how to put a closed business on your resume

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Strong Closing Skills on Resume: Guide, Examples, Skill Set and Top Keywords

Here are the top ways to show your Closing skills on your resume. Find out relevant Closing keywords and phrases and build your resume today.

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In This Guide:

Why are closing skills important on your resume, what skills, activities, and accomplishments help you highlight your closing skills, closing skills: key takeaways for your resume.

Generally speaking, having strong closing skills means being able to bring every deal to a successful end. This includes turning potential buyers into actual customers, as well as negotiating the price and other specifics of the deal.

People with solid closing skills are confident, respectful, willing to take the initiative, and most of all – not afraid of getting a ‘no’.

Due to the fact that closing skills are considered all-encompassing by recruiters, it’s not a good idea to list them as just a phrase in your resume’s skills section .

Rather, you need to demonstrate them through your previous experience and accomplishments. Wondering why? We’ll help you find out.

Closing skills are often considered to resemble your total attitude towards the world of sales and negotiation. That’s why they’re highly valued by recruiters.

What’s more, recruiters love adding ‘closing skills’ to job requirements because they want to see how well you can demonstrate them on your resume.

So if you have strong closing skills, you’re probably a confident communicator, who’s also great at active listening and lead generation . This will help you navigate the thoughts of potential customers, understand their needs, and guarantee a tailored approach.

Good closing skills are also a sign of high achievement and top performance. The reason for this? Most people who can close deals easily are motivated to do better and smash their goals in other aspects of life.

In short, closing skills are important to recruiters because they show you’re great at your job but are still willing to learn new things and become a better version of yourself day by day.

But what’s the best way to demonstrate them on your resume? By sharing how they’ve helped you meet your targets, negotiate with clients or partners, and ultimately, turn into the valuable professional you currently are.

Let’s see if that’s actually as complicated as it sounds… ( Hint: NO, it’s not!)

In order to highlight closing skills on your resume, first you need to know what they are. Here are some safe-bet examples:

• Prioritizing & goal setting: prioritizing opportunities helps you manage your time better and be more efficient. Goal setting, on the other hand, gives you perspective on what you want to achieve and how you can do it in the best way possible. Both are crucial for closing a deal.
• Communication & persuasion: excellent communicators are able to talk to just about anyone. It doesn’t matter whether you’re dealing with an elderly lady, a teenager who has an extremely short attention span, or someone actually interested in what you’re offering. Recruiters want someone who’s able to turn most people into customers.
• Persistence & integrity: Not being afraid of hearing a ‘no’ makes a huge difference. Knowing how to deal with setbacks means you’d strive to be the best and close as many deals as possible. However, it’s important to sell with integrity – you don’t want to do anything that harms or threatens to harm your potential clients (even if it means reaching your targets more quickly). Happy clients and partners always come back, and recruiters know this.

How to demonstrate closing skills on your resume:

• Give examples of big goals you’ve prioritized and reached

Randomly stating ‘I have great closing skills’ means nothing to recruiters. What’s more, not knowing how to ‘sell’ yourself to your potential employer could actually make you sound shallow and even lacking closing skills.

So, always keep in mind that being able to close deals means having a particular set of skills rather than just one specific skill. It’s also something you develop each and every day, which is exactly why it should be demonstrated through your previous experience and responsibilities.

Share how you’ve improved your communication skills or how you’ve learned the right way to deal with rejection. You could also talk about times when you had to work with a difficult client and keep them satisfied. It’s totally up to you!

Now let’s look at some actual resume snippets from real Enhancv users’ resumes. You can use them as inspiration to build your own resume with our easy-to-use resume builder .

Example 1: demonstrate closing skills in the experience section

• • Permanently exceeded sales goals by as mush as 40% QoQ
• • Helped prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports
• • Cold-called potential clients in order to understand their needs and address their concerns before offering them our solution. This approach helped me close 67% more deals
• • Led semi-annual company-wide workshops on persuasion and nonviolent communication

This Sales Rep has done a great job at showing they’re willing to take the initiative by using action verbs.

Read this: 125 Easy Resume Action Verbs to Make Your Resume Stand Out

Exceeding targets by 40% proves their expertise. Showing the quantitative results of their work works great for measuring the overall impact they could have when working in a new team.

What’s more, sharing that they have led communication skills company-wide workshops shows they can talk to anyone – be they clients, trainees, or managers.

