Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Outside Sales Consultant

💰 $55,000 - $95,000

SalesField SalesOutside SalesB2B SalesAccount Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Outside Sales Consultant is a field-facing sales professional responsible for driving revenue growth by developing new business, expanding existing accounts, and managing a defined territory. This role requires consultative selling, territory and pipeline management, strong customer relationship development, and the discipline to operate independently while leveraging internal resources. The ideal candidate hits quotas consistently, closes complex B2B deals, and acts as a trusted advisor to clients across industries.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Inside Sales Representative seeking field opportunities
  • Account Manager with a strong book of business
  • Sales Development Representative (SDR) promoted for territory ownership

Advancement To:

  • Senior Outside Sales Consultant / Senior Account Executive
  • Regional Sales Manager / Area Sales Manager
  • National Account Manager or Strategic Accounts Director

Lateral Moves:

  • Business Development Manager
  • Channel or Partner Sales Representative

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Prospect, qualify, and convert new B2B opportunities within a defined geographic territory using a mix of cold calling, targeted outreach, networking, and event attendance to build a robust sales pipeline and meet monthly/quarterly quotas.
  • Conduct consultative, solution-based sales meetings at client sites, demonstrating deep product/service knowledge and tailoring value propositions to buyer needs, pain points, and business outcomes.
  • Manage end-to-end sales cycles from lead generation to contract negotiation and close, maintaining timely follow-up and personalized engagement to accelerate deal velocity and reduce sales cycle length.
  • Build and maintain strategic relationships with key decision-makers and influencers at client organizations (C-level, procurement, operations, facility managers), establishing credibility and earning repeat business and referrals.
  • Execute territory planning and account segmentation to prioritize high-potential prospects, allocate time effectively, and create multi-quarter growth plans that align with company revenue objectives.
  • Consistently achieve and exceed revenue targets and quota attainment by forecasting sales, tracking pipeline health, and executing targeted account penetration strategies.
  • Develop customized proposals, pricing strategies, and commercial terms in collaboration with pricing, legal, and operations teams to ensure profitable deal structures and margin protection.
  • Use CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) daily to log activity, update opportunities, manage tasks, produce pipeline reports, and provide accurate forecasts to regional leadership.
  • Partner with marketing to execute localized demand-generation campaigns, follow up on inbound leads, and leverage content/case studies to support buyer education and advance opportunities.
  • Negotiate contracts and service-level agreements, coordinating with internal stakeholders to address compliance, delivery timelines, and post-sale expectations to ensure smooth onboarding.
  • Conduct competitive analysis and market intelligence gathering to understand competitor positioning, pricing, and unique selling points that inform competitive win strategies.
  • Collaborate with product and operations teams to relay customer feedback, feature requests, and service issues that influence roadmap decisions and improve product-market fit.
  • Plan and host client-facing events, product demonstrations, and presentations that showcase ROI and use cases to accelerate adoption and cross-sell opportunities.
  • Manage account expansions by identifying cross-sell and upsell opportunities, executing account plans, and coordinating pilots or trials to drive incremental revenue within existing customers.
  • Deliver accurate and timely sales reporting, weekly activity summaries, and insights to sales management to support strategy, pipeline reviews, and quota planning.
  • Maintain a high level of industry knowledge, certifications, and product expertise to advise customers on best practices, compliance requirements, and strategic initiatives.
  • Implement territory-specific pricing, promotions, and seasonal sales programs in collaboration with marketing and finance to capture market share and exceed growth targets.
  • Work closely with customer success and field service teams to ensure post-sale delivery, adoption, and customer satisfaction; proactively address service escalations to protect renewal revenue.
  • Leverage CRM and analytics to identify at-risk accounts, develop retention plans, and coordinate renewal and contract extension discussions to reduce churn.
  • Participate in weekly sales meetings, territory reviews, and coaching sessions with sales leadership to refine messaging, improve closing techniques, and align on high-priority pursuits.
  • Maintain travel schedule and expense reporting in accordance with company policy while maximizing in-person engagement with high-value prospects and accounts.
  • Mentor junior sales colleagues and share best practices across the sales team to raise overall effectiveness, including lead qualification techniques, objection handling, and demo skills.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Provide input on marketing collateral and case studies based on real customer outcomes and ROI metrics.
  • Represent the company at industry trade shows and local business events to increase brand awareness and source new leads.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proven proficiency with CRM platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics) for pipeline management and sales forecasting.
  • Territory management and account planning tools experience, including segmentation and routing.
  • Strong sales closing and negotiation skills with experience drafting and negotiating commercial terms and contracts.
  • Expertise in consultative and solution selling methodologies (SPIN, Challenger, MEDDIC, or similar frameworks).
  • Experience building and presenting ROI-based proposals, business cases, and pricing models.
  • Familiarity with sales enablement platforms (Seismic, Highspot) and digital proposal tools (PandaDoc, DocuSign).
  • Competence in using analytics tools or dashboards (Tableau, Looker, Excel pivot tables) to analyze territory performance.
  • Ability to execute lead generation tactics: cold outreach, social selling (LinkedIn Navigator), and event prospecting.
  • Knowledge of industry-specific regulations and compliance relevant to target verticals (e.g., manufacturing, healthcare, construction).
  • Proficient with mobile and field sales technologies: route planning apps, mobile CRM, and electronic signature tools.
  • Experience managing multi-stakeholder procurement processes and RFP/RFI responses.
  • Basic financial acumen to analyze margins, pricing, and contract profitability.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills; trusted advisor mindset with executive presence.
  • Strong communication and presentation skills; able to convey complex solutions simply and persuasively.
  • Self-motivated, results-driven, and disciplined with the ability to work autonomously in a field environment.
  • High emotional intelligence and resilience; handles rejection and setbacks while maintaining focus.
  • Excellent time management, prioritization, and territory planning capabilities.
  • Problem-solving mindset with a consultative approach to diagnose customer needs and craft tailored solutions.
  • Collaborative team player who partners effectively with marketing, product, operations, and customer success.
  • Adaptability to changing market conditions and the ability to pivot strategies quickly.
  • Strong attention to detail when preparing proposals, contracts, and forecasts.
  • Coaching and mentoring ability to develop junior sales team members.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Business, Marketing, Sales, or a related field OR a proven track record of outside sales success without a degree.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, Finance, or related discipline.
  • Professional sales certification or training (e.g., Certified Professional Sales Person, Sandler, Challenger Sales).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Marketing
  • Sales and Sales Management
  • Communications
  • Supply Chain / Operations (for industry-specific roles)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2 to 7 years of outside sales or field sales experience; 3+ years preferred for mid-level roles.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years selling B2B solutions or products in a quota-driven environment with documented attainment.
  • Proven experience managing a territory, closing new business, and expanding existing accounts.
  • Industry-specific experience when applicable (e.g., construction, industrial equipment, healthcare, technology).
Explore More Careers