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The differences between inside product specialists and inside sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an inside product specialist and an inside sales associate. Additionally, an inside sales associate has an average salary of $40,687, which is higher than the $34,230 average annual salary of an inside product specialist.
The top three skills for an inside product specialist include sales process, service offerings and customer relationships. The most important skills for an inside sales associate are inside sales, sales associates, and strong customer service.
| Inside Product Specialist | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $34,230 | $40,687 |
| Hourly rate | $16.46 | $19.56 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 79,599 | 320,863 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Inside Product Specialist is typically in charge of securing product sales by reaching out to potential customers and businesses through calls and correspondence, building positive client relationships along the way. They offer products and services, discuss product specifications, introduce promotions, answer inquiries, arrange payment plans, and even process payments. Their responsibilities also include conducting research and analysis to find client and business opportunities, generating leads, and maintaining transaction records. Inside Product Specialists may perform follow-up calls, negotiate contracts, and address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently.
An inside sales associate is responsible for selling the company's goods and services through remote communication. Inside sales associates make calls to potential customers, demonstrate the products' features, take orders, process payments, and inform the customers of the delivery details. They strategize the most effective sales pitches to attract the customers on purchasing more services that would generate revenues and increase the company's profitability and brand image. An inside sales associate also supports the marketing team in developing marketing campaigns and promotional offers depending on customer demands and requests.
Inside product specialists and inside sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Inside Product Specialist | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $34,230 | $40,687 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $49,000 | Between $30,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | MSCI |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an inside product specialist and an inside sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Inside Product Specialist | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between inside product specialists' and inside sales associates' demographics:
| Inside Product Specialist | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.7% Female, 27.3% | Male, 57.3% Female, 42.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |