Outside Sales Representative: Job Description, Salary, & More

If you are looking for a job that will constantly have you doing something new, an outside sales representative just may be the job for you. But prior to applying or even considering a position, it is essential to know all the ins and outs of what an outside sales representative is and what they do. Here we have laid out all the information you need to know.

1. Outside Sales Representative Definition
2. Outside Sales Representativer Job Description
3. Outside Sales Representative Salary
4. Outside Sales Representative Education Level, Experience, and Qualifications
5. What Does an Outside Sales Representative Do?
6. A-List Companies for Outside Sales Representatives

Outside Sales Representative Definition

An outside sales representative conducts sales out in the field via face-to-face interactions with both potential and existing customers. They are responsible for offering the best possible customer experience as well as providing hands-on explanations of any new or updated products when necessary. Their excellent social skills allow them to foster strong relationships, to which they can attribute much of their success. 

Outside Sales Representative Job Description

There are many variations of what a specific company is looking for in an outside sales representative. Here are some common qualifications they all expect:

Summary:

Candidates work as ambassadors and are responsible for establishing and maintaining good relationships with customers based on their assigned territory. They must build trust and act as support for prospects, ensuring they lead to potential future sales.

Responsibilities:

• Travel within sales territory to meet prospects and customers
• Conduct calls and face-to-face meetings with customers daily
• Build and maintain relationships with new and repeat customers
• Maintain records of all sales leads and/or customer accounts
• Educate customers on how products or services can benefit them financially and professionally
• Sell the company’s products or services to customers within your given territory
• Monitor the company’s industry competitors, new products, and  market conditions to understand a customer's specific needs
• Work closely with marketing department to help build the brand

Outside Sales Representative Salary

An outside sale representative salary will vary depending on the industry and compensation plans put in place by a company. Aside from these two factors, an outside representative’s willingness to go after sales may also impact commission bonuses. Here are a few of the ways companies go about paying their outside sales representatives.

Annually: $30,000 to $80,000 a year, excluding commission and bonuses.

Hourly: $10 - $22 per hour.

Commission: $1,934 - $41,367 in commission and $31,000 - $90,000 total pay annually.

Outside Sales Representative Education, Skills, and Experience

Outside sales representatives should have a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, economics, communications, and/or any equivalent education that demonstrates expertise in customer engagement.

Having a well-developed phone presence and high comfort level in initiating conversations is essential to fulfilling the daily duties of an outside sales representative. Aside from a social and positive personality, outside sales representatives must be self-starters and proactive problem solvers, since not every day is the same and the workplace setting is constantly changing.

In addition to the education and experience requirements, employers also look for a few key skills from their outside sales representatives. Here are a few of the top characteristics they are expecting:

Key Characteristics of an Outside Sales Representative:

1. Strong interpersonal skills
2. Self-starter
3. Detail oriented
4. Willing to work independently
5. Always team focused

What Does an Outside Sales Representative Do?

The daily routine of an outside sales representative varies from day to day; representatives may not always be meeting with the same client or in the same place or even selling the same product or service. The overarching idea is to build connections and sell the company’s products or services. A typical day could consist of few calls in the morning to either potential customers or repeat customers. Some companies may even have quick training sessions just to get representatives in the zone for the day ahead.

Being organized is the number one rule to being an effective outside sales representative - the day consists of discovery calls, research, product demos, follow-up calls, training, and much more. Although the title entails being in the field most of the time, the best representatives are able to manage both in-house and field work.

A-List Companies for Outside Sales Representatives

Johnson & Johnson

If you have ever been in a grocery store or a medical office, chances are you know the Johnson & Johnson name. Ranked second by both MedReps and Qmed as the best place to work as a sales representative, it is no doubt that J&J provides a great opportunity for its employees.

Outside sales representatives are more often than not the most sought after sales professionals due to the broad range of in-depth training they receive. At J&J, outside sales representatives can make an average of $70,000 as base pay and average $150,000 including commission. The brand offers a diverse and enjoyable work setting for representatives with their vast array of product lines and offices available around the world.

Cisco Systems

The field of technology is a fast paced and fast growing industry, which is why outside sales representatives play such a major role, especially at Cisco Systems. As one of the top technology service companies in the nation, Cisco overs an enjoyable and comfortable work environment for its sales representatives.

Outside sales representatives can make anywhere between $80,000 to $90,000 as base salary and $110,000+ including commission. Cisco offers an in-house and field experience for all outside sales representatives, with training and skill building tools implemented daily to help improve overall performance in the field.

Job Listings

If you feel outside sales is right for you, find a variety of job openings for this positions on Monster, Indeed, and LinkedIn.