How to hire an inside sales assistant

How to hire an inside sales assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step inside sales assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an inside sales assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new inside sales assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your inside sales assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an inside sales assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an inside sales assistant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an inside sales assistant that fits the bill.

   This list presents inside sales assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Inside Sales Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Inside Sales Assistant	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices.	$13-30
   Sales Support Coordinator	A sales support coordinator is responsible for assisting the sales team in selling goods and services, identifying opportunities by researching market trends, and generating more revenue resources for the business to increase profitability according to public demands. Sales support coordinators conduct data and statistical analysis with the sales performance reports and help the team in strategizing efficient promotional techniques to boost brand awareness in the market... Show more	$13-25
   Sales Coordinator	A sales coordinator is primarily responsible for managing a sales team, ensuring that all workforce members are functioning efficiently and are achieving the sales targets. For this, a sales coordinator must arrange strategic schedules, provide necessary support materials to each member, and devise plans that would help the team gain more sales... Show more	$14-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Purchase Orders
   • Order Entry
   • Customer Orders
   • Sales Orders
   • Trade Shows
   • Sales Support
   • Sales Reps
   • Sales Reports
   • Expedite
   • Customer Complaints
   • Outbound Calls
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Customer Accounts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage numerous, highly confidential details for retirement plan deals from start to finish including meticulous preparation of PowerPoint presentations.
   • Process daily incoming orders, payroll, distribution, purchasing agent, inventory control.
   • Assist wherever help is needed, including daily clerical work, paying bills, assisting with payroll.
   • Manage numerous, highly confidential details for retirement plan deals from start to finish including meticulous preparation of PowerPoint presentations.
   • Communicate ongoing contact activity utilizing Salesforce.com.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your inside sales assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An inside sales assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, inside sales assistants' average salary in hawaii is 46% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level inside sales assistants 56% less than senior-level inside sales assistants.
   • Certifications. An inside sales assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an inside sales assistant's salary.

   Average inside sales assistant salary

   $42,598yearly

   $20.48 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level inside sales assistant salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing an inside sales assistant job description

   An inside sales assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an inside sales assistant job description:

   Inside sales assistant job description example

   Principal Accountabilities● Manage the overall account relationship by providing strategic service and support to assigned customer base. Maximize margins, gain market share, and drive value added solution selling. Working with internal and external resources, provide customer service often facilitating work of others in quoting, fulfilling demand, ensuring on-time delivery of orders, providing engineering support, and trouble shooting other customer problems. Function as key liaison between suppliers and customers to build and establish long-term business partnerships for Arrow.● Responsible for Sales Excellence through the development and management of customer strategy in assigned account territory. Requires thorough knowledge and accountability of supply chain engagements such as: e-Compass, Consignments, CARES (Customer Automated Replenishment System) ; sell and capture opportunities through Synergistic products (e.g., White Space Report, PEMCO Mix), Reverse Logistics, GBC (Global Business Conversion) & ITAD (Information Technology Asset Disposition). Sell and drive Solutions Selling within the approved account level strategy. Requires knowledge of competitive landscape in the market and the ability to make sales decisions based on that information.● Responsible for on-going Sales Support activities for the Order to Invoice process. Owns the customer interface for backend Quality processes: corrective actions, Field Quality Reports. Owns & Maintains Perfect Order Index (POI) and Inventory integrity to minimize write offs/bill backs. Owns the customer interface for important Credit & Financial Information as well as coordination of all available resources and support functions.● As owner of the overall customer Quote to Order sales objectives, set strategy for the quote process, coordinate resources and processing of customer quotations (Quote Center, Quote Cover Sheet, PM Views, Management, FSR, Suppliers, Value Add, and SSG), validate EOL and item class change (NCNR), negotiate pricing and Quote mark up (owns strategy and application) and notify customer of all/any price increases.●This job profile requires the assignment and participation in a sales compensation plan. A portion of OTE will be variable and tied to specific sales-related goals as set forth by Arrow.
   
   Job ComplexityJob complexity may vary among jobs within this job level and will align with one of the job complexities listed below:(1) Incumbent has limited level of discretion to vary from established procedures, works under general supervision, and solves some straightforward problems. Incumbent generally has limited work experience involving basic concepts and procedures but requires formal training in theories/concepts in own function.(2) Incumbent has high level of discretion to vary from established procedures, works under broad supervision, and solves some complex problems. Incumbent generally has substantial work experience involving complex concepts and procedures in theories/concepts in own function.
   
   Experience / EducationTypically requires a 4 year degree and 2-4 years of related experience; or an advanced degree without experience; or equivalent work experience.
   
   Arrow is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. (Arrow EEO/AAP policy)
   Time Type:
   Full time
   
   Job Category:
   Sales

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right inside sales assistant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your inside sales assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit inside sales assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit inside sales assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new inside sales assistant

   Once you've selected the best inside sales assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new inside sales assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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