let you in on the secret.

When selecting the perfect sales person, hiring managers want to know:

• You have the technical skills (Cash register operations, Computer Literacy, Infusion Soft CEM)
• You have the right personality and attitude to work
• You have experience providing excellent customer service
• You have the drive to increase sales

Read on to find out how to secure the sales person job you’ve been looking for…

This sales person resume guide will include:

• 8+ samples and examples of sales person resumes
• Advice on how to write a convincing summary and header
• Examples of the experience you need to include
• Layout suggestions that go against the grain
• Technical skills you need to include
• The soft skills that show your abilities
• Sales person qualifications and certifications

Your goal is to get the reviewer to:

• Be interested
• Read past your summary
• Be convinced of your suitability
• Get in contact with you
• Give you an interview
• Hire you!

Looking for related resumes?

• Inside Sales Resume Example
• Sales Representative Resume Example
• Sales Associate Resume Example

How to write a sales person resume

As a sales person you fulfill many roles.

You act as a liaison between the customer and company. You are a brand representative and promoter. You are an excellent product seller. You cater to customer’s needs.

Sales person resumes that get noticed mix excellent customer service skills with selling skills.

Use your resume to show that you have the right personality and skill set for the job.

Include examples that show you can:

• Drive product sales through demonstrating advanced product knowledge to customers and clients.
• Upsell through informing customers about current sales and promotions.
• Demonstrate the functionality of a company’s products.
• Answer customer’s questions and queries, and provide solutions to any problems.

How to create a striking sales person intern resume header

Your sales person resume header is the first thing an employer or hiring manager is going to see.

This is why it has to be specific and informative. If you miss out vital information, your application will be instantly overlooked.

You’re applying to work as a sales person for a luxury retail store.

Your header looks like this:

This needs a couple changes. Here’s why:

• The title is vague. Tell the hiring manager exactly what you do.
• It doesn’t stand out as unique – remember you’re competing against hundreds of other candidates.

Make an impression with your header. Let’s give it another try:

This is much better:

• It shows what industry you are hoping to enter.
• It provides a professional link, where the reviewer can get a better idea of your personality and achievements.

How to Choose the Right Layout Your sales person Resume

Use your resume layout and format as opportunities to show your uniqueness as a candidate.

Work in colour and experiment with fonts.

As long as you make sure the design does not confuse the message of your resume, why not get as creative as possible.

Get imaginative. Be different.

Below are some layouts that will make the employer say ‘Whoa’:

Take into consideration your audience when picking out a layout. For a clothes company, focus on style. For a technology company focus on geometric shapes and linear presentation.

Excellent interpersonal skills are essential on a sales person resume

When a company takes a chance on you, they need to know that you have the potential to really benefit them.

How does one do this in sales?

Its mainly through the gift of the gab.

And through really listening to the customer.

Make sure you show your excellent interpersonal skills throughout your resume. Show how they have benefited companies through sales in the past.

In your resume you can do this by:

• Writing about your practice of active listening.
• Demonstrate your ability to speak in specifics. Explain how you can do this through your product knowledge and industry expertise.
• Explain your ability to achieve results through persistence without being pushy.

Elaborate on these examples within your summary and experience sections. There you can apply these skills to real life situations.

We’ll have a look at these two sections now…

Writing an Effective sales person Resume Summary

Although sometimes overlooked, your resume summary section is one of the most important parts of your resume.

This is because, depending on its quality, a hiring manager might put your resume straight into the no pile.

This is your first introduction to the company. And first impressions count. If you can’t make it past this stage, you won’t be making it to work.

In a few sentences, tell the hiring manager who you are, what you specialise in, and your qualifications and certifications.

This is a lot. We understand. But be concise. A hiring manager doesn’t want to read an essay.

3 sales person Resume Samples - Summary

Here are some samples of sales person resume summary sections:

This summary isn’t up to scratch. Here’s why:

• It’s incredibly vague. It’s missing key details that tell the hiring manager who you are, and how much experience you have
• It uses a lot of words, without really saying anything.

Instead, tell more of a story with your summary. Make an impact:

This is much better. This is because:

• It specifies what area of sales you specialise in
• It demonstrates your soft skills
• It discusses your certifications

Let’s try this again but from experienced perspective:

Again, this may seem sufficient, but when you bear in mind how many applicants apply to one sales person job, you realise it’s not quite there. Here’s why:

• It says your experienced, but doesn’t specify how many years, or in what area.
• It does not showcase your skills or certifications.
• It is not results based.

