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Vice President of Sales Sample
Download and customize our resume template to land more interviews. Review our writing tips to learn everything you need to know for putting together the perfect resume.
The Vice President of Sales plays a crucial role within many companies, overseeing the organization’s sales team while creating and implementing strategies that drive sales growth. These executive positions can be highly competitive, so it’s vital to ensure that your resume effectively conveys your leadership and strategic thinking to prospective employers. Without that compelling resume, you’ll have little to no chance of convincing them that you’re the best candidate for the job.
That’s why we’ve created this Vice President of Sales resume guide and filled it with vital tips and insights that can help you craft a resume that highlights your qualifications and potential value as an executive hire. Throughout this guide, we’ll teach you how to write a powerful resume, examine some of the most important skills employers expect to see, and provide helpful VP of Sales resume examples that you can refer to as you create your own resume.
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How to write a resume
If you want your VP of Sales resume to make the right impression on employers, you need to make sure that it effectively details your ability to generate powerful results for any company that hires you. When recruiters or hiring teams review your resume, they should be able to identify your core skills, experiences, and achievements – and immediately recognize how those qualifications and results can provide value for their team.
To create that type of executive resume, you’ll need to focus on highlighting the right skills and experiences, using a format and structure that weaves a comprehensive narrative about your abilities and track record of success. In the sections that follow, we’ll go through each of the key steps that you should follow to generate the most convincing resume possible.
Control the resume length and focus
Make sure that your resume is no more than two pages in length. If you maintain a tight focus on your presentation, you should be able to cover all your key skills, experiences, and accomplishments in just two pages. If you find yourself running out of room, chances are that you just need to edit your content to be more concise.
Use the reverse-chronological resume format
Though there are three resume formats available, we recommend the reverse-chronological option for most job seekers. One of your goals as a VP of Sales candidate is to highlight your career progression so that employers can see that you have the right experience for the position.
The reverse-chronological format is the best way to achieve that objective since it allows you to list your work experience and achievements in reverse order. Employers who review your career history will see your most recent position right at the top of that section, with previous jobs listed in reverse chronological order.
Group distinct types of information into sections
Always remember that most recruiters and employers will only skim your resume to decide whether it’s worth reading. That means that you have only a few seconds to impress and inspire them to dig further into your resume details. Your job is to make sure that your resume can be easily skimmed by the reader – by grouping information into sections that are easy to find and digest.
Below are the essential resume sections that you’ll need to include in your VP of Sales resume:
Contact details
Place your contact information right at the top of the page to ensure that employers can quickly find the details they need to contact you for an interview – and eventual job offer. If they have to search for your phone number or email, they’ll be tempted to set your resume to the side and move on to the next candidate. Make sure that this section includes:
Your first and last name. You should use bold text several sizes larger than the rest of your contact details.
Your location. List your city and state, but omit more specific information like your home address.
Your phone number. This can be a landline or cell phone number; just make sure the line is working so that the employer can reach you when they call.
Email address. Use a professional email address. If the only email address that you have is some novelty address like “sillyguy@yahoo” then create a more professional account with a provider like Gmail.
LinkedIn URL, website. If you use LinkedIn or have your own professional site, you can include that website URL, too.
Resume headline
You’ll notice that we didn’t include your job title in that contact info section. The reason for that is simple: your desired job title can be used to greater effect if you include it in a resume headline right below those contact details. The goal here is to create a headline that summarizes your position and specialties in a way that grabs attention while differentiating you from other candidates.
For example:
Dynamic and Innovative Vice President of Sales and Proven Revenue Growth Driver
Obviously, that headline does more than just cite your job title. It also describes your leadership style while hinting at the type of value that you can offer to any company lucky enough to hire you! That’s the type of declaration that can make any hiring manager curious to learn more about you.
Resume summary
You should also create a resume summary paragraph to summarize your key skills, experiences, and quantifiable achievements. Like the headline, this section is designed to capture attention and inspire additional engagement from your reader. Simply create a three- to five-sentence paragraph that highlights your job title, years of experience, and notable skills. Also, include one or two examples that show the type of value you can offer.
Award-winning VP of Sales with 8 years of experience providing successful customer-specific solutions Drive new business through excellent customer service, strategic partnerships with stakeholders and executives, and innovative team-building strategies. Demonstrate leadership to motivate staff members and turn under-producing teams into record-breaking units. Created and executed strategic overhaul of ABC Corp.’s sales division, boosting revenues by 83%.
