Outside sales manager vs outside sales

The differences between outside sales managers and outside sales can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become an outside sales manager, becoming an outside sales takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an outside sales manager has an average salary of $84,408, which is higher than the $77,292 average annual salary of an outside sales.

The top three skills for an outside sales manager include product knowledge, CRM and customer service. The most important skills for an outside sales are customer service, product knowledge, and ongoing support.

Outside sales manager vs outside sales overview

	Outside Sales Manager	Outside Sales
Yearly salary	$84,408	$77,292
Hourly rate	$40.58	$37.16
Growth rate	5%	4%
Number of jobs	138,054	333,400
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	46	47
Years of experience	8	4

What does an outside sales manager do?

An outside sales manager is responsible for monitoring the sales staff performance in selling goods and services to existing and potential clients and ensuring that the team meets sales objectives. Outside sales managers set reasonable sales targets and establish techniques to maximize the staff's efficiency and productivity. They regularly connect with the clients to determine their needs and make any adjustments to business plans as needed. An outside sales manager should have excellent knowledge of the current market trends to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenues and resources.

What does an outside sales do?

An outside sales representative is responsible for generating the company's sales and revenues by offering goods and services to existing and potential clients, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, and researching on possible leads. Outside sales representatives monitor the current industry trends to identify new business opportunities that would help the business adjust to market changes to achieve profitability goals. An outside sales representative must have excellent communication and customer service skills, immediately resolving complaints and assisting on marketing promotions to gain sales prospects.

Outside sales manager vs outside sales salary

Outside sales managers and outside sales have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Outside Sales Manager	Outside Sales
Average salary	$84,408	$77,292
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $138,000	Between $56,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Albany, NY	Arlington, VA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	New Hampshire
Best paying company	Dominion Enterprises	Morgan Stanley
Best paying industry	Finance	Manufacturing

Differences between outside sales manager and outside sales education

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

	Outside Sales Manager	Outside Sales
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Outside sales manager vs outside sales demographics

Here are the differences between outside sales managers' and outside sales' demographics:

	Outside Sales Manager	Outside Sales
Average age	46	47
Gender ratio	Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9%	Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	7%	6%

Differences between outside sales manager and outside sales duties and responsibilities

Outside sales manager example responsibilities.

Manage a team of sales executives to establish and maintain professional relationships with healthcare professionals in their prospective territories.
Develop a complete marketing program where none previously exist, now serves as CRM base for company.
Used CRM tools in order to provide current and detail information relate to activities, opportunity pipeline, and close business.
Channele marketing through the establishment of international distributors servicing Mexico (Hermosillo, Mexicali, and Tijuana) and Korea.
Plan and schedule work perform by HVAC technicians.
Educate and present new approach to facility managers and plant managers including ROI analysis.

Outside sales example responsibilities.

Plan logistical outside sales route, planned/schedule sales calls with web-base CRM program, manage various sales cycles.
Manage and create all content distribute via various social media outlets: Facebook, twitter, feedback blogs, etc.
Perfect the craft of upselling customers.
Prepare material estimates/bids for houses, windows, doors, trusses, etc.
Increase existing customer base and generate new dealer and customer relationships within the HVAC equipment and sales.
Estimate, price, bid and follow up to all mechanical HVAC and plumbing plan and spec projects.

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Outside sales manager vs outside sales skills

Common outside sales manager skills

Product Knowledge, 12%
CRM, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Sales Territory, 7%
Sales Strategies, 4%
Sales Growth, 3%

Common outside sales skills

Customer Service, 30%
Product Knowledge, 9%
Ongoing Support, 4%
Work Ethic, 4%
CRM, 4%
Flyers, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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