A sales representative CV is judged on one thing before anything else: did you hit your numbers? Sales is among the few roles where performance is measured continuously and the figures exist, which makes a CV without them conspicuous. This page shows how to write sales representative duties for a CV, what figures to include, and how to handle the periods where you did not hit target.
Lead With Performance
Put your results near the top, either in the professional summary or as the first bullet under your most recent role. A sales manager reading your CV wants the number before the narrative, and burying it below a list of activities suggests it is not worth finding.
- Percentage of target achieved, ideally averaged over a stated period.
- Revenue or volume figures, where you may disclose them.
- Growth in your territory or portfolio during your tenure.
- New accounts opened or customers acquired.
- Ranking among the sales team, if it was strong.
- Retention or churn figures, where relevant to the role.
Where commercial confidentiality prevents you from quoting absolute revenue, use percentages and relative measures instead. Grew territory revenue by a stated percentage says enough without disclosing anything you should not.
Best Sales Representative Duties for Your CV
- Managing and growing a portfolio of [eighty] existing customers across [the Western Cape].
- Prospecting and opening new accounts within the assigned territory.
- Conducting customer visits according to an agreed call cycle.
- Presenting products and negotiating pricing within approved parameters.
- Preparing quotations and following them through to close.
- Managing the sales pipeline and forecasting monthly revenue.
- Handling customer queries, complaints and after-sales issues.
- Monitoring competitor activity and pricing in the territory.
- Attending trade shows and customer events.
- Maintaining accurate records on [the CRM system].
- Meeting monthly and quarterly sales targets.
- Managing credit applications and following up on overdue accounts.
Entry-Level Sales CV Examples
If you are moving into sales from another role, lead with transferable evidence rather than apologising for the absence of a sales record.
- Consistently exceeded individual targets in a retail sales environment over [two] years.
- Built relationships with regular customers, resulting in repeat business.
- Handled objections and closed sales on higher-value items.
- Prospected for new business through cold calling during a [three]-month campaign.
- Learned a technical product range of [several hundred] lines and advised customers confidently.
- Completed a [sales or customer service] certificate.
Experienced Sales CV Examples
- Achieved an average of [112] percent of monthly target across [three] years.
- Grew territory revenue by [a stated percentage] over [two] financial years.
- Opened [twenty-two] new accounts in [the assigned territory] during [the period].
- Managed a portfolio of [eighty] customers with a call cycle of [six weeks].
- Ranked [second] of [fourteen] representatives nationally in [year].
- Recovered [a stated number of] lapsed accounts through a structured contact programme.
- Negotiated pricing within approved parameters while protecting gross margin.
- Maintained pipeline and forecast accuracy within [a stated tolerance] of actual.
- Reduced days sales outstanding in the territory through proactive account follow-up.
Handling Periods Where You Missed Target
Every sales career contains them, and a CV claiming unbroken success invites scepticism. Where a period was poor for reasons outside your control, you can address it briefly and factually rather than hoping it goes unnoticed.
- Name the cause plainly where it was external, such as a product discontinuation, a supply constraint or a territory restructure.
- Show what you did in response, such as recovering lapsed accounts or shifting mix.
- Give the surrounding performance so the period reads as an exception rather than a pattern.
- Do not quote an average that conceals a poor year without being ready to discuss it, since a sales manager will ask.
Sales managers have all missed target at some point and respond better to an honest account than to a CV that reads as flawless. What damages a candidacy is a figure that falls apart under questioning.
What Sales Managers Check
- Consistency of performance rather than a single strong year.
- Whether the target was demanding or easily achievable.
- New business generation versus managing an inherited portfolio.
- Whether growth came from the market or from your effort.
- Territory size, customer count and average deal value.
- Length of tenure, since sales roles have high turnover and stability stands out.
- A valid driver licence and own vehicle, which most field sales roles require.
Practical Details to Include
- A valid driver licence and whether you have your own vehicle.
- Willingness to travel and any overnight travel undertaken.
- The CRM and quoting systems you have used.
- The sector, since industrial, FMCG, pharmaceutical and financial sales are treated as distinct experience.
- Whether the role was field-based, internal or a mix.
- Any product or sales methodology training completed.
- Languages spoken, valuable across South African territories.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Omitting performance figures, which is conspicuous in a sales CV.
- Quoting figures you cannot substantiate or explain the basis of.
- Disclosing confidential revenue figures from a former employer.
- Describing activity without results, such as visited customers regularly.
- Failing to distinguish new business from account management.
- Omitting the driver licence, which most field roles require.
- Presenting an unbroken record of success that will not survive questioning.
Related Pages
For the full duty description, read sales representative duties. If you are writing an advert, see the sales representative job description. For CV wording across other roles, use Duties for CV, and browse related positions under retail sales customer service duties.
FAQs
How do I write sales representative duties on a CV?
Lead with performance against target, then describe the portfolio size, territory and call cycle, and distinguish new business from account management. Sales is measured continuously, so a CV without figures is conspicuous in a way it would not be for other roles.
What figures should I include?
Percentage of target achieved over a stated period, territory or portfolio growth, new accounts opened, ranking among the team, and retention where relevant. Use percentages and relative measures where confidentiality prevents you quoting absolute revenue.
Can I disclose my former employer’s revenue figures?
Be careful. Quoting confidential revenue may breach an agreement and signals poor judgment to a prospective employer. Percentages, growth rates and relative performance convey the same message without disclosing anything you should not.
How do I handle a year where I missed target?
Address it briefly and factually, naming an external cause where there was one, showing what you did in response, and giving the surrounding performance so it reads as an exception. Sales managers have all missed target and respond better to honesty than to an implausibly flawless record.
What do sales managers look for beyond the numbers?
Consistency rather than one strong year, whether the target was demanding, whether growth came from your effort or the market, new business versus inherited accounts, tenure length given high turnover in sales, and a valid driver licence with own vehicle for field roles.