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Core competencies
Your core competencies section is a list of your most relevant skills and abilities. To create this list, start with a review of the job posting to identify all the core requirements that the employer is seeking. Those listed skills should form the core of your skill list.
Expert Tip
You can find additional VP of Sales resume skills in the Key hard & soft skills for a Vice President of Sales section later in this guide.
List these skills in bullet point form to make the section easier for hiring managers to quickly skim. You should also format the section into either two or three columns to save space on your resume.
Finally, make sure that you include the exact words you find in that job posting. Those terms are often important keywords that your resume will need to include if you want to get past the applicant tracking system screening process.
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Professional history
This is your work history section. Include your job roles going back 10-15 years, and list the company name, location, employment dates, and your job title – in reverse chronological order.
Beneath each of those job listings, include four to six accomplishment statements using bullet points. Try to use real numbers that show quantifiable value.
For example:
Developed marketing and sales communication strategies – new marketing campaigns resulted in increased brand recognition of more than XX%.
Promoted to Regional Sales Manager, spearheaded programs to track/evaluate sales and marketing strategy; attained an XX% upsurge in sales and an X% increase in average sales per representative.
Increased annual revenues by XX% annually and took a declining market to high levels of sales within one year.
Education
Your education section should include any degrees earned, the names of the schools you attended, their location, and your graduation dates. You can also include your coursework if it’s relevant.
Optional sections
You may also want to include one or more optional sections if they can bolster your qualifications. For example, you may choose to include a Career Achievements section that highlights your most impressive accomplishments. If you do, make sure that you include the same type of quantifiable results you included in your professional experience section.
Vice President of Sales resume example
If you’ve reviewed those tips and want to see how they can be applied to a real-world resume, then we have just what you need. We’ve included a VP of Sales resume example below that you can use as inspiration and additional guidance as you create your own resume. Or, if you prefer, you can simply use it as a template by inserting your own resume details into each section.
Name
Title
City, State or Country if international
Phone | Email
LinkedIn URL
VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES PROFESSIONAL
Award-winning VP of Sales reflecting expertise in providing successful customer-specific solutions catering to a wide array of industries on a global scale. Drive new business through providing excellent customer service and establishes strategic partnerships with stakeholders and executives to increase channel revenue. Outstanding success in building and maintaining relationships with key decision-makers, establishing large volume accounts and ensuring client retention and loyalty. Able to succinctly articulate complex principles and to demonstrate product function to both business and technical users. Well organized with a track record that demonstrates self-motivation, perseverance and the creativity to achieve both personal and corporate goals. Demonstrated leadership with the ability to motivate staff members and turn under-producing teams into record-breaking units. Extensive face-to-face interaction with a focus on client relationships, as well as management of partnering account teams to identify opportunities, then architect, position, and close new projects to provide all customers with exceptional results.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Strategic Market Positioning
Solution Selling
Customer Service
Account Management
Business Development
Territory Growth/ Development
Contract Negotiations
Project Management
Brand Promotion
High Impact Sales
Training and Development
Relationship Building
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
VP of Sales
Company | Location | Year to Year
Responsibilities
Focused on results and increased revenues by over $xxx while leading the product development.
Spearheaded efforts to develop new products and continuously deliver profit driven revenue models.
Worked with cross collaborative teams to analyze complex projects and develop product requirements to successfully lead business development efforts.
Streamlined technical service and logistics aspects of new product lines which saved over $xxM annually.
Increased annual revenues by XX% annually and took a declining market to high levels of sales within one year
Initiated cost benefit analysis for existing product lines as well as newly introduced products to ensure top ROI.
Developed marketing and sales communication strategies – new marketing campaigns resulted in an increase of brand recognition by over XX%.
Chosen as the liaison for our key, large scale telecom providers both locally and abroad to ensure high service and client loyalty.
Managed SWOT analysis on product positions with focus on increasing ARPU while lowering costs.
Successfully introduced several new product lines with emphasis on reducing churn whilst increasing customer
brand loyalty
Successfully managed xx major accounts through an acquisition / merger adding $XX in monthly revenue.
