traveling salesperson

American  

noun

1. a representative of a business firm who travels in an assigned territory soliciting orders for a company's services.

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Usage

What does traveling salesperson mean? A traveling salesperson is a person whose job is to sell products or services by traveling to different places, often within a certain region or assigned territory.A salesperson is often said to “work in sales”—in which sales refers to the type of occupation or the division or department within a company. The term salesperson can refer to a person who sells directly to customers or to other businesses or organizations. Sometimes, salespersons 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.A traveling salesperson, though, typically meets with potential customers in person—this is often the whole point of traveling. In the past, it was common for some salespersons to travel door-to-door to make sales to people at home. Some traveling salespersons are door-to-door salespersons, while others may simply visit customers along a specific route. For example, a traveling salesperson who sells wholesale food products may visit all of the restaurants within an area.Another term for salesperson is sales rep (or sales representative). The terms salesman and saleswoman are used (including in traveling salesman), but salesperson and sales rep are often used in their place. The plural of salesperson can be salespeople or salespersons.Example: To be a successful traveling salesperson, you have to know the territory and the people in it.

Etymology

Origin of traveling salesperson

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

For instance, say a traveling salesperson wants to find the shortest path to visit several cities and then return to their city of origin.

From Science Daily

The company he worked for wanted him to move into a new role, perhaps as a traveling salesperson, when his desk job disappeared.

From New York Times

“He looked at me like I was a traveling salesperson with my trunk,” Mr. Mathelier said.

From New York Times

The officers exceeded the “background social norms” expected of a traveling salesperson or other visitor approaching the house as they planned to perform a “knock and talk,” Court of Appeals Judge Chris Brook wrote.

From Seattle Times

There are also individuals who are known to have been super-spreaders including a sovereign-wealth fund official in Malaysia and a traveling salesperson in Maine.

From Salon

Related Words

• dealer
• hawker
• merchant
• peddler