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Outside sales/account manager 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 outside sales/account manager skills. We ranked the top skills for outside sales/account managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.3% of outside sales/account manager resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an outside sales/account manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 outside sales/account manager skills for your resume and career

1. 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 outside sales/account managers use customer service:

Results-oriented sales professional with strong background in business development, marketing, strategic planning, client relationship management and customer service.
Provide exceptional customer service through face-to-face and phone-based interaction, as well as coordinating with internal purchasing and engineering colleagues.

2. 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 outside sales/account managers use crm:

Managed a five state field territory selling Agency Management CRM Software and Document Imaging Solutions in an extremely competitive marketplace.
Utilize CRM to track all pertinent information related to the opportunity and effectively manage territory

3. Trade Shows

Here's how outside sales/account managers use trade shows:

Generate new and continuous business opportunities through proposals, on-site demos, trade shows, lead management system and customer visits.
Attend product launches, shop openings, trade shows and networking groups as a representative of the company.

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 outside sales/account managers use product knowledge:

Coordinated customer training/product knowledge, as necessary.
Demonstrated a commitment to the customer through detailed product knowledge and successfully communicated the benefits and features of the provided service.

5. Sales Volume

Here's how outside sales/account managers use sales volume:

Increased sales volume by 30% for existing customer / consultant base by utilizing company website.
Increased sales volume by adding new accounts in the Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska territory.

6. MRO

Here's how outside sales/account managers use mro:

Managed operations for MRO and Safety industrial supplies.
Managed all business within Los Angeles County providing solutions in safety products and MRO supplies.

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7. Business Sales

Here's how outside sales/account managers use business sales:

Assumed responsibility for business to business sales and service of computer networking equipment.
Utilize sales skills to provide business-to-business sales for the largest and fastest growing beverage distributor in the state of North Carolina.

8. Direct Sales

Here's how outside sales/account managers use direct sales:

Direct sales of electrical and mechanical engineering designs and services.
Performed direct sales of product, equipment and marketing materials, to salons, spas, and beauty schools.

9. Product Line

Product line is a collection of similar or related products that may be under a single brand manufactured by the same company. It may include different varieties of a specific product of a brand which comes in different categories. In other cases, the product line may differ in some characteristics despite being from the same manufacturer.

Here's how outside sales/account managers use product line:

Develop business opportunities and expand product lines throughout a territory.
Recognized expertise in numerous product lines.

10. Business Relationships

Here's how outside sales/account managers use business relationships:

Exposed brand recognition, established new business relationships and opportunities through networking, volunteer involvement and field discovery.
Improved company profits while developing and maintaining over 280 Commercial Business Accounts as well as business-to- business relationships.

11. 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 outside sales/account managers use account management:

Collaborated with account management members to prepare and deliver performance updates and quarterly business reviews.
Ensured accurate activation of all new accounts continuing customer follow up and account management.

12. Territory Sales

Here's how outside sales/account managers use territory sales:

Increased territory sales by over 100% through outside sales initiative, resulting in major account acquisition, and development.
Increased territory sales from $250K to $3 million.

13. Sales Strategies

Here's how outside sales/account managers use sales strategies:

Gather and analyze retail partner sales trends; consult with retail partners to develop sales strategies, stock inventory reordering.
Planned and implemented sales strategies to maximize market share and margin; motivated contractors to prefer GE over the competition.

14. HVAC

Here's how outside sales/account managers use hvac:

Developed Charlotte market share through establishing and maintaining accounts with new HVAC contractors regarding residential, large factory and commercial accounts.
Improved inventory by selling large quotes on close-out HVAC equipment totaling $450K in a three year period.

15. Gross Profit

Here's how outside sales/account managers use gross profit:

Maintained and exceeded 30% gross profit margin.
Exceed revenue and gross profit expectations.

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What skills help Outside Sales/Account Managers find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on outside sales/account manager 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 outside sales/account managers 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 outside sales/account managers?

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 outside sales/account manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

This pandemic taught us many things and one important thing that we have an efficiency gap.

The way of doing business will be much more technology orientated. Hence graduates should be ready to unskill and upskill their credentials. This time it is necessary to forget the old way of doing business and learn new skills to get a job or stay in a current job. Soft skills have become much more important than before, but a different soft skill set would be essential to interact with future market participants. Thus, a gap year should be utilized to unskill-upskill and enhance relevant credentials by getting into short-long term programs, training, and workshops would be highly recommended.

What type of skills will young outside sales/account managers 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.

What technical skills for an outside sales/account manager stand out to employers?

Todd Lee Goen

Instructor & Internship Director, Christopher Newport University

Technical skills are often industry and/or position specific. Applicants should highlight any technical skills related to the position advertisement and those that add value to the position/organization. Most importantly, requirements for technical skills change with time and technological advances. This means employers value workers capable of adapting to change and continually improving and acquiring new technical skills. Thus, it's usually more important to demonstrate you are capable of learning and developing technical skills than it is to have a specific skill set upon hire (although this is not true for some positions/industries).
That said, technical skills related to online presentations, virtual meetings, virtual networking, remote working and the like are hot commodities right now. While most organizations were in the process of adopting many of these technologies and ways of doing business pre-pandemic, the pandemic accelerated the process. Organizations are making it work, but they often don't know best practices or the most efficient means of working in the largely virtual, pandemic environment. Post-pandemic, many of the remote/virtual changes the pandemic brought will stay in some form. Technical skills that support this type of workplace will make applicants stand out to many employers because they need/want to do virtual/remote business better.

Do you want to know more?

List of outside sales/account manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an outside sales/account manager resume and required skills for an outside sales/account manager to have include:

Customer Service
CRM
Trade Shows
Product Knowledge
Sales Volume
MRO
Business Sales
Direct Sales
Product Line
Business Relationships
Account Management
Territory Sales
Sales Strategies
HVAC
Gross Profit
Plumbing
Business Development

Gross Margin
Sales Process
Sales Growth
Product Demonstrations
Cold Calls
Develop Long Term
Revenue Growth
Customer Retention
Call Planning
Sales Quota
Sales Contracts
Customer Accounts
Market Trends
Sales Presentations
OEM
Customer Support
Sales Proposals

Relationship Building
Customer Relations
Product Sales
Sales Support
Sales Plan
Sales Reports
Industrial Cleaning
Healthcare
ROI
Client Relationships
Sales Revenue
Inventory Management
Upselling
Credit Terms
Sales Techniques

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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