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The differences between commercial sales specialists and inside sales specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a commercial sales specialist and an inside sales specialist. Additionally, a commercial sales specialist has an average salary of $73,492, which is higher than the $50,944 average annual salary of an inside sales specialist.
The top three skills for a commercial sales specialist include customer accounts, customer complaints and inventory control. The most important skills for an inside sales specialist are customer service, CRM, and sales process.
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $73,492 | $50,944 |
| Hourly rate | $35.33 | $24.49 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 124,771 | 251,423 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A commercial sales specialist is responsible for selling the company's goods and services to corporate organizations and identifying business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and increase profits for the company. Commercial sales specialists determine the customers' needs and recommend product solutions by discussing and demonstrating product features and benefits, responding to their inquiries and concerns, and resolving complaints. They also work closely with the marketing team to enhance promotional efforts and media strategies to improve brand recognition in the market.
An inside sales specialist is primarily responsible for securing sales by reaching out to clients to sell products and services. They may communicate with customers through calls and correspondence or personally recommend products in a retail store setting. Moreover, they are also responsible for responding to inquiries or concerns, identifying the customers' needs, devising strategies to find sales opportunities, and discussing products to customers. An inside sales specialist is often required to meet sales goals and report to managers should there be any issues or problems.
Commercial sales specialists and inside sales specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Specialist | |
| Average salary | $73,492 | $50,944 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $112,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Keller Williams Greater Seattle |
| Best paying industry | - | Real Estate |
There are a few differences between a commercial sales specialist and an inside sales specialist in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 commercial sales specialists' and inside sales specialists' demographics:
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% | Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |