Free ATS Score Pricing Sign In
Home / Blog / Sales Keywords
Role-Specific Guide · 6 min read

Sales / Account Executive Resume Keywords (2026): 60+ ATS Skills

Sales is one of the most metrics-scanned functions in hiring — a resume without quota, pipeline, or win-rate numbers reads as unproven, no matter how strong the experience actually was. Here's the full keyword set, organized by category.

Easy Resumes AI Editorial Updated 2026 6 min read
TL;DR — keyword categories
CategoryExamplesCount
Core skillsProspecting, Pipeline Management12
ToolsSalesforce, HubSpot, LinkedIn Sales Nav10
MetricsQuota Attainment, Win Rate, ARR10
MethodologyMEDDIC, Challenger Sale, SPIN8
Relationship skillsAccount Management, Negotiation8
Action verbsClosed, Exceeded, Prospected10

01Core skills

Prospecting Cold Calling Cold Outreach Pipeline Management Contract Negotiation Objection Handling Territory Management Discovery Calls Product Demos Closing Lead Qualification Upselling & Cross-Selling

02Tools

Name the specific CRM the posting names — "CRM experience" alone is a weaker match than "Salesforce."
Salesforce HubSpot CRM Outreach SalesLoft LinkedIn Sales Navigator Gong ZoomInfo Apollo.io Zendesk Sell

03Metrics

Sales resumes are read for numbers first — a bullet with a real figure outperforms one without, almost every time.
Quota Attainment Win Rate Average Deal Size Sales Cycle Length Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Net New Revenue Pipeline Generated Conversion Rate

04Methodology & relationship skills

MEDDIC Challenger Sale SPIN Selling Solution Selling Consultative Selling Account Management Relationship Building Stakeholder Management

05How to actually use these keywords

Tools and methodology can go straight into a Skills line. But the numbers are what carry a sales resume — embed them in a bullet using what we call the X-Y-Z formula — Accomplished X, measured by Y, by doing Z.

Weak: "Responsible for closing new business." Better: "Closed $1.2M in new business, exceeding quota." Best: "Closed $1.2M in new business at 128% of quota, driving a 22-point improvement in win rate through consistent MEDDIC-based qualification."
🎯

Pull from the posting, not this list

This list is a reference, not a checklist to copy wholesale. The keywords that actually move your score are the ones that appear in the specific job description — paste it into our free scorer and it'll surface exactly which ones you're missing.

06Frequently asked questions

What ATS keywords do sales resumes need?

The CRM and sales tools named in the posting, pipeline and quota metrics, and the sales methodology if one is named.

Should I include my quota attainment even if it's not exact?

Use a defensible, reasonably accurate figure rather than omitting it — just be ready to speak to it accurately in an interview.

Does it matter if I list "Account Executive" vs "Sales Representative"?

Yes — title matching carries real weight. If your title doesn't match the posting's language, use your summary to bridge the gap.

See which keywords your resume is missing.

Paste in a job description and get your ATS score in under 30 seconds — with the exact keyword gaps for that specific role.

Get your free ATS score →
✓ No credit card ✓ Parsed locally in your browser ✓ Score in 30 seconds