ATS Keywords & CV Guide for Sales Manager
Sales managers lead sales teams to hit revenue targets. They set quotas, coach reps, manage pipelines, and develop sales strategies in collaboration with marketing and leadership. When you apply for Sales Manager roles, applicant tracking systems scan your CV for the skills, tools, and responsibility phrasing below. Use them in context within your experience bullets, not just in a skills list.
Top skills recruiters scan for
These are the skills that appear most frequently in Sales Manager job descriptions. The importance score reflects how heavily each skill is weighted in the occupation's O*NET profile. Include the top 5 in your CV where you can prove them with real outcomes.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Skill | Importance | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Strategy |
90
|
technical |
| Communication |
90
|
soft |
| Pipeline Management |
88
|
technical |
| Leadership |
88
|
soft |
| Coaching & Mentoring |
85
|
soft |
| Negotiation |
85
|
soft |
| Relationship Building |
85
|
soft |
| CRM Management |
82
|
technical |
| Forecasting |
80
|
technical |
| Data Analysis |
72
|
technical |
Tools & software to name explicitly
Recruiters and ATS systems search for specific tool names. List the ones you have real experience with in your skills section, and prove them in your bullets. Tools marked as hot are currently in high demand in job postings.
- Salesforce
- HubSpot CRMHot
- Outreach.ioHot
- SalesloftHot
- GongHot
- LinkedIn Sales NavigatorHot
- ZoomInfo
- Tableau
- Excel
- Slack
Responsibility phrasing for your bullets
These are the core tasks a Sales Manager is expected to perform. Use them as starting points for your CV bullets, but rewrite each one with your specific outcomes, scope, and context. Do not copy them verbatim.
- Set sales targets and quotas for individual reps and the team
- Coach and mentor sales reps on discovery, pitching, and closing
- Manage the sales pipeline and forecast revenue for leadership
- Develop and refine sales processes and playbooks
- Collaborate with marketing on lead generation and handoff
- Conduct weekly pipeline reviews and identify at-risk deals
- Build and maintain relationships with key accounts and strategic customers
- Analyse win/loss data to improve sales strategy and training
Other titles this role is posted under
Job postings for this role may use any of these titles. Search for all of them to find more relevant opportunities, and use the matching title in your CV's professional summary when applying.
- Account Manager
- Business Development Manager
- Regional Sales Manager
- Inside Sales Manager
- Enterprise Sales Manager
- Sales Director
- Head of Sales
Tailor your CV for Sales Manager roles
Paste a job description and cvlinkd will place these keywords in your CV where the ATS and recruiter expect them.
Tailor my CV now →Related roles
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Includes information from O*NET 29.x by the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license.