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What is an outside sales executive and how to become one
Outside sales representatives are professionals that close sales through face-to-face conversation with clients based within assigned sales territories. Outside sales representatives are also called or referred to as field sales representatives. As an outside sales representative, it is your primary duty to meet with prospective and existing clients to present sales proposals.
Also, you are responsible for informing them about product features and benefits, as well as negotiating prices. You must develop and execute effective sales strategies to drive sales. In addition, as an outside sales representative, you must maintain an accurate record of all clients' accounts, leads, and sales, and you must attend training workshops, meetings, and industry events. This is to keep you abreast of the newest industry developments.
Usually, outside sales representatives study communication, business, or marketing. To be qualified for this role, you must hold at least a bachelor's degree in any of these relevant fields. You will earn an average salary of $59,642 in a year.
What general advice would you give to an outside sales executive?
Kaustav Misra Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University
Avg. Salary $71,981
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 4%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%
Asian 5.08%
Black or African American 3.78%
Hispanic or Latino 13.90%
Unknown 3.70%
White 73.30%
Genderfemale 34.58%
male 65.42%
Age - 48American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 48Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Outside sales executive career paths
Key steps to become an outside sales executive
Explore outside sales executive education requirements
Start to develop specific outside sales executive skills
Skills Percentages Customer Service 16.31% CRM 11.88% Account Management 6.86% Business Sales 6.11% Cold Calls 5.88% Complete relevant outside sales executive training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New outside sales executives learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an outside sales executive based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real outside sales executive resumes.Research outside sales executive duties and responsibilities
- Manage a team of 15-25 ISE's through effective sales coaching, call monitoring and creating sales spiff programs.
- Sell SaaS B2B for leading cloud-base expense management provider.
- Track all sales activity within the company database and SalesLogix, a CRM software program.
- Maintain CRM and provide assistance in customer's needs, including engine, chassis and transmission parts.
Get outside sales executive experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become an outside sales executive. The most common roles before becoming an outside sales executive include account executive, sales representative team lead and outside sales representative.Prepare your outside sales executive resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your outside sales executive resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an outside sales executive resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable outside sales executive resume templates
Build a professional outside sales executive resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your outside sales executive resume.
Apply for outside sales executive jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an outside sales executive job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first outside sales executive job
Are you an outside sales executive?
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Average outside sales executive salary
The average outside sales executive salary in the United States is $71,981 per year or $35 per hour. Outside sales executive salaries range between $49,000 and $104,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do outside sales executives rate their job?
Outside sales executive reviews
Communicating and helping my clients.
The travel was extensive. Sometimes. It took more than month to close a deaĺ.
I love to engage the public and meet new faces. I enjoy explaining all of the benefits of the product I am selling, and making the customer feel important and well informed.
I don't like feeling like I haven't did a great at job at making customers feel comfortable and confident about where and who they are purchasing from.
i enjoy the interaction with people, listen the customer in order to convert him/her into your friend, detect and help customer with his/her needs.
People without vision, dreams and selfishness.
Updated January 8, 2025
