Sales Manager CV Sample: 25+ Examples and Writing Tips

Listen:

You could sell a space heater in the Sahara.

But—

Do you know how to make your sales manager CV sell you to the recruiter?

Keep calm.

And learn how to beat the other 250+ hopefuls.

This guide will show you:

• Best sales manager CV examples that get jobs.
• How to ace your sales manager job description on a CV.
• How to write CVs for sales manager positions that get the interview.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a sales manager job.

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Need help with a different kind of CV? Explore our other guides:

• Sales Representative CV
• Store Manager CV
• Manager CV
• Retail CV
• Account Manager CV
• Sales CV
• General Manager CV
• Project Manager CV

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our CV Examples.

Sales Manager CV—Sample

1. Choose the Best Sales Manager CV Format

Trust.

Trust is the cornerstone of any successful transaction.

The question is:

How to make your sales manager CV gain the recruiter’s trust in 7 seconds?

Start with selecting the best sales manager CV format:

• The reverse-chronological CV format will make your experience and key achievements clearly visible.
• Thanks to simple and readable CV fonts the recruiter will easily navigate from section to section. Choose the range between 10 and 14pt. Write simple headings. Avoid squeezing in too much information and make good use of white space.
• The best CV length? A single page. Unless your experience is monumental.
• Start your retail sales manager CV with a CV objective, summary, or summary of qualifications. Follow it up with experience and education sections.
• Put your sales manager skills in a separate key skill section.Add information on your professional sales certifications and membership in professional sales associations and organisations. Consider adding a section on your interests and hobbies, as well as knowledge of foreign languages.

Expert Hint: If you want your regional sales manager CV to keep its formatting, export it as a PDF file. Plus, the PDF CV format is readable to the ATS.

2. Start with a Sales Manager CV Objective That Turns Heads

Here’s the secret.

Tickle the recruiter pink from the very start.

How?

By writing a sales manager CV objective or CV summary that delivers.

Here’s a surefire formula that works each and every time.

1. An adjective

2. Job title

3. Years of experience

4. What you can offer and how it will help

5. Your biggest achievement

Sales Manager CV Summary Example

Results-driven (1) sales manager (2) with 3+ years of experience. (3) Eager to develop and inspire XYZ’s sales team to exceed customer expectations and sales goals. (4) In previous roles boosted activity metrics by 200%, and renegotiated sales deals that earned extra 80K in a single quarter. (5)

Experienced sales manager wishing to join your company. Looks for a new environment to keep honing his managerial skills and lead new teams.

See how it works?

The bad example not only sounds generic but shows the candidate is more of a taker than a giver.

The good example paints a picture of an experienced, qualified candidate who knows what sales management is about, and can prove it with facts and figures.

This kind of intro sells.

What If You’ve Got No Experience?

Listen:

You can’t become a sales manager without previous experience. Simple as that.

If you’re a career changer, you surely have some experience. Maybe not necessarily in the field, but it’s OK as long as it’s relevant.

The only difference is that your sales manager CV for entry-level positions would start with a sales manager CV objective, not a summary.

The difference between a CV objective and summary is a matter of semantics.

In short: the sales manager CV objective focuses on your achievements and explains why you’re a good fit. Unlike a CV summary which, well, summarises your professional experience.

Sales Manager CV—Objective

Hard-working sales associate with 3+ years of professional experience. Skilled in relationship building and sales strategies. Eager to lead the sales team, and expand sales territory as Area Sales Manager. Consistently scored more than 90% in customer satisfaction surveys, and was appointed Acting Team Leader.

Dedicated sales associate wishing to develop professionally. Would love to become Area Sales Manager and lead sales teams.

Just as previously, the most important difference here is that between a taker (bad example) and a giver (good example).

Remember—

The best sales manager CV objective should convince the hiring manager you have a lot to offer. And then some more.

Expert Hint: Here’s a trick of the trade. Write your introduction at the very end. When your entire sales manager CV is ready, reread it, pick out the best parts, and put them in your objective statement for sales manager CV.

3. Write the Sales Manager CV Job Description and Skills Sections

Did you know that the overlap between what you and your competitors offer can be as high as 70%?

Is this good or bad news?

It’s devastating—

For your competition.

Because you are about to learn how to make the most of your 30% value wedge, and craft a magnetic sales manager CV job description.

Here’s the secret:

1. Analyse the job posting.

2. Pick out the sales manager CV skills the employer desires.

3. Describe your sales manager experience on the CV in the language of the job posting.

Sales Manager Responsibilities—CV Example

• Visited and developed sales outlets based on order placement and merchandising standards.
• Executed promotional activities within the entire assigned territory.
• Obtained business opportunities, located and developed 20+ new leads.
• Communicated the progress of monthly and quarterly initiatives to internal stakeholders.
• Identified growth opportunities within territory. Identified 50+ new sales outlets.