Example 2: Demonstrate closing skills in the resume summary section

When drafting your resume summary, focus on 2-3 aspects that make you stand out. After all, the summary is the first thing recruiters learn about you and is also your chance of making a strong first impression.

When looking at this Regional Sales Manager’s resume , for instance, we find that they’ve specialized in telemarketing and door-to-door sales, and that they’re also a great leader and team player. They point out their strong closing skills by sharing that they’ve secured almost 70% increase in successful deals.

If you need a bit more inspiration on how to write a strong resume summary, read this!

Example 3: Show your closing skills in your achievements section

If there’s something you want to highlight on your resume, make sure to mention it in the accomplishments section .

It’s a great place to show how your closing skills have helped you get noticed and reach important milestones.

Example 4: demonstrate the skill through other sections of your resume

• • Co-led an intensive 6-week training program for people who want to improve their sales skills. Topics included persuasion techniques and ways to deal with rejection.

Strong applicants have usually done something extra on top of their work experience. No matter whether it’s volunteering, taking a course, or working part-time.

Just make sure to add everything you’ve done to improve your closing skills.

This will help you highlight your passion and willingness to grow. It also proves your whole attitude towards your profession (and your expertise).

Check this out: How to Use Volunteer Experience and Make Your Resume Stand Out

• Take action: demonstrate your expertise by choosing action verbs over passive constructions
• Use all parts of your resume: showcase your strong closing skills in all parts of your resume. Don’t just list ‘closing skills’ in the skills section
• Prove your commitment: share more about the activities that help you improve your closing skills. You can add courses, volunteering roles, or even awards.

Looking for the perfect resume format? Check out this article!

• Resume Skills

What Is Your Leadership Style - Interview Question (+ Answers)

How to include study abroad on a resume, targeted resume: 3-step process to win any recruiter over, how to get hired as a designer: job search & resume advice, how to write cold emails for job opportunities, how can you reschedule your interview without ruining your chances.

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How Should I Explain Closing My Own Business in a Job Interview?

• Business Management
• Best Business Practices
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How to Tell Employers About Being Self-Employed

How to write a self-employed work description, how to look for a job after being terminated from a previous employer.

• How to Summarize Work Experiences on Resumes After Long Absences
• Independent Consultant Salary

Returning to the workforce after operating your own business can be a humbling experience. The way you explain your decision to close your business during job interviews can demonstrate valuable core competencies, such as analytical and critical thinking skills, business acumen and time management. Employers are businesses too and they understand what it takes to run an organization. During your interview preparation, rehearse your answer and the delivery of your answer when the hiring manager asks why you are coming back to the workforce after you close your own business.

Frame the positive aspects of your business with a balanced perspective about why you closed your business. For example, if you are an engineer who launched a consulting practice that didn't reach the level of success you anticipated, explain that you're extremely proficient with engineering principles and tactical processes, but that your weakness was with marketing your services. That's a plausible reason for closing a business when you have the expertise to perform the work in your field, but don't have the necessary expertise in an area far outside your field.

Everyone can't be a successful entrepreneur. If you were forced to close your business due to poor sales, location or timing, honesty really is the best policy when asked to explain why you're looking for a job. However, when you explain that it was an unsuccessful business venture, tell the recruiter or hiring manager what you learned from the experience. The areas to which you could have been exposed during the time you operated your business include pitching the business idea to investors, developing operating budgets, hiring staff and evaluating the return on your investment versus the cost of staying in business. Explain that while your business wasn't as successful as you had hoped it would be, it afforded you an opportunity to develop your management skills.

Socialization

Some people can work independently and not miss the camaraderie and interaction that comes with working in an office setting that credits teamwork for its success. Running your own business -- particularly if you were a sole proprietor or freelancer working from home with limited contact with clients or customers -- can become isolating. Explain that you closed your business once you determined your preference is to work in an environment where you are part of a team and not the sole contributor. Tell the hiring manager that before starting your own business, you worked as an employee and a team player. However, during the course of your entrepreneurial pursuit, you realized that you prefer a work environment that fosters collaboration and cooperative working arrangements.

Business owners go into business for a number of reasons, one of which is to develop a skill they didn't have before to prepare for eventually returning to the workforce. For example, a cosmetologist who decides to run his own salon for a couple of years could be preparing to re-enter the workforce as a salon manager. In your explanation, tell the recruiter that operating your business was part of your self-directed professional development and now that you have the skills and background required for the job, you are ready to become part of an organization to which you can contribute your talents.

