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Head of sales skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.,

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical head of sales skills. We ranked the top skills for heads of sales based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.7% of head of sales resumes contained crm as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a head of sales needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 head of sales skills for your resume and career

1. CRM

CRM stands for Customer relationship management and it is a complete process through which a business or organization monitors and administers its interactions with the customers. A process in which large amounts of data are collected through marketing via a company's website, polls, surveys, and other social media applications. The basic goal of CRM is to target the right audience for their product, and then fulfill their needs, to increase the sales and revenue of the company.

Here's how heads of sales use crm:

Allowed consolidation of support personnel into Inside Sales group, improving efficient use of CRM technology and effective strategic promotional programs.
Learned and deployed customer relationship management (CRM) applications to drive sales.

2. Sales Strategy

Here's how heads of sales use sales strategy:

Provided new sales strategy to leverage successful Outdoor Education business into increased Summer Camp sales without destroying profit margins.
Developed a professional knowledge based sales strategy to increase sales while maintaining superior customer service.

3. Sales Organization

Sales organization is part of a firm or company's entire business organization, which is focused on the distribution of goods. The sales organization is responsible for the efficient allocation of goods and services to the client. This is also defined as the group of individuals working together to market a product and sell to consumers or clients. And the sales organization is tasked with planning and controlling activities to include recruitment, orientation, and training of employees and the assigning to their tasks, supervision, and motivation to perform well.

Here's how heads of sales use sales organization:

Led transition from geographically dispersed, office-based sales organization to home office-based sales group.
Created new compensation plans for the sales organization that resulted in 20% increase in deals closed.

4. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how heads of sales use product knowledge:

Shared product knowledge while making personal recommendations, maintain friendly and professional customer interactions.
Communicated weekly with managers to discuss store improvements and product knowledge

5. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how heads of sales use business development:

Head of commercial team in charge of developing and implementing new business development strategy for new technology involving hardware/software.
Recognized as innovator to improve sales and new business development by establishing member relations and prospective client liaison program.

6. Sales Operations

Here's how heads of sales use sales operations:

Structure and lead effective advertising sales operations for performance-driven mobile advertising network with consistent achievement of sales goals.
Managed and directed various phases of sales operations including the coordination and supervision of new sales concepts and ideas.

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7. Sales Process

Here's how heads of sales use sales process:

Assisted clients in selecting merchandise, making recommendations to increase individual sales Processed customer orders and transactions Managed store inventory
Strengthened existing coverage by implementing sales processes and systems.

8. Revenue Growth

Here's how heads of sales use revenue growth:

Launched Magnolia's international distribution and licensing division driving eight-figure incremental revenue growth.
Manage customer relationships strategically focused on revenue growth and customer retention.

9. Account Management

The process of strengthening the relationship between a company and client is called account management. Effective account management has two key objectives, one is to retain loyal customers and the second one is to help the company grow by creating connections with new customers.

Here's how heads of sales use account management:

Led North American institutional sales and account management operations focused on electronic banking.
Created first Account Management team in FindTheBest history to systematically manage existing clients.

10. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how heads of sales use customer service:

Preformed daily business operations-Customer service-Customer collections- Vehicle sales- Inventory control-Mechanic-Purchasing of vehicles
Retail Customer Service* Cash Register*Clothing Display Design*Scheduling

11. Sales Targets

Here's how heads of sales use sales targets:

Managed and coordinated the company's financial forecasting across all business units, including creating company sales targets and driving attainment.
Team sales targets for European operation were achieved for first time in the firm's 10 year history.

12. Enterprise Sales

Here's how heads of sales use enterprise sales:

Head of Enterprise Sales (Northeast Corridor) Created Business Services from scratch.
Hired as first Enterprise salesperson to run all aspect of Sales.

13. Customer Satisfaction

Here's how heads of sales use customer satisfaction:

Received and reviewed all customer satisfaction surveys and customer contracts and complaints.
Secured positive reviews and overall customer satisfaction through direct service efforts.

14. Strategic Partnerships

Here's how heads of sales use strategic partnerships:

Support the team on additional initiatives where Splash seeks strategic partnerships, venture capital and creative financing strategies.
Initiate and negotiate strategic partnerships and alliances.

15. Saas

Here's how heads of sales use saas:

Lead team of 8 delivering cloud-based business process outsourcing / managed services (SaaS platform) to strategic global accounts.
Team also specializes in SaaS solutions, collateral escrow, and intellectual property development protection escrow.

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What skills help Heads Of Sales find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on head of sales resumes?

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.

Director, Western Oregon University

The skills that stand out on resumes fall into two categories: 1) Skills required to do the job and 2) Skills almost all employers look for. The most important aspect of resumes is to make sure it reflects exactly what the employer needs. Study the job description, identify key skills, and have them reflected on your resume. Think about transferrable skills, not the specific roles you've had.

Most employers look for skills such as communication (written/oral), flexibility, proactivity, problem-solving, project management, and technical. Make sure to cultivate those skills in whatever role you have, and have examples that demonstrate those skills.

What soft skills should all Heads of sales possess?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

Since sales professionals have a lot of information available to them today via customer relationship management (CRM) systems, the sales manager's "supervisory" role is less important (especially for experienced sellers). Consequently, the sales manager needs to be more of a coach and enabler of high performance. Having confidence balanced with humility allows the sales manager to engage more effectively with their salespeople.
One of the critical soft skills for sales managers going forward will be the ability to connect members of the sales team to others in the organization - in other words, the sales manager of the future needs to have strong skills in network building for others. Sellers have access to data which helps them build success.
They also need access to the right people to turn to when they need specific expertise or assistance.

What hard/technical skills are most important for Heads of sales?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

One of the growing technical skill requirements for sales managers is in the area of data analytics. Our performance and customer systems provide a myriad of data, and the role of the sales manager is to be a sense-maker of that mound of data. What are the implications for changes in strategy or behavior evident in last quarter's activity? How can the sales manager help a specific seller "see" where the data suggest new approaches?

What head of sales skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kerri Orders

Assistant Professor of Business, Aquinas College

In terms of a gap year, I recommend that international business students acquire tangible skills, relevant experience and/or certifications which will enhance their success in their desired area of interest. For example, a gap year could consist of gaining technical or digital training overseas, which would also further the students' cultural intelligence and language proficiency. These types of enriching gap year experiences will assist students to distinguish themselves in a highly competitive market. Furthermore, students should focus on broadening and maintaining their global network during a gap year in order to be ready for the job market once the gap year is concluded.

What type of skills will young Heads of sales need?

Michael Mikitka

Executive Vice President, MHI – Material Handling Industry

Courses and internships are essential. While the required depth of knowledge may vary from one position to another, employers are generally looking for candidates with strong "people-related" skills, those who are willing to continue to learn, and those with the ability to be flexible and adapt.

By "people-related" skills, I mean the abilities associated with effective communication (listen and express ideas and direction) and the skills related to working independently and a team.

As for the interest to continually learn... from a technology, data, and equipment perspective, today's supply chain looks very different than it did 10-years ago. The willingness and ability to continually learn are essential for anyone in a leadership role.

As for flexibility and adapting...supply chain/logistics is as much about responding to disruption and demand as it is planning for it. There is a predictable demand (i.e., seasonal...everyone knows when back-to-school shopping begins). Then there is the unpredictable demand (i.e., power-outages, wildfires, pandemic) that impact market and the ability to operate. Candidates that express flexibility and problem-solving skills will be much sought-after.

Do you want to know more?

List of head of sales skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a head of sales resume and required skills for a head of sales to have include:

CRM
Sales Strategy
Sales Organization
Product Knowledge
Business Development
Sales Operations
Sales Process
Revenue Growth
Account Management
Customer Service
Sales Targets
Enterprise Sales
Customer Satisfaction
Strategic Partnerships
Saas
Sales Efforts
Product Development

PowerPoint
Client Relationships
Americas
Market Trends
Business Plan
Business Relationships
Trade Shows
Sales Objectives
Direct Reports
Financial Institutions
Sales Plan
KPI
Sales Techniques
Sales Floor
Media Sales
Customer Complaints
Sales Revenue

C-Level
ROI
Retail Sales
Lead Management
Sales Reports
Cold Calls
POS
Product Line
Hedge Funds
Pricing Strategy
Equities
Marketing Mix
Channel Marketing
Sales Presentations
Sales Volume

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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