• Responsible for sales outlets
• Organising promotions
• Responsible for growing business
• Reporting to stakeholders

Let’s break it down now.

Why would you write your sales manager CV “in the language of the job posting?”

Here’s the thing:

On average, a job opening attracts 250+ candidates. Most of the time CVs for a sales manager are machine-read by the ATS (Applicant Tracking System).

The ATS identifies sales manager CV keywords to screen for the qualified candidates.

So—

If you’re fully qualified but happen not to have included the keywords in your sales manager CV, your application may be rejected before any recruiter sees it.

Which begs the question:

How to impress the hiring manager?

For one thing: use CV action words.

A worn out “responsible for” phrase communicates nothing. Your sales manager CV should be full of such words as visited, executed, obtained, communicated, managed, led, etc. They are much more powerful and show what you’re really capable of.

Next, use numbers wherever you can. This is not to say there absolutely must be a number in all sales manager CV bullet points. No.

But—

What you should do is identify up to 2-3 key achievements, and single them out in a separate sales manager CV key skills subsection:

Regional Sales Manager CV Sample—Key Achievements

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Last but not least.

Put the right sales manager skills on your CV.

What are the best sales manager skills for a CV?

To cut a long story short: the ones listed in the job posting.

Revisit the job ad to see if the skills are listed by name. Once you have them, put them on your sales manager CV in the key skills section.

Use the lists below to get inspired.

Sales Manager Skills—CV Examples

Sales Manager—Soft Skills

• Relationship building
• Leadership
• Negotiation
• Problem-solving
• Adaptability
• Time management
• Organisation
• Oral communication
• Collaboration
• Written communication
• Self-motivation

Sales Manager—Hard Skills

• Project management
• Team management
• Conflict resolution
• Budgeting
• Finance
• Negotiating
• Strategic planning
• Sales techniques
• Territory management
• Salesforce and other CRMs
• MicroStrategy
• Oracle Fusions Applications
• MS Office

Expert Hint: List the skills you’re really good at. Leave out the ones you only have a basic grasp of. This way your sales manager CV will be free from the so-called presenter’s paradox.

4. Turn Boring Education Into a Reason to Hire You

Education matters.

But not that much.

After all, it’s a sales manager CV. Not a newbie salesperson CV. It’s OK to limit your CV education section to the graduation date, university name, location, and degree.

Sales Manager CV—Education

2015
University of California, Santa Barbara
BA, Psychology

But—

Your additional managerial qualifications are more than welcome. Don’t fail to give them the attention they deserve. Add a CV certification section

Hotel Sales Manager CV—Certifications

• NLP Practitioner Certification
• Six Steps to Closing Every Time (NASP)
• The Art of Prospecting (NASP)

The same is true about your membership in professional associations and attendance at industry-specific conferences.

Hotel Sales Manager CV—Associations

• National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP)—Member

General Sales Manager CV—Conferences

• 2017 Revenue Summit—Panel Moderator
• 2016 TOPO Sales Summit—Attendee

Expert Hint: On a sales manager CV the education section doesn’t have to be very detailed. But don’t fail to show how you keep growing professionally. Make separate sections for certifications, professional associations, and conferences.

6. Light Up Your Sales Manager CV With These Extra Sections

Believe in yourself. Offer more than one option.

These aren’t catchy slogans. These are some of the most powerful sales strategies.

So—

Don’t be shy. Let your sales manager CV show you can offer even more than the acumen of a seasoned pro.

Show the recruiter you’re passionate, engaged, and well-rounded by including extra CV sections on your publications, interests, and knowledge of foreign languages.

Senior Sales Manager CV Sample—Publications

• Selling Power—Interview about developing sales strategies
• Internet Retailer—Aritcle on the effectiveness of SEO sales strategies

Auto Sales Manager CV—Interests

• Wakeboarding
• Foreign languages

International Sales Manager CV—Languages

• German (Advanced)
• French (Conversational)
• Spanish (Conversational)
• Mandarin Chinese (Conversational)

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Key Points

To write the best sales manager CV:

• Choose the best sales manager CV template. An entry-level sales manager CV experience section doesn’t have to be as spacious as that on a senior sales manager CV.
• Give your sales manager CV a fantastic look. Stick to one page. Use white space to avoid clutter, and focus on your relevant experience.
• Answer a specific job offer. Make sure the sales manager job description on your CV aims at a specific job posting.
• Make the most of your education. Mention your professional certifications, membership in professional organisations, and conferences you attended. All these prove you’re serious about professional development.
• Add a couple of extras. Show you’re a well-rounded candidate. List your publications, interests, as well as knowledge of foreign languages.

Questions on how to write the best sales manager CV? Want to share advice on how to prepare a CV for sales manager jobs (territory sales manager CV or auto sales manager CV)? We’d love to hear from you. Leave your comment below.

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