ATS keywords for a sales representative resume
Many employers keep applications in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), where recruiters search and sort them by the skills the role needs. Use these terms where they honestly describe your experience, so your resume is easy to find and easy to read:
Key skills to highlight
- ▸Prospecting and building a pipeline
- ▸Managing accounts and relationships
- ▸Negotiating and closing deals
- ▸Forecasting and CRM hygiene
- ▸Hitting and exceeding targets
Credentials Australian employers screen for
- ▸Demonstrated quota and revenue results
- ▸CRM proficiency (Salesforce, HubSpot or similar)
- ▸Relevant qualifications or product certifications
- ▸A driver's licence for field roles
Common mistakes to avoid
- ▸No numbers, sales resumes without quota or revenue results get skipped.
- ▸Listing 'sales duties' instead of targets hit and deals closed.
- ▸Not naming the CRM and segment the role needs.
- ▸A generic resume rather than tailoring to the product and market.
Sales Representative CV example: before and after
One experience entry, written twice. The numbers are illustrative, the structure is what matters.
Before
Sales Representative, 2022 to present. Responsible for selling company products to customers and building relationships. Make calls, visit clients, attend meetings and follow up on leads. Report to the sales manager and help meet team goals.
There is not a single number in it, so a hiring manager cannot tell whether this person has ever made quota, and with no CRM and no segment named there is nothing for the screening software to match against the ad.
After
Sales Representative (B2B field sales) | 128 per cent of a $1.4M quota in FY25 | Salesforce and HubSpot | Full driver's licence No. XXXXXX
National industrial supplies distributor, NSW and ACT territory, around 180 active accounts | March 2022 to present | Full time, field based
- ▸Closed $1.79M against a $1.4M FY25 quota (128 per cent) and $1.21M against $1.15M in FY24, with an average deal size of $14K and a 34 per cent win rate on qualified opportunities.
- ▸New business development through cold outreach, trade events and referral, adding 41 new trading accounts in FY25 worth $520K in first-year revenue.
- ▸Account management across a base of 180 accounts, growing the top 20 by 22 per cent year on year through scheduled reviews, product trials and consumables reordering programs.
- ▸Maintained a rolling pipeline of $2.6M in Salesforce with weekly forecasting accurate to within 8 per cent of actual, and full CRM hygiene on activity, stage and close dates.
- ▸Negotiated and closed annual supply agreements with three national accounts, holding margin within 1.5 points of target while matching competitor pricing pressure.
Same territory, same product. The rewrite replaces sales duties with quota attainment, revenue, deal size and pipeline in the CRM the ad names, so the hiring manager can see proven numbers instead of taking the claim on trust.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I quantify sales experience on a resume?
Use quota attainment, revenue closed, growth percentage and deal size, for example '128% of a $1.2M quota in FY25'. Numbers are the single most important element of a sales resume.
Should I list the CRM I use?
Yes. Name the CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot or similar) and your segment, since employers screen for relevant tools and selling experience.
What if I'm moving into sales from another field?
Lead with transferable results, targets met, relationships built, revenue influenced, and any quota-carrying or customer-facing experience.
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