Sales CV Keywords: Skills & ATS Terms to Include
Sales CVs are the easiest to rank and the easiest to get wrong. Hiring managers want quota attainment, deal size and pipeline numbers; ATS filters want CRM names and sales methodologies.
Not sure which of these your CV is missing? Upload it with a sales job description and get your ATS score and missing keywords free.
Check my CVSales hard skills
Core competencies recruiters and ATS filters search for.
Sales tools & software
Use the exact product names from the job ad.
Sales certifications & qualifications
Write the full name and the acronym, with the year.
Sales soft skills
Show these through achievements rather than listing them alone.
Sales action verbs
Start each bullet with one of these instead of "Responsible for".
Weak vs strong sales CV bullets
Met my sales targets.
Achieved 128% of a £900k annual quota, ranking #2 of 22 reps in EMEA.
Found new clients.
Built a 70-account outbound pipeline via Sales Navigator, closing 14 new logos with an average ACV of £32k.
Examples are illustrative. Only use figures you can back up in an interview.
ATS tip for sales CVs
Put quota attainment as a percentage in the first bullet of every sales role. Recruiters look for it first, and "quota" is a common ATS search term.
How to use these keywords
- Start from the job description, not this list. Keywords that appear in the ad matter most.
- Only include skills you genuinely have. You will be asked about them.
- Put the most important keywords in both your Skills section and your experience bullets.
- Use the employer's exact wording (e.g. "Salesforce", not a synonym).
- Keep formatting simple: single column, standard headings, no text inside images.
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