Sales representatives often service a specific territory. Representatives of companies offering services widely used by the public, such as Internet service providers, generally have numerous clients in a relatively small territory. On the other hand, sales representatives for firms that offer more specialized services, such as interpretation and translation, might need to service several States to acquire an adequate customer base. Selling can be stressful work because their income and job security directly depends on their success in winning business for their employers. Companies generally set sales quotas and have contests with prizes for those with the most sales.
Considerable pressure is placed on the sales representative to meet monthly sales quotas.
Working conditions for sales representatives vary. Outside sales representatives responsible for a large territory might spend a great deal of time traveling, sometimes for weeks at a time. Representatives with smaller territories might never travel overnight. Outside sales representatives usually spend part of their time in an office keeping records, setting up appointments with customers, and searching for new customers. Increasingly, outside sales representatives work out of home of fices or share office space with others rather than have their own permanently assigned space.