Job Role Description

Sales > Outside Sales Representative

Salary National Average

Low Medium High
47670.0000 65220.0000 90020.0000

Change from Previous Year:

+4%

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Candidate Supply: 2,639 Job Openings: 167,033

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Short Description:

Market and sell products or services for an organization. Develop relationships with new and existing customers and provide information to maximize sales volume.

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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