sales representative

American  

noun

1. a person or organization designated by a company to solicit business on its behalf in a specified territory or foreign country.

   I suggest you contact our Chicago sales representative.

2. traveling salesman.

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Usage

What does sales representative mean? A sales representative is a person whose job is to sell products or services for a company, often in a particular area. The short form sales rep is much more commonly used. Sales representatives always work for (represent) a company—whereas a salesperson may be selling their own products. However, the two terms are often used synonymously. The terms salesman and saleswoman are still commonly used, but salesperson, sales representative, and sales rep are often used in their place. A sales representative is often said to “work in sales”—in which sales refers to the type of occupation or the division or department within a company. A sales representative can sell directly to customers or to other businesses or organizations. Sometimes, sales representatives sell things in person, such as at a retail store or dealership. They also commonly sell things over the phone or by communicating with people online. In the past, it was common for some sales representatives to travel door-to-door to make sales to people at home. Sales representative is sometimes used as another term for traveling salesperson—a salesperson who has to travel as part of their job. The word salesperson is sometimes used in a somewhat figurative way to refer to someone who’s skilled at persuading people, especially in a business or professional setting, as if they are selling them a product. However, the term sales representative is not used in this way. Example: The sales representative told me that this was the best deal he could give me.

Etymology

Origin of sales representative

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

“This is one of the key places for new gems,” said David Wise, a sales representative for Urban Wine Brokers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

While reporting this piece, I visited a Kohler showroom in Manhattan and asked a sales representative if they had any 1.6 gpf toilets, as I could only find the 1.28 gpf ones.

From Slate • Feb. 25, 2025

The Broome County Health Department director lost to Cleveland food sales representative Ian Taylor, coming in second after falling short by $1 in Final Jeopardy.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2024

The BBC has also seen courier tracking numbers provided by online sales representative in China claiming to have made successful deliveries across the UK.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2024

Listen to the scheme they’ve come up with to get a message to Mr. Broks, an Opekta Co. sales representative and friend who’s surreptitiously hidden some of our things for us!

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Related Words

• clerk