What employers look for in a sales CV

When applying for a job, it is essential that you tailor the cv to the role you are applying for where you can. You must make sure the CV is presented in a format that is clear and concise while also including information that is valuable to the application and displaying clear relevant experience and understanding of the job’s description.

Relevant Working Environment

When tailoring your CV, it is important to include roles you have worked in previously and show how the environment of the job is transferable to this new role you are applying for. For example, it is good to include if you have experience in high pressured work environments, if you are used to talking to people and if you are used to meeting with clients, collaborating with them, and assessing their needs.

The nature of sales can be stressful and demanding but on the other hand it is extremely rewarding and exciting, so demonstrating that you understand this and can thrive in this environment can tell the employer so much about your work ethic.

Telesales Experience

For a sales role it is vital to include any telesales experience you may have on your CV. If you are applying for a non-entry level role, then employers would like to see around 1-2 years of experience on your application. If you can provide any experience in B2B environments and examples of lead generation, then it will make your application stand out.

Entry-level roles require no necessary experience, but you should provide some understanding of the role’s requirements. Showing knowledge of the industry, what is required of the role and how you can fit in with that lifestyle is also important and can be included in your application even if you have no experience in this field directly.

Achievements

An important part of forming a CV for a sales role is including a rundown of your achievements. For a non-entry level role, showing examples of your success by including figures from your previous work is a fantastic way for the employer to measure how you impacted your previous organisation and your levels of success.

If you have had a previous role in sales, providing examples of previous call volumes can help the employer picture what kind of worker you are and if they think you are a good fit for the size of the company. For entry level sales jobs, you are not expected to provide any figures, just listing achievements is great and providing any evidence of success in a work or education setting will help you application.

Also, it is always good to mention any training courses you have completed as it suggests to the employer how qualified you may be for the position.

Demonstrating trends

A clear understanding of the industry and displays of knowledge on current trends in sales on your CV, show the employer how dedicated and knowledgeable you are. If you can summaries examples of how you have adjusted your working practices to the changing market so it can help demonstrate how flexible, interested and up to date you are in your work.

Management Experience

If you have any management experience, then make sure to include details of this in your application. Employers always like to know if you manage people, how many people you manage, how you motivate your team and what is the overall performance and dynamic of the people you manage.

Remember, if you are applying for an entry level role then some of these qualities might be slightly harder to reflect on your CV but it is important you display interest, an understanding of the industry, and include some transferrable skills from previous roles that is used in sales on your CV.

Click here to browse our current sales vacancies