To land a job as a sales executive you need to be able to sell yourself. A CV naturally tells a future employer all about your skills, experience and qualifications but a well-crafted sales executive cover letter is your chance to show you’ve got what it takes to cut it in the fast-paced world of sales.
Top tips for sales executive cover letters.
- Avoid generic letters – Recruiters can spot generic letters a mile off. Make sure you write a fresh letter with loads of enthusiasm, specific to each company you apply to.
- Keep it short – Recruiters are busy people and don’t have time to read multiple pages so keep it to a side of A4 and really make your words count.
- Check it – Nothing looks worse than a badly edited and formatted letter with grammar and spelling errors. Presentation is really important so check, check and check again before you send it.
Why do people in sales executive roles still use cover letters?
CVs cover all the important information – your education history, work experience and skills, but they don’t always say that much about you as a person, and in sales, personality and great communication are key.
If you want that job you need to prove you’re a sales whizz capable of pulling in the orders. A sales executive cover letter lets you do just that by showcasing what makes you unique.
What should I include in a sales executive cover letter?
A sales executive role is an extremely proactive one – you’ll likely be travelling to lots of meetings, generating your own leads and meeting company targets. You need to be hungry for the results and this is what you need to get across in your letter – the drive to not only meet those targets but smash them. Some key things to remember when structuring your cover letter are:
- The introduction
- Experience
- Company
- Skills and achievements
The introduction should be short and snappy, addressed to the correct person and department and explain what position you’re applying for. More importantly, it needs to demonstrate why you are the best person for the job.
Experienced or newbie? If you’ve been in the sales game for a while you can use your cover letter to show the skills you’ve gained and how your experience makes you right for the role. If this is your first job, don’t worry. Look at the skills you’ve gained in other settings and relate them to the sales role. For example, you might have raised money for charity which could demonstrate your ability to get people on side and signed up.
Know the company you’re applying to. Hiring managers will be looking for sales people with strong research and presentation skills so make sure you know all about the company, it’s history, it’s customers and ethos.
Skills and achievements are a great way to blow your own trumpet. You’re a sales executive so show them what you’ve got - sell your skills and personality to the hiring manager! Finish with why you’re great at sales, why you’re the right person for the role and politely request an interview.
