Key takeaways
- A sales rep sells products to customers and owns a sales target.
- There are many types: inside, outside, field, retail and more.
- Listening well and following up reliably matter more than a slick pitch.
- Most sales roles, from SDR to account executive, are kinds of sales rep.
What are a sales representative's main duties
A sales representative's main duty is to win and keep customers for the company's products. The day mixes finding new buyers with serving the ones they already have.
- Find and contact potential customers
- Ask questions to understand each buyer's needs
- Present and demonstrate the right products
- Handle objections and agree prices and terms
- Follow up, take repeat orders and record every contact
What types of sales representative are there
Sales representatives are usually grouped by channel, by stage of the sale or by employer. Titles vary, but most roles fit one of these.
- Inside sales rep: sells remotely by phone, email and video
- Outside or field sales rep: visits customers in person
- SDR or BDR: books qualified meetings for closers
- Account executive: runs and closes deals
- Account manager: looks after and grows existing customers
- Manufacturer's or independent rep: sells several brands, often on commission
What makes a good sales representative
A good sales rep listens more than they talk, knows the product well enough to match it to a need and follows up every time they say they will. They keep honest records, because a rep's notes let the next conversation start where the last one ended.
An illustrative rep for a cleaning supplies firm notices that a care home customer keeps reordering one product early. Instead of pushing a bigger order, she asks why, learns the night staff use it for a second job and suggests a cheaper product for that task. The home stays a customer for years.
How is a sales rep paid
Most sales reps earn a base salary plus commission or bonus tied to the sales they make. Reps who close larger deals usually carry more variable pay, while reps in account care roles lean more on salary. Some independent reps work on commission only.
Where Pebbles Ai fits
- CapabilityOutreach contentWrite a follow-up or a new message to a customer in chat, or build single-touch and multi-touch email and LinkedIn campaigns; generated emails are saved as drafts in your connected Gmail or Outlook mailbox.
- CapabilitySmartboxSmartbox keeps Gmail and Outlook mail in one place, so a rep can answer customer emails with a reply AI writes or refines from the thread and your brand voice.
Common questions
Is sales rep short for sales representative?
Yes. Sales rep is the everyday short form of sales representative.
Do sales reps need qualifications?
Most roles need no specific qualification. Some regulated fields, such as financial or pharmaceutical sales, require industry exams or licences.
What is the difference between a sales representative and a sales associate?
A sales associate usually serves customers in a shop, while a sales representative actively finds and wins customers, often for business products.
About this page. Written by the Pebbles Ai team for people who run sales, marketing and growth. Last updated .
