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Executive sales representative vs area sales representative

The differences between executive sales representatives and area sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an executive sales representative, becoming an area sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an executive sales representative has an average salary of $78,858, which is higher than the $58,355 average annual salary of an area sales representative.

The top three skills for an executive sales representative include patients, product knowledge and oncology. The most important skills for an area sales representative are customer service, business development, and sales process.

Executive sales representative vs area sales representative overview

Executive Sales RepresentativeArea Sales Representative
Yearly salary$78,858$58,355
Hourly rate$37.91$28.06
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs226,902199,212
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4747
Years of experience24

What does an executive sales representative do?

An executive sales representative researches and recommends business opportunities. They analyze sales alternatives and help build business relations with clients and prospects. They must keep updated on business trends and potential competitors to best recommend new product ideas. They must be open-minded, risk-takers, adaptive, and innovative to be able to develop successful marketing strategies. It is also necessary for them to be highly skilled at business analysis to distinguish selling opportunities and create an immediate action plan.

What does an area sales representative do?

The primary role of an area sales representative is to sell the company's products and services within a specified region or territory. You will be responsible for attracting new clients, increase profitability, and win new accounts. Other duties typically include building and maintaining relationships with both new and existing customers, traveling across the region to visit customers, and maintaining records of customer accounts and sales leads. As an area sales representative, it is also your duty to close deals and negotiate service agreements, prices, and terms of sale.

Executive sales representative vs area sales representative salary

Executive sales representatives and area sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

Executive Sales RepresentativeArea Sales Representative
Average salary$78,858$58,355
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $128,000Between $42,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City-Syracuse, NY
Highest paying state-Maine
Best paying company-Microsoft
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between executive sales representative and area sales representative education

There are a few differences between an executive sales representative and an area sales representative in terms of educational background:

Executive Sales RepresentativeArea Sales Representative
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaSUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Executive sales representative vs area sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between executive sales representatives' and area sales representatives' demographics:

Executive Sales RepresentativeArea Sales Representative
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 53.7% Female, 46.3%Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between executive sales representative and area sales representative duties and responsibilities

Executive sales representative example responsibilities.

  • Position products above the competition, utilizing data, manage care information and patient benefit to promote the Novartis brands.
  • Achieve sales growth objectives by incorporating product/technical knowledge, teamwork, customer and multi-product focus, innovation and creativity.
  • Call on customers in oncology, pulmonology urology, cardiology, neurology, OB/GYN, psychiatry, gastroenterology and primary care.
  • Promote diabetes medications to family practice, general practice, internal medicine physicians and diabetic educators.
  • Track and create territory reports and spreadsheets with action items and a pod business plan.
  • Target specialty sales to neurology, psychiatry, pain management and high target primary care physicians.
  • Show more

Area sales representative example responsibilities.

  • Manage and create all content distribute via various social media outlets: Facebook, twitter, feedback blogs, etc.
  • Create wholesale catalog using Powerpoint and PDF.
  • Add and update customer information in Seibel CRM application.
  • Schedule monthly sales, change POS, acquire extra sales/floor space.
  • Increase sales and product visibility by placing POS material and encouraging promotion participation within accounts.
  • Execute weekly on premise promotions and off-site special events that generate brand awareness, increase distribution and additional sales.
  • Show more

Executive sales representative vs area sales representative skills

Common executive sales representative skills
  • Patients, 10%
  • Product Knowledge, 10%
  • Oncology, 8%
  • Account Management, 7%
  • Territory Management, 7%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Common area sales representative skills
  • Customer Service, 24%
  • Business Development, 17%
  • Sales Process, 15%
  • Customer Relations, 7%
  • Product Knowledge, 4%
  • Territory Sales, 3%