Job Description

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Sales > Outside Sales Representative

Salary National Average

Low Medium High
75000.0000 80000.0000 90000.0000

Change from Previous Year:

+4%

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Short Description:

An outside sales representative is responsible for generating sales and building relationships with clients by visiting them in person. They identify customer needs, present products or services, and close sales deals to meet or exceed sales targets. This role requires extensive travel, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to work independently to expand the company's customer base.  

Duties / Responsibilities:

  • Contact regular and prospective customers to demonstrate products, explain product features, and solicit orders.
  • Recommend products to customers based on customers' needs and interests.
  • Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
  • Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates.
  • Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and provide ongoing support.
  • Provide customers with product samples and catalogs.
  • Identify prospective customers using business directories, follow existing clients' leads, participate in organizations and clubs, and attend trade shows and conferences.
  • Prepare drawings, estimates, and bids that meet specific customer needs.
  • Monitor market conditions, product innovations, competitors' products, prices, and sales.
  • Perform administrative duties, such as preparing sales budgets and reports, keeping sales records, and filing expense account reports.

Skills / Requirements / Qualifications

  • Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Active Learning: Understanding new information's implications for current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Coordination: Adjusting actions concerning others' actions.

Job Zones

  • Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
  • Related Experience: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to qualify.
  • Job Training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
  • Job Zone Examples: Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, sales managers, database administrators, teachers, chemists, environmental engineers, criminal investigators, and special agents.
  • Specific Vocational Preparation in years: 2-4 years of preparation (7.0 to < 8.0)

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