Outside sales representatives should have experience in marketing, business, economics, communications, and/or any equivalent education that demonstrates expertise in customer engagement.

Having a well-developed phone presence and high comfort level in initiating conversations is essential to fulfilling the daily duties of an outside sales representative. Aside from a social and positive personality, outside sales representatives must be self-starters and proactive problem solvers, since not every day is the same and the workplace setting is constantly changing.

In addition to the education and experience requirements, employers also look for a few key skills from their outside sales representatives. Here are a few of the top characteristics they are expecting: