Direct sales agent vs agent

The differences between direct sales agents and agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct sales agent has an average salary of $57,712, which is higher than the $37,864 average annual salary of an agent.

The top three skills for a direct sales agent include customer service, medicare and health insurance. The most important skills for an agent are insurance products, customer service, and life insurance.

Direct sales agent vs agent overview

	Direct Sales Agent	Agent
Yearly salary	$57,712	$37,864
Hourly rate	$27.75	$18.20
Growth rate	10%	6%
Number of jobs	225,552	184,325
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	43	46
Years of experience	6	-

What does a direct sales agent do?

A direct sales agent is primarily responsible for introducing and selling products or services to clients in a particular area. Aiming to reach sales quotas, they typically conduct market research and analysis, generate leads, and develop sales strategies to build positive client relationships. They reach out directly to clients through calls or face-to-face interactions, discuss product specifications or promos, negotiate contracts, and demonstrate products when necessary. They are also responsible for processing client orders and payments, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction.

What does an agent do?

Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors. They meet people who are interested in dealing with their clients. They listen to the plans and vision for the project and assess if the project fits their clients' interests or public image. In the case of agents whose clients are actors, they send their clients to auditions upon review of the project details. Agents are also responsible for negotiating terms on behalf of their clients, such as salary, royalties, and set benefits, among others. They also inform the project leaders of their clients' demands on set. Agents are expected to be business-savvy and good negotiators.

Direct sales agent vs agent salary

Direct sales agents and agents have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Direct Sales Agent	Agent
Average salary	$57,712	$37,864
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $107,000	Between $19,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	TechnipFMC	Latham & Watkins
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between direct sales agent and agent education

There are a few differences between a direct sales agent and an agent in terms of educational background:

	Direct Sales Agent	Agent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Direct sales agent vs agent demographics

Here are the differences between direct sales agents' and agents' demographics:

	Direct Sales Agent	Agent
Average age	43	46
Gender ratio	Male, 58.0% Female, 42.0%	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 9.3% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	7%

Differences between direct sales agent and agent duties and responsibilities

Direct sales agent example responsibilities.

Increase customer understanding of Comcast products and pricing models as well as competitive advantage over other service providers.
Produce call reports and CRM dashboards.
Demonstrate strong understanding of Comcast products, promoting and selling offerings to individual customers by knocking every door within assign territories.
Contact new and existing customers to discuss how TWC products can meet their needs.
Maintain a professional, respectful, and helpful demeanor as a representative of TWC.
Communicate ongoing contact activity utilizing Salesforce.com.

Agent example responsibilities.

Schedule and meet individuals\groups for assign or self-generate leads, assist and enroll eligible individuals in suitable Medicare product.
Verify documentation and coding using CPT and ICD-9 correct coding standards.
Assist TANF customers with obtaining employment.
Direct compliance with all CPT and Medicare guidelines.
Train BDC representatives on phone skills and CRM use.
Bill appropriate ICD-9 codes to the correct insurance companies.

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Direct sales agent vs agent skills

Common direct sales agent skills

Customer Service, 25%
Medicare, 15%
Health Insurance, 12%
Direct Sales, 11%
Underwriting Process, 6%
Product Knowledge, 5%

Common agent skills

Insurance Products, 11%
Customer Service, 10%
Life Insurance, 8%
HR, 6%
Inbound Calls, 6%
Financial Services, 6%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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