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The differences between distribution sales representatives 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 distribution sales representative and an outside sales representative. Additionally, an outside sales representative has an average salary of $60,443, 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 outside sales representative are customer service, work ethic, and sales process.
| Distribution Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $41,865 | $60,443 |
| Hourly rate | $20.13 | $29.06 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 235,775 | 218,034 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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 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.
Distribution sales representatives and outside sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Distribution Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $41,865 | $60,443 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $68,000 | 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 distribution sales representative and an outside sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Distribution Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | 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 distribution sales representatives' and outside sales representatives' demographics:
| Distribution Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% | Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5% |
| 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, 3.9% 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% |