As with any job interview, emphasize what you bring to the organization. As a business owner, talk about your strong work ethic and self-motivation that are valuable to most employers. Assure the recruiter or hiring manager that your business and the type of work you performed as a business owner doesn't conflict in any way with the job for which you're being considered. Talk about the transferable skills you have and the experience you gained from running your own business that you can offer to your future employer. Focus less on why you closed your business and more on what you have to offer now that you've closed your business.

• The Ladders: Self-Employed to Employee - Making the Switch
• Ask a Manager: Are Employers Wary of the Formerly Self-Employed?
• IRS: Independent Contractor or Employee?

Ruth Mayhew has been writing since the mid-1980s, and she has been an HR subject matter expert since 1995. Her work appears in "The Multi-Generational Workforce in the Health Care Industry," and she has been cited in numerous publications, including journals and textbooks that focus on human resources management practices. She holds a Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Ruth resides in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.

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How to Write a Sales Resume That’ll Close the Deal (Example Included!)

Sales jobs are filled with high highs (hello, commission checks!) and low lows (looking at you, high quotas and unreasonable customers), but most sales representatives derive great satisfaction from their work. If you love the thrill of the hunt, the art of negotiating, and the sense of accomplishment that accompanies a freshly signed contract, sales might be the perfect industry for you.

Sales is a diverse space, spanning a variety of roles, levels, mediums, and organizations. You could sell directly to consumers or to businesses, close all of your deals over the phone or in person, specialize in finding new leads or sell exclusively to enterprise-level organizations. And virtually every company across virtually every industry employs sales representatives. So your options are practically endless.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro in the market for a new account executive opportunity or a relative novice looking to break into a business development role (also called a sales development role, depending on the company), you’ll need a compelling sales resume to capture a prospective employer’s attention. Here’s how to write yours.

Include These Key Sales Facts

While the sales industry is vast and varied, there are a few essential elements that every standout sales resume should feature prominently. They include:

• Where you have sold/regions you’ve managed (e.g. San Francisco, southwest, EMEA)
• The types of products you’ve sold (e.g. SaaS, office supplies, employee benefits packages)
• The types of customers you’ve sold to (e.g. consumers, emerging businesses, healthcare organizations)
• Who you’ve worked with (e.g. developers, managers, C-level executives)
• Deal sizes (e.g. $50K, 13 locations, 125 users)
• Length of an average sales cycle (e.g. four weeks, six months)
• Quota achievement (e.g. 104% quota achievement for Q3)

Recruiters will, of course, be interested in your work history, career progression, education and training, technical skills, and achievements, too (more on that below), but your resume will be strengthened immensely by including the above details first and foremost for each of your past sales roles.

Use the Right Lingo

Like every industry, sales has a language all its own (think prospecting, territory, quota). And that means recruiters will be keeping an eye out for specific terms as they read through your resume. Tailoring your resume for each individual job description is an excellent strategy for ensuring that you’re hitting all the right keywords (more on that here ). Remember, if you have experience performing a task listed in the job description, be sure to include it on your resume!

Another compelling reason to tailor your resume? The applicant tracking system (or ATS for short). This program scans your application for certain keywords to determine whether your experience is a good match for the job. If you don’t have enough relevant terms on your resume, the ATS might discard your application before a recruiter has a chance to review it. In other words, you could be screened out if you didn’t take the time to keyword-optimize your resume—even if you have the right experience.

You can use the common keywords listed below as a starting point—but again, be sure to emphasize the most relevant ones. For example, if the role you’re applying for is focused on new business and doesn’t include ongoing client relationship management, you’ll want to downplay your account management experience and lean into your prospecting and business development experience.

• Account Management
• Business Analysis
• Business Case
• Business Development
• Cold Calling
• Consultative Selling
• Customer Relations
• Executive Relationships
• Forecasting
• Lead Generation
• Negotiation
• Overcoming Objections
• Pitch Decks
• Presentations
• Prospecting
• Relationship Management
• Return on Investment
• Sales Cycle

Highlight Those Numbers

Quantifying your experience—whether direct or transferable—will be incredibly important as you’re writing your sales resume. Because sales is ultimately about results, prospective employers are going to want to see proof of your ability to deliver. Assigning numbers like percentages or dollar amounts can help to bring your sales accomplishments to life. Here’s what it might look like:

• Reached 99% quota achievement for FY 2018
• Delivered 115 new, viable sales leads resulting in $220K in new revenue for Q2
• Called 150+ donors each day, bringing in $13K in contributions in just three months

If you’ve been in the same role for a number of years, you might prefer to detail your day-to-day responsibilities (like prospecting, presenting, and negotiating contracts) separately from your accomplishments. This might make your resume easier for a recruiter to scan and, even better, make your dazzling achievements easier to spot. Take a peek at the example at the end of this article to see how it might look in practice.

