National account representative vs direct sales representative

The differences between national account representatives and direct sales 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 national account representative and a direct sales representative. Additionally, a national account representative has an average salary of $44,826, which is higher than the $43,527 average annual salary of a direct sales representative.

The top three skills for a national account representative include national accounts, customer service and product knowledge. The most important skills for a direct sales representative are customer service, direct sales, and TV.

National account representative vs direct sales representative overview

	National Account Representative	Direct Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$44,826	$43,527
Hourly rate	$21.55	$20.93
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	204,509	159,668
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does a national account representative do?

A national account representative plays a pivotal role in managing client relationships. These professionals manage relationships for high-value customers, especially those who invest vast amounts in the company or those who have stayed in the organization for an extended period. In general, the national account representative's primary goal is to foster trust. National account representatives identify new business opportunities and make sales calls. To qualify as a national account representative, you must possess a bachelor's degree in this field, primarily in business administration.

What does a direct sales representative do?

As a direct sales representative, you are responsible for creating customer awareness of a company's products and services and closing sales. You will perform varied tasks that include assisting in developing and executing marketing and sales plans, conducting research on competing products, and identifying opportunities to improve sales. Additionally, you are expected to answer inquiries about product features, availability, benefits, and pricing. Other tasks that you are likely to perform include attending trade shows, preparing sales proposals for prospective buyers, and preparing sales reports.

National account representative vs direct sales representative salary

National account representatives and direct sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	National Account Representative	Direct Sales Representative
Average salary	$44,826	$43,527
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $64,000	Between $27,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	-	Salem, OR
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	Google
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between national account representative and direct sales representative education

There are a few differences between a national account representative and a direct sales representative in terms of educational background:

	National Account Representative	Direct Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

National account representative vs direct sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between national account representatives' and direct sales representatives' demographics:

	National Account Representative	Direct Sales Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%	Male, 68.4% Female, 31.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between national account representative and direct sales representative duties and responsibilities

National account representative example responsibilities.

Manage and assist a vast customer base in the market for new roofing needs after a large hail storm in Lubbock.
Increase revenue through upselling new specialize testing options with key clinic staff and physicians.
Provide sales and technical support to distributors and OEM'S in the electrical distribution industry.
Maintain continuous contact with customers, including OEM, distribution, system integrators and end users.
Maintain continuous communication with warehouse managers, third party administrators, injure employees and healthcare professionals.
Respond to inquiries from medical providers, hospitals and other healthcare facilities regarding eligibility and claim status.

Direct sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage accounts and create invoices via QuickBooks.
Achieve and maintain high-volume sales output, for cell phones and broadband products to stay employ with company.
Contact medicare eligible recipients to sell medicare advantage plans through in-home meetings, community seminars and direct telesales.
Canvass assigned sales territory and solicit orders for new or upgrade cable, broadband and digital phone services.
Generate revenue by selling and upselling services while developing client base throughout territory.
Prospect and generate sales revenue by adding new program residential customers and cross selling and upselling current residential customers.

National account representative vs direct sales representative skills

Common national account representative skills

National Accounts, 17%
Customer Service, 15%
Product Knowledge, 13%
Account Management, 5%
Sales Growth, 4%
Trade Shows, 3%

Common direct sales representative skills

Customer Service, 33%
Direct Sales, 20%
TV, 15%
Work Ethic, 4%
Technical Troubleshooting, 3%
Door-To-Door Sales, 3%

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National Account Representative
National Account Representative vs Direct Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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