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Inside Sales Representative Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

What Does an Inside Sales Representative Do?

Inside sales representatives look for new sales opportunities to benefit their organization by trying to understand the client’s needs and resolve any potential concerns they may have about the company. 

Inside sales representatives remain in the office making phone calls rather than going out and meeting with clients face-to-face. They’re primarily responsible for selling services and products to customers by emailing, cold calling, or following up with potential leads. It is important for inside sales representatives to be good listeners and well-spoken to deliver quality customer service virtually.

This position is perfect for anyone looking to become a sales professional by developing strong negotiation, conflict management, and resolution skills as well as working on increasing client engagement. People who succeed in this role will have opportunities to advance in other sales roles such as sales operations manager or even director of sales.

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National Average Salary

Inside sales representative salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.

The average U.S. salary for an Inside Sales Representative is:

$58,720

Inside Sales Representative Job Descriptions

It’s important to include the right content in your job description when hiring an inside sales representative. The following examples can serve as templates for attracting the best available talent for your team.

Example 1

[Your Company Name] is looking for an inside sales representative who is assertive and can get the job done! If you’re a confident go-getter and can take control of a situation, this position could be for you. We are looking for a deal-closer, somebody who can find new leads, follow the leads, and make conversions. You will be expected to follow up with new and returning leads, and establish yourself as a trusted representative of [Your Company Name]. You are expected to have either prior experience or the proper certifications, and the ability to learn quickly to improve your conversion rate over time. If this sounds like it fits, please apply.

Typical duties and responsibilities

  • Source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls and emails
  • Understand customer needs and requirements
  • Route qualified prospects to the appropriate sales executives for further development and closure
  • Close sales and achieve quarterly quotas
  • Research accounts, identify key players, and generate interest
  • Maintain and expand your dataset of prospects within your assigned territory
  • Perform compelling online demos to prospects 

Education and experience

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required for this position.

Required skills and qualifications

  • Proven inside sales experience
  • Track record of over-achieving quota
  • Strong phone presence and experience dialing dozens of calls per day
  • Proficient with corporate productivity and web presentation tools
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Strong listening and presentation skills
  • Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage time effectively

Preferred qualifications

  • 3-5 years of sales experience preferred
  • B2B experience
  • Bachelor’s in sales or related field

Example 2

Position summary

Under general directives and with minimal supervision, research and analyze assigned market territory. Implement strategies and sales campaigns which cultivate sales leads and prospects. Responsibilities include lead generation, lead management, and outbound telemarketing. Responsibilities also include establishing appointments for outside sales representatives and achieving targeted revenue goals. This position will require expert management of a qualified set of prospects.

Primary duties and responsibilities

  • Establish and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction and broker relationships. Ensure prospects and new customers are delighted with our service
  • Based on developed marketing plan; attract, record and manage leads passed from various internal and external sources
  • Participate in sales campaigns, via telemarketing, to meet assigned sales and pricing goals
  • Execute a plan to establish highly qualified sales call appointments for outside sales representatives at targeted accounts
  • Consistently meet or exceed weekly and monthly sales activity goals
  • Acquire working knowledge of appropriate local, State and Federal regulations relating to ABC Company and interpret for prospects

Minimum requirements

  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Sales and Marketing preferred
  • Years of Experience: At least 1 year of related experience. Telemarketing sales experience preferred

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

  • Demonstrated organizational, oral, written, and listening skills
  • Proficient computer skills
  • Excellent selling and account management skills
  • Ability to communicate professionally with internal and external customers

Equipment and software used

  • Usual office equipment including computer, phone, fax machine, copier, and calculator
  • MS Office including Word, Excel, and Outlook

Typical physical demands

  • Ability to organize various office systems through adjusting, connecting, lifting, pulling, pushing, bending, or folding for the purpose of proper records development and/or management
  • Ability to use a computer and related devices, such as a keyboard or mouse or other related equipment, throughout the workday while seated at a desk or workstation
  • Possess speaking skills and hearing ability to interact with customers on the telephone

Preferred

  • Bachelor’s degree in business administration, advertising, marketing, or related field
  • Solid Waste industry or ancillary experience

Example 3

The Inside Sales Representative will help to drive the sales of ABC Company products with existing and new customers by responding in a timely manner to leads generated through incoming phone, email, web and live chat inquiries. The ideal candidate will effectively create and execute against outbound prospecting and sales campaigns, while working closely with Sales and Customer Service teams, as well as with end customers, resellers, and the entire service management group.

