What does a channel sales representative do?
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.
Channel sales representative responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real channel sales representative resumes:
- Adopt new CRM software to manage existing customers while providing training on update systems.
- Generate leads and evangelize product to physicians in orthopedics, hematology, internal medicine, surgery, critical care and cardiology.
- Maintain accurate up-to-date activity and opportunity reports in Microsoft CRM software.
- Generate leads and evangelize product to physicians in orthopedics, hematology, internal medicine, surgery, critical care and cardiology.
- Generate leads and evangelize product to physicians in orthopedics, hematology, internal medicine, surgery, critical care and cardiology.
Channel sales representative skills and personality traits
We calculated that 28% of Channel Sales Representatives are proficient in Lead Generation, Direct Sales, and Channel Sales. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Interpersonal skills, and Physical stamina.
We break down the percentage of Channel Sales Representatives that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Lead Generation, 28%
Generate business through established and approved creative methods of lead generation.
- Direct Sales, 22%
Wall Street Sales Unit * Introduced channels roles to sales team that sold exclusively via Direct Sales Representatives.
- Channel Sales, 19%
Tracked and analyzed performance of channel sales.
- Sales Cycle, 16%
Managed sales cycle from initial contact to closing, winning new business and maintaining existing accounts.
- Sales REP, 3%
Developed and maintained professional relationships with sales representatives.
- Channel Development, 2%
Devised customer relationship management system to track sales process and channel development.
Common skills that a channel sales representative uses to do their job include "lead generation," "direct sales," and "channel sales." You can find details on the most important channel sales representative responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a channel sales representative to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to listen to the customer’s needs and concerns before and after the sale." Channel sales representatives often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "set and achieved channel sales projections; offered consultative services while providing business boosting account management and customer service. "
Interpersonal skills. Many channel sales representative duties rely on interpersonal skills. "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to work well with many types of people," so a channel sales representative will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways channel sales representative responsibilities rely on interpersonal skills: "signed up over 45 inpatient hospital pharmacies using interpersonal communications and business development skills. "
Physical stamina. channel sales representatives are also known for physical stamina, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to channel sales representative responsibilities, because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives are often on their feet for a long time and may carry heavy sample products." A channel sales representative resume example shows how physical stamina is used in the workplace: "represented specialty portfolio in psychiatry, rheumatology, pain specialty, anesthesiology, neurology, and physical med rehab clinics. "
Self-confidence. channel sales representative responsibilities often require "self-confidence." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations." This resume example shows what channel sales representatives do with self-confidence on a typical day: "provide confidential accurate and timely incentive payments for national sales and account management, national underwriting and the california federal team. "
The three companies that hire the most channel sales representatives are:
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Compare different channel sales representatives
Channel sales representative vs. Territory representative
A territory representative is responsible for selling the company's goods and services within a designated area, negotiating offers with potential clients, and identifying business opportunities according to market trends and customer demands. Territory representatives analyze the sales performance and strategize techniques to reach sales targets by coordinating with the whole sales team. They must be highly knowledgeable of the products offered by the company to demonstrate features and functionalities and respond to the inquiries and concerns the customers may have.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between channel sales representatives and territory representative. For instance, channel sales representative responsibilities require skills such as "lead generation," "channel sales," "sales cycle," and "sales rep." Whereas a territory representative is skilled in "customer service," "patients," "customer relationships," and "territory development." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, territory representatives reach similar levels of education than channel sales representatives. Territory representatives are 4.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Channel sales representative vs. Sales development representative
A sales development representative qualifies leads at the sales funnel's initial stages. Sales development representatives need to conduct research for prospective clients and qualify the leads before handing them to the sales team. They develop sales strategies to attract buyers or solicit potential customers. They need to build relationships with their customers to determine their needs and qualify the viability of interests to drive sales. Also, they collaborate with the sales executives making certain that corporate targets and goals are met.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, channel sales representative responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "direct sales," "channel sales," "sales rep," and "channel development." Meanwhile, a sales development representative has duties that require skills in areas such as "sdr," "customer service," "account executives," and "linkedin." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Sales development representatives may earn a lower salary than channel sales representatives, but sales development representatives earn the most pay in the start-up industry with an average salary of $54,512. On the other hand, channel sales representatives receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $85,318.sales development representatives earn lower levels of education than channel sales representatives in general. They're 5.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Channel sales representative vs. Sales/account representative
A sales account representative is responsible for managing and responding promptly to customer complaints and queries of clients. They focus on customer concerns and contact prospects. They work on upselling or cross-selling products and services, collaborating with account executives, and prepare reports to upper management. This job requires you to be a goal-driven person, energetic, and have excellent communication skills. Moreover, this is a challenging job; at times, it requires being extra polite and calm in handling customer complaints and other related situations.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a channel sales representative is likely to be skilled in "direct sales," "channel sales," "sales cycle," and "sales rep," while a typical sales/account representative is skilled in "customer service," "sales techniques," "work ethic," and "sales support."
Sales/account representatives make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $72,531. On the other hand, channel sales representatives are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $85,318.Most sales/account representatives achieve a similar degree level compared to channel sales representatives. For example, they're 4.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Channel sales representative vs. Sales support representative
A sales support representative is responsible for assisting the complex operations of sales departments, performing administrative duties under the supervision of a direct manager. Sales support representatives' tasks include acknowledging and encoding customers' orders in the system, processing payments, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, writing sales reports, and updating the customer of the shipment details. They also support the sales representatives on selling goods and services to potential customers by creating marketing materials and communicating with customers over the phone and e-mail to generate revenues and increase profits.
Types of channel sales representative
Updated January 8, 2025
