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sales representative

sales representative

7 2.7
A person who contacts customers to sell a company's products and services
  • noun
  • /seɪlz ˌrɛprɪˈzɛntətɪv/
translation icon : representante de ventas
  • Even more strikingly, the home offices in the post-Civil War era were linked to a network of sales representatives, franchises, and branches in other parts of the country.

Eventually, he becomes a sales representative, traveling around in Poland but also to other countries, selling furs.

Examples

  • More recently, he has joined his wife's business as a sales representative, and the business is booming!

    Blog text (5)
  • Deidre's a sales representative for Radiant Cosmetics.

  • You know, she started out as a sales representative just like me.

  • Would you like one of our friendly sales representatives to contact you and discuss our rates?

  • Medical sales representatives tend to be competitive people who like to produce results.

    Blog text (15)
  • My sales representative arrived early the next morning and arranged for the replacement books to be shipped immediately.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Please see page 83 to contact the sales representative in your area.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Dennis Jury is a sales representative for Saylor-Beall, St. Johns, Mich.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Would you like one of our friendly sales representatives to contact you and discuss our rates?

  • Lewis ended up buying from a phone sales representative who promised to match the website's offer.

Synonyms

rep
vssales representative
  • Informal
499 7.7

A short word for a person who speaks and works for a company

is the standard full job title rather than an informal abbreviated label
salesman
vssales representative
259 1.0

A person who sells things in shops or to customers

is a gender-neutral company seller role used for any worker
salesperson
vssales representative
28 2.2

A person who sells things for a store or company

is used for official company workers who sell products broadly to customers
sales rep
vssales representative
  • Informal
19 3.5

A person who sells a company's products or services to customers

is the standard full form rather than the shortened label used informally
saleswoman
vssales representative
11 1.7

A woman who works for a shop or company and helps people buy things

is a neutral company role that applies to all genders who sell
salesgirl
vssales representative
  • Archaic
9 1.6

A young woman who sells things in a shop

is the general company sales role without age or shop restrictions
saleslady
vssales representative
  • Archaic
3 2.1

A woman who sells things in a shop to customers

is the broader company-selling role not limited to shop settings
selling agent
vssales representative
1 3.5

A person or company who finds buyers for someone and gets a fee

is an employed company worker, not an independent seller working for commission

How Senior

sales representative
7 2.7
trainee
50 2.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

sales + representative

The meaning 'a person who represents a company and sells its products' is compositionally built from 'sales' (the activity/field of selling) + 'representative' (a person acting on others' behalf), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the role. The attributive noun + noun pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically, making the expression predictable and transparent.

Etymology

The compound noun sales representative comes from the simple image of a person who stands for a company: sales shows what they do and representative shows they act for the company. So a sales representative is someone who 'sells' the company's products and 'speaks for' the company to customers.