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The differences between residential sales representatives and direct 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 a residential sales representative and a direct sales representative. Additionally, a residential sales representative has an average salary of $54,919, which is higher than the $43,527 average annual salary of a direct sales representative.
The top three skills for a residential sales representative include data entry, customer relationships and weed control. The most important skills for a direct sales representative are customer service, direct sales, and TV.
| Residential Sales Representative | Direct Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $54,919 | $43,527 |
| Hourly rate | $26.40 | $20.93 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 148,137 | 159,668 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The job of a residential sales representative is to sell the products and services to potential customers. Residential sales representatives design effective strategies to generate leads, establish a plan of action, and execute it. They manage all the leads and determine their prospective clients. It is part of their job to take part in different home shows and present the products and services their company offers. Marketing, communications, leadership, and business management are some of the skills they need to develop.
As a direct sales representative, you are responsible for creating customer awareness of a company's products and services and closing sales. You will perform varied tasks that include assisting in developing and executing marketing and sales plans, conducting research on competing products, and identifying opportunities to improve sales. Additionally, you are expected to answer inquiries about product features, availability, benefits, and pricing. Other tasks that you are likely to perform include attending trade shows, preparing sales proposals for prospective buyers, and preparing sales reports.
Residential sales representatives and direct sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Sales Representative | Direct Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $54,919 | $43,527 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $75,000 | Between $27,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Columbia, MD | Salem, OR |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maine |
| Best paying company | American Residential Services | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a residential sales representative and a direct sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Residential Sales Representative | Direct Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between residential sales representatives' and direct sales representatives' demographics:
| Residential Sales Representative | Direct Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% | Male, 68.4% Female, 31.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.2% 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% |