Field Salesperson Job- Description, Their Salary, and Duties

Field salesperson Job, or ‘outside salesperson’ referred to in the industry, is the bridge between the business organization and the customer. It is the process used by companies to visit prospects and directly engage them to increase sales. The person who is in charge of it is a field salesperson.

 As a field representative, one has a series of functions to perform for the company outdoors, like, 

• approaching customers with the company products
• convincing them to buy it
•  providing quality customer service
• work on new market and customer leads, and so on.

It proves quite a challenge for many, and it is not everyone’s cup of tea to become a thriving field salesperson. Everything you need to know about this job is below.

Difference between Field and Inside Sales

Though both being an integral part of the sales for a company, there are specific differences between the two:

• Inside sales are selling a product to the customer remotely, while outdoor sales are the selling of a product to the customer in person.
• Phone calls, emails, and other digital connectivity are of the essence to the inside sales, while outside sales solely depend on in-person meetings.
• The rate of growth of inside sales is faster than outside sales due to the digital approach.
• When it comes to setting goals, inside sales goals are based on overall company sales and have an attainable target. Still, in outside sales goals, deal sizes are more extensive, booming, and dreams thus become higher and difficult to attain.
• The cost of building an inside sales team is comparatively lesser than making a field sales team.

Job Description

The companies will look for a competitive field salesperson who will develop sales strategies to attract more customers. A successful salesperson should know all the tactics for sourcing new sales opportunities and play a key role in increasing the company’s revenue by keeping a balance of old and new customers with perfection. Negotiating with clients, generating new leads, managing sales of products, and good customer service should be known to you at the back of your hand if you want to excel in this field. 

Salary

According to Glassdoor, an average field salesperson makes $43,000 a year. However, with bonuses and different companies, the stats reach a mark of $45,000. However, location and company also play a specific role in the salary of a salesperson. In Boston, the average is $55,000, while in Los Angeles, the standard is $50,000. The more the goals you meet for the company, the more will be the profit, and more will be your increment.

Duties & Responsibilities

A field salesperson’s day-to-day responsibilities include numerous challenging activities to accomplish. Here are the duties a field salesperson performs for a living:

1. We are making a clear assessment of customer needs.
2. They are preparing sales strategies and evaluating their effectiveness based on customer needs.
3. Forecasting sales and designing new sales processes and strategies for selling a product successfully.
4. Studying the current market trends and come up with better plans than the competitors.
5. They are planning several ways to satisfy customer needs because rejection shouldn’t be in their dictionary.
6. Follow up on the customers with proper research to explain how the product will fit in their daily lives. 
7. After preparing the field marketing sales report, submit it to the respective manager of your department and wait for further instructions.
8. Arrange a meeting with clients or visit their office or homes, convincing them to buy the products.
9. We are negotiating a price on behalf of the company which satisfies both the customer and the company.
10. Work in collaboration with other departments to boost company productivity and increase sales of products.
11. Meet daily sales targets with positive energy.
12. It is maintaining and expanding the client database within the territory assigned to you.
13. We are using the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system in practical life to maintain healthy customer relations.

Educational Qualification

A bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, economics, mass communications, or any other degree that deals with customer relation development will work. Educational qualifications can provide you only with the basics; the rest, you have to apply what you have learned in practical situations. 

Experience matters more than an educational qualification in this field. Therefore, try to gather work experience from as many companies as possible as these will increase your chances of selection in more prominent companies.

Skills

To succeed as a field salesperson, you must be the master of the following skills:

1. Good Listener: To understand what the customer needs, one must listen to him. It helps you to respond to your customer’s problems and needs accurately.
2. Communication skills: To have communication skills is a must in this field. You should know how to strike up conversations with strangers and convince them to buy products. You have to make the customer believe that the product is for his good.
3. Critical Thinking Skills:

The ability to think and weigh your plans to choose the best one for the company and the customer should be there within an aspiring field salesperson. You have to take quick yet cautious steps to solve customer problems.

4. Customer Service Skills: Clients are an asset to the company. Keeping the assets satisfied and bringing in new assets is the job of a salesperson. From solving customer problems to look after their needs is the job of a salesperson.
5. Time Management Skill:  A salesperson has to handle many clients daily. Managing time yet meeting the targeted audience investments is a tough job, and you will never succeed if you don’t know how to manage time.
6. Presentation Skills: A visual presentation always wins the trust of the customer. You should know how to present a product to a customer to be determined to buy it at all costs.
7. Multi-tasking Skills: A salesperson should know how to multi-task as their daily job demands customer service, meeting targets, finding new leads, and analyzing the market. He must be successfully able to juggle between these jobs with ease.

Qualities

There should be some potent qualities within the person who is opting for this post. So here are some vital field salesperson qualities:

1. Must have a competitive attitude—one who is willing not to leave the field without giving a tough fight.
2. Must have an independent attitude towards work and deal with problems single-handedly with or without minimal supervision.
3. Must maintain a healthy relationship with all the parties involved within his targets, whether new or old.
4. Should have a detailed knowledge of the product he is selling to counter questions from customers.
5. Should be flexible and energetic enough to travel and sell products as traveling and selling products is a hectic and stressful job.
6. Should be focused and goal-oriented to bring the best results to the company.
7. He should always keep a positive approach towards the customers regardless of his own and the customer’s mood.
8. Should be persistent, responsible, and respectful towards the customers. Rejection should never be an option.
9. He should always be prepared to get out of his comfort zone to learn new things consistently.
10. Must keep a cool, calm, and composed attitude in every situation as panicking would rattle the customers too.
11. Should be a good listener as this allows to have the idea of the problem or concerns the customer is facing and act accordingly.
12. Should be creative and find ways to sell the same product in various ways.
13. He should be passionate about his job and dedicated to it.

The field salesperson’s job is one of the most important and popular jobs worldwide. Everyone benefits from it, including the company, the salesperson, customers, and business organizations. This post is essential in building trust relations between the customer and the company. With the right field sales team, the company can boost its productions and sales by leaps and bounds, using the loyalty and trust of the customers. Field salespersons listen to customer’s views, opinions, and comments and send feedback to the company to improve their services and satisfy the customer’s needs.

FAQ

1. What is the essential skill that I must master to become a field sales representative?

You must develop Customer Relationship Management (CRM) skills to be a successful field sales representative.

2. How much does a field salesperson make?

A field salesperson makes on an average about $45,000 per year.

3. What is better, inside sales or field sales?

Both are good. It depends on the person who is opting for the post. If you love challenges, you opt for field sales and if you want a stable job with fewer challenges on your way, you go for inside sales.

4. Which job pays you better inside sales or outside sales?

Both jobs have a decent payment but due to the strenuous and hard work of the field salespersons, the payment is slightly more in field sales than in inside sales.