Inside vs. outside sales representatives: Differences

The key here is to remember that “better” can mean different things to different people: inside and outside sales are both valuable parts of any sales strategy, so in turn, your inside and outside sales representatives are valuable too. You are advised to thoroughly understand the details of both outside and inside sales representatives so that you make the right decision if time and finances do not allow you to take advantage of both.

Outside Sale Representative

Outside sales occur through face-to-face meetings, where products and services are sold. Prospective customers are visited by outside sales representatives. In addition to industry events and trade shows, the prospect can also interact with the sales representative in their office or at a restaurant – or they can go door to door. The products your company sells and industry norms determine your company’s strategy.

Sales in the field are also called outside sales. Although they sometimes work from offices, outside sales representatives spend the majority of their time on the road.

Outside sales representatives depend on their ability to build and maintain relationships with prospects rather than inside sales representatives who may close hundreds of sales without ever seeing their prospects.

Outside sales representatives build trust through in-person interactions, body language, and a deeper human connection. We will discuss this in more detail later, but having the right type of outside sales representatives can be crucial because of their proximity to clients.

Inside Sale Representative

Inside sales representatives sell products and services online rather than in person. Inside sales representatives use emails, phone calls, videos, and other tools to move leads towards sales, so they are sometimes called virtual sales or remote sales.

Inside salespeople usually have a predictable schedule. You can break down your weekly or monthly sales quota into the number of calls they need to make each day and eliminate distractions that will prevent you from achieving your goal.

Hiring inside sales reps has the benefit that they can generate revenue with just an internet connection and a phone connection.  According to PayScale, the average base salary for an inside sales representative in the United States is $44,717. In addition to bonuses and commissions of up to $29,000, inside sales representatives can also receive bonuses of up to $15,000.