General merchandise sales representative vs sales development representative

The differences between general merchandise sales representatives and sales development 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 general merchandise sales representative and a sales development representative. Additionally, a general merchandise sales representative has an average salary of $56,221, which is higher than the $51,504 average annual salary of a sales development representative.

The top three skills for a general merchandise sales representative include delivery schedules, customer service and sales floor. The most important skills for a sales development representative are SDR, lead generation, and customer service.

General merchandise sales representative vs sales development representative overview

	General Merchandise Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Yearly salary	$56,221	$51,504
Hourly rate	$27.03	$24.76
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	126,832	199,588
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

General merchandise sales representative vs sales development representative salary

General merchandise sales representatives and sales development representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Merchandise Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Average salary	$56,221	$51,504
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $96,000	Between $34,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	PitchBook Data
Best paying industry	-	Start-up

Differences between general merchandise sales representative and sales development representative education

There are a few differences between a general merchandise sales representative and a sales development representative in terms of educational background:

	General Merchandise Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

General merchandise sales representative vs sales development representative demographics

Here are the differences between general merchandise sales representatives' and sales development representatives' demographics:

	General Merchandise Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1%	Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 79.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between general merchandise sales representative and sales development representative duties and responsibilities

General merchandise sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage and assist a vast customer base in the market for new roofing needs after a large hail storm in Lubbock.
Develop and implement marketing programs for distributors and retailers, including co-op advertising plans, promotional events, and merchandising techniques.
Provide training which include seminars and PowerPoint presentations.

Sales development representative example responsibilities.

Manage organization website and Facebook page; writing articles for websites and newsletters.
Develop social media strategies for Facebook, LinkedIn, and emerging social networks, generating leads.
Manage individual sales activities by developing highly effective, communications focuse relationship with multiple sales channels.
supply chain management and procurement software (SaaS).
Handle customer service inquiries, returns, and RMA exchanges.
Develop a strong knowledge of SaaS sales techniques and lead management/generation.

General merchandise sales representative vs sales development representative skills

Common general merchandise sales representative skills

Delivery Schedules, 83%
Customer Service, 13%
Sales Floor, 4%

Common sales development representative skills

SDR, 11%
Lead Generation, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Account Executives, 5%
Linkedin, 5%
Outbound Calls, 4%

General Merchandise Sales Representative vs. similar jobs

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General Merchandise Sales Representative related jobs

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General Merchandise Sales Representative
General Merchandise Sales Representative vs Sales Development Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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