Outside Sales Rep Job Description

Updated on: June 12, 2018

Position Overview

As the designation title suggests, an outside sales rep is an individual who performs sales activities, but not in any one given area. He or she is expected to seek out clients, and create and maintain contact with them, to manage sales work.

Typically, an outside sales rep does not have a desk job (unless it is to make cold calls), hence, the title!

Eligibility Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in sales is one of the prerequisites of working as an outside sales rep. You may start at the entry level with this job, or not, depending on what your specific position is, and how the company wants to place you.

Some knowledge of sales work, along with a great ability to understand, and work with marketing personnel, will go a long way in making you an eligible candidate for this job.

Exceptionally well-placed organizational skills, along with a great ability to communicate both verbally, and in writing, is essential if you want to work in this position. Moreover, you will need to possess an excellent understanding of what prospective customers will behave like so that you can be prepared in advance. Also, you will need to have it in you to create and maintain productive relationships with people and organizations, so that further sales opportunities are possible, even if a deal does not happen when you want it to.

To see what an outside sales rep is required to do on any typical workday, have a look at the following list of duties particular to this position:

Outside Sales Rep Job Description

• Look through cold calling customer lists, and determine/outline groups of customers that need to be contacted.
• Ascertain that DND (Do Not Disturb) lists are compared with cold calling lists, to eliminate any required entries.
• Perform cold calling activities to provide prospective customers with information in offered services and products.
• Attempt to convince customers for meetings, aimed at providing them with a broader view of products and services.
• Stay current on both existing and emerging products and technologies, aimed at communicating intelligently with perspective, and new customers.
• Set meeting times with interested prospects, and make visits to their offices, to provide them with product and service information.
• Introduce and demonstrate new products, and their features, targeted at convincing prospects to convert into customers.
• Provide existing customers with information about new products and services, with the aim of convincing them to make additional purchases.
• Create and maintain records of all customer liaison activities and outcomes accurately and confidentially.