Want to be considered for a coveted EVP of Sales role – with a leadership resume that promotes you far above a Sales Manager or Director?

You’ll face an uphill battle if you rely solely on the same metrics and quota figures that nailed your current position.

Here’s why: employers assume that a VP-level sales leader will have already mastered the art of building relationships, training sales teams, and exceeding objectives. Most Sales Managers or Directors aiming for the VP slot have proven that they can close deals and surpass expectations!

What your resume REALLY needs to make it past the gatekeeper for an EVP Sales job are these 5 elements, strategically positioned on your executive resume to illustrate your readiness to take the helm of an entire Sales organization:

1 – Descriptions of your impact on the entire region.

No longer will you be considered a viable candidate for EVP Sales if your results only impact your direct reports.

Instead, you’ll often be expected to forge key relationships and create millions (if not billions) in sales across entire continents.

Your EVP of Sales resume must clearly outline your ability to build the company’s reputation and grow revenue in competitive markets, while securing new audiences with top executive decision makers.

Consider adding a list of enterprise-level sales wins, complete with percentages of growth and year-over-year volume increases in new opportunities, to your sales leadership resume.

2 – Strategic influence on both client accounts and internal relationships.

As outlined in this VP of Business Development resume, executive leaders must be able to build coalitions and buy-in at the top organizational levels.

Here, this candidate’s resume details a key business case built for a specific product to be developed and sold – raising his employer’s profile in the government and defense market.

Built into the description of his current job, this accomplishment was prominently featured to demonstrate an ability to influence company success from the inside out.

3 – Infographics that illustrate the magnitude of your success.

Nothing speaks louder than a picture on your resume!

In this EVP Technology Sales resume, you’ll see a career-long trend of revenue results eclipsing others at Fortune-ranked global employers.

A chart or picture gives your reader an impression of quickly rising revenue figures, showing that your work gains the quick results required of an executive leader.

No matter how much you describe the outcome of your actions in a sales executive management role, a  graphic quickly catches the eye and leaves little to the imagination.

Of course, visual appeal must be backed up by strong metrics and accomplishments that prove your ability to step in at both a granular and team level.

These accomplishments can include building effective channel partnerships, leveraging ecosystem teams, and mentoring sales reports in effective sales techniques.

4 – Influence on team members groomed for executive achievement.

Executive performance is often gauged by your ability to elicit contributions from direct reports or to bring others into top-level roles.

This example of a Regional VP of Sales resume describes the results of team mentoring, helping sales reports reach new metrics in aggressive publishing markets.

For your sales leadership resume, consider including team achievement or promotions as an indicator of a collaborative leadership style – especially in cases where you’ve needed to foster teamwork and strengthen revenue in a challenging territory.

5 – Specific, landmark deals.

At a VP level, you’ll be expected to be the star… with a sales record that includes never-before-closed agreements ranked at or near the top of your employer’s historic record.

Your resume will need to tout impressive records that prove consistent achievement (similar to this Enterprise Account Manager’s accomplishment in displacing competition during a major recession and consistent #1-#2 sales rankings – both of which are shown prominently on the first page of the resume).

Remember – your VP of Sales resume will be judged – and quickly – against the stellar achievements of peers in line for the same role.

To tell a more powerful, compelling story, list specific metrics, add descriptions in context, strategically repeat major achievements, demonstrate the extent of your influence, and show collaboration at the executive level.

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- Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CPBA, TCCS, COPNS, CIC, CTTCC, NCOPE