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The differences between commercial sales specialists 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 commercial sales specialist and an outside sales representative. Additionally, a commercial sales specialist has an average salary of $73,492, which is higher than the $60,443 average annual salary of an outside sales representative.
The top three skills for a commercial sales specialist include customer accounts, customer complaints and inventory control. The most important skills for an outside sales representative are customer service, work ethic, and sales process.
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $73,492 | $60,443 |
| Hourly rate | $35.33 | $29.06 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 124,771 | 218,034 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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 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.
Commercial sales specialists and outside sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $73,492 | $60,443 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $112,000 | Between $41,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Minneapolis, MN |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a commercial sales specialist and an outside sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | 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 commercial sales specialists' and outside sales representatives' demographics:
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% | Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5% |
| 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, 3.9% 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% |