What is an Outside Sales Representative (OSR)?
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering… “What’s the difference between an OSR and an ISR?” We get it. There’s confusion and overlap between various sales titles used at different organizations. What’s more, titles are often changing and adapting to industry trends.
The fast-growing, competitive nature of the SaaS industry has created an environment where new titles are needed to accommodate for completely new positions. What’s more, (slightly) different titles – à la Sales Development Rep vs. Business Development Rep – are created to sound more relevant, modern, and in line with company values and culture.
If you’re new to all this sales jargon, look no further! We’ve got you covered. Keep reading to find out exactly what an outside sales representative does, average salary for OSRs, career outlook, and available OSR jobs.
In sales, the acronym OSR generally stands for Outside Sales Representative. OSRs usually work in field sales, pitching their sales proposition to various decision makers and organizations, aiming to grow their network and close sales.
Outside Sales Representative Job Description
Outside Sales Representatives (OSR) are key players in outbound sales, particularly field sales. Their duties vary, but generally speaking, these sales people will be traveling for a portion of their work – pitching their sales proposition to various decision makers and organizations. Going outside of the office to meet clients at a conference or trade show, at their offices, or within a certain region of the country, plays a large part of their responsibilities.
OSRs generally sell within a geographic region of an organization’s sales operations, and are responsible for meeting a quota within that region. They work closely with field sales management, like District and Regional Sales Managers, to implement sales strategy for the region, with the ultimate goal of expanding the consumer base in a particular area.
Outside Sales Representative Salary
The average base salary for Outside Sales Representatives in the United States is $79,019, with an average additional $20,000 in yearly commission (source: Indeed).
OSR Career Outlook
With the abundance of automation, software, and marketing tools available on the market today, it may be worth wondering if sales positions will still be growing in a few years.
If you’re looking to start your career in the sales industry, don’t worry – as the market outlook for sales professionals is positive! The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.5% growth for sales representative roles through 2030.
Outside Sales Representative Jobs
Looking for available OSR jobs? Here are a few resources to help your search:
- Outside Sales Representative Jobs on LinkedIn
- Outside Sales Representative Jobs on Indeed
- Outside Sales Representative Jobs on Glassdoor
Which sales role is right for me?
The right sales role for you depends on your experience and expertise, but sales can be a good industry to get your start if you are entering the job market for the first time!
Some key characteristics of great sales and customer support professionals include:
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Great communicators
- Passion for what they are selling
- Willingness to roll up their sleeves and get the job done
- No fear calling and following-up with potential clients
- Positive attitude
- Creative and passionate about helping others
- Ability to multi-task across different platforms and forms of communication
- Ability to work well under pressure and with a team
Does this sound like you? Kixie is hiring, and we’d love to hear from you! We are looking for jovial, hard-working colleagues to share our journey as we change the landscape of business telephony. Check out our open positions.
