Executive and representative,do they mean the same in a corporate world.?

Question

This might seem like a silly question but i need to understand if they really are they same or an executive is at a higher rank than a representative.For eg. A sales executive and sales representative are they the same.

Answer 1

An Executive is typically a C-level employee (i.e., Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief, Administrative Officer, Chief Operating Officer, etc.) who represent the highest leadership levels.

A representative can be defined as an employee of any level, from an entry level person in Sales, Customer Service, etc. to the C-level employees.

Commonly the term of 'representative' is typically used for people from departments who have direct contact with clients.

Answer 2

The dictionary defines an executive as: "a person or group having administrative or managerial authority in an organization."

The term "representative" can be used in many ways, but in a sales context, it often refers to someone on the front line making sales to customers. Some "representatives" may be employees of the company, others may be self-employed contract agents who work purely on a commission basis.

To make things even more confusing, some companies call their sales representatives "account executives", even though these employees are not executives in the true sense of the word.

So, you really can't tell much based on just the job title - you need to find out more details about what each specific job entails.

Answer 3

The sales executive is better paid. Ranked higher. The representative may well be better at the job. But you can't change executives every day.

Answer 4

A sales representative may work purely on commission where as a sales executive may get salary and commission. Executive sounds better though a good rep may make more money.