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.
Outside sales representative responsibilities
As an outside sales representative, key responsibilities include expanding product lines to existing accounts, prospecting new accounts to increase revenue, and managing existing accounts through assertive prospecting, telemarketing, cold calling, and referral development. Eric Gjerdevig, Lecturer in Marketing and Director for the Center for Professional Selling and Sales Technology at North Dakota State University, emphasizes the importance of "human-to-human skills" such as asking questions, listening, storytelling, and being empathetic. He suggests that these skills "can function like superpowers" in the sales field. Resolving customer complaints, analyzing market potential, and developing prospecting campaigns are also crucial tasks.
Here are examples of responsibilities from real outside sales representative resumes:
- 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.
- Perform demonstrations of company products and quoted product packages and home projects including roofing, windows, decks, and fences.
- Communicate activities to external and internal audiences utilizing a CRM system.
- Prepare and deliver sales proposals/presentations and follow up with key decision makers.
- Communicate and educate referral sources on Medicare, Medi-Cal and private insurance guidelines.
- Perform regular sales visits throughout assign territory to develop relationship with independent grocery and convenient stores.
- Create and maintain a database for tracking and maintaining patients' Medicare eligibility for ambulance transport.
- Provide merchandising assistance to customers by building displays, negotiating placement, replenishing permanent secondary displays and using POS materials effectively.
- Experience using saving analysis document, sales tracking systems and salesforce.com
- Market and develop new business using cold canvassing, networking, telemarketing, and direct mail campaigns.
Outside sales representative skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Outside Sales Representatives are proficient in Customer Service, Work Ethic, and Sales Process. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Interpersonal skills, and Physical stamina.
We break down the percentage of Outside Sales Representatives that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 17%
Established relationships with commercial landscaping accounts and built entire customer base by providing excellent communication, customer service and product knowledge.
- Work Ethic, 8%
Established new major accounts through aggressive work ethics and repairing previously strained relationships with existing accounts.
- Sales Process, 4%
Handled personal customer information and paperwork to provide professionalism throughout entire sales process from contract negotiations to product delivery.
- Business Sales, 4%
Direct Sales representative, business-to-business sales of data communications and two-way radio products with top sales performance in territory.
- Cold Calls, 4%
Serviced and managed existing account base and generated accounts through assertive prospecting, telemarketing, cold calling and referral development.
- Product Knowledge, 4%
Interacted with diverse clientele in competitive environment, performing sales presentations and applying technical product knowledge to achieve customer expectations.
"customer service," "work ethic," and "sales process" are among the most common skills that outside sales representatives use at work. You can find even more outside sales representative responsibilities below, including:
Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for an outside sales representative to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to listen to the customer’s needs and concerns before and after the sale." Additionally, an outside sales representative resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "assisted small businesses and financial institutions utilizing various sales techniques to fulfill product needs and provide an exceptional customer experience. "
Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform outside sales representative duties is interpersonal skills. Outside sales representatives responsibilities require that "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to work well with many types of people." Outside sales representatives also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "maintain and actively seek new accounts in my area of responsibility thru interpersonal communication and aggressive and passive sales techniques. "
Physical stamina. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of outside sales representatives is physical stamina. This skill is critical to many everyday outside sales representative duties, as "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives are often on their feet for a long time and may carry heavy sample products." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "conduct sales presentations by physical visits to customer locations. "
Self-confidence. outside sales representative responsibilities often require "self-confidence." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations." This resume example shows what outside sales representatives do with self-confidence on a typical day: "used active listening and persuasion to meet objections, gained confidence in working alone, and developed ways to build rapport. "
The three companies that hire the most outside sales representatives are:
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Compare different outside sales representatives
Outside sales representative vs. Outside sales
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.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between outside sales representatives and outside sales. For instance, outside sales representative responsibilities require skills such as "lead generation," "excellent presentation," "building relationships," and "sales techniques." Whereas a outside sales is skilled in "first hand," "ongoing support," "flyers," and "local territory." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Outside sales really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $83,118. Comparatively, outside sales representatives tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $63,233.On average, outside sales reach similar levels of education than outside sales representatives. Outside sales are 0.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Outside sales representative vs. Business development representative
A business development representative's role is to find new business and client opportunities through market research and networking. They are primarily responsible for participating in creating strategies to enhance client relations, improve sales, and reach out to potential clients through calls, correspondence, and meetings. Moreover, it is also their responsibility to perform follow-up calls, offer recommendations, and even build rapport to strengthen client base. As a representative, it is essential to coordinate with managers and supervisors and adhere to policies and regulations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real outside sales representative resumes. While outside sales representative responsibilities can utilize skills like "business sales," "crm," "sales contracts," and "building relationships," business development representatives use skills like "bdr," "sales cycle," "account executives," and "wine."
On average, business development representatives earn a lower salary than outside sales representatives. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, business development representatives earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $49,583. Whereas outside sales representatives have higher pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $63,233.business development representatives earn similar levels of education than outside sales representatives in general. They're 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Outside sales representative vs. Outside sales consultant
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.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an outside sales representative is likely to be skilled in "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "excellent time management," and "sales rep," while a typical outside sales consultant is skilled in "in-home," "email marketing," "search engine," and "sales consultants."
Outside sales consultants earn the best pay in the energy industry, where they command an average salary of $74,197. Outside sales representatives earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $63,233.When it comes to education, outside sales consultants tend to earn similar degree levels compared to outside sales representatives. In fact, they're 1.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Outside sales representative vs. Sales development representative
A sales development representative qualifies leads at the sales funnel's initial stages. Sales development representatives need to conduct research for prospective clients and qualify the leads before handing them to the sales team. They develop sales strategies to attract buyers or solicit potential customers. They need to build relationships with their customers to determine their needs and qualify the viability of interests to drive sales. Also, they collaborate with the sales executives making certain that corporate targets and goals are met.
Types of outside sales representative
Updated June 25, 2024
