Outside Sales

Definition

Outside sales, also known as field sales, refers to the practice of salespeople meeting with customers or potential customers at their own locations, such as their homes, offices, or other off-site settings, rather than having the customers come to the seller's place of business. This approach to personal selling is a key component in the classifications of salespeople involved in personal selling.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Outside sales representatives typically have a larger geographic territory to cover compared to inside sales or retail sales roles.
2. The primary goal of outside sales is to build strong, long-term relationships with customers through face-to-face interactions and personalized service.
3. Outside sales roles often require more travel and flexibility in scheduling, as salespeople need to accommodate the availability and preferences of their customers.
4. Outside sales representatives generally have more autonomy and independence in managing their territories and sales activities compared to other sales roles.
5. Effective outside sales require a deep understanding of the customer's business, industry, and unique needs in order to provide tailored solutions.

Review Questions

• Explain how the primary goal of outside sales differs from other sales classifications.
  • The primary goal of outside sales is to build strong, long-term relationships with customers through face-to-face interactions and personalized service, rather than solely focusing on immediate sales transactions like inside sales or retail sales roles. Outside sales representatives aim to deeply understand their customers' businesses, industries, and unique needs in order to provide tailored solutions, rather than simply processing orders or completing sales.
• Describe the key differences in the work environment and responsibilities between outside sales and other sales classifications.
  • Outside sales representatives typically have a larger geographic territory to cover compared to inside sales or retail sales roles, requiring more travel and flexibility in scheduling to accommodate the availability and preferences of their customers. Outside sales roles also generally provide more autonomy and independence in managing sales activities, as representatives have the freedom to develop their own strategies and approaches to engaging with customers. In contrast, inside sales and retail sales roles often have more structured work environments and responsibilities, with salespeople interacting with customers primarily through remote or in-store settings.
• Analyze how the unique characteristics of outside sales, such as the focus on relationship-building and customer understanding, can impact the overall sales process and outcomes.
  • The focus on building strong, long-term relationships and deeply understanding customer needs that is characteristic of outside sales can have a significant impact on the overall sales process and outcomes. By investing time and effort into developing personalized connections with customers, outside sales representatives are better equipped to identify and address their unique challenges, tailor solutions accordingly, and foster a sense of trust and loyalty. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction, increased repeat business, and more opportunities for cross-selling and upselling, ultimately resulting in more sustainable and profitable sales outcomes compared to more transactional sales approaches.

Related terms

Inside Sales: Inside sales involves salespeople interacting with customers primarily through remote or virtual means, such as phone, email, or video conferencing, without face-to-face interactions.

Retail Sales: Retail sales involves salespeople assisting customers within a physical retail store or showroom setting, providing product information and completing transactions.

Missionary Sales: Missionary sales is a type of outside sales where salespeople focus on building relationships and educating customers about a company's products or services, rather than directly pursuing immediate sales.