Don’t Ignore Training and Technical Skills

There are a variety of popular (and effective!) sales methodologies that prospective employers will likely consider to be highly valuable. So if you’ve attended a training or seminar or earned a certification in a particular methodology, like Sandler or Challenger, be sure to feature it on your resume. Even if these trainings aren’t a must-have for a certain job, hiring managers will probably be impressed by your commitment to fine-tuning your expertise.

Sales representatives also rely on a combination of customer resource management (CRM), business development, networking, communication, and tracking tools to perform their jobs effectively. So if you have experience with tools like Salesforce, PowerPoint, Yesware, OrgChartPlus, LinkedIn InMail, or LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you’ll want to include them on your resume. Better yet, be sure to read through the technical requirements section of every job posting so that you can include all the relevant skills on your resume.

If You’ve Never Had a Sales Job Before

Breaking into a new industry as an entry-level candidate or a career changer can feel intimidating. But it’s a very attainable goal, so long as you apply for the right types of roles and tailor your resume accordingly.

The first thing you’ll want to do before you start writing your resume is identify your most relevant transferable skills. Experience interacting with customers, making phone calls, drafting emails, fundraising, coordinating events, or conducting internet research (just to name a few) are all highly transferable. Soft skills like an upbeat attitude, persistence, and adaptability will be important too.

If you’re having a tough time determining what’s relevant (and what’s not), pull up a few job postings and read through the descriptions to get a feel for what will be most important. And remember to think big picture: You might not have experience cold calling prospective customers, but you probably have experience calling companies, asking questions and gathering information over the phone, leaving voicemails, and following up. And that counts!

A resume summary , while totally optional, can be a fantastic way to tie seemingly unrelated experiences together. It’s also a great place to (briefly) answer the question, “Why sales?” Here’s what a summary for someone looking to transition into sales might look like:

Ambitious, persistent, and goal-oriented people person with three years of experience managing public relations in the startup space. A skilled and persuasive communicator eager to leverage expertise in cold calls, presentations, and research in an entry-level sales role.

Whether you’re a career starter or a career changer, for a sales resume it’s important to quantify your resume bullet points as much as possible. Try thinking about your past responsibilities in terms of goals and achievements. Were you tasked with sourcing and hiring vendors for an event? You might write a bullet point that reads:

• Sourced five vendors and negotiated contracts in just three weeks, staying within $7K budget for a 100-person event.

A Few Additional Things to Keep in Mind

• Stick to a single-page chronological layout. This rule applies to virtually every job seeker (though super-seasoned executives might have longer resumes and career changers might consider an alternative format ). Tailoring your resume for each job and cutting experience that’s more than 10 years old should help you keep the length down. Follow this handy guide to writing a chronological resume for more details.
• Create scannable sections. Organizing your resume into clear, easy-to-identify sections (like sales experience, education, and technical skills) will make it much easier for recruiters to read. They’re busy, so scannability is key. Even better, it’ll help your dazzling achievements stand out.
• Write vibrant bullet points. Breathe life into flatlining bullet points with this simple formula: compelling verb + job duty + tangible number or outcome. So Cold-called prospective customers becomes Targeted and vetted prospective customers through 100+ daily cold calls, resulting in 400 new leads in Q2.
• Proofread! Even if you’re positive that your resume is totally error-free. Or ask a reliable friend, family member, or colleague to give it a look. You might be surprised by what you’ve missed.

Allow Me to Sell You on an Example

When a recruiter receives a new sales resume, they’ll primarily be interested in learning about the products you’ve sold, the customers you’ve sold to, the industries you’re familiar with, and whether or not you’ve successfully reached your sales goals. As you read through the below resume, take note of the way it incorporates all of this information using succinct sections and easy-to-read bullet points.

Download Example Sales Resume

Just as a sales pitch deck serves to sell your prospective customers on the benefits of your products, your resume should sell prospective employers on the benefits of adding you to their team. Featuring relevant details about your role, quantifying your achievements, and tailoring your resume to include the right keywords will help you to stand out and land those sales interviews .