What you will do…

  • Respond in a timely manner to incoming phone, email, and web inquiries, and respond timely to leads generated by marketing, promotions, and sales executives to provide high-quality lead generation
  • Actively engage in lead generation through outbound calls, emails, prospecting, networking, and social media activity – pipeline creation should consistently meet or exceed quarterly targets
  • Act as primary point-of-contact for requests for information general follow-up activities
  • Maintain accurate records and information on all customer activities in Salesforce
  • Meet all minimum requirements for monthly, quarterly, and annual contact activity
  • Develop account profiles, mine, and identify key buying personas and report important account developments in a timely fashion
  • Remain knowledgeable and up-to-date on printer products and services and industry trends
  • Demonstrates commitment to ABC Company Core Values by leading, acting and behaving in a manner consistent with these values
  • Follows all company safety policies and procedures and attends all safety trainings related to the job
  • Other duties as assigned

Skills you must have…

Required:

  • Demonstrated customer service skills
  • An interest in Sales and 3D Printing Technology
  • A positive-can do attitude
  • Must be results driven and self-motivated

Preferred:

  • Inside sales experience in a business-to-business sales environment
  • Experience working with Salesforce
  • Bilingual is a plus

Example 4

Who you are:

We are seeking an experienced salesperson to join our growing team. The qualified candidate will have excellent written and verbal communication skills and a strong desire to learn more about our business. The Inside Sales Rep is customer service oriented and an adept problem solver.

Qualifications:

  • The desire and the ability to help ABC Company “Set a Higher Standard” in the XYZ industry
  • 2-3+ years excellent Inside Sales & superior Customer Service experience
  • Dispatching experience highly preferred
  • Experience with automated scheduling software (Service Titan a plus)
  • The ability to work collaboratively on a team as well as independently run your desk and take ownership of duties
  • The ability to multitask while staying focused and having a heightened sense to detail
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Must be able to pass a criminal background check

What you’ll do:

The Inside Sales Rep will answer phones and explain the benefits of hiring ABC Company as their XYZ provider. They will assist existing customers with questions and identify sales opportunities. They will seek out new customers and leads. The company expects to continue our double-digit growth through our exceptional service and acquisitions. This position is an exceptional opportunity for an ambitious professional wanting to help create a great company and turn customer inquiries into scheduled jobs and services.

The primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Explain the benefits of using ABC Company to inquiring customers
  • Answer a large volume of incoming calls and manage appropriately
  • Provide outgoing call and email support for retained, new business, and incoming leads
  • Book jobs and schedule technicians strategically; support with dispatching
  • Prepare all paperwork for technicians and customers
  • Research property information
  • Greet employees and customers walking in the door
  • Order and manage office supplies as needed
  • Other administrative duties as assigned

Candidate Certifications to Look For

  • CISP Certified Inside Sales Professional for Sales Executives & Account Managers. The CISP is a professional online certification complete with coursework and sample cold calling training. With a total of ten courses, this certification is an expert-level course with a good overview of sales, cold-calling, and being a sales representative.
  • Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP). The Certified Professional Sales Person certification is a widely-recognized, six-week course that covers a complete sales program and certification. This course and certification program covers a wide range of tactics for selling, closing deals, and cold-calling.

Sample Interview Questions

  • What kinds of products or services have you sold in the past?
  • What is your process for prioritizing sales leads and opportunities?
  • Would you be able to describe a time when you had to negotiate with a client to close a deal?
  • How do you identify and understand a client’s needs and pain points?
  • What are the methods you use to measure and track your sales performance and success?
  • Are you keeping up with market trends and changes?
  • Could you give an example of a successful sale you closed and what made it successful?
  • How do you establish trust with clients and build relationships?
  • When potential clients reject your proposal or object, what do you do?
  • From lead generation to closing, could you walk me through your sales process?

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