Consistently achieved monthly sales quota by XX%
Developed Managed a team of XX dedicated sales agents – grew territory revenues by over XX% in two years and crated a team focused on collaboration, teamwork and results
Developed a new line of management/sales to capitalize on market penetration – created three different categories: Executive, Field and Direct phone groups to ensure maximum level of client support
Expanded the Field agent team responsible for meeting our groups upon their arrival
Created new strategic alliances in new markets resulting in greater market penetration
Developed lasting relationships with contacts at which prove to be an excellent referral source
Regional Sales Manager
Company | Location | Year to Year
Responsibilities
Oversaw all facets of 4 state division and maintained operations of six offices while reporting directly to the company principals, realizing substantial gains despite difficult market conditions. Used human resources and training skills to direct a team of 30 professionals handling for sales, marketing, production coordination, and implementation.
Promoted to Regional Sales Manager, spearheaded programs to track/evaluate sales and marketing strategy; attained an XX% upsurge in sales and an X% increase in average sales per representative.
Demonstrated diligence in preparing, monitoring, and optimizing annual budgets of up to $8.6M.
Achieved prestigious top sales performer for medical devices, rising above quota by XX%.
Sales Consultant
Company | Location | Year to Year
Responsibilities
Use best practices to assist diverse customers, negotiate tough deals, obtain financial information, and send information in to lenders; achieved an XX% increase in customer satisfaction ratings within only X months.
Call previous/unsold customers, integrating superb product knowledge to elevate opportunity win rate by XX%.
Demonstrate excellent communication skills in prospecting up to XX potential customers daily.
EDUCATION
Complete School Name, City, St/Country: List Graduation Years If Within the Last Ten Years
Complete Degree Name (Candidate) – Major (GPA: List if over 3.3)
Relevant Coursework: List coursework taken (even include those you are planning on taking)
Awards/Honors: List any awards, honors or big achievements
Clubs/Activities: List clubs and activities in which you participated
Relevant Projects: List 2-3 projects you have worked on
Key hard & soft skills for a Vice President of Sales
When you examine VP of Sales resume examples, chances are that you’ll find many similarities in the types of skills that those candidates try to highlight for employers. The Core Competencies sections in those resumes will focus on both hard and soft skills that are required to successfully meet the demands of this vital job role.
Hard skills are often referred to as technical skills, and are usually gained through education, other formal training, and even hands-on training. These skills can be measured and developed through use and additional training.
Soft skills are equally important but are usually learned through use over time rather than in the classroom. They include key interpersonal skills that you use to interact with others, which is why they’re often described as people skills. They are difficult to quantify but vitally important for success.
Vital VP of Sales hard skills
Below are some of the most common hard skills for a VP of Sales resume:
Growth strategies
Digital and social media marketing
Account management
Sales Operations
Sales Management
Enterprise sales
Lead generation strategies
Sales training and coaching
B2B sales
SEO and SEM
Content marketing
Critical VP of Sales soft skills
Here are some popular soft skills that can be included in your VP of Sales resume:
Written and verbal communication
Growth mindset
Problem-solving
Conflict resolution
Active listening
Organization
Adaptability
Resilience
Negotiation
Team building and leadership
Customer service
Summary & last words
Landing a great job as a VP of Sales requires more than just hard work and excellent timing; you also need a compelling resume that captures a hiring team’s attention. The good news is that the tips and VP of Sales resume examples in this guide can help you learn how to craft a winning resume document. By focusing on the right format, structure, and value-oriented content, you can create a basic resume that’s sure to increase your odds of receiving more interview offers.
Introduction to ZipJob: Professional resume writers
Of course, it’s sometimes easier to allow someone else to sing your praises. If you still find yourself struggling to sell your own candidacy, or simply prefer to turn that job over to resume experts, then a professional resume writing service can be the perfect solution. Our ZipJob team of resume writers is ready to partner with you and ensure that your resume is the ideal job search marketing tool you need for continued career success.
Why you should make use of our resume writing services to land your next job as a Vice President of Sales
No matter how experienced you are in sales and marketing, it’s not always easy to create your own resume. That’s why so many executives rely on resume experts to craft these vital career tools. If you partner with ZipJob, you can rest assured that your assigned writer will have the industry experience and insight needed to ensure that your resume speaks directly to each employer’s needs. Just as important, they’ll work with you every step of the way to create a resume that reflects your unique personality and professional value.
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A professional resume can be one of the most important investments you make in your career, offering you your best opportunity to make a great first impression with prospective employers. That’s why it’s so critically important to partner with the right resume-writing service. Contact us today to learn more about how ZipJob’s team of expert resume writers can help you turn your resume investment into increased interview and job offer opportunities.
