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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for External Sales Representative

💰 $50,000 - $95,000+

SalesOutside SalesBusiness DevelopmentField SalesB2B Sales

🎯 Role Definition

An External Sales Representative (Outside Sales Representative) is responsible for driving new customer acquisition, growing revenue within an assigned territory, and managing in-person customer relationships. This role focuses on consultative selling to B2B and B2C customers, territory and account management, pipeline development, and consistent quota attainment using CRM tools (Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, HubSpot) and data-driven sales strategies. The ideal candidate combines strong negotiation and presentation skills, exceptional relationship building, and the ability to travel regularly to meet clients and close complex deals.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Inside Sales Representative / Sales Development Representative (SDR)
  • Account Coordinator / Junior Account Manager
  • Customer Success Representative transitioning to field sales

Advancement To:

  • Senior External Sales Representative / Territory Manager
  • Key Account Manager / Strategic Account Executive
  • Sales Manager → Regional Sales Director / Head of Field Sales

Lateral Moves:

  • Channel/Partner Manager
  • Product Specialist / Solutions Consultant
  • Business Development Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Proactively manage and grow a defined territory by identifying, qualifying, and closing new business opportunities through in-person meetings, on-site demonstrations, and local networking; consistently achieve or exceed monthly and quarterly sales quota targets.
  • Build and maintain a robust sales pipeline using CRM tools (Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, HubSpot), ensuring all leads, contacts, opportunities, activities, and forecast data are updated daily to support accurate sales forecasting and territory planning.
  • Conduct consultative sales conversations and needs assessments with decision-makers and stakeholders to develop tailored proposals and negotiate commercial terms that align with customer needs and company profitability goals.
  • Execute targeted prospecting campaigns that include cold calling, cold emailing, event outreach, trade show follow-up, and door-to-door canvassing when applicable, converting inbound and outbound leads into qualified opportunities.
  • Develop and deliver high-impact product demonstrations, presentations, and proof-of-concept sessions on-site or via remote tools to illustrate value propositions, ROI, and technical fit for prospective customers.
  • Prepare detailed proposals, quotes, and contracts in coordination with pricing, legal, and customer success teams; manage the end-to-end sales cycle from discovery to signed agreement and handoff.
  • Establish and nurture long-term relationships with key accounts and stakeholders to drive repeat business, expansion sales, and referrals; manage account plans and identify cross-sell/up-sell opportunities.
  • Create and execute territory business plans that include target account lists, competitive analysis, sales strategies, and monthly/quarterly objectives to optimize coverage and maximize revenue.
  • Collaborate closely with marketing to qualify and convert marketing-qualified leads (MQLs), provide feedback on campaign effectiveness, and co-develop local events, seminars, and joint promotions to build pipeline.
  • Track and report sales activity, deal progress, competitor activity, and customer feedback to the sales manager and product teams to inform pricing strategy, product development, and go-to-market adjustments.
  • Negotiate pricing, terms, and contract structures while maintaining margin requirements and obtaining necessary internal approvals for exceptions and discounts.
  • Manage customer onboarding handoffs, coordinate with customer success and implementation teams, and ensure successful post-sale delivery to secure retention and satisfaction.
  • Attend industry trade shows, local business events, networking functions, and conferences to generate leads, increase brand awareness, and stay current on market trends and competitive landscape.
  • Leverage data and analytics to identify high-potential accounts, prioritize outreach, and run A/B testing on messaging and channels to improve conversion rates and shorten sales cycles.
  • Resolve customer objections, procurement challenges, and technical concerns by coordinating subject matter experts, engineering, or professional services to facilitate deal closure.
  • Monitor competitor offerings, pricing, and promotional activity within the territory and provide actionable market intelligence to sales leadership and product management.
  • Maintain personal travel schedule, territory visit cadence, and expense reporting; plan customer meetings efficiently to maximize face-to-face selling time and minimize travel costs.
  • Achieve key performance indicators (KPIs) including quota attainment, average deal size, sales cycle length, win rate, and customer acquisition cost (CAC).
  • Develop references, case studies, and customer testimonials by proactively identifying satisfied customers willing to participate in marketing and sales enablement activities.
  • Implement and adhere to company sales processes, CRM usage standards, and compliance requirements, including contract approval workflows and ethical selling guidelines.
  • Mentor and share best practices with junior sales staff, participate in peer learning sessions, and contribute to continuous improvement of sales playbooks and collateral.
  • Coordinate with supply chain, operations, and finance to ensure order accuracy, timely delivery, and resolution of logistical issues that could impact customer satisfaction.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc market research requests and contribute customer insights to product and marketing teams to influence roadmap prioritization.
  • Assist in pilot program design and feedback collection for new products within your territory to validate market fit and inform iterative improvements.
  • Help develop localized sales enablement materials, competitive battle cards, and objection-handling scripts for field use.
  • Participate in sales training programs and role-plays to keep product, industry, and selling skills current.
  • Provide input on promotional and discount strategies based on field-level competitive intelligence and customer sensitivity to pricing.
  • Support corporate initiatives for diversity of channel partners by identifying local reseller, distributor, or integrator opportunities.
  • Participate in quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with strategic accounts to discuss performance, expansion opportunities, and service improvements.
  • Track and assist in managing warranty, returns, and service escalations until resolution, ensuring customer satisfaction and minimizing churn.
  • Contribute to pipeline hygiene efforts by qualifying or disqualifying stale opportunities and providing rationale for forecast accuracy.
  • Engage in cross-functional pilot or early-adopter programs, acting as a voice of the field to accelerate product adoption and gather operational feedback.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Territory Management and Strategic Account Planning — proven ability to segment territory, prioritize accounts, and execute a multi-quarter plan to hit revenue targets.
  • CRM Proficiency (Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, HubSpot) — track record of daily CRM usage for pipeline management, forecasting, and activity logging.
  • B2B Consultative Selling and Solution Selling — experience conducting discovery, mapping solutions to business outcomes, and closing complex deals.
  • Prospecting & Lead Generation Techniques — expertise in cold calling, email sequences, LinkedIn outreach, event follow-up, and referral generation to create consistent pipeline flow.
  • Sales Negotiation & Contract Management — experience negotiating contracts, managing pricing approvals, and closing win-win deals while protecting margins.
  • Sales Forecasting & Pipeline Management — ability to build reliable forecasts, maintain healthy funnel metrics, and report on KPIs such as conversion rates and sales velocity.
  • Product Demonstration and Technical Presentation Skills — capable of delivering persuasive demos and articulating ROI and differentiators to technical and executive stakeholders.
  • Data-Driven Sales Analytics — familiarity with using sales metrics, reporting tools, and basic Excel skills to analyze territory performance and identify growth opportunities.
  • Quote/Proposal Creation and Commercial Acumen — skilled at building competitive proposals, understanding margins, and structuring multi-year agreements.
  • Mobile/Field Sales Technologies — comfortable with mobile CRM apps, maps and routing tools, expense reporting systems, and digital signature platforms.
  • Contract and Order Processing — experience coordinating with operations, legal, and finance to ensure accurate order processing, shipping, and invoicing.

