Ostroff, Fair and Company
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What is the difference between the title of Sales Representative and Sales Executive?



My boss has been asking me about this. I told him Sales Rep is an outdated title, which he favors more. Nobody uses it anymore. He's asking me for proof. I just want to validate my claim.

They both work and both are used. Representative has a lower connotation than Executive. Examples: Vice President versus Executive Vice President, or Chef versus Executive Chef.

Depending on the type of sales you are doing, different titles can make a difference. Sometimes, people use "Account Coordinator" or "Account Executive" if they want to be lower key.

Executive implies you can make a decision. Representative implies you need to ask for permission.

My only proof is starting out as a rep, becoming a sales manager, then a territory/sales executive, then a Vice President of Sales.

My advice to you - if your boss doesn't put you in the best position to win - run.
Sales representative is not outdated. It is still widely used. And the difference is basic and simple:

Sales representative: is a person employed to represent a business and to sell its merchandise or services, as to customers in a store or customers who are visited. The primary function of professional sales is to generate and to close leads, educate prospects, fill needs and satisfy wants of consumers appropriately, and therefore turn potential customers into actual paying customers.

A sales executive has a role more geared towards the administration part of sales and has the function of carrying out of plans or orders. Basically, the sales executive is usually the immediate supervisor of the sales representative.


Sorry... your boss wins...
Rep is the regular worker who answers to a supervisor or manager and the executive is the person who answers directly to the CEO as the head of the entire sales division.
I think they're pretty much interchangeable. Actually, the most 'current' term would be 'Account Executive"
a sales executive is the one who heads the sales representatives.
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