B2B sales consist of selling a product or service to another company. This process targets companies instead of individual consumers. Generally, representatives have to wait for multistakeholder approval, which is why this is a longer process than the usual B2C cycle. Additionally, B2B customers are more educated about the service they are looking for. This means you will have to be creative in the negotiation process to differentiate your product from others.
Most employers are looking for passionate candidates, so you need to demonstrate this in your resume. B2B requires strong business acumen and communication skills. If you want to demonstrate your passion for your profession, you can talk about achievements in previous work experience.
B2B is all about negotiation skills, so this is also something you may want to highlight in your resume. Eventually, it’s those negotiation skills that will help you close deals. Another important thing to mention in your resume is prospecting, which is a crucial factor in the B2B sales cycle.
If you want to learn more tips for your B2B resume, take a look below. We have prepared some industry-relevant tips that you can implement to boost your resume. Additionally, we’ve included some downloadable resume templates for you.
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A B2B sales rep has direct contact with the customers. B2B sales representatives are in charge of the research, pitching, and prospecting process. They develop and maintain long-term relationships with stakeholders and business owners. That’s why networking skills are crucial for this role and something you may want to highlight in your resume.
B2B sales representatives use tools like Marketo, Salesforce, or Hubspot to automate processes and conduct research. That’s why you should be familiar with them to apply for this position. If you want to make a good impression on your potential employer, include all of those B2B sales tools you use.
B2B sales reps often work under pressure and need to meet tight deadlines. That’s why it is crucial for this role to have excellent time management skills. Generally, a B2B sales representative will start with older clients and urgent tasks and continue their day with prospecting. You can work in your own structure, but it’s important to highlight your time management skills on your resume.
B2B sales managers lead the sales team. They create standards, goals, and assign quotas to the B2B sales representatives. Additionally, they conduct high-level market research to create successful strategies for the sales team. This is a senior position, so you should highlight your professional experience in your resume.
Since this is a managerial position, your potential employer might want to know that you are experienced and have the technical skills needed for this position. A good way to validate your expertise is by including any relevant B2B sales certification you have. The Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and the Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP) are good examples.
As a B2B sales manager, you are responsible for leading the sales team. You must monitor their performance, motivate them, and address issues when needed. That’s why it is crucial to have leadership skills for this role.
As a hiring manager who has worked with B2B sales teams at companies like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Oracle, I've reviewed hundreds of resumes for sales roles. The best resumes are those that highlight the candidate's ability to drive revenue growth, build strong client relationships, and consistently meet or exceed sales targets. In this article, we'll share some tips on how to create a compelling B2B sales resume that will catch the attention of hiring managers and help you land your dream job.
When it comes to B2B sales resumes, numbers speak louder than words. Hiring managers want to see concrete evidence of your ability to drive revenue growth and meet sales targets. Instead of simply listing your responsibilities, quantify your achievements with specific metrics, such as:
By using numbers to showcase your success, you'll make a stronger case for your ability to drive results in a new role.
A resume summary for a B2B sales position is optional, but it can be a great way to provide additional context about your experience and qualifications. If you have a lot of relevant experience or are making a career change, a summary can help tie together your past experience and highlight how it relates to the B2B sales role you're targeting. However, avoid using an objective statement, as they are outdated and focus on what you want rather than what you can offer the employer.
When writing your summary, focus on your most relevant skills, experiences, and achievements. Tailor it to the specific B2B sales position and company you're applying to, and avoid repeating information that's already included in other sections of your resume. Keep it concise, ideally no more than a few sentences or a short paragraph.
Your work experience section is the heart of your resume. It's where you show hiring managers how you've applied your skills to drive results throughout your career. In this section, we'll cover the key steps to write an effective work experience section that will catch the attention of hiring managers and help you land your next B2B sales role.
The education section of your B2B sales resume should be concise yet impactful. It's an opportunity to showcase your relevant qualifications and training that have prepared you for a successful career in sales. Here are some key tips to help you craft a compelling education section:
As we mentioned earlier, communication is a big factor in B2B sales. That’s why your resume should reflect your interpersonal skills. A good way to do this is by using strong action verbs that accurately communicate your message. Action verbs provide you with reliability and concisely describe your experience.
Action verbs are used at the beginning of a phrase and generally combined with bullet points to streamline your resume structure. However, you should know that the action verbs you use should be proportionally related to your career. Notice that words like “communicated,” “negotiated,” and “forecasted” sound more relevant to your position. Discover more related action verbs in our list below.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
B2B requires excellent communication and negotiation skills, so these are things you should highlight in your resume. Yet, your skills section should prioritize technical skills such as cold calling, cold emailing, prospecting, and forecasting.
You should also mention the B2B tools that you are familiar with. B2B sales require you to have computer literacy because you’ll be working with multiple tools to automate processes. These tools might also help you conduct data analytics to gather actionable insights. If you need more inspiration for skills to include in your B2B resume, take a look at our selection of skills.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on B2B Sales job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
