Paragraph by paragraph
I want to apply for the Account Executive role on Salesforce's small business team in Dallas. I've sold software since 2021, first booking meetings as a business development rep at Yelp and since January 2023 closing new business at monday.com. I've also used Salesforce every day for five years, so I'd be selling a product I already know from the customer's side.
His route into sales, and why Salesforce
He names the exact team and city, then sums up his career in one sentence that also shows progression, from booking meetings to closing deals. That progression is what an account executive hiring manager wants to see.
In 2024 I closed $2.4M in new annual recurring revenue, 142% of my quota for the year, and I have finished above quota in every quarter since. I work a pipeline of about 80 accounts and run around 45 discovery calls a month, and I keep that pace up across the year, not just at quarter end.
The numbers, with their context
Revenue, attainment, pipeline size and call volume, all with a period. The last clause matters: sales leaders worry about reps who coast for two months and rush the third, and this answers that without being asked.
The change that helped most was building a different demo for each type of buyer. Our average sales cycle went from 35 days to 22, mainly because prospects no longer needed a second call to see how the product would work for their own team.
One change and its effect
Instead of a list of sales skills, he explains one thing he did differently and why it worked. It's specific enough to be checked with a reference, and it gives the interviewer an easy first question.
At Yelp I set up more than 180 qualified meetings for our account executives, 25% over target, and I finished first in the South region in the last two quarters of 2022. Since moving to monday.com I've also onboarded three new SDRs, and the team's booked meetings went up 30% once we started reviewing call recordings together every week.
Earlier wins and helping the team
The Yelp numbers show he has been strong from the start, and the SDR onboarding shows he helps people around him. Small team results like this matter to managers who want reps who make the floor better.
I'm based in Dallas and could start two weeks after an offer. I can walk you through how I built my pipeline, account by account.
Availability and an offer
Start date, then an offer to show the detail behind the numbers, so the letter ends with something the reader can check.
Writing sales numbers a sales leader will trust
Sales managers have seen plenty of inflated letters, so be careful how you present each number. Give each one a period and a base, and use the terms the way they are used in sales teams.
| Number | What it means | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Quota attainment | What you closed compared with your target. | "142% of my 2024 quota", with the year. |
| New ARR | Annual recurring revenue from new customers. | Say "new" if it excludes renewals and upsells, and give the period. |
| Pipeline | Open opportunities you are working. | A count of accounts or a value, not both unless you know both well. |
| Sales cycle | Days from first meeting to signed deal. | Before and after, with what you changed. |
| Win rate | Deals won out of all deals closed, won or lost. | Only if you know how your company calculates it. |
| Ranking | Where you placed against peers. | "First of 14 reps in the region", with the period. |
If you missed quota in a year, you don't have to bring it up, but don't hide it behind vague words either. Many hiring managers will ask for your attainment history, and an honest answer with a reason holds up better than a surprise.
A message to a recruiter or hiring manager
A lot of sales hiring starts with a short message to a recruiter or hiring manager on a professional network. Keep it to the numbers and an ask.
SDR, account executive, account manager: what each letter needs
Sales titles describe very different jobs, and the letter should lead with what that job is measured on.
| Role | Measured on | Lead your letter with |
|---|---|---|
| SDR or BDR | Meetings booked and qualified. | Meetings set, activity levels and how you research prospects. |
| Account executive | New revenue closed. | Attainment, deal sizes, sales cycle and how you run a deal. |
| Account manager | Renewals and growth from existing customers. | Retention rate, expansion revenue and long relationships. |
| Field or territory sales | Revenue from a region, often in person. | Territory size, travel, and accounts you opened. |
| Sales manager | The team's number. | Team attainment, people you hired or coached, and how many hit quota. |
Changing the opening for other sales jobs
Your first sales job
Show the things that predict success in sales: resilience, numbers you have hit before and how you handle rejection. Retail, hospitality and fundraising all count.
I spent last year calling past donors for my university’s fundraising team, about 80 calls a night, and in my second term I raised more than anyone else on the team.
SDR moving up to account executive
Show that you already understand closing: deals you helped move forward, demos you ran, or a promotion path at your current company.
In 18 months as an SDR I have booked 210 qualified meetings, and for the last six I have run the first demo myself before handing deals to an account executive.
From retail or car sales into software sales
Translate your numbers: units or revenue a month, conversion rates, repeat customers. Then show you have learned the basics of how software is sold.
I sold cars for four years and finished in the top three of 20 salespeople at our dealership every year, and I would like to move into software sales.
Account manager or customer growth role
Lead with retention and expansion rather than new business.
I look after 60 existing customers at a payroll software company, and over the last year we kept 94% of them and grew their spend by 18%.
Sales manager
Your team’s results matter more than yours. Give team attainment, how many reps hit quota and people you developed.
I manage a team of eight account executives, and last year six of them hit quota, up from three the year before I joined.
Backing your numbers up
Sales is one of the few jobs where employers sometimes ask for proof of past results. It helps to be ready before they ask.
- Keep your own records of attainment by quarter, deal sizes and rankings, written down as they happen.
- Awards and rankings such as a top rep award or a club trip are easy to verify and worth a line.
- References from a former sales manager carry more weight than any document.
- Be careful with screenshots of your company's CRM or reports. They may contain customer names and confidential figures your contract doesn't let you share.
Five mistakes sales managers see
Calling yourself a top performer
"Target smashing" and "top performer" are exactly what every sales letter says, and sales leaders discount them on sight.
Give the attainment figure and the ranking, with the year.
Numbers with no period or base
"Closed $2M in deals" could mean one year or three, new business or renewals.
Say what kind of revenue, over what period and against what target.
Selling too hard
A letter that reads like a pitch, full of exclamation marks and big promises, makes the reader wonder how you treat customers.
Write in a plain, friendly tone and keep the focus on your numbers.
No sign you know their product
Sales managers want reps who learn the product fast. Not mentioning it at all suggests you haven’t looked.
Name their market or customers in a line, and connect it to who you sell to now.
Leaving out how you did it
Without a method, big numbers can look like a good territory or a lucky year.
Explain one change you made and what it did to your results.
US style, numbers and length
- Length: about 250 words. Sales leaders are busy and respect someone who gets to the point.
- US style: Letter paper, the date written October 29, 2026, Ms. with a period, and Sincerely to close.
- Numbers: dollars written as $2.4M, percentages with the time they cover, and the same style all the way through.
- No photo or personal details such as age or marital status on a US application.
The main points from this page
- 1Put attainment, with the year, in the second paragraph.
- 2Give every number a period and a base.
- 3Explain one change behind your best result.
- 4Lead with what the role is measured on: meetings, new revenue or retention.
- 5End by offering to show the detail behind your numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What should a sales cover letter include?
The role and team, your quota attainment with the year, your pipeline and activity, one change that improved your results, and your availability. Keep it to about 250 words.
Should I include my quota attainment?
Yes, if it is good, with the year and the percentage. If it was below target, leave it out of the letter but be ready to discuss it honestly in the interview.
How do I write a sales cover letter with no experience?
Use anything with targets or rejection: fundraising calls, retail sales, events or part time jobs. Give numbers where you can and show you are comfortable being measured.
Is it OK to be informal in a sales cover letter?
A friendly, direct tone is normal in sales, and contractions are fine. Avoid slang, exclamation marks and anything that reads like a sales pitch.
Should I attach proof of my sales numbers?
Not with the letter. Keep your own records ready, and never share company reports that contain customer names or confidential figures.