How to Write an Effective Sales Manager Cover Letter and Resume

Many job applicants write cover letters without much thought. However, this is a big mistake. When writing your sales manager cover letter, it will boost your job application if you can sell yourself as the ultimate candidate. A great cover letter, along with a great sales manager resume, is essential to acing the hiring process.

In your sales manager cover letter, you can highlight your experience in sales manager positions that you have previously held as well as the successful strategies you used in those positions. Overall, your cover letter should establish yourself as a valuable asset to the company. The cover letter tips in this article will show you how to do exactly that.

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Sales Manager Cover Letter Guide

An impactful sales manager cover letter follows a fairly specific formula. In this section, we break down the necessary components and share some cover letter writing practices you can use when writing your own. You will also find an example that will help you showcase your sales manager skills.

Why Does Your Sales Manager Cover Letter Matter?

A sales manager cover letter is a key document because it acts as your initial sales pitch for why you should be hired. Your cover letter is your opportunity to distinguish yourself from other job seekers and tell the company about your sales training, exceptional qualifications, and past successful sales. Furthermore, it is a great time to show the company that you share its goals.

All of this is extremely valuable during the competitive application process. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs for sales managers will increase by seven percent between 2020 and 2030. This is on par with the growth of the United States economy as a whole, which means that the supply of sales managers is projected to keep pace with demand.

In a sales manager cover letter, you can add accomplishments and academic qualifications that you think will help you perform well in the job, and explain how the sales techniques you’ve mastered can increase company revenue. To write a powerful cover letter, you should highlight your strong work ethic and detail how you would contribute to a creative sales team.

Essential Components of Your Sales Manager Cover Letter

To write a strong cover letter, you need to incorporate several components. Make sure that the following four things are included somewhere in your letter.

• Soft skills. In the context of sales management, the most important soft skills are leadership qualities such as integrity, listening skills, reliability, and team-building. These are skills that you must have to be part of the sales staff of any company.
• Sales management skills. It is good to provide evidence of your sales manager skills when writing your cover letter, as companies closely evaluate these skills when considering a candidate. These skills include coaching, selling, innovation, and other core sales management behaviors.
• Sales skills. Of course, you need to establish yourself as an excellent salesperson. You can do this by mentioning your track record and prior experience. You can discuss a successful email campaign you ran in a previous role, different sales pipelines that you established, or your use of effective sales tactics.
• Accomplishments. You should also highlight the professional accomplishments you have achieved throughout your career. These may include being an award-winning sales manager or achieving a high percentage of sales growth after implementing successful campaigns.

5 Tips for Writing a Strong Sales Manager Cover Letter

Use the following tips to create a strong sales management cover letter that will impress anyone who reads it and improve your chances of landing an interview.

1. Be professional. When writing your sales manager cover letter, you must maintain a professional tone in your writing. Remember that you cannot write the way you speak and that the hiring manager whom you are addressing is also a professional. The tone of your letter should be warm and friendly without being too casual.
2. Show your passion. A perfect cover letter will show how much you want to work for the company in question, why you have always admired it, how it aligns with your career goals, and what you like most about your career as a sales manager.
3. Be honest. It is best to be honest when writing your cover letter, as lies can easily be discovered. Make sure that you are honest about the clients you have worked with, the teams you have led, and the sales you have made. Your references may be checked and, if any deceit is uncovered, you may ruin your chances of being hired.
4. Research the company. One of the best ways to get information about the company is to read its annual report, which you can typically download from its website. This way, you can learn about its activities, accomplishments, mission, vision, and goals for the future. These are very important points that can impact future sales decisions. This strategy will also ensure that you align yourself with the company in your cover letter.
5. Proofread. Before sending your cover letter, you should read it many times to check for errors. Do this ahead of time so that you can make corrections. Your sales manager cover letter must not have spelling or grammatical errors. It must be fluid, and you should remember to write in an active voice.

Sales Manager Cover Letter Example

Use the following sample cover letter to help write yours. This will aid you in finding your next job as a sales manager at the company you’ve always dreamed of working for.

Sales Manager Cover Letter Sample

[Your Phone Number]

[Your Email Address]

Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],

I am writing this letter to apply for the sales manager position at [company name]. I am very excited for this opportunity and I believe that I am the perfect candidate due to my extensive experience in the field.

Thanks to my studies and the hands-on professional experience I have gained in previous positions, I have developed extensive sales knowledge. In addition, I have increased the annual revenue of each client to whom I have offered my services, by an average of [X] percent.

I have worked closely with marketing managers from different industries throughout my career to develop effective sales strategies. I consider myself a professional with problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills. I can make decisions with sound judgment as needed.

I possess a great work ethic that can contribute to your company as part of your sales team. As a sales manager at [Name of the Previous Company You Worked For], I have been able to facilitate online promotional campaigns for a wide variety of products and services, while also being in charge of a high-level and highly productive team.

Thank you for your attention and for the opportunity. I invite you to read my resume and learn a little more about my experience, studies, and training. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sales Manager Resume Guide

In this section, we will show you important tips, suggestions, and examples so that you can create an impressive sales manager resume.

Why Does Your Sales Manager Resume Matter?

A sales manager’s resume includes all the details of a person’s professional life. Through a resume, the employer can determine if a candidate is a good fit for the company’s objectives. Once a hiring manager understands your relevant experience, they will have a better idea of how you will perform in the job.

