Sales Cover Letter

A sales cover letter has one job: convince the hiring manager you can bring in revenue. Recruiters in sales and service roles spend less than a minute on each application, so your letter must surface the numbers that matter — quota attainment, average deal size, closing ratio — before they reach the second paragraph. This guide shows you exactly what to include, what to cut, and how to write a letter that moves your application forward. If you are starting from scratch, our guide on how to write a cover letter covers the core structure.

What employers look for in a sales cover letter

Hiring managers reviewing sales applications look for proof of commercial output across several critical areas. Address as many of the following as the role requires:

• Quota attainment — State whether you hit, exceeded, or ranked against your team target. "118% of quota in FY2024" is worth more than any adjective.
• Pipeline management — Show that you can build and maintain a healthy pipeline, including prospecting volume, conversion rates, and average deal cycle length.
• CRM proficiency — Reference the platforms you use daily, such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho, and explain how you use data to prioritize outreach and forecast accurately.
• Closing ability — Quantify your closing ratio or highlight a high-value deal you led from first contact through signed contract.
• Revenue contribution — Connect your individual effort to a team or company revenue outcome — annual recurring revenue added, accounts won, or upsells closed.
• Prospecting and outbound execution — Describe how you build your own pipeline through cold outreach, referrals, events, or inbound qualification.

Pairing each of these areas with a specific number is what separates a memorable letter from a generic one.

How to write a sales cover letter that gets interviews

1. Open with your strongest revenue result

Forget openers that start with "I am excited to apply." Lead immediately with the result most relevant to the role you are targeting. If the posting emphasizes new business development, open with the number of net-new accounts you closed in the last year and the revenue they represented. If it focuses on account expansion, start with your upsell or expansion ARR. This approach mirrors what top performers do when they pitch — they lead with the outcome, then explain how they got there.

2. Show how you manage a pipeline, not just close deals

Hiring managers want to know you can sustain results, not just get lucky on a few big deals. Describe your prospecting cadence, CRM hygiene habits, and how you use data to prioritize your book of business. Mention the tools you rely on — Salesforce activity tracking, HubSpot sequences, or LinkedIn Sales Navigator — and connect them to consistent quota attainment over time. For roles with account management responsibilities, the sales associate cover letter and sales representative cover letter guides show how to frame different levels of pipeline ownership.

3. Tie your experience to the company's sales motion

Every company sells differently. An enterprise SaaS company runs multi-stakeholder deals over months; a retail or SMB team may run high-volume, short-cycle transactions. Show that you understand their model. Reference the average deal size, sales cycle, or buyer type in your letter and explain why your background fits. This signals preparation and reduces risk for the hiring manager.

4. Close with confidence and a specific next step

End by briefly restating your most relevant achievement and requesting a conversation. Avoid vague closings like "I look forward to hearing from you." Instead, write something like: "I would welcome the chance to discuss how my track record of exceeding quota in a competitive SaaS market could contribute to your Q3 growth targets." If you are stepping into a leadership track, our sales manager cover letter guide covers how to shift the framing toward team performance and revenue ownership.

Sales cover letter example

Replace company names, numbers, and tools with your own experience before sending.

Subject: Application for the Sales position

Dear Ms. Rivera, When I saw that Crestline Software is expanding its mid-market sales team, I wanted to reach out directly. In my current role as a Senior Account Executive at Vantage Solutions, I have closed $2.1M in new business over the past twelve months, finishing at 124% of annual quota and ranking second out of eleven reps on the team. My success comes from disciplined pipeline management and consistent prospecting. I maintain an active pipeline of 60 to 80 qualified opportunities using Salesforce, running a structured outreach cadence through HubSpot that delivers a 31% response rate on cold sequences. My average deal cycle runs 47 days from first call to closed-won, and I close approximately 28% of qualified opportunities — both metrics above my team average. Beyond individual performance, I have contributed to our broader go-to-market effort. I helped refine our enterprise demo script last quarter, which the team adopted and which contributed to a 14% improvement in demo-to-proposal conversion across the full sales floor. Before Vantage, I spent three years at Meridian Technologies, where I grew my assigned territory from $380K to $910K in annual revenue by identifying and expanding whitespace accounts through a combination of executive referrals and targeted outbound outreach. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my pipeline-building track record and consistent quota attainment could contribute to Crestline's mid-market growth goals. I have attached my resume and am available for a call at your convenience. Sincerely, Alex Donovan

Before you send your application

Use this checklist to catch the most common issues before submitting:

• Every performance claim has a number. Replace "exceeded targets" with a specific percentage, dollar amount, or ranking.
• The CRM and tools you mention are relevant to the role. Align your tech stack references to what the job description lists or what the company is known to use.
• The letter is no longer than one page. Sales cover letters should stay under 350 words in the body. Cut any sentence that does not add new information.
• The company name and role title are correct. Reusing a letter across applications and forgetting to update the employer's name is one of the most common — and most damaging — mistakes.
• The tone is confident and direct. A sales cover letter that reads like a timid apology does not reflect the profile of someone who can close deals under pressure.

For more context on how to frame a sales application depending on experience level, see our full sales and service cover letter collection or review the entry-level cover letter guide if you are earlier in your career.

FAQ

How long should a sales cover letter be?

Keep it between 250 and 350 words. Hiring managers and recruiters in sales organizations move quickly, and a concise, results-focused letter signals the same efficiency they expect from their reps. If you need help with structure and formatting, see our how to write a cover letter guide.

What numbers should I include in a sales cover letter?

Lead with quota attainment as a percentage, then add at least one or two supporting metrics: total revenue closed, number of net-new accounts, closing ratio, average deal size, or pipeline value managed. Choose the numbers that are most relevant to the role rather than listing everything you have.

Should I name the CRM I use in my cover letter?

Yes, if it is relevant to the role. Mentioning Salesforce, HubSpot, or a similar platform shows you can operate without a learning curve and that you manage your pipeline with data. Keep it brief — one mention in context is enough.

How do I write a sales cover letter if I am changing careers?

Focus on transferable skills that map directly to sales competencies: persuasion, relationship management, negotiation, presentation, and goal orientation. Quantify results from your previous field wherever possible. Our career change cover letter guide covers how to frame a non-traditional background for a sales role.

Do I need a different cover letter for every sales application?

Yes. At minimum, customize the opening achievement and the closing paragraph to match each company's sales motion, product, and market. Sending a letter that could have been written for any company in any industry signals low effort to a hiring manager who values persistence and preparation.