16 Sales Manager Resume Examples for 2025

As a hiring manager, I've seen countless resumes for sales management roles. A good resume showcases not just your past sales success, but your potential to lead a team. In this article, we offer proven resume examples and strategic advice to help you display your skills effectively. Learn the right way to highlight your leadership, sales, and strategic planning experience. With our guidance, you'll tailor your resume to catch any employer's eye.

  Compiled and approved by Marie-Caroline Pereira
  Last updated on See history of changes

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

Here's what we see in standout resumes for sales managers.

  • Show Your Impact With Numbers: Your resume should show how you have improved sales. Include percent increases in revenue, number of deals closed, growth in market share, and customer retention rates. Numbers help you show the real impact you made.

  • Match Your Skills With The Job Description: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned in the job description. Some popular ones are CRM software proficiency, data analysis, pipeline management, forecasting, and contract negotiation.

  • Highlight Your Strategy Development: Show you can create plans to increase sales. Use phrases like 'developed sales strategy', 'implemented pricing models', and 'optimized sales funnel' to show this skill.

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Education section order

On your resume, the location of your education section sends a message about its importance in your career. If you have been working in sales for many years, put your job experience first. Your work history shows your skills better. But if you just finished a new degree, like an MBA, put education first to show why you haven't been working.

For those fresh in their career or recent graduates, listing education at the top helps highlight your recent accomplishments and academic knowledge relevant to sales management roles.

Highlight sales success

In a sales manager resume, it is critical to highlight not only your management experience but also your sales records. Use clear numbers to show your results. For instance, 'Grew regional sales by 20%' is strong and clear. This shows you not only lead but also deliver real results.

Also, mention specific sales strategies you have mastered or implemented. It shows you have the skills needed in a real work setting.

Ideal resume length

Your resume should be one page if you have less than 10 years of experience in roles related to sales. This length forces you to focus on your most important achievements and sales successes. For those with more than 10 years of experience or in a senior sales manager role, two pages allow you to detail your extensive experience and leadership growth.

Remember, every line should show your value to the role of manager in sales: focus on key results and leadership experiences.

Show leadership skills

Being a good leader is key to being a good manager in sales. On your resume, show how you have led teams. Use examples like 'Managed a team of 15 sales reps' or 'Led training sessions for new sales software'. These show that you can guide and grow a sales team.

Also, if you have experience with recruiting or training new team members, make sure to include it. It shows you can build a strong sales team, which is very important in a manager's role.

Beat the resume scanners

When you apply for a job, your resume might first be seen by a computer, not a person. This system is called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). To help make sure your resume gets noticed by a hiring manager, you need to understand how these systems work.

Use keywords from the job description. For example, if the job is for a sales manager, include words like 'sales growth' and 'team leadership'. These are terms the ATS looks for. Also, list your sales achievements in numbers. For example, say 'increased sales by 20%' or 'grew the customer base by 30%'. Numbers like these will show your success in sales.

Here are some things you should do:

  • Write your job experiences in a way that matches the job you want. Use simple language and short phrases.
  • Make sure to include words related to sales management, like 'revenue targets' and 'market strategy', to show you know the field.

Tailor your resume

When you apply for a sales manager role, you need to show you have the right skills. You must make it clear that your past work has prepared you for this job. List past jobs, but focus on what you did that relates to managing sales.

  • Use bullet points to highlight how you've led a sales team or project. Say how many people you managed and the results you got. For example, you could write: Managed a team of 10 sales associates, increasing overall sales by 20%.
  • Show numbers to prove your success. For example, talk about how much you grew a sales territory: Expanded sales territory by 35% within two years.
  • If you have experience in a different job, talk about skills that also matter for sales managers. For example, if you worked in customer service, show how you handled customer problems and how that can help you understand client needs.

Show achievements, not tasks

As a sales team leader, your resume should highlight your successful outcomes, not just the jobs you've done. You'll impress a hiring manager by showing how your actions helped your company grow. Remember, it's about the impact you've made.

Here are two ways to turn basic responsibilities into standout achievements:

  • Before: 'Responsible for managing a sales team.'
    After: 'Led a team of 10 salespeople to exceed targets by 15% each quarter, boosting company revenue.'
  • Before: 'Handled sales training programs.'
    After: 'Developed and implemented a sales training program that reduced team ramp-up time by 30%, leading to quicker revenue generation.'

