Channel account manager vs outside sales manager

The differences between channel account managers and outside sales managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a channel account manager and an outside sales manager. Additionally, a channel account manager has an average salary of $97,071, which is higher than the $84,408 average annual salary of an outside sales manager.

The top three skills for a channel account manager include cam, cloud and channel sales. The most important skills for an outside sales manager are product knowledge, CRM, and customer service.

Channel account manager vs outside sales manager overview

	Channel Account Manager	Outside Sales Manager
Yearly salary	$97,071	$84,408
Hourly rate	$46.67	$40.58
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	148,671	138,054
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

What does a channel account manager do?

A channel account manager is responsible for handling client accounts and maintaining a healthy business relationship with partners by providing high-quality services according to their specifications and requirements. Channel account managers identify business opportunities and other services that would meet client demands and public interests by analyzing sales and market trends. They also contribute to the development of sales improvement techniques that would drive more revenues and profits for the business. A channel account manager handles a channel team that would support the deliverables and outputs for the clients within their budget limitations and timetable.

What does an outside sales manager do?

An outside sales manager is responsible for monitoring the sales staff performance in selling goods and services to existing and potential clients and ensuring that the team meets sales objectives. Outside sales managers set reasonable sales targets and establish techniques to maximize the staff's efficiency and productivity. They regularly connect with the clients to determine their needs and make any adjustments to business plans as needed. An outside sales manager should have excellent knowledge of the current market trends to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenues and resources.

Channel account manager vs outside sales manager salary

Channel account managers and outside sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Channel Account Manager	Outside Sales Manager
Average salary	$97,071	$84,408
Salary range	Between $58,000 And $161,000	Between $51,000 And $138,000
Highest paying City	Philadelphia, PA	Albany, NY
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	Hawaii
Best paying company	Meta	Dominion Enterprises
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between channel account manager and outside sales manager education

There are a few differences between a channel account manager and an outside sales manager in terms of educational background:

	Channel Account Manager	Outside Sales Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Channel account manager vs outside sales manager demographics

Here are the differences between channel account managers' and outside sales managers' demographics:

	Channel Account Manager	Outside Sales Manager
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8%	Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between channel account manager and outside sales manager duties and responsibilities

Channel account manager example responsibilities.

Manage key accounts of wholesalers, pharmacies chains and healthcare professionals.
Manage a portfolio of 1k+ SMB accounts, which generate $13M in revenue per year.
Manage accounts and opportunities with CRM and maximize customer retention with ongoing contact and license renewal management.
Manage and coordinate daily sales activities through target cold calling and telemarketing.
Support launch and first sale of Windstream's UCaaS cloud service power by Avaya.
Overachieve by proving value and benefit of equipment and future ROI through relationship selling.

Outside sales manager example responsibilities.

Manage a team of sales executives to establish and maintain professional relationships with healthcare professionals in their prospective territories.
Develop a complete marketing program where none previously exist, now serves as CRM base for company.
Used CRM tools in order to provide current and detail information relate to activities, opportunity pipeline, and close business.
Channele marketing through the establishment of international distributors servicing Mexico (Hermosillo, Mexicali, and Tijuana) and Korea.
Plan and schedule work perform by HVAC technicians.
Educate and present new approach to facility managers and plant managers including ROI analysis.

Channel account manager vs outside sales manager skills

Common channel account manager skills

Cam, 8%
Cloud, 8%
Channel Sales, 7%
Channel Marketing, 5%
Salesforce, 4%
Account Management, 4%

Common outside sales manager skills

Product Knowledge, 12%
CRM, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Sales Territory, 7%
Sales Strategies, 4%
Sales Growth, 3%

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Channel Account Manager
Channel Account Manager vs Outside Sales Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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