Watch related employer videos:

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r/AskReddit is the place to ask and answer thought-provoking questions.

Can't I just fill my resume up with companies that went bankrupt/bust/no longer exist to build up my experience?

No one would be able to verify my references nor would it be my fault. I would only do it once per resume since other wise they would see my plan or think I'm the one bringing those companies down.

Edit: Ok I don't plan on placing a bunch of them, just maybe one that would help boost me up in points. Also I would only put myself in some low level position on the resume.

I like the suggestion that I use Enron and other major companies that went boom. Since I would have been a dime a dozen in a place like that, it would be easier to say I don't know who to put as a reference/or where the HR guy is now. It'd be hard as hell to go through Enron's papers, not like its in the library archives. Lehman bros would be good too depending on industry.

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7 Business Owner Resume Examples That Worked in 2024

Business Owner

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Business Owner Resume

• Business Owner Resumes by Type
• Business Owner Resumes by Industry

Operating your own business is a rewarding experience; you’re passionate about your product or service, and your unique business brings joy to many customers.

If you’re considering traditional employment or stepping into a new venture, it’s probably time to access a quick resume builder . However,  writing your resume  is more complicated than it looks when it comes to summarizing your activities and responsibilities.

Fortunately, we’ve done all the hard work for you!

We’ve researched numerous business owners’ resumes to determine what worked to get an interview in 2024 . We’ve distilled our research into seven free business owner resume samples to inspire your business owner resume. Check out our tips to perfect your resume and land you an interview for the job of your dreams!

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• We’d recommend adding an objective if you’re undergoing a career change or if you have minimal experience with the job you’re seeking.
• Use an objective to describe why your unique background prepares you for the job you’re seeking, and why you’re transitioning to a new job.
• Don’t try! An online cover letter generator can save you precious space on your resume (not to mention time!), giving you room to share the how and why of your business-savvy decisions.

Self-Employed Business Owner Resume

• For event planners, personal parties you’ve organized can fit nicely on your self-employed business owner resume.

Small Business Owner Resume

• You can provide metrics regarding revenue, the number of store locations you opened, the amount of positive performance reviews, customer and employee satisfaction scores, or the amount of awards you won. If you can find numbers for something, include it!
• Start by including relevant skill keywords in your  resume’s skill section . Check your list against the job description so your resume matches their expectations.

Online Business Owner Resume

• We’d recommend putting your online business owner resume in reverse-chronological order, meaning your most recent work experience is listed first.
• Employers will pay the most attention to the top third of your resume, so make sure they see your (likely) most impressive experience first.
• For each job, list three to six bullet points with relevant content. Start each bullet point with an action verb and minimize personal pronouns to keep your resume concise.

Cleaning Business Owner Resume

• This cleaning business owner resume focuses on the duties that come with owning an enterprise, while drawing less attention to the ancillary cleaning position.

Restaurant Business Owner Resume

• If that’s the case, use a  Word resume template  or a  Google Doc resume template  to format your resume correctly, but always download it after you’re done. Sometimes your resume formatting doesn’t translate properly, so do one last check to make sure it looks polished and professional.
• As a business owner with years of experience, your best bet is to place your skills and work experience sections higher on your resume but underneath your contact header. 

Construction Business Owner Resume

• Highlight your marketing capabilities, customer service skills, fiscal responsibility, and management abilities regarding your construction company.
• Pay special attention to your grammar, word choice, and active voice. The goal is to sound professional and competent!

Related resume guides

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Workers who make Bombardier business jets in Toronto are on strike. Talks will resume Monday

The Associated Press

June 23, 2024, 6:39 PM

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Labor union Unifor said Sunday that 1,350 workers at a Bombardier business-jet plant went on strike when the two sides failed to reach agreement on a new contract by a deadline on Saturday night.

The union said the negotiations continued into Sunday morning and would resume on Monday.

Bombardier said it was continuing to negotiate and hoped to “swiftly reach a mutually beneficial agreement.”

Neither side would discuss details of the negotiations.

This strike involves production and office workers at a Bombardier plant at Pearson Airport in Toronto, where Global-series aircraft are built.

Workers at the plant went on strike for several days in the summer of 2021 before ratifying a three-year contract that included wage increases and better pension benefits.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Why Cofounder Partnerships Fail — and How to Make Them Last

• Travis Howell,
• Steven Gray,
• Esther Sackett

Nearly half of startup founders ultimately buy out their cofounder due to interpersonal rifts and power struggles.

