What does an associate sales representative do?

The duties of an associate sales representative depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around reaching out to clients through calls or door-to-door visits, offering products and services, collecting payments, addressing issues and concerns, and performing corrective measures when necessary. An associate sales representative often has a quota and deadline to reach; therefore, it is essential to be sales driven and goal-oriented. Furthermore, one must adhere to the policies and regulations of the company.
Associate sales representative responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real associate sales representative resumes:
- Manage organization website and Facebook page; writing articles for websites and newsletters.
- Perform inside sales, including telemarketing, prospecting, account penetration and product application, consulting and delivery of customer service.
- Learned how to ask proper questions and communicate MetLife's product differentiators against competition
Associate sales representative skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Associate Sales Representatives are proficient in Work Ethic, Patients, and Product Knowledge. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Interpersonal skills, and Physical stamina.
We break down the percentage of Associate Sales Representatives that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Work Ethic, 16%
Exhibited suitable communication skills and work ethic when cooperating with General Mills representatives and grocery managers during shelf shipper installation projects.
- Patients, 13%
Delivered units to patients, answered questions and instructed them on how to use the product.
- Product Knowledge, 12%
Shared product knowledge with customers while making personal recommendations based on my experience.
- Excellent Interpersonal, 7%
Established rapport and developed excellent interpersonal relationships with key thought leaders to best facilitate strategic product growth.
- Excellent Organizational, 4%
Self-motivated, adaptable and have excellent organizational, communication and planning skills.
- Sales Techniques, 4%
Participated in team that implemented unique sales techniques that resulted in exceeding monthly sales quotas by 40%.
Most associate sales representatives use their skills in "work ethic," "patients," and "product knowledge" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential associate sales representative responsibilities here:
Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for an associate sales representative to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to listen to the customer’s needs and concerns before and after the sale." Additionally, an associate sales representative resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "answered questions from customers and engaged in suggestive selling and other sales techniques. "
Interpersonal skills. Many associate sales representative duties rely on interpersonal skills. "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to work well with many types of people," so an associate sales representative will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways associate sales representative responsibilities rely on interpersonal skills: "demonstrated excellent interpersonal, communication and time management skills in highly competitive environment. "
Physical stamina. associate sales representatives are also known for physical stamina, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to associate sales representative responsibilities, because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives are often on their feet for a long time and may carry heavy sample products." An associate sales representative resume example shows how physical stamina is used in the workplace: "key member of physical inventory and and sales support team. "
Self-confidence. For certain associate sales representative responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "self-confidence." The day-to-day duties of an associate sales representative rely on this skill, as "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what associate sales representatives do: "create confidence and strengthen customer relationships by resolving customer issues relating to procurement of product. "
The three companies that hire the most associate sales representatives are:
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Associate sales representative vs. Business sales associate
A business sales associate's primary goal is to secure sales and reach sales targets. To make this possible, a business sales associate conducts market research and analyses to identify new business and client opportunities, generates leads, and develops sales strategies. They usually reach out to potential clients or representatives through calls or correspondence, arrange appointments, discuss product or service specifications, organize payment plans, and negotiate contracts, building positive business relationships along the way. Moreover, they produce progress reports and coordinate with managers regularly.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between associate sales representatives and business sales associate. For instance, associate sales representative responsibilities require skills such as "work ethic," "patients," "excellent interpersonal," and "excellent organizational." Whereas a business sales associate is skilled in "business sales," "customer support," "account management," and "customer retention." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, business sales associates reach similar levels of education than associate sales representatives. Business sales associates are 0.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Associate sales representative vs. Sales support associate
A sales support associate is an individual who is responsible for assisting sales staff and help customers. To provide this assistance, sales support associates use customer communication methods such as telephones or email to process customer orders and ensure that they are accurate. They work closely with distributors to make sure that products are available for their customers. Sales support associates may function as either part-time or full time, but companies may require excellent communication skills.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, associate sales representative responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "work ethic," "patients," "excellent organizational," and "sales techniques." Meanwhile, a sales support associate has duties that require skills in areas such as "back room," "math," "strong computer," and "sales service." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, sales support associates earn a lower salary than associate sales representatives. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, sales support associates earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $45,041. Whereas associate sales representatives have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $56,246.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Sales support associates tend to reach similar levels of education than associate sales representatives. In fact, they're 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Associate sales representative vs. Inside sales associate
An inside sales associate is responsible for selling the company's goods and services through remote communication. Inside sales associates make calls to potential customers, demonstrate the products' features, take orders, process payments, and inform the customers of the delivery details. They strategize the most effective sales pitches to attract the customers on purchasing more services that would generate revenues and increase the company's profitability and brand image. An inside sales associate also supports the marketing team in developing marketing campaigns and promotional offers depending on customer demands and requests.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from associate sales representative resumes include skills like "patients," "excellent interpersonal," "sales techniques," and "powerpoint," whereas an inside sales associate is more likely to list skills in "inside sales," "data entry," "phone calls," and "plumbing. "
Inside sales associates make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $47,342. On the other hand, associate sales representatives are paid the highest salary in the health care industry, with average annual pay of $56,246.inside sales associates typically earn similar educational levels compared to associate sales representatives. Specifically, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Associate sales representative vs. Sales associate
Sales associates are responsible for promoting the company's goods or services. They are expected to provide exceptional customer service to prospective buyers. They should be familiar with all features of the company's products or services so that they can answer the customers' inquiries. Sales associates also assist customers in processing their checkouts, refunds, returns, and other needs. They should be customer-oriented, and they should have great communication skills. They should know how to sell their products or services to customers. They are considered the company's representatives on the ground.
Types of associate sales representative
Updated January 8, 2025











