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The differences between channel sales representatives and outside sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a channel sales representative and an outside sales representative. Additionally, a channel sales representative has an average salary of $66,190, which is higher than the $60,443 average annual salary of an outside sales representative.
The top three skills for a channel sales representative include lead generation, direct sales and channel sales. The most important skills for an outside sales representative are customer service, work ethic, and sales process.
| Channel Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $66,190 | $60,443 |
| Hourly rate | $31.82 | $29.06 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 215,005 | 218,034 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A channel sales representative is typically in charge of securing sales with vendors and resellers. Their responsibilities often include performing research and analysis to identify new business and client opportunities, generating leads, and devising strategies to close deals. They must also liaise with clients through calls or correspondence, arrange appointments, offer products and services, recommend promotions, negotiate contracts, and even process payments. Furthermore, as a channel sales representative, it is essential to build positive relationships with clients, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
An Outside Sales Representative specializes in customer service and relations, focusing on reaching sales targets through selling and networking with clients. Among the duties revolve around reaching out to customers through calls, email, or even arranging appointments, monitoring and keeping an organized record of sales, communicating with managers or supervisors, adhering to the company's policies and regulations, and keeping extensive knowledge about the brand and the trends. Besides building rapport with customers, it is also essential for an Outside Sales Representative to be proactive and create strategies to help meet the sales target.
Channel sales representatives and outside sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Channel Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $66,190 | $60,443 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $97,000 | Between $41,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Minneapolis, MN |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a channel sales representative and an outside sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Channel Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between channel sales representatives' and outside sales representatives' demographics:
| Channel Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8% | Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |