How to write an appealing sales representative cover letter

Sales representatives are often the face of a company, helping to land sales and attract new customers. The ability to build and maintain great relationships with customers is an essential responsibility of a sales representative — and if you plan to apply for such a role, you need a cover letter that showcases your ability to do so.

In this guide, we teach you how to properly sell your skills in a sales representative cover letter. Keep reading to learn all about

What to include in your sales representative cover letter header & headline
Why you should tailor your cover letter for specific employers
How to grab an employer’s attention with your cover letter introduction
Ways to highlight your best qualifications as a sales representative
What key details to include to make your cover letter conclusion persuasive

1. How to craft an effective sales representative cover letter header & headline

A cover letter header and cover letter headline are the first key elements to focus on creating for your sales representative cover letter.

Starting with your header, this element is typically placed in the top left corner of the document and should include your name, your professional title, and your professional contact information.

Your header will also include the name and address of the company you are applying to.

Here is an example of a well-formatted sales representative header

Paul Jones, Sales Representative
(123) 456-7890 | pauljones@email.com | linkedin.com/in/paul-jones

To: Axel Sales Solutions
1234 Street Address
Kent, WA 98030

After your header is crafted and in place, you can create your headline.

A headline is essentially a title for your cover letter, covering the most important and compelling points to hook the employer’s attention.

Here is an example of a well-written sales representative cover letter headline

My Top 3 Skills as a Sales Representative & How I Will Use Them to Boost Your Department’s Sales

2. How to tailor your sales representative cover letter for specific employers

Anytime you write a cover letter as a sales representative, it is incredibly important to find ways to make it sound exclusive to a specific employer. As a result, the employer will see that you have taken the time and effort to make your letter stand out from other candidates’ letters.

To do this, you must tailor the content of your letter to be highly relevant to each employer’s specific needs. Uncovering these needs requires you to research the employer thoroughly before beginning the writing process.

Key pieces of information to look for include:

The employer’s values and company goals
Current clients or projects the company is involved with
Who at the company reviews job applications

This last detail is what you will use to create a personalized greeting — a type of greeting that addresses one specific person and lets them know the letter is tailored.

Here are 3 examples of personalized sales representative cover letter greetings

Dear Mr. Jack Smith,
Dear Hiring Manager Jack Smith,
Dear Mr. Jack Smith & the Sales Team,

3. How to build a compelling sales representative cover letter introduction

The introductory paragraph to your sales representative cover letter is arguably one of the most important paragraphs in the entire letter.

Here, you will include the most impressive details about yourself, using them to grab the employer’s attention and compel them to continue reading through your letter.

These details may include:

A brief overview of your professional history and goals
A statement on why you are enthusiastic about applying to this company
A mutual acquaintance (when possible) — mutual acquaintances serve as great professional references and show the employer you already have established connections to their company

Here is an example of a great introduction from a sales representative cover letter

Dear Hiring Manager Jack Smith,

I am a sales representative with 5+ years of specialized experience selling and promoting cosmetics. As your business and brand is one of the most well-known in the cosmetics industry, it brings me great excitement to be considered for this opportunity. Your business’s cosmetics engineer, Ms. Jane Henry, is one of my professional mentors and strongly recommended I apply for this position with your company.

4. How to highlight your best qualifications as a sales representative

Once your introduction is out of the way, you can begin providing the employer with even greater details about your best skills and accomplishments as a sales representative.

When describing these qualifications, make sure to include details that are highly concise but also relevant, specific, and quantifiable.

Here are 6 skills to describe in a sales representative cover letter

Lead generation
Prospect nurturing
Sales tactics
Negotiation
Communication (describe your exact communication style)
Sales presentations

Here is an example of how to describe an accomplishment in a sales representative cover letter

As a sales representative for [Former Employer], I was one of the top sales representatives each month for the duration of the three years that I worked there. Each quarter, I exceeded my target sales goals by an average of 25% and achieved 15% higher sales on average than my fellow representatives.

5. What key details to include to make your cover letter conclusion persuasive

To finish off your sales representative cover letter strong, you need a persuasive conclusion that encourages the employer to contact you.

You should not only reiterate your appreciation and excitement about the opportunity but also include the best times and methods for contacting you throughout the week.

Here is an example of an effective sales representative cover letter conclusion

I am incredibly eager to learn more about this opportunity and your hard-working sales team, and I hope to hear from you within the week. The best time to reach me is between 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at (123) 456-7890. I greatly look forward to hearing from you.

Warm Regards,

[Applicant Name]

If you have ever wondered how a cover letter differs from a resume, this article will tell you everything about the key differences between the two.

Published on Oct. 21, 2022

Julia Gergelova

Resume Writer

Julia is a professional writer, translator and graphic designer. She holds degrees in translation and interpretation, and has international work experience from a number of different countries in Europe as well as China and Panama. Julia formerly taught academic writing and as a graphic designer contributed to outlets such as The Business of Business. She has a passion for lifelong learning and good coffee.