Outside sales representative vs outside sales

The differences between outside sales representatives and outside sales 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 representative and an outside sales. Additionally, an outside sales has an average salary of $77,292, which is higher than the $60,443 average annual salary of an outside sales representative.

The top three skills for an outside sales representative include customer service, work ethic and sales process. The most important skills for an outside sales are customer service, product knowledge, and ongoing support.

Outside sales representative vs outside sales overview

	Outside Sales Representative	Outside Sales
Yearly salary	$60,443	$77,292
Hourly rate	$29.06	$37.16
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	218,034	333,400
Job satisfaction	4.5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does an outside sales representative do?

An Outside Sales Representative specializes in customer service and relations, focusing on reaching sales targets through selling and networking with clients. Among the duties revolve around reaching out to customers through calls, email, or even arranging appointments, monitoring and keeping an organized record of sales, communicating with managers or supervisors, adhering to the company's policies and regulations, and keeping extensive knowledge about the brand and the trends. Besides building rapport with customers, it is also essential for an Outside Sales Representative to be proactive and create strategies to help meet the sales target.

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 representative vs outside sales salary

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

	Outside Sales Representative	Outside Sales
Average salary	$60,443	$77,292
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $87,000	Between $56,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Arlington, VA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Hampshire
Best paying company	Microsoft	Morgan Stanley
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between outside sales representative and outside sales education

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

	Outside Sales Representative	Outside Sales
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Outside sales representative vs outside sales demographics

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

	Outside Sales Representative	Outside Sales
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5%	Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.6% 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	6%	6%

Differences between outside sales representative and outside sales duties and responsibilities

Outside sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage and maintain a weekly quota for broadband, and other wireless products.
Utilize CRM database to manage and track prospect interaction to ensure accurate documentation of window requirements and ongoing communication.
Web dev, SEO, PPC etc . )
Participate in the launching and marketing of broadband internet in Orlando with great success.
Provide care, materials, and essential tools for doctors and nurses working on patients in the E.R.
Create and maintain successful business partnerships with customers by analyzing, meeting and understanding their needs and patients needs.

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.

Outside sales representative vs outside sales skills

Common outside sales representative skills

Customer Service, 17%
Work Ethic, 8%
Sales Process, 4%
Business Sales, 4%
Cold Calls, 4%
Product Knowledge, 4%

Common outside sales skills

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

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Outside Sales Representative
Outside Sales Representative vs Outside Sales

Updated January 8, 2025

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