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What does a field sales representative do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a field sales representative do

A field sales representative is an employee who is employed by business-to-business (B2B) and wholesale organizations to visit leads and sell products or services to their customers in person. Field sales representatives must attract new customers and win new accounts so that they can maximize profitability within their territory. They travel around their assigned territory and visit their customers regularly to educate them on how their products can benefit them. Field sales representatives must also maintain records of all sales leads and monitor the organization's competitor, new products, and market conditions.

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Field sales representative responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real field sales representative resumes:

  • Train and manage new DSR's.
  • Lead seminars for the CPA community for CPE credits.
  • Develop and manage sales in major retail accounts in the Mid-Atlantic region.
  • Manage and assist a vast customer base in the market for new roofing needs after a large hail storm in Lubbock.
  • Manage merchandising and POS materials at the retail store level ensuring meticulous compliance with all current corporate initiative regulations.
  • Conduct effective group Medicare HMO/PPO presentations/seminars, as well as one-on-one field sales presentations.
  • Conduct informal and formal sales presentations to Medicare beneficiaries explaining Medicare 101 and CareMore s benefit plans.
  • Roll out CRM system to entire sales team at POA meeting.
  • Research track and sell roofing projects with all suitable products OMG offers.
  • Prepare quotes, submittals and order HVAC equipment on a daily basis.
  • Require to have a strong working knowledge of the CRM and TrakQuip system.
  • Communicate with senior level management regarding sales and closing dates for SaaS solutions.
  • Assist clients in establishing life insurance, will and trust, and POA's.
  • Help clients with life insurance, mutual fund investment, annuities, and other variable products.
  • Increase sales of home supplies (floor coverings, windows, doors, cabinetry, etc . )

Field sales representative skills and personality traits

We calculated that 17% of Field Sales Representatives are proficient in Excellent Time Management, Customer Service, and PowerPoint. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Interpersonal skills, and Physical stamina.

We break down the percentage of Field Sales Representatives that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Excellent Time Management, 17%

    Demonstrated excellent time management and organizational skills.

  • Customer Service, 8%

    Maximized volume and revenue growth throughout the territory through account management, merchandising, promotional program planning/execution, and customer service.

  • PowerPoint, 6%

    Develop and utilize PowerPoint presentations demonstrating web based ordering system with new and existing customers.

  • Medicare, 6%

    Self-generated qualified straight Medicare and Dual Eligible applicants monthly to achieve company standards.

  • Account Management, 6%

    Developed expertise in building top-producing sales contracts through strategic marketing, tactical sales and key account management.

  • Sales Presentations, 5%

    Delivered sales presentations to physicians, rehabilitation counselors, Veterans Administration, school systems and educators, etc.

Common skills that a field sales representative uses to do their job include "excellent time management," "customer service," and "powerpoint." You can find details on the most important field sales representative responsibilities below.

Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a field sales representative to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to listen to the customer’s needs and concerns before and after the sale." Field sales representatives often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "direct sales contact with multiple customers focusing on proper promotional support, merchandising and inventory management. "

Interpersonal skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling field sales representative duties is interpersonal skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to work well with many types of people." According to a field sales representative resume, here's how field sales representatives can utilize interpersonal skills in their job responsibilities: "exercise advanced interpersonal skills in actively approaching and engaging all available consumers resulting in sales growth in the territory of phoenix. "

Physical stamina. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of field sales representatives is physical stamina. This skill is critical to many everyday field sales representative duties, as "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives are often on their feet for a long time and may carry heavy sample products." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "prospect daily for new business to increase sales online or at physical manheim locations. "

Self-confidence. For certain field sales representative responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "self-confidence." The day-to-day duties of a field sales representative rely on this skill, as "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what field sales representatives do: "promote good customer services and establish public confidence in the company. "

See the full list of field sales representative skills

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Compare different field sales representatives

Field sales representative vs. Business development representative

A business development representative's role is to find new business and client opportunities through market research and networking. They are primarily responsible for participating in creating strategies to enhance client relations, improve sales, and reach out to potential clients through calls, correspondence, and meetings. Moreover, it is also their responsibility to perform follow-up calls, offer recommendations, and even build rapport to strengthen client base. As a representative, it is essential to coordinate with managers and supervisors and adhere to policies and regulations.

