Should a sales rep's cover letter include quota numbers?

Yes: the latest attainment and the growth of your book. One or two years are enough, not every year.

Can I mention customers I would bring with me?

You can mention relationships in the region in general terms. Do not name accounts or suggest moving them if you have a non-solicit agreement.

How do I write the letter moving from inside to outside sales?

Show the outside skills you already use: account planning, prospecting, closing larger deals over the phone. Mention any field visits you have done.

Sales Representative cover letter example

Sales Representative cover letter example: opening on a shared territory, proof from quota, new accounts and vending programs, a confident close.

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Brian Kowalski

Territory Sales Representative | Industrial Supplies and MRO | B2B Field Sales

Detroit, MI

October 30, 2026

Karen HarringtonRegional Sales DirectorHuron Tool & SafetyTroy, MI

Re: Senior Territory Manager, Michigan

Dear Ms. Harrington,

Your posting for a Senior Territory Manager at Huron Tool & Safety covers the same manufacturing corridor I have sold into for ten years. I know many of the plant managers and buyers there personally, and I would like to bring those relationships and my results to your team.

At Great Lakes Industrial Supply I have grown my territory from $4.9 million to $6.8 million in five years, finishing 2025 at 121% of quota. Most of that growth came from two sources: new accounts, 40 in the last two years, and vending programs. I placed tool and PPE vending machines at 18 customer sites, which raised repeat revenue at those accounts by around 30% and made them much harder for competitors to take.

I also handle larger contracts. Last year I negotiated a three-year supply agreement worth $1.4 million with a Tier 1 automotive supplier. I visit 12 to 15 customers a week and keep every opportunity and call note current in Salesforce, so my manager always knows where the quarter stands.

I started in inside sales at Motor City Fasteners, turning around 40 to 60 quotes a day, and moved to outside sales in 2019, growing a $1.8 million book by 22% in my first year. Through the 2020 slowdown I did not lose a single top-20 account, which I put down to being on the plant floor when customers needed help.

With 10 years in industrial sales and two President's Club awards, I am confident I could grow your Michigan territory. I would welcome a conversation.

Sincerely,

Brian Kowalski

Fictional candidates and employers. Any resemblance to a real person or company is coincidental.

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How this letter works

What each part of the letter above does, and how to do the same in yours.

The opening

It opens on the one asset a territory hire brings on day one: existing relationships in the same corridor. Sales directors think in pipeline, and this tells them the pipeline exists.

Whom to address

Address the regional sales director or sales manager named in the posting; sales leaders are easy to find on LinkedIn, and a sales candidate who cannot find the buyer raises doubts.

Requirements matched to proof

The posting asks forGrow a territory: The letter shows$4.9M to $6.8M in five years; 121% of quota in 2025.
The posting asks forWin new accounts: The letter shows40 new manufacturing accounts in two years.
The posting asks forRetain and expand key accounts: The letter showsVending at 18 sites lifted repeat revenue about 30%; no top-20 account lost in 2020.

Length

Five paragraphs, inside the usual 250 to 400 words. Sales letters should read like a good discovery call: specific, confident and short on adjectives.

This letter: 258 words.

The closing

It closes with confidence and a simple ask for a conversation, the same close a good rep uses with a buyer.

Mistakes to avoid in this letter

Quota without context
121% of quota means more when the reader knows the territory size and how you grew it.
Talking about yourself, not the customer
Show how you solved problems for buyers. That is how you will sell for the new company.
Forgetting the CRM
Sales managers value reps who keep the pipeline current. One line on it helps.

Questions about this cover letter

Should a sales rep's cover letter include quota numbers?: Yes: the latest attainment and the growth of your book. One or two years are enough, not every year.
Can I mention customers I would bring with me?: You can mention relationships in the region in general terms. Do not name accounts or suggest moving them if you have a non-solicit agreement.
How do I write the letter moving from inside to outside sales?: Show the outside skills you already use: account planning, prospecting, closing larger deals over the phone. Mention any field visits you have done.

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