It is important to list any courses in sales training in addition to any bachelor’s or master’s degrees you hold. It is also important to mention your successful sales campaigns. This is also a suitable time to mention noteworthy clients you have worked with in the past.

Essential Components of Your Sales Manager Resume

Below are the components that your sales manager resume should include. You must follow these recommendations to write a successful resume.

• Header. In the header of your sales manager resume, you must place your name in a larger font than the rest of the text. Then you can place your contact details, including your phone number, address, and email. Make sure that all your data is correct so that the company can contact you easily.
• Executive summary. When writing your sales manager resume, make sure to include an executive summary that is impactful and communicates your achievements, experience, skills, and qualifications.
• Professional experience. Make a list of your previous sales jobs, and include the position you held in the company as well as the years you were in that position. Also, include a list of the activities and achievements you carried out in that position.
• Key skills. Knowing what skills to add to a resume can be hard. Focus on skills that a sales manager must have to perform well in their field. Include hard skills such as software management, financial forecasting, and sales planning, and some soft skills such as analytical skills, leadership, and critical thinking.
• Key achievements. A key way to stand out from other sales managers is to show your accomplishments, so include industry-relevant achievements on your resume. It is important to be as specific as possible in this section.

5 Tips for Writing a Strong Sales Manager Resume

Below are some tips for creating an impressive resume. Remember to pay attention to details, and focus on demonstrating why you are the ideal sales candidate.

1. Write an excellent summary. The executive summary is the first impression anyone who reads your resume has of you. Concentrate on writing a compelling summary that will make the hiring manager want to read on and learn more about your experience and training.
2. Quantify your achievements. It is good to include your achievements by quantifying them. As a sales manager, you should back up your achievements with references that show the results in measurable terms, such as the overall monetary worth of your campaigns or the number of employees you have been in charge of.
3. Read the job description. Make sure you read the company’s job post carefully. You can include keywords found in the job post so that your resume will pass through the applicant tracking systems (ATS). This way, you can be sure your resume will get into the hiring manager’s hands.
4. Focus on your sales experience. It is unnecessary to include all the information regarding non-sales jobs you had before starting your career as a sales manager. It is better to focus on the sales jobs you have held, even if you have only had an entry-level position, and describe all your accomplishments in detail.
5. Design. You should use designs that look professional, clean, and minimalistic. That’s why we recommend that you look at sample resume templates and choose one that you feel comfortable with. In the next section, we look at some specific examples.

Sales Manager Resume Examples

Below is an example of a sales manager’s resume and an example of the executive summary. As you’ll be able to see, our examples adhere to the components and tips discussed above.

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Sales Manager Resume Sample: The Executive Summary Section

Executive Summary

Sales professional with five years of experience leading successful marketing campaigns, including digital marketing, email marketing, and partner marking campaigns. Experience working with diverse clients, including several Fortune 500 companies. Highly qualified, proactive, and responsible, with strong leadership and negotiation skills.

Sample Sales Manager Resume Template

[Your Phone Number]

[Your Email Address]

Executive Summary

[Write a brief summary of your Sales Manager experience and accomplishments. This should be no more than a few sentences.]

Skills

[List your skills in bullet-point format, including managerial skills and soft skills.]

Professional Experience

[Company Name] | [Location]
[Job Title]
[Date Started – Date Ended]

• [List your key responsibilities and accomplishments for each role.]
• [Be specific and detail-oriented to show your impact.]

[Company Name, Location]
[Job Title]
[Date Started – Date Ended]

• [List your key responsibilities and accomplishments for each role.]
• [Be specific and detail-oriented to show your impact.]

Education

[Institution Name] | [Location]
[Graduation Date]
[Degree]

• [Add details about relevant coursework, special achievements, and any honors.]

[Institution Name] | [Location]
[Graduation Date]
[Degree]

• [Add details about relevant coursework, special achievements, and any honors.]

Sales Manager Resume Template Resources

• Sales manager resume. This is a Word resume template. The template is specially designed for a sales professional to list work experience chronologically.
• Marketing resume. This is a Word marketing resume template. This is an eye-catching template to list your studies, skills, and work experience. This is a bold design, but you can change the font and colors.
• Minimalist resume. This is a Word template that you can use for your sales manager resume. The template has a minimalist style that you can customize, and you can also combine it with a minimalist cover letter template.

Importance of a Sales Manager Cover Letter and Resume

A compelling cover letter and a sleek resume are a sales manager’s way of communicating their sales experience to employers. You must have these documents ready and well-curated to get your next job in the industry.

Sales Manager Cover Letter and Resume FAQ

To write your sales manager cover letter, you should, first of all, address the hiring manager of the company directly. Start by explaining why you would be a good fit for the sales manager position. Describe how your skills and accomplishments will help you meet the company’s goals and how your vision aligns with their ideals.

In your sales manager resume, it is very important that you create a list of your skills. This list should include the skills you have in reporting, statistical analysis, use of systems, and soft skills such as communication, coaching, and leadership skills. You can also detail management skills on your resume.

When you are following an application process, you must follow the steps indicated by the recruiter or hiring manager. If the job ad suggests that you send the cover letter and resume together, then do it. They are sometimes kept separate in the application process, in which case they will be individually requested at different times.

A sales manager is a highly trained professional who must have skills in leadership, coaching, communication, customer relations, management, and personnel management skills, including hiring and recruiting sales representatives.

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