Sales representative vs lead sales representative

The differences between sales representatives and lead sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a sales representative, becoming a lead sales representative takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a sales representative has an average salary of $56,591, which is higher than the $54,079 average annual salary of a lead sales representative.

The top three skills for a sales representative include sales process, product knowledge and customer service. The most important skills for a lead sales representative are cleanliness, customer service, and POS.

Sales representative vs lead sales representative overview

	Sales Representative	Lead Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$56,591	$54,079
Hourly rate	$27.21	$26.00
Growth rate	4%	-
Number of jobs	205,456	404,430
Job satisfaction	4.33	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	4	6

What does a sales representative do?

Sales representatives primarily sell the company's products and services to businesses or organizations. They should be adept at closing out sales, negotiating, and providing customer service. They should be knowledgeable about the products or services of the manufacturer or producer they represent. They must also have strong analytical skills that would help them in coming up with cost-benefit analysis in assessing the current roster of clients and even prospective ones. Sales representatives should also be able to maintain good working relationships with all involved stakeholders, especially clients.

What does a lead sales representative do?

A lead sales representative is responsible for selling goods and services to existing and potential customers through electronic communications and area visits. Lead sales representatives should be highly-knowledgeable of the products that the company offers to discuss and demonstrate the features to the client accurately. They take orders, process orders, and ensure the correct distribution details according to the customers' specifications. A lead sales representative also monitors the team's sales performance and strategize opportunities to maximize selling techniques and increase profitability.

Sales representative vs lead sales representative salary

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

	Sales Representative	Lead Sales Representative
Average salary	$56,591	$54,079
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $94,000	Between $32,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	Google	-
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	-

Differences between sales representative and lead sales representative education

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

	Sales Representative	Lead Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Sales representative vs lead sales representative demographics

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

	Sales Representative	Lead Sales Representative
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%	Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	9%

Differences between sales representative and lead sales representative duties and responsibilities

Sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage prospective leads and existing accounts through a CRM platform to accurately forecast revenue and develop long-term business partnerships.
Manage and create all content distribute via various social media outlets: Facebook, twitter, feedback blogs, etc.
Search for procurement contracts, attend trade shows, design flyers, postcards, etc.
Utilize POS sales software to maintain monetary sales information produce reports for organizational review.
Develop and maintain business relationships with businesses and policyholders using establish methods such as customer relationship management CRM.
Handle administrative and sales duties as Jr.

Lead sales representative example responsibilities.

Lead CRM and software training with the dealership's BDR teams; purchase order arrangements track contracts and collect payments
Create and lead staff development sessions on solution selling techniques/running effective promotions/POS execution/trade math.
Utilize computer programs such as word, excel and PowerPoint to help create teaching tools.
Maintain customer accounts with customer relationship management (CRM) database and ensure timely payments of all outstanding balances.
Assist clients in selection and completion of purchases including sales using POS system and assist in monitoring and logging inventory.
Present PowerPoint presentations in a classroom environment to regional managers.

Sales representative vs lead sales representative skills

Common sales representative skills

Sales Process, 9%
Product Knowledge, 9%
Customer Service, 7%
CRM, 6%
Business Development, 6%
Sales REP, 5%

Common lead sales representative skills

Cleanliness, 87%
Customer Service, 3%
POS, 2%
Product Knowledge, 2%
Medicare, 1%
Outbound Calls, 1%

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Sales Representative vs Lead Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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