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The differences between solution sales representatives 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 solution sales representative and an outside sales representative. Additionally, a solution sales representative has an average salary of $78,463, which is higher than the $60,443 average annual salary of an outside sales representative.
The top three skills for a solution sales representative include marketing campaigns, customer satisfaction and sales process. The most important skills for an outside sales representative are customer service, work ethic, and sales process.
| Solution Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $78,463 | $60,443 |
| Hourly rate | $37.72 | $29.06 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 198,547 | 218,034 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A solution sales representative is responsible for selling and promoting the company's goods and services to clients and customers, recommending appropriate merchandise solutions depending on the customers' needs and budget limitations. Solution sales representatives identify leads through directories research and customer referrals, developing effective sales pitch to attract potential clients by discussing everything about the services. A solution sales representative must have excellent communication skills, especially in responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, processing orders, and resolving complaints.
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.
Solution sales representatives and outside sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solution Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $78,463 | $60,443 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $120,000 | Between $41,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Minneapolis, MN |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Capgemini | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a solution sales representative and an outside sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Solution Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between solution sales representatives' and outside sales representatives' demographics:
| Solution Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% | Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5% |
| 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, 3.9% 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% |