Outside sales consultant vs associate sales representative

The differences between outside sales consultants and associate 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 an outside sales consultant and an associate sales representative. Additionally, an outside sales consultant has an average salary of $76,601, which is higher than the $51,007 average annual salary of an associate sales representative.

The top three skills for an outside sales consultant include customer service, in-home and CRM. The most important skills for an associate sales representative are work ethic, patients, and product knowledge.

Outside sales consultant vs associate sales representative overview

	Outside Sales Consultant	Associate Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$76,601	$51,007
Hourly rate	$36.83	$24.52
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	230,853	333,049
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does an outside sales consultant do?

An outside sales consultant is responsible for conducting sales for both prospective and existing customers. Your duties may vary, but common tasks include traveling to meet potential and existing customers, organizing meetings with customers regularly, and educating customers on the benefits of products and services. As an outside sales representative, you are responsible for monitoring the new products, market conditions and competitors, and assisting in building the brand with the help of the marketing department.

What does an associate sales representative do?

The duties of an associate sales representative depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around reaching out to clients through calls or door-to-door visits, offering products and services, collecting payments, addressing issues and concerns, and performing corrective measures when necessary. An associate sales representative often has a quota and deadline to reach; therefore, it is essential to be sales driven and goal-oriented. Furthermore, one must adhere to the policies and regulations of the company.

Outside sales consultant vs associate sales representative salary

Outside sales consultants and associate sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Outside Sales Consultant	Associate Sales Representative
Average salary	$76,601	$51,007
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $120,000	Between $37,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Current TV	Verint
Best paying industry	Energy	Health Care

Differences between outside sales consultant and associate sales representative education

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

	Outside Sales Consultant	Associate Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Outside sales consultant vs associate sales representative demographics

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

	Outside Sales Consultant	Associate Sales Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%	Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%
Race ratio	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%	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 outside sales consultant and associate sales representative duties and responsibilities

Outside sales consultant example responsibilities.

Utilize CRM data to deliver critical insights into product trends and manage leads for new product offerings.
Manage individual sales activities by developing highly effective, communications focuse relationship with multiple sales channels.
Perform data entry or require customer information into company CRM system in order to create and maintain an ongoing sales base.
Develop special reports, publications, spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.
Cultivate strategic relationships and maximize sales volume by identifying fast ROI projects, seizing market opportunities and aggressively pursuing new business.
Create a zip code analysis tool to identify Medicaid recipients' target areas for strategic marketing penetration.

Associate sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage organization website and Facebook page; writing articles for websites and newsletters.
Perform inside sales, including telemarketing, prospecting, account penetration and product application, consulting and delivery of customer service.
Learned how to ask proper questions and communicate MetLife's product differentiators against competition

Outside sales consultant vs associate sales representative skills

Common outside sales consultant skills

Customer Service, 14%
In-Home, 9%
CRM, 8%
Sales Presentations, 7%
Lead Generation, 6%
Excellent Presentation, 5%

Common associate sales representative skills

Work Ethic, 16%
Patients, 13%
Product Knowledge, 12%
Excellent Interpersonal, 7%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Sales Techniques, 4%

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Outside Sales Consultant
Outside Sales Consultant vs Associate Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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