Are you looking to make the next big move in your sales career ? Or looking to get into your first sales job ? Either way, you need to know what skills are required for a sales job so you may highlight them in your job winning sales resume.
During my stint as President sales for a top EdTech startup of India, I had to build from scratch a team of 4000+ salespeople at different levels. Based on my experience of hiring thousands of sales executives and associates, managers, directors, and VPs, I share my thoughts through this article to help you bag a rewarding sales role.
So, let’s see first what a sales role entails.
I. What comprises a Sales Job ?
Sales jobs involve a variety of tasks, from helping customers make informed purchasing decisions to generating leads and closing deals. A sales job is a great way to start a career in business, as it provides an opportunity to learn and develop skills that can be applied in many other areas.
Also, it is one of the fastest way to grow in an organization. I have seen my top sales people becoming great entrepreneurs as well as climbing the corporate ladder fast to become Directors and VPs.
The primary goal of a sales job is to generate revenue. This means identifying potential customers, making contact with them, and establishing a trusting relationship so that they are willing to purchase a product or service.
Skills required in a Sales Job – Highlight these in your Sales Resume
To do this, salespeople must have a strong understanding of their product or service, as well as the needs and wants of the customer.
They must also be able to craft compelling arguments to convince customers that their product or service is the best option for them.
In addition to selling, sales jobs also require a great deal of market research, product knowledge, and customer service. This involves researching the market to determine who the target customer is and what they are looking for, as well as staying up-to-date on product features and pricing.
Salespeople must be able to answer customer questions and provide them with the information they need in order to make a decision.
Additionally, effective customer service is essential for creating a positive customer experience and ensuring that customers are satisfied with their purchase.
Finally, sales jobs often involve managing accounts. This may include tracking orders, managing customer relationships, and ensuring that customer orders are fulfilled in a timely manner. Salespeople must be able to stay organized and track customer data, as well as build and maintain relationships with customers.
II. What to include in your sales resume
Your sales resume is the first place where you need to showcase your selling skills. If you cannot sell your skills to your potential employers, it is unlikely you would be able to sell their products well.
Ensure that you include the following in your sales resume.
1. Sales Targets or Quotas Achievements
Targets and achievements are the most critical part of any sales role. If you are not comfortable with sales targets, you should probably rethink your decision to continue in sales. Most top sales people are at ease with the targets and achievement pressure.
When creating a sales resume, it is important to include any sales achievements you have acquired. This includes target goals, quotas, and achievements. Ensure that you compare your results with peers, company averages, and industry growth rates. This will help sharpen the perspective of recruiters and give them an understanding of your true potential.
This part sweeps across levels. It doesn’t matter if you are making your sales associate resume, or a sales manager resume, you need to include your achievements.
For creating a great hook, keep your achievements right in front – in your professional summary itself.
2. Knowledge of Sales Techniques
Highlighting your approaches for lead generation, customer segmentation, need analysis, and sales closing. These functional skill sets are extremely important when creating a sales resume. These will give recruiters a clear understanding of your sales techniques.
3. Showcase Comfort with Technology and CRM in sales resume
To make sure your resume stands out, make sure to include any knowledge of customer relationship management (CRM) systems, calling and messaging mechanisms, and any other sales technology you are comfortable with. Name the CRMs or softwares that you have worked with. Recruiters often use these keywords to shortlist resumes.
4. Highlight Communication and Convincing Skills
Sales persons must be able to effectively communicate and convince customers to purchase their product. Showcasing your communication and convincing skills are integral when creating a sales resume. Mention incidences of recovered agitated customers, tough sales closures done by you.
5. Highlight Relationship Driven Sales
Employers love sales persons who can reduce their marketing cost.
Great salespeople often rely on long term customer relationships to generate sales. They do this through networking, referrals, and repeat orders. Highlighting this skill in your resume will show potential employers that you possess the necessary skills for sales success.
6. Highlight People and Team Management
Sales Executives are one of the top contenders for senior managerial positions in any organization. They are known for their versatility, team management, and business acumen. When creating a sales resume, make sure to outline your leadership and business management philosophies and team management styles.
7. Tailor Your Resume
When creating a sales resume, make sure to tailor it to the specific position you are applying for. Doing this will give potential employers confidence that you have the skills, achievements, and qualifications to be successful in the position. Ensuring the right keywords and story-lines also helps Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) line up your resume for top sales jobs.
Alright. Hope this article gives you enough insights to help you build a strong job winning sales resume.
Now, grab a great sales resume format and start working on your resume.
Let me know in the comments if you have any doubts.
Thanks for reading and all the best for your next big sales opportunity.
