A sales manager CV is a document that highlights measurable achievements and communication skills to help candidates secure a job in this dynamic field. The best applications demonstrate professionalism and capability through clear language, easy-to-read format, and suitable design.
In this article, we will provide a detailed guide on writing a sales manager CV and share two examples to illustrate this. We will also discuss what mistakes to avoid and how to write an application with no experience.
Key Takeaways
A sales manager CV is designed to help professionals demonstrate their ability to meet specific KPIs and communicate effectively.
A typical sales manager CV should contain your contact information, CV summary, work experience, skills, education, and certifications.
To write a sales manager CV without experience, you should focus on your education, highlight your transferable skills, and include volunteering experience.
Avoid making grammatical mistakes and typos, forgetting to add measurable achievements, using vague and nonspecific language, and improper formatting.
The Best Sales Manager CV Examples
The best way to learn how to write a sales manager CV is through examples, so we’ll provide two: one for junior candidates and one for seniors.
How to Create a Sales Manager CV in 5 Key Steps
To create a sales manager CV, follow these five key steps:
#1. Add Your Contact Details and a CV Summary
The very first section of your CV, placed in the header, should be the contact information section, where you’ll place the basic details your employer can use to reach out to you. It’s important not to forget this part; some candidates do, and then they don’t receive an interview invitation, even if they are ideal for the position.
These are the details you should include:
CV Header Details
Full name
Address
Email address
Phone number
LinkedIn profile (optional)
Professional website (optional)
Other than that, remember not to add anything too personal, like your social media accounts or blogs. These may negatively affect your chances of employment, especially if the content you post doesn’t align with your company’s values.
Here’s what the contact information section should look like on a sales manager CV:
Contact Information Example
Contact Information
Sarah Munroe Brighton, United Kingdom sarahmunroe@example.com +4432957294
Right underneath contact information, you should place a CV summary containing a quick overview of your most relevant skills, experiences, and achievements. This section, only 4–5 lines long, serves to capture recruiters’ attention and encourage them to keep reading. Thus, it has to be eye-catching and impactful.
We recommend this formula:
Sentence #1: your title, years of experience, and basic responsibilities you’ve tackled in different positions. If you’re an entry-level sales manager, you can mention your degree instead.
Sentence #2: the most significant achievement described using an action verb and measurable results
Sentence #3: a brief list of your soft and hard skills, presented as a list of attributes that describe you
Now, let’s put that into practice and create an effective sales manager CV summary:
Personal Statement Example
Personal Statement
Results-driven sales manager with 8+ years of experience leading high-performing sales teams and driving revenue growth in B2B markets. Led a 10-person sales team that generated £4 million in annual revenue, 19% more than the company envisioned. Known for my leadership skills, analytical thinking, and effective mentoring techniques.
#2. Showcase Work Experience
Work experience is the crucial part of your CV, which should contain your most relevant job titles, companies you worked for, and periods of employment. This information should be organised in a reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent experience.
However, achievements are the reason the work experience section is as important as it is. They should be listed under each entry as bullet points, explaining in a single sentence how you contributed to your past position. It’s best to stick to approximately 3–6 accomplishments per entry; that way, you demonstrate your abilities without going overboard.
This is what the work experience section should look like:
Work Experience Section for a Sales Manager Position
Work Experience
Senior Sales Manager XYZ Company, Brighton, UK January 2020–December 2024
Led a 10-person sales team that generated £4 million in annual revenue, 19% more than the company envisioned.
Collaborated with marketing and product teams to support 2 successful product launches that contributed £1 million within a year.
Trained and mentored 8 junior sales representatives, 5 of whom received promotions within a year.
Sales Manager ABC Company, Brighton, UK July 2016–December 2019
Negotiated contracts with three corporate clients, securing £1 million in recurring revenue.
Optimised sales budgets, which reduced the operational costs by 20%.
Implemented a CRM tracking system and sales dashboard to improve pipeline accuracy by 35%.
#3. Highlight Your Skills
The skills section is quite straightforward compared to the ones we’ve mentioned before; you only need to list your abilities as bullet points. All additional explanations should be saved for the accompanying cover letter or the interview, while this section should be clear and clutter-free.
Typically, this section contains 6–10 entries, starting with hard skills and ending with soft ones. You can also move it around the document according to your preferences; some place it above the work experience section, while others keep it underneath the education section.