Up to 43% of startup founders ultimately buy out their cofounder due to interpersonal rifts and power struggles. To understand why so many cofounder partnerships end in failure, the authors conducted research on lead founders seeking cofounders, finding that lead founders tend to prioritize skillsets and execution while potential cofounders prioritize interpersonal compatibility. This mismatch in priorities is the root of so many cofounder splits. To overcome this, the authors offer three recommendations for lead founders and cofounders alike: 1) Put yourself in the other person’s shoes, 2) Don’t neglect the interpersonal aspect in initial conversations, and 3) Consider co-creating the idea with a partner.

Choosing a cofounder can be a make-or-break decision for startups. On one hand, cofounders can bring needed skillsets and other resources that an individual founder may lack. On the other hand, however, cofounder relationships can be a source of immense conflict that can prove fatal for a startup. For example, recent evidence suggests that up to 43% of founders are ultimately forced to buy out their cofounder due to interpersonal rifts and power struggles.

• TH Travis Howell is an Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
• SG Steven Gray is an Assistant Professor of Management at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.
• ES Esther Sackett is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University.

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Election latest: Sunak admits he got job 'because of a mistake'

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer have faced the latest Q&A of this year's election, this time hosted by The Sun. Scroll through the Politics Hub to catch up on our updates and analysis from the event.

Tuesday 25 June 2024 02:34, UK

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Reducing knife crime will be a "moral mission" for Labour if it wins the election on 4 July, Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday.

The party leader will outline his plan to halve knife crime over the next 10 years, including creating a new cross-government "coalition" to work on solutions - bringing in families of victims and survivors of knife crime, along with tech companies and relevant organisations. 

Sir Keir will also promise to chair an annual knife crime summit to "track progress" on the target, and appeal to all parties to work together on the issue. 

"Knife crime is an issue above and beyond party politics," he will say. "For the parents grieving sons and daughters who never came home, action to end this scourge cannot wait.

"Far too often we hear the same stories from grieving families who have been subject to these brutal murders carried out by children. 

"It is our duty as political leaders of all stripes to work together to end knife crime and keep our young people safe."

Figures from Labour showed knife-related offences had risen by 81% since 2015 across England and Wales. 

The party's pledges for after the election include increasing the penalties for carrying a knife - including custody in the most serious cases, as well as extending the list of banned knives. 

Its 10pm - here's your late night general election bulletin.

We're into the last full week of the election campaign, with just 10 days left until polling day - and things are heating up.

Here's a run down of everything you may have missed:

• Rishi Sunak  today said he is not being investigated by the Gambling Commission over the betting scandal;
• He confirmed the Conservative Party is carrying out its own investigation - and will pass its findings on to the Gambling Commission ;
• The prime minister later took part in an election Q&A with The Sun, in which he insisted he only took the top job "as the result of a mistake" made by Liz Truss ;
• He also failed to confirm whether he called a summer election to avoid potential legal trouble over Rwanda flights taking off in July;
• Meanwhile, economists have lambasted a "conspiracy of silence" from the main parties over their tax and spending plans - read more below:
• Over to Labour, which has offered to meet Harry Potter author JK Rowling to provide her with "assurances" over the protection of women-only spaces; 
• Sir Keir Starmer also took part in the election Q&A, and he admitted that he "understands" why people are confused by his shift in stance on Jeremy Corbyn;
• And Lord Richard Dannatt, the former head of the army, has said Nigel Farage is "not worth listening to about anything" - particularly relating to the war in Ukraine;
• The Reform leader said last week the West had contributed to the invasion of Ukraine;
• He has launched a blistering attack aimed at his one-time ally Boris Johnson - highlighting a front page showing Mr Johnson holding a similar stance on Russia back in 2016.

A flurry of general elections since 2015 has brought an unprecedented churn in our parliamentary representatives.

This year, two in five MPs aren't seeking re-election and the picture for the Conservatives is record-breakingly grim.

An unparalleled total of 23% of Conservative MPs are calling it a day in 2024, more than the previous high of 22% of Tories who quit in 1997, another year of boundary changes.

In contrast, only 15% of Labour MPs are resigning.

There are many reasons MPs quit: from retirement, family commitments and health concerns to career change, abolished constituencies, and the prospect of defeat.

