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Distribution sales representative skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Jonathan Byers,

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical distribution sales representative skills. We ranked the top skills for distribution sales representatives based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 29.9% of distribution sales representative resumes contained product knowledge as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a distribution sales representative needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 distribution sales representative skills for your resume and career

1. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how distribution sales representatives use product knowledge:

Demonstrated professional courtesy and exhibited complete product knowledge to store managers and other sales representatives.
Assisted distributor reps by organizing and attending tasting events and extensive product knowledge.

2. Territory Sales

Here's how distribution sales representatives use territory sales:

Increased territory sales by 15%, opened 20 new accounts, and increased overall territory sales by 10% annually.
Increased Austin territory sales 110% to a client base that included IBM, Motorola, and Texas Instruments.

3. Customer Accounts

Here's how distribution sales representatives use customer accounts:

Manage existing customer accounts achieving customer goals.
Managed a number of customer accounts, and monitored their consumption and progress, as well as followed up with them.

4. Sales Presentations

Here's how distribution sales representatives use sales presentations:

Prepared professional sales presentations for each call tailored to current supplier programs and the needs of the customer.
Secured new accounts by delivering effective sales presentations and clearly conveying innovative ideas, products, and strategies.

5. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how distribution sales representatives use business development:

Worked alongside Business Development Directors and the marketing team to maintain and develop incremental business in existing accounts.
Managed territory planning, forecasting and business development across varied product lines.

6. Medical Sales

Here's how distribution sales representatives use medical sales:

Worked as sales team of four representatives to grow KM Medical sales over prior year.
Provided training and overview of applicable legal considerations in medical sales interactions with HCPs, e.g.

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7. Trade Shows

Here's how distribution sales representatives use trade shows:

Facilitated major national electronic trade shows to promote and sell company products to business owners, engineers and purchasing officers.
Organized company participation in trade shows.

8. Increase Sales

Here's how distribution sales representatives use increase sales:

Partnered with distributor Sales Representatives on initiatives to increase sales and drive business.
Survey stores for display placement and presentation of new point of sales programs to help increase sales.

9. Customer Orders

Here's how distribution sales representatives use customer orders:

Operated forklift and other heavy machinery operator, gathering and sorting customer orders.
Verify customer orders for accuracy and quality between warehouse and integration lab.

10. Customer Inquiries

Here's how distribution sales representatives use customer inquiries:

Addressed customer inquiries; interpreted and delivered information; proposed suggestions; provided guidance; identified, investigated and negotiated conflicts.
Answered customer inquiries related to commercial lift equipment sales or rental and Customer Service clerical duties

11. Account Management

The process of strengthening the relationship between a company and client is called account management. Effective account management has two key objectives, one is to retain loyal customers and the second one is to help the company grow by creating connections with new customers.

Here's how distribution sales representatives use account management:

Account management, liaison between the manufacturer and consumer, ensure profitability.
Support overall account management and customer service.

12. Inventory Management

Here's how distribution sales representatives use inventory management:

Provided inventory management systems to add value for the client.
Used the ACT program for contact maintenance and Mancola for inventory management.

13. Customer Complaints

Here's how distribution sales representatives use customer complaints:

Researched and resolved customer complaints resulting in a decreased number of calls to customer service department.
Communicated customer complaints, requests and feedback to Windows management.

14. Business Sales

Here's how distribution sales representatives use business sales:

Excel in business to business sales/marketing.
Conducted business to business sales and marketing campaigns on behalf of our clients to meet sales goals and quotas.

15. Product Line

Product line is a collection of similar or related products that may be under a single brand manufactured by the same company. It may include different varieties of a specific product of a brand which comes in different categories. In other cases, the product line may differ in some characteristics despite being from the same manufacturer.

Here's how distribution sales representatives use product line:

Marketed memory and microprocessor/controller product lines for distributor target markets.
Managed inventory control of engineered wood product lines.

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What skills help Distribution Sales Representatives find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on distribution sales representative resumes?

Jonathan Byers

Assistant Director, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

- Professional skills related to career development competencies such as strong oral & written communication, teamwork & collaboration, leadership, problem-solving ability & creativity, and professional integrity, but we recommend that applicants do not just list these skills. They should provide evidence of how they have used them in their work experience, volunteer experience, academic experience, etc.
-The ability to use technology effectively to solve problems or improve collaboration; this could relate to social media management, computer hardware or software skills, proficiency with general programs like Microsoft Office Suite (also being able to demonstrate the use of these skills in various experiences).
-With diversity, equity, and inclusion becoming more important in 2020, the ability to appreciate different points of view, accept and appreciate different cultural backgrounds & types of identities, and increased awareness of one's own cultural biases and assumptions can also be important to market on a resume.

What distribution sales representative skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

This pandemic taught us many things and one important thing that we have an efficiency gap.

The way of doing business will be much more technology orientated. Hence graduates should be ready to unskill and upskill their credentials. This time it is necessary to forget the old way of doing business and learn new skills to get a job or stay in a current job. Soft skills have become much more important than before, but a different soft skill set would be essential to interact with future market participants. Thus, a gap year should be utilized to unskill-upskill and enhance relevant credentials by getting into short-long term programs, training, and workshops would be highly recommended.

What type of skills will young distribution sales representatives need?

Michael Mikitka

Executive Vice President, MHI – Material Handling Industry

Courses and internships are essential. While the required depth of knowledge may vary from one position to another, employers are generally looking for candidates with strong "people-related" skills, those who are willing to continue to learn, and those with the ability to be flexible and adapt.

By "people-related" skills, I mean the abilities associated with effective communication (listen and express ideas and direction) and the skills related to working independently and a team.

As for the interest to continually learn... from a technology, data, and equipment perspective, today's supply chain looks very different than it did 10-years ago. The willingness and ability to continually learn are essential for anyone in a leadership role.

As for flexibility and adapting...supply chain/logistics is as much about responding to disruption and demand as it is planning for it. There is a predictable demand (i.e., seasonal...everyone knows when back-to-school shopping begins). Then there is the unpredictable demand (i.e., power-outages, wildfires, pandemic) that impact market and the ability to operate. Candidates that express flexibility and problem-solving skills will be much sought-after.

What technical skills for a distribution sales representative stand out to employers?

Dr. Matteo Cantarello Ph.D.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies, William & Mary

Programming has become an asset within the humanities, too. Even though hires of digital humanists are still limited in number (at least within my discipline), they are probably destined to increase in the near future. Also, flexibility and versatility with respect to teaching are also highly marketable. Any candidate who has experience with in-person, hybrid, and online courses and who has degrees, titles, and certificates that demonstrate that is extremely appreciated on the academic job market.

What soft skills should all distribution sales representatives possess?

John Cicala Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Digital Marketing, University of North Alabama

The ability to write for reading and not to write as if they are simply transcribing an internal conversation with the paper or whatever media is being used to communicate. They should also possess the ability to interact and to converse with others in person and to actively listen.

Do you want to know more?

List of distribution sales representative skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a distribution sales representative resume and required skills for a distribution sales representative to have include:

Product Knowledge
Territory Sales
Customer Accounts
Sales Presentations
Business Development
Medical Sales
Trade Shows
Increase Sales
Customer Orders
Customer Inquiries
Account Management

Inventory Management
Customer Complaints
Business Sales
Product Line
Inventory Control
Gross Profit
Healthcare
Sales Growth
Customer Relations
Product Sales
Sales Volume

DSR
Direct Sales
Cold Calls
POS
Capital Equipment
Sales Strategies
OEM
Business Relationships
PowerPoint
Grocery Store
Product Demonstrations

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Distribution Sales Representative Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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