Here’s what sales manager skills look like on a CV:
Sales Manager Skills Example
Skills
Excel, Power BI
CRM systems (HubSpot, Salesforce)
Lead generation and prospecting
Data analysis
B2B and B2C sales
Communication
Analytical thinking
Decision-making
Teamwork
Negotiation
#4. Include Education and Certifications
The education section is typically short, containing only your two most recent degrees, along with the institution that issued them and the period of attendance. However, if you don’t have vast professional experience, you can add your achievements here instead to pad out your CV and prove your value.
Here is a standard education section:
Sales Manager Education Section
Education
MSc International Business October 2023–September 2024 University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
BA Business Management October 2020–September 2023 University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
If you want to strengthen your qualifications further, you should include the certifications section and list all your relevant certificates. This is pretty simple, too; just write their names and the years when you obtained them as bullet points.
A good example may look like this:
Certifications Section
Certifications
HubSpot Sales Management Certification (2020)
CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing (2019)
#5. Consider Adding Other Sections
Once you complete the crucial sections we’ve mentioned above, you can consider adding a few more to highlight anything else that might seem important. Usually, optional sections include:
Publications, where you should list the articles and papers you’ve published or contributed to
Personal projects, where you can briefly describe any relevant activities you’ve undertaken that demonstrate specific skills
Hobbies and interests, where you should talk about the subjects and activities you enjoy outside of work, while still ensuring they are relevant to your position
References, where you can mention your past employers who have vouched for you
Languages, where you should list the languages you speak, along with your fluency levels for each
How to Write a Sales Manager CV Without Experience
To write a sales manager CV without experience, try the following strategies:
Highlight transferable skills. You may not possess job-specific skills gained through experience, but you’ve surely acquired transferable skills during your studies. These skills are incredibly useful because they can increase your value as an employee regardless of the profession. After all, communication, teamwork, and basic digital literacy are important in all positions.
Focus on education. If you don’t have significant work experience to write about, education is your trump card. You can elaborate on your academic achievements in bullet points, discuss relevant coursework, and mention projects that have helped you hone particular skills.
Include your volunteering experience. Finally, if you have any volunteering experience, make sure to add it to your CV, as it can significantly boost your application. Employers appreciate candidates who take the initiative and show interest in helping their communities, so they are likely to invite you for an interview.
4 Typical Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Sales Manager CV
Typical mistakes to avoid when creating a sales manager CV are the following:
Improper formatting. Your CV should be readable and scannable, because otherwise, it’s unlikely to even reach a recruiter. Namely, most applications nowadays must pass the applicant tracking system (ATS) scan before a human reads them, so they must have headings, paragraphs, and white space for this purpose, too.
Lack of measurable results. Measurable results are important on all applications, but even more so on sales manager CVs, where they can demonstrate your ability to reach specific goals and KPIs. Additionally, they make your claims sound less generic and, therefore, more believable.
Grammar mistakes and typos. Forgetting to proofread your application can cost you an interview invitation, especially since it’s so easy to run your text through a grammar checker nowadays. So, make sure to read everything twice and check for any glaring mistakes.
Vague and unspecific language. Lack of specificity can significantly impact your CV’s success because it essentially makes it appear generic. That’s why we don’t recommend using cliché phrases and advise that you back up everything with numbers and particular claims.
Use Our CV Builder to Create a Job-Winning Application
If you need extra help writing a sales manager application, use our CV builder for assistance. All you need to do is enter your information, follow our AI helper’s instructions, and select a suitable CV template and design. Then, you can finalise the document and send it directly to the employer.
However, if you want to write your application from scratch, consider referring to our CV examples for inspiration. We have an extensive library with numerous options for various industries and career levels, so you’re sure to find something that suits you.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article has taught you how to write an effective sales manager CV to secure a job interview and, potentially, a position of your dreams. As you have seen, the key is in measurable achievements and specificity, which will help you rise above the competition.
Sales Manager CV FAQ
#1. What are the top 5 skills of a sales manager?
The top 5 skills of a sales manager are data analysis, strategic vision, communication, negotiation, and leadership. These skills help them develop effective sales approaches and make data-driven decisions, while simultaneously motivating their team to perform better.
#2. How do I format a sales manager CV to get noticed by recruiters?
To get noticed by recruiters, you should format a sales manager CV using the reverse chronological format, which is the most common overall. This format highlights your most recent and relevant work experiences and allows recruiters to track your career’s progression from start to finish.
#3. Should I include sales metrics and KPIs on my CV?
You should include sales metrics and KPIs on your CV wherever possible, usually in the achievements within the work experience section. If you talk about how often you’ve reached or exceeded your KPIs, recruiters will have clear proof of your capability.
