5 Things All Hiring Managers Should Look for on All Sales Rep Resumes

July 6, 2016

Close-up Photo Of A Businesswoman Holding Resume

By: Adam Vortherms

In this ever competitive sales climate, it is increasingly difficult to find sales professionals who are the right fit for the position, adept, knowledgeable, and

have a proven track record of success in sales. That is, finding someone who will actually take your business to the next level, can prove quite challenging.

Unfortunately, even a large pool of recruits doesn’t necessarily mean that the pool is full of qualified prospects, who have the experience, skills, and successful sales record your company needs. Consequently, hiring managers often find themselvesoverwhelmed with decisions to be made, and certainly don’t have time to spend going through every single resume. After all, when it comes to sales, efficiency can make or break your bottom line. So what tactics can a hiring manager employ to weed through resumes in search of the proverbial needle in the haystack? Obviously, employing the help of a highly reputable sales recruiting company will thin the herd. But hiring managers can also check for five specific items on a resume to quickly determine if a potential sales professional candidate deserves a second glance.

1. Intro That Excites: When considering a resume ask yourself, “Does this prospective candidate stand out from other applicants? How well have they showcased their talents and strengths?” If a sales professional cannot grab your attention in the first few lines of their resume, then they probably are not going to be able to grab the attention of a client or customer either. Favorable first impressions are invaluable in the sales industry, thus your ideal candidate’s resume should reflect they are unique, confident, and experienced. In other words, they make a good first impression before you even meet with them.

2. Statistics That Speak Volumes: Most resumes you will come across include all the basic skills required. For a sales professional to stand out they ought to exceed basic skills qualifications and show initiative. This means that they should include who they sold for, who they sold to, what they sold, their sales goals, sales goals exceeded, and any sales records. That is, their resume should explicitly state their own sales successes via statistics.

3. Industry Insight: Take note of the language used by a prospective sales representative in their resume. An experienced applicant will use words specific to your industry that will signal to an employer they know what they are talking about. A qualified candidate with industry know-how will write with a sophistication and proficiency that speaks to their expertise in their field. Look for keywords and particular language that indicates a prospective candidate not only understands but has experience within the industry.

4. Specifics That Show They Are Serious: An experienced and successful sales rep will cater their resume specifically to the position you need filled. Any seasoned sales professional who is serious about joining your team will have done their research about the position in your company. When considering applicants, look to see that a candidate’s resume is custom tailored to your business and the sales position they are seeking.

5. Conveys The Kind of Company They Keep: Hiring managers care about their business’ reputation. When vetting potential qualified sales representatives, experience and reputation are everything. Sales stars with excellent track records also tend to have reputations that precede them, because they have worked for some pretty impressive companies. When hiring managers are seeking qualified candidates, they should pay attention to those who have experience, and a history of success with reputable business.

While these tips should increase efficiency for a hiring manager looking to bring on a top new sales rep; ultimately companies and hiring managers who insist on employing only the best and most qualified professionals need a better tool for finding those recruits. Grapevine Targeting Sales Recruiting specializes in finding the most experienced and successful sales professionals and is committed to delivering high performance, top quality sales reps and sales managers. If you’re looking to recruit outstanding sales performers to join your team in 2016, give us a call. Grapevine Targeted Sales Recruiting has helped countless companies take their business to the next level by providing a painstakingly selective recruitment process to ensure that an outstanding sales professional is available to you for hiring.

Adam Vortherms is a recruiting manager at Grapevine – Targeted Sales Recruiting. Visit www.grapevinerecruiting.com , call 952.856.2371 or email adam@grapevinerecruiting.com.