Soft Skills

  • Relationship Building — exceptional at building trust with prospects and customers across multiple levels of an organization.
  • Oral & Written Communication — clear, persuasive communicator able to present complex solutions simply and craft compelling emails and proposals.
  • Negotiation & Influence — ability to influence stakeholder decisions and negotiate favorable terms under time pressure.
  • Resilience & Self-Motivation — thrives in a quota-driven environment, managing rejection, and maintaining consistent activity levels.
  • Time Management & Organizational Skills — adept at prioritizing travel, meetings, and follow-ups across a dynamic field workload.
  • Problem Solving & Critical Thinking — quickly synthesizes customer needs and proposes practical, commercially viable solutions.
  • Adaptability & Learning Agility — learns new products, industries, and seller motions rapidly to stay competitive in the field.
  • Customer-Centric Mindset — committed to long-term customer success and retention beyond initial deal close.
  • Collaboration & Cross-Functional Communication — works effectively with marketing, product, operations, and customer success to close deals and onboard accounts.
  • Presentation & Public Speaking — comfortable presenting to small and large groups, delivering persuasive pitches and workshops.
  • Ethical Judgment & Professionalism — maintains high standards of integrity in pricing, contract negotiations, and data handling.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent; strong preference for candidates with demonstrated sales track record.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Sales, Communications, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Marketing
  • Sales Management
  • Communications
  • Finance

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–7 years of external/outside sales, field sales, or territory management experience; B2B experience strongly preferred.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years selling into enterprise or mid-market customers with demonstrated quota attainment, experience using Salesforce or equivalent CRM, and a history of closing multi-touch deals.
  • Industry-specific experience (manufacturing, technology, healthcare, industrial products, or services) depending on employer needs.
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