This summary section is much better:

This summary is massively improved. This is because:

• It identifies your experience level, and area of expertise.
• It notes the training the candidate has undergone and the certifications they have been awarded.
• It shows a results driven individual who excels in their interpersonal skills.

How to Frame Your Experience on Your sales person Resume

In your experience section on your sales person resume, you should focus on:

• Your experience responding to the needs of customers. Explain how you can provide them with guidance and recommendations.
• Your experience keeping up to date with product knowledge. Explain how you do this through training and industry publications.
• Your proven experience meeting/exceeding corporate performance standards for team advancement.
• Your experience providing excellent customer service through your advanced communication and interpersonal skills.

It is important to go into detail in this section. Talk about achievements and results. This is your chance to really show the employer what you can do.

Instead of listing duties, explain how you did them, what you used to do them, and what they achieved.

An easy way to make sure you’re hitting all of these points is to split them up:

Tell the hiring manager:

• What you’ve done.
• How you managed to do this? What informed your ability to do this (certification/training).
• What were the effects of your actions?
• How did you impact the company/organisation?

If you’re struggling for work experience, here you can reference any volunteer work on your resume, or internships you have undertaken.

Below are some experience section samples:

2 sales person resume experience samples

These entries aren’t too great. This is why:

• They are not results-driven or enthusiastic examples.
• The experience doesn’t explain how you made a difference to the company.
• They don’t showcase your skills - you’re leaving the hiring manager in the dark.

This following example much better:

This is much better:

• It shows that you are a capable salesperson with a proven track record in surpassing sales goals.
• It shows your passion for the job and effectiveness in your role through using action words.
• It shows you’re award winning and will enhance the company’s performance.

Cater your experience section in response to the job description. Make sure you’re hitting all of the points you need to hit and cover the specific duties they want covering.

How to describe the duties and responsibilities of a sales person

Below are some of the responsibilities of a sales person. Integrate them into your experience, education and skills sections to really touch all bases:

• Identified, developed and maintained successful customer relationships.
• Used company’s upselling process with every customer. (Approach, interview, demonstration, validation, negotiation, close and follow up).
• Used the company’s computer database to research availability, options, stock information, and e-mail for customers.
• Demonstrated use of equipment and furnishings in feature and benefit production presentation.

A good way to jazz up the content of your sales person resume is to:

• Discuss any volunteer work, mentorships or internships. Explain how they have equipped you with the necessary skills required for the job.
• Discuss any previous on the job training you have undergone.
• Write about any awards you have won for your sales performance.

What to include in your sales person education section?

There are no formal education requirements for this job. Hiring managers do usually however prefer if the candidate has a high school diploma or GCSE’s.

If you have any relevant degree, it won't hurt to include it in an education section, alongside training you passed in other companies, or certifications.

For more specialist roles, such as a car sales person, a higher level of education may be preferred. This includes an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business or communications.

To make sure you secure this kind of job, you could also take a course in automotive technology for example.

This is also relevant if you wish to advance into a more senior, managerial position later on.

On the job training is always provided. Training often covers topics such as customer service (crafting a script), how to operate the cash register and the company’s policies and security procedures.

Again, depending on the type of product you are selling, you may be given specialist training to get you up to date with the intricacies and details.

Skills to highlight in your sales person intern resume

Your skills section should show the employer that you can use your strong communication skills to sell.

It should demonstrate that you have the people skills and intuition to identify customer needs. It should show you have the confidence and knowledge to deliver on this.

Be sure to integrate keywords from the job description to beat the ATS robots.

Here are some of the essential soft skills and technical skills to include in your sales person resume:

Elaborate on these skills in your experience section. Provide examples when you actively demonstrated these skills.

How to include your certifications on your resume

Integrating certifications into your sales person resume will make you stand out.

Employers won't necessarily include these certifications as a requirement within the job description. This subsequently shows your dedication to the job and willingness to learn.

Sales person certifications cover store operations, sales and customer service and inventory control.

This kind of job may also require a valid driver’s license.

Below are some certifications to include in your sales person resume:

What to take to take away from this guide:

When writing your sales person resume remember the following things:

• Create a header and summary that establishes you as a serious sales professional, make sure to show off your skills and abilities. Let the employer know that by hiring you they will enhance their team and see an increase in profits and customer loyalty.
• In your experience section write about previous jobs that show you have the relevant experience. If they know that you have successfully done the job before and achieved results, they will instantly be swayed in your favour. Sell yourself as an asset.
• Tell them about your excellent interpersonal skills, your ability to persuade and drive sales. Let them know you are customer focused and adaptable based on the customer
• Include certifications that reveal your self-motivation and ambition.