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The differences between distribution sales representatives and inside 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 distribution sales representative and an inside sales representative. Additionally, an inside sales representative has an average salary of $44,413, which is higher than the $41,865 average annual salary of a distribution sales representative.
The top three skills for a distribution sales representative include product knowledge, territory sales and customer accounts. The most important skills for an inside sales representative are customer service, CRM, and outbound calls.
| Distribution Sales Representative | Inside Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $41,865 | $44,413 |
| Hourly rate | $20.13 | $21.35 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 235,775 | 244,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A distribution sales representative is a sales professional who usually works for wholesale and manufacturing companies, aiming to secure sales with retailers and individuals. Their duties entail conducting market research and analyses to find client and business opportunities, generating leads, communicating with clients through calls, arranging appointments, answering inquiries, discussing product or service specifications, and negotiating contracts, building positive relationships along the way. Moreover, as a distribution sales representative, keeping up with the latest trends to enhance sales pitches is essential.
An inside sales representative is responsible for selling services and products to clients, driving the company's revenues and increase sales profitability. Duties of an inside sales representative include developing strategic sales pitches, responding to customer's inquiries and requests, offering promotional products and discounts, researching potential clients, creating sales reports, and managing customer's possible complaints. An inside sales representative also provides strategic solutions to share with the sales team to improve their sales performance. Inside sales representatives must have excellent communication and negotiation skills to deal with customers' needs.
Distribution sales representatives and inside sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Distribution Sales Representative | Inside Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $41,865 | $44,413 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $68,000 | Between $28,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | - | Berkshire Hathaway |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a distribution sales representative and an inside sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Distribution Sales Representative | Inside Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 distribution sales representatives' and inside sales representatives' demographics:
| Distribution Sales Representative | Inside Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% | Male, 54.7% Female, 45.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |