Sales skills: what employers look for and how to show them
Sales skills are the habits that help you find out what a buyer needs and match it to what your company offers: listening, speaking, reasoning and following up. O*NET lists active listening, speaking, critical thinking, reading comprehension, writing, active learning and monitoring as essential skills for wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Skill | Sales |
| Source of the occupation data | O*NET OnLine (US Department of Labor), accessed 31 October 2026 |
| Occupations in this guide that list it | 3 |
| Where to learn more | Our career guides and the O*NET pages linked below |
What is Sales?
Sales work uses customer relationship management (CRM) software, email, presentations and spreadsheets. Show the process, the tools and the outcomes you can verify.
Which jobs use it?
The occupation pages on O*NET OnLine list technology skills and top essential skills. These occupations from our career guides include this skill or closely related ones:
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products (O*NET 41-4012.00): CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot), email marketing tools, Microsoft Office and video conferencing.
- Marketing Managers (O*NET 11-2021.00): analytics and business intelligence software.
- Customer Service Representatives (O*NET 43-4051.00): CRM software and contact center tools.
O*NET examples are illustrative, not a requirement for every employer. Read the postings for the role you want.
How do I show it on a resume?
- Lead with an outcome you can source, such as a target you met, and say the period.
- Name the CRM you used and what you logged in it.
- Describe the buyer type, such as small businesses or retailers, without naming accounts.
- Show follow-up: how you kept in touch and closed.
See the sales representative resume example and retail associate resume example for layout, and our guide to an ATS-friendly resume.
On LiveRec, employers who find candidates for a job see up to five of your skills on your card, with the ones that match the job first. Use the exact name of the skill, as in which skills to put on a profile.
Where can I learn it?
We link only official sources we could verify. The O*NET Skills Search shows skills and examples, and each career guide above explains typical education from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ask your employer or school what training it offers, then add what you complete to your profile.
Frequently asked questions
What are the top skills for sales? O*NET lists active listening, speaking, critical thinking, reading comprehension, writing, active learning and monitoring for sales representatives.
Which CRM should I list? The one you used. O*NET names Salesforce and HubSpot, among others, for sales roles.
Can I move into sales without experience? Customer-facing work in retail or hospitality shows related skills if you describe them in sales terms.
Related guides
When you are ready, search jobs on LiveRec.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine, Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products, 41-4012.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/41-4012.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Marketing Managers, 11-2021.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-2021.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Customer Service Representatives, 43-4051.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-4051.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Skills Search: https://www.onetonline.org/skills/ (accessed 31 October 2026)