But their decision to depart can reveal much about life in Westminster and have a significant impact on parliament's mix of experience, demographics, and the direction of political parties.

Dr Sofia Collignon, associate professor in Comparative Politics, analyses the churn in our representatives here:

Wales is a Labour heartland, but it's clearly in the sights of other parties during this election campaign.

Reform UK even launched its manifesto in a town in the south of the country, Merthyr Tydfil.

Although Wales has its own parliament and makes most of its own decisions, they still elect MPs who stand in Westminster.

Sky's Wales reporter Tomos Evans explains how the cost of living, steel industry and nuclear energy will be key issues for voters.

By David Blevins , senior Ireland correspondent

Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers have condemned the Conservative Party for the impact of Brexit on the region.

Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill told Sky News the current government had "played fast and loose" with the Good Friday Agreement.

Emma Little-Pengelly, of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said Northern Ireland was the victim of the Tories having "botched Brexit".

Doug Beattie, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader, accused the "chaotic" Tory government of "destroying the cohesion of the United Kingdom".

Tactical voting is a talking point at every election - but it could play a particularly big role this time round.

The polls suggest huge public discontent with the Tories, but there are many seats where Labour - widely projected to form the next government - are not the main challengers.

It's contests like these where the Lib Dems, Reform UK, and the Greens might hope to make gains.

Below, Sky's political correspondent  Serena Barker-Singh explains what tactical voting is when it comes to an election and how it could impact parliament's makeup come 5 July.

Our live poll tracker collates the results of opinion surveys carried out by all the main polling organisations - and allows you to see how the political parties are performing in the run-up to the general election.

It shows a drop in support in recent days for Labour and the Tories - with a jump for Reform and the Liberal Democrats.

Read more about the tracker here .

Tonight on Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge , both our Tory and Labour guests faced questions over a report suggesting neither party are being honest with voters about their tax and spending plans.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies launched its report on their election manifestos this morning, warning public services will have to be cut over the next parliament, unless government debt or taxes rise further.

Labour and the Tories have both ruled out tax rises on working people, but also downplayed the risk of cuts to key public services.

So, are they being honest? Our business correspondent Paul Kelso takes a closer look at the numbers...

That concludes our coverage of tonight's Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge  - the show will return tomorrow at 7pm. Stick with us here for more updates and analysis throughout the evening.

Five years ago it was indisputably the Brexit election, but this time round it's become something of an elephant in the room.

But in Northern Ireland, none of the party leaders are shy of talking about the impact of Britain leaving the EU.

Our  senior Ireland correspondent  David Blevins   has spoken to them all about the legacy of the 2016 referendum - and how a new government at Westminster might change things.

As David notes, to "get Brexit done" the Tory government put a trade border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and Great Britain - something that was once unthinkable.

Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Fein:

"I think there's an opportunity now with what potentially looks like a Labour government coming into play to reverse the damage of Brexit. 

"And actually, I would hope we get to the point where actually we reverse the Brexit decision altogether. 

"That may not be where Labour are headed, but I think there is an opportunity to reset relationships, critically between London and Dublin, because those have been very much fractured."

Emma Little-Pengelly, DUP: 

"The Conservative Party and the UK government botched Brexit and Northern Ireland was the victim of that. 

"We called out the Conservative Party on this at every single stage. 

"We had to fight incredibly hard to try to undo the damage made by the decisions made by the Conservative Party in government. 

"But of course it was us fighting for that, while others were agitating and pushing for rigorous implementation of that really bad deal."

Naomi Long, Alliance: 

"What we need to do looking forward is say... how do we make the benefits of the Windsor Framework work in our advantage? 

"We have a unique position in Northern Ireland in terms of trade: we can trade freely into GB, we can trade freely with the Irish Republic, but more than that, we are a foot in the European Union."

Colum Eastwood, SDLP:

"Brexit has been a disaster for the whole of the UK, I would argue, economically and in many other ways, but we felt it much more keenly here because we share a border with the European Union.

"We had to do an awful lot of work to put things back together after the mess that was made by Brexit and Boris Johnson and the DUP. 

"From our perspective, there's no better outcome than actually being back in the European Union lock, stock, and barrel."

Doug Beattie, UUP:

"Brexit was a defining moment. 

"It absolutely undermined the cohesion of the United Kingdom, and I think we can see the out workings of that even today. 

"And whatever government gets in - and we all think it's going to be a Labour government - I think they're going to have to work on that cohesion as one of their main outputs."

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