Outside Sales Rep for Revenue Growth & Account Expansion

Hiring the right outside sales rep can make a noticeable difference in how fast your business grows revenue. These reps meet prospects face-to-face, build long-term relationships, and handle deals that often require trust and personalization. They’re especially valuable for companies selling higher-ticket products or services, where buyers want to see the person behind the offer. 

Still, many founders and sales leaders aren’t always sure what this role includes or how it differs from inside sales. This guide breaks down what outside sales reps do, the skills that matter most, and how compensation usually works. The goal is to help you evaluate the role clearly and decide when it’s the right fit for your team.

Key Takeaways

• Outside sales reps focus on building relationships and closing deals through in-person or hybrid customer engagement.
• The role fits companies selling higher-value solutions that benefit from live conversations and trust-building.
• Key traits to look for include strong discovery skills, clear communication, self-management, and clean CRM habits.
• Compensation typically includes a base salary plus commission, with OTE tied to deal size and territory scope.
• Activated Scale connects you with pre-vetted, U.S.-based outside sales reps who match your stage and sales motion.

5 Duties of an Outside Sales Representative

An outside sales rep is responsible for generating new business and managing customer relationships through in-person engagement. For many startups and growth-stage companies, this role supports deals that benefit from direct conversation, product demonstrations, or on-site evaluations.

The work involves both selling and ongoing account development, not just outreach. Core responsibilities typically include:

• Prospecting and Territory Outreach: Identifying potential customers through referrals, local market research, events, and targeted outreach.
• In-Person Meetings and Demos: Scheduling and attending meetings with prospects to understand needs and present solutions clearly.
• Managing the Full Sales Cycle: Guiding opportunities from first contact to signed contract, including pricing discussions and negotiation.
• Account Maintenance: Checking in with existing customers to ensure satisfaction, identifying expansion opportunities, and maintaining long-term value.
• Pipeline Tracking and Reporting: Updating CRM records, noting deal progress, and sharing key signal data with leadership.

These duties are the foundation of the role. The real value comes from how these reps influence deal movement, customer trust, and long-term account growth.

Also Read: Strategies for Successful Sales Leadership: Skills and Practices.

How Outside Sales Reps Support Revenue and Pipeline Growth

For startups and growth-stage teams, the outside sales rep is often the direct link between the product and the market. Their responsibilities influence how quickly deals move, how accurately the sales motion develops, and how well the company learns from real customer interactions.

Key areas where their work drives impact:

• Qualifying Real Opportunities: They assess fit early, so founders and sales leaders avoid spending time on accounts that won’t convert or won’t have meaningful contract value.
• Shortening the Sales Cycle Through In-Person Conversations: Meeting prospects face-to-face helps address concerns faster. This is useful when selling into industries where trust and clarity matter more than automated outreach.
• Gathering Market and Buyer Feedback: Outside reps hear objections and questions directly from decision-makers. This helps refine messaging, pricing, product positioning, and future sales playbooks.
• Maintaining High-Value Accounts After Close: Their follow-up and in-person check-ins help reduce churn, secure renewals, and find upsell paths.
• Supporting Territory Expansion: They help identify new regions, verticals, and customer segments based on patterns they see in the field.

To get these outcomes consistently, the rep needs a specific mix of communication ability, discipline, and confidence in live conversations.

Also Check: Outsource Inside Sales: Comparison, Pros, and Selection Guide.

6 Traits and Skills To Look For in Outside Sales Reps

Hiring an outside sales rep takes more than matching a resume to a quota target. The role requires confidence in live conversations, steady follow-through, and the ability to read situations quickly. When evaluating candidates, focus on qualities that support both relationship-building and consistent deal movement.

Look for the following:

• Strong Active Listening: They need to understand the buyer’s priorities before pitching. Good reps ask clear questions and adjust based on what they hear.
• Clear, Direct Communication: The best reps explain value simply, without jargon. They avoid overcomplicating demos or sales conversations.
• Comfort With Field-Based Work: They handle travel, in-person meetings, trade shows, and onsite visits without losing momentum.
• Negotiation Confidence: They can talk through pricing concerns calmly and keep the conversation moving up the pipeline.
• Self-Management and Organization: Outside work requires structure. They must manage their own schedule, update the CRM consistently, and follow deal stages accurately.
• Resilience and Follow-Up Discipline: Deals can take time. Look for someone who keeps engagement warm and maintains contact without being pushy.

For startups and scale-ups, these traits help reps handle ambiguous situations, represent the company well, and provide useful sales insight back to leadership. If you're looking for pre-vetted outside sales professionals who already meet these standards, get in touch with Activated Scale.