Use dynamic verbs for impact

As a hiring manager, I know how important it is for you to stand out. Choosing the right verbs on your resume can show your leadership and drive. Think about the tasks you handle every day. Now, find words that paint a picture of your skills in selling, guiding a team, and hitting targets.

You should aim for words that display your ability in managing sales and leading teams. Those words can transform a simple duty into a strong achievement. Remember, your goal is to make the reader see your potential through your word choice.

  • To demonstrate leadership in sales, use directed, oversaw, orchestrated, pioneered, steered.
  • For showing team management, consider coached, motivated, unified, recruited, built.
  • To highlight your strategy skills, use formulated, implemented, executed, developed, planned.
  • For sales growth and expansion, verbs like expanded, accelerated, amplified, captured, maximized are effective.
  • Show your ability to hit and exceed targets with surpassed, outperformed, exceeded, achieved, secured.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Grew, Determined, Collaborate, Made, Deliver.

Show leadership growth

When you apply for a sales manager position, show clear evidence of your leadership skills and any promotions you've received. This tells employers you're good at what you do and ready for more responsibility.

Think about your work history. Here are ways to show you've grown:

  • In your past jobs, list any titles that show you moved up, like 'from sales representative to senior sales rep.'
  • Describe achievements that show leadership, such as 'led a team to meet sales targets' or 'trained new team members.'

Even if you're not sure, think about times when you guided others or took on more work. These can be signs of leadership. Examples include:

  • 'Organized a sales conference' or 'managed a big client account.'
  • 'Improved sales strategies' or 'introduced a successful product.'

Key sales manager skills

As you prepare your resume, focus on the skills that show you can drive results and manage a sales team effectively. Below is a list of skills you might include, but choose those that fit best with your experience and the job you want.

  • Sales strategy development
  • Market analysis
  • Customer relationship management (CRM)
  • Revenue growth
  • Contract negotiation
  • Sales forecasting
  • Business development
  • Data analysis
  • Product knowledge
  • Performance metrics

You should include these skills in a dedicated section for ease of reading. This helps with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that may scan your resume for relevant terms. When you list your skills, make sure they match the job description. For example, if the job requires expertise in CRM software, and you have it, make sure it's on your resume.

Remember, you don't need every skill listed. Pick those that you are good at and that are most relevant. For example, if you excel in sales strategy development, emphasize that. If you helped increase revenue, mention your experience with revenue growth. Tailor your skills to the job and show how they've helped you succeed in past roles.

Show impact with numbers

When you apply for a sales manager position, showing your impact with clear numbers makes your resume stand out. Numbers help me, as a hiring manager, see your exact impact. Here's how and why to use metrics:

  • Highlight your ability to grow sales by mentioning the percentage increase in revenue. For example, if you helped grow sales by 20%, that's a strong number to showcase. Think of the time frame over which you achieved this growth and include it, like 'Increased sales revenue by 20% year-over-year.'
  • Show how you've managed a team by including the size of the team you've led, such as 'Led a team of 15 sales professionals.'
  • Mention the number of new client accounts you've secured for your company, like 'Secured 30 new client accounts in 6 months.'
  • List how much you've improved customer retention. For example, 'Improved customer retention rates by 25% over two years.'
  • Include how much you reduced the sales cycle duration, which can be a significant efficiency improvement. For instance, 'Reduced the average sales cycle from 60 to 45 days.'
  • Note any reductions in costs you achieved through strategic planning, 'Cut marketing costs by 15% without impacting sales.'
  • Share how you've increased market share, 'Increased company market share by 5% in a competitive sector.'
  • Detail specific product or service sales improvements, such as 'Boosted sales of the flagship product by 100 units monthly.'

Think through your sales experience for these numbers. If you are unsure, estimate based on your best recollection, but be ready to discuss how you arrived at these figures during an interview.

Tailoring for small companies

When applying to small companies or startups, highlight your versatility and adaptability. Small firms like regional retail chains or local tech startups value a range of skills. Mention your ability to wear many hats and handle different tasks.

Include phrases like "Managed end-to-end sales process" or "Adapted strategies to meet changing market demands." These show you can thrive in a flexible environment.

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