We looked at the average field sales representative salary and compared it with the wages of a business development representative. Generally speaking, business development representatives are paid $1,220 lower than field sales representatives per year.Even though field sales representatives and business development representatives are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require excellent time management, customer service, and account management in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between field sales representatives and business development representative. For instance, field sales representative responsibilities require skills such as "powerpoint," "medicare," "direct sales," and "crm." Whereas a business development representative is skilled in "bdr," "sales cycle," "strong work ethic," and "account executives." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Business development representatives tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $49,583. In contrast, field sales representatives make the biggest average salary, $60,501, in the technology industry.On average, business development representatives reach similar levels of education than field sales representatives. Business development representatives are 0.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Field sales representative vs. Sales development representative

A sales development representative qualifies leads at the sales funnel's initial stages. Sales development representatives need to conduct research for prospective clients and qualify the leads before handing them to the sales team. They develop sales strategies to attract buyers or solicit potential customers. They need to build relationships with their customers to determine their needs and qualify the viability of interests to drive sales. Also, they collaborate with the sales executives making certain that corporate targets and goals are met.

A career as a sales development representative brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a field sales representative. In fact, sales development representatives salary is $3,044 higher than the salary of field sales representatives per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Field sales representatives and sales development representatives both require similar skills like "excellent time management," "customer service," and "sales presentations" to carry out their responsibilities.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, field sales representative responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "powerpoint," "medicare," "account management," and "direct sales." Meanwhile, a sales development representative has duties that require skills in areas such as "sdr," "account executives," "linkedin," and "outbound calls." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Sales development representatives may earn a higher salary than field sales representatives, but sales development representatives earn the most pay in the start-up industry with an average salary of $54,512. On the other hand, field sales representatives receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $60,501.sales development representatives earn similar levels of education than field sales representatives in general. They're 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Field sales representative vs. Sales representative internship

In a sales representative internship, an intern's duties depend on the directives of a supervising staff or manager. Typically, they are responsible for gaining industry insights while performing clerical tasks such as preparing and processing documents, greeting visitors, disseminating and organizing files, and running errands as needed. They may also participate in communicating with clients through calls and appointments to offer products and services, ensuring client satisfaction. Furthermore, as an intern, it is essential to familiarize and abide by the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

On average, sales representative interns earn lower salaries than field sales representatives, with a $13,904 difference per year.field sales representatives and sales representative interns both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "customer service," "powerpoint," and "sales presentations," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, field sales representatives are more likely to have skills like "excellent time management," "medicare," "account management," and "direct sales." But a sales representative internship is more likely to have skills like "kids," "outbound calls," "salesforce," and "inbound calls."

When it comes to education, sales representative interns tend to earn similar degree levels compared to field sales representatives. In fact, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Field sales representative vs. Sales support representative

A sales support representative is responsible for assisting the complex operations of sales departments, performing administrative duties under the supervision of a direct manager. Sales support representatives' tasks include acknowledging and encoding customers' orders in the system, processing payments, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, writing sales reports, and updating the customer of the shipment details. They also support the sales representatives on selling goods and services to potential customers by creating marketing materials and communicating with customers over the phone and e-mail to generate revenues and increase profits.

Sales support representatives tend to earn a lower pay than field sales representatives by an average of $10,150 per year.While their salaries may vary, field sales representatives and sales support representatives both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "customer service," "powerpoint," and "crm. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A field sales representative uses "excellent time management," "medicare," "account management," and "sales presentations." Sales support representatives are more likely to have duties that require skills in "sales support," "phone calls," "good communication," and "customer complaints. "The finance industry tends to pay the highest salaries for sales support representatives, with average annual pay of $45,182. Comparatively, the highest field sales representative annual salary comes from the technology industry.The average resume of sales support representatives showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to field sales representatives. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.2%.

Types of field sales representative

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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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