Outside Sales vs. Inside Sales: Key Differences to Know

Both roles support revenue growth, but they work in different ways and fit different sales motions.

The role you prioritize should guide how you evaluate candidates and what qualities you focus on during hiring.

Recommended: How Business Process Outsourcing Boosts Sales Strategy.

What to Evaluate When Hiring an Outside Sales Rep

When adding an outside sales rep to a growing team, focus on qualities that support consistent deal movement, territory planning, and productive customer conversations. Early and growth-stage companies benefit most from reps who can work with limited direction while still maintaining clean processes and accurate pipeline updates.

Key skills and qualifications to prioritize:

1. Experience Selling in Your Price Range: Match candidates to your ACV. Someone who has closed deals within a similar contract value will manage expectations and negotiation pacing more effectively.
2. Comfort With Territory Ownership: They should know how to choose who to contact, build lists, plan routes or meeting schedules, and prioritize accounts without heavy oversight.
3. Strong Discovery and Questioning Ability: Early-stage teams rely on insight. The rep should guide conversations that reveal buying intent, pain points, and budget fit rather than simply delivering a pitch.
4. Clear and Confident Communication: The rep should explain your product in simple language and adjust messaging based on stakeholder type, from user to executive.
5. Consistent CRM and Follow-Up Discipline: Field-heavy work can cause gaps if the rep isn’t structured. Look for a history of clean CRM documentation and predictable follow-up cadence.
6. Relevant Industry or Buyer Familiarity (Helpful, Not Required)
   If your market is niche or regulated, familiarity can shorten onboarding and improve credibility from day one.

Additionally, it’s important to align expectations on salary, commission, and performance incentives.

Also Check: Sales Outsourcing Pricing: What You Need to Know.

Compensation Factors to Consider

Compensation for an outside sales rep can vary based on territory, industry, deal size, and level of experience. Most roles follow a base salary + commission structure to align earnings with performance.

Typical Compensation Range (U.S.)

• Base Salary: $55,000 to $95,000 per year
• On-Target Earnings (OTE): $90,000 to $150,000+, depending on quota and market
• Commission: Usually tied to closed-won revenue, margins, or territory growth

What Drives Compensation Up or Down

• Deal Size and Sales Cycle: Larger, more complex deals usually pay higher OTE.
• Territory Type: Urban and enterprise-heavy territories tend to have higher targets and compensation.
• Experience Level: Reps with industry familiarity or a track record of closing multi-step deals can command higher pay.
• Company Stage: Early-stage startups may offer lower base salaries but higher commission upside.

Now, what if you didn’t have to source, screen, and gamble on fit? Yes, you can hire reps who are already vetted and proven.

How Activated Scale Simplifies Hiring Outside Sales Talent

Outside sales requires professionals who excel in live conversations, territory management, and consistent follow-through. Many teams struggle not with the volume of applicants, but with identifying reps who have actually sold into similar industries and deal cycles.

Activated Scale provides U.S.-based, pre-vetted outside sales reps who have proven experience operating in comparable markets and buyer environments.

What you can expect:

• Curated shortlists aligned to your ICP, sales motion, and territory focus
• Flexible engagement models, including fractional, contract-to-hire, or full-time
• Faster readiness to ramp, reducing time spent sourcing and screening

This gives founders and sales leaders a clearer path to revenue growth with less hiring uncertainty. Get in touch with our team today to start hiring!

Conclusion

Outside sales reps play a key role in building a pipeline, nurturing relationships, and closing deals, especially for startups selling to enterprise or mid-market buyers. But hiring the right person takes time, evaluation, and a strong understanding of your sales motion. 

Activated Scale shortens this process by connecting you with pre-vetted, U.S.-based outside sales professionals who already know how to sell into your market. Meet reps who can step in quickly and start generating revenue. Talk to the team at Activated Scale to get started.

FAQ’s

1. What does an outside sales rep do day-to-day?

They spend time meeting prospects, running demos, attending onsite visits, following up with active deals, and maintaining customer relationships. They also update the CRM and coordinate with sales leadership on deal progress.

2. When does it make sense to hire an outside sales rep?

This role is useful when your deals require trust-building conversations, on-site evaluations, or multiple stakeholder discussions that are common in mid-market or enterprise sales.

3. Is previous industry experience necessary?

Not always. It’s helpful for complex markets, but strong discovery, communication, and self-management skills often matter more in early-stage teams.

4. How is compensation usually structured?

Most packages include a base salary plus commission tied to closed-won revenue or quota attainment. OTE adjusts based on deal size and territory.

5. Can outside sales work in a hybrid setup?

Yes. Many outside reps combine field meetings with remote follow-up and virtual demos. The important factor is balancing travel with consistent pipeline movement.