Executive sales representative vs outside sales representative

The differences between executive sales representatives and outside 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 outside 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 $60,443 average annual salary of an outside sales representative.

The top three skills for an executive sales representative include patients, product knowledge and oncology. The most important skills for an outside sales representative are customer service, work ethic, and sales process.

Executive sales representative vs outside sales representative overview

	Executive Sales Representative	Outside Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$78,858	$60,443
Hourly rate	$37.91	$29.06
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	226,902	218,034
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	4

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 outside sales representative do?

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.

Executive sales representative vs outside sales representative salary

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

	Executive Sales Representative	Outside Sales Representative
Average salary	$78,858	$60,443
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $128,000	Between $41,000 And $87,000
Highest paying City	-	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between executive sales representative and outside sales representative education

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

	Executive Sales Representative	Outside Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Executive sales representative vs outside sales representative demographics

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

	Executive Sales Representative	Outside Sales Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3%	Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5%
Race ratio	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%	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%

Differences between executive sales representative and outside 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.

Outside sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage and maintain a weekly quota for broadband, and other wireless products.
Utilize CRM database to manage and track prospect interaction to ensure accurate documentation of window requirements and ongoing communication.
Web dev, SEO, PPC etc . )
Participate in the launching and marketing of broadband internet in Orlando with great success.
Provide care, materials, and essential tools for doctors and nurses working on patients in the E.R.
Create and maintain successful business partnerships with customers by analyzing, meeting and understanding their needs and patients needs.

Executive sales representative vs outside 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 outside sales representative skills

Customer Service, 17%
Work Ethic, 8%
Sales Process, 4%
Business Sales, 4%
Cold Calls, 4%
Product Knowledge, 4%

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Executive Sales Representative
Executive Sales Representative vs Outside Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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