Sales consultant vs outside sales representative

The differences between sales consultants and outside 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 sales consultant and an outside sales representative. Additionally, an outside sales representative has an average salary of $60,443, which is higher than the $60,135 average annual salary of a sales consultant.

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

Sales consultant vs outside sales representative overview

	Sales Consultant	Outside Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$60,135	$60,443
Hourly rate	$28.91	$29.06
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	227,636	218,034
Job satisfaction	4.5	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does a sales consultant do?

Sales consultants are employees who work in the sales department of a company. They are usually more skilled than usual sales employees. As such, they are usually given more complicated products or services to sell because they will be able to explain the product or service to the customers better. Sales consultants have in-depth knowledge of the offerings of the company. They talk to customers, understand what the customers need, and match the customers' needs with company products that can address the needs. They should also be updated on trends in the market and what is currently popular with the masses.

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.

Sales consultant vs outside sales representative salary

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

	Sales Consultant	Outside Sales Representative
Average salary	$60,135	$60,443
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $97,000	Between $41,000 And $87,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Google	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Finance	Manufacturing

Differences between sales consultant and outside sales representative education

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

	Sales Consultant	Outside Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Sales consultant vs outside sales representative demographics

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

	Sales Consultant	Outside Sales Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8%	Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between sales consultant and outside sales representative duties and responsibilities

Sales consultant example responsibilities.

Achieve monthly sales goals through new business and upselling current clients.
Utilize CRM systems to effectively manage accounts; leverage competitor and market intelligence to drive offer posture and capture competitor accounts.
Create print ads design and create ad word campaign for SEO and SEM products.
Deliver effective sales presentations to individuals and groups while cross-selling additional vehicle products and services.
Handle incoming calls from Medicare recipients.
Hire and train employees teach effective upselling strategies.

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.

Sales consultant vs outside sales representative skills

Common sales consultant skills

Sales Process, 13%
Product Knowledge, 11%
POS, 11%
Pre Sales, 7%
Work Ethic, 5%
Cross-Selling, 5%

Common outside sales representative skills

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

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Sales Consultant vs Outside Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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