CV keywords

Sales representative CV keywords: what to include and where

Sales postings ask for results, but a filter reads words first: the sales cycle, the type of customer and the CRM. "Hit targets" on its own matches almost nothing. Name the kind of selling you did and the system you logged it in.

Keywords for a Sales representative CV

Use a word only if it is true for you. If the posting uses a different spelling, use the posting's.

What is specific to this role

B2B and B2C selling use different words. B2B postings talk about pipeline, prospecting and account management; retail and B2C postings talk about footfall, upselling and conversion. Use the words of the posting you apply to, and only give a target or result you can back up in an interview.

Five example bullets

Replace everything in [brackets] with your real facts. If you do not have the number, leave it out instead of guessing.

• Prospected [number] new accounts a month in [sector] using LinkedIn Sales Navigator and cold calls.
• Managed a pipeline of [number] opportunities in Salesforce and kept every stage up to date for the weekly forecast.
• Reached [percentage] of my [quarterly or annual] target in [year] by focusing on [type of customer].
• Ran product demos for [type of buyer] and handled objections on [price, contract or timing].
• Grew [number] existing accounts by offering [product or service] that matched their [need].

Where to put them

• Summary: say what you sold, to whom and in which sector, for example "B2B sales representative for software, selling to small businesses".
• Skills: name your CRM by its full name, such as "Salesforce" or "HubSpot CRM", the way the posting writes it.
• Experience: put the result and the method in the same bullet: what you did, for which customers, and the outcome.
• Results: if you give a target or a percentage, make it one you can explain. A smaller true number is safer than a large one you cannot defend.

Only the true ones

A keyword you cannot back up will not survive the interview, and the changes CVora proposes only use facts from your own CV. Take the words from this list that describe your work, and leave the rest.

Keywords for other roles

• Data analyst
• Customer service
• Project manager
• Administrative assistant
• Software developer
• Marketing specialist
• Accountant
• Teacher
• Nurse