What does an inside sales associate do?
An inside sales associate is responsible for selling the company's goods and services through remote communication. Inside sales associates make calls to potential customers, demonstrate the products' features, take orders, process payments, and inform the customers of the delivery details. They strategize the most effective sales pitches to attract the customers on purchasing more services that would generate revenues and increase the company's profitability and brand image. An inside sales associate also supports the marketing team in developing marketing campaigns and promotional offers depending on customer demands and requests.
Inside sales associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real inside sales associate resumes:
- Manage individual sales activities by developing highly effective, communications focuse relationship with multiple sales channels.
- Provide awareness to customers of the benefits of moving to a cloud platform for intra/customer facing web applications.
- Develop a standardize, customize CRM system to track sales and marketing ROI that link into operational and financial ERP systems.
- Calculate roofing amounts/square footage etc.
- Maintain cleanliness and organization of stockroom shelves.
- Conduct effective outbound telemarketing calls to potential and existing clients.
- Determine equipment availability, condition and coordinate the logistics necessary.
- Maximize sales opportunities through outbound telemarketing and follow-up to email requests.
- Work directly with logistics to plan deliveries and expedite manufacturer orders.
- Support territory managers in residential roofing, decking, commercial/residential insulation, residential windows and fasteners.
- Capture and record customer information and sales activity data into CRM for successful pipeline and sales forecasting management.
- Operate as inside sales consultant, primarily in areas of customer relations, sales/service support, coordinating production and transportation scheduling
- Maintain a working knowledge of company current and new products and enter relevant information in Salesforce.com.
- Work with basic math on a daily basis.
- Assemble report statistics for customer and technical staff to determine ROI.
Inside sales associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Inside Sales Associates are proficient in Inside Sales, Sales Associates, and Strong Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Physical stamina, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Inside Sales Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Inside Sales, 13%
Provided inside sales and customer service support to ensure customer satisfaction, account retention and revenue generation.
- Sales Associates, 7%
Supported outside sales associates by ensuring timely quotations and accurate order processing.
- Strong Customer Service, 6%
Provided strong customer service and a professional atmosphere to ensure customer satisfaction while performing counter sales.
- Sales Process, 5%
Organized customer database and detailed customer purchase history to streamline sales process for each specific customer.
- Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Managed production scheduling* Coordinated logistics of timely delivery to job site* Assisted in achievement of sales goals and customer satisfaction
- Sales Floor, 5%
Developed ideas or plans for advertising merchandise displays for sales floor and windows.
Most inside sales associates use their skills in "inside sales," "sales associates," and "strong customer service" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential inside sales associate responsibilities here:
Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for an inside sales associate to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what inside sales associates do because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to listen to the customer’s needs and concerns before and after the sale." Additionally, an inside sales associate resume shows how inside sales associates use customer-service skills: "provide products to business owners in a wholesale environment*meet daily, weekly and monthly sales goals*introduce new product lines to assist customers"
Physical stamina. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling inside sales associate duties is physical stamina. The role rewards competence in this skill because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives are often on their feet for a long time and may carry heavy sample products." According to an inside sales associate resume, here's how inside sales associates can utilize physical stamina in their job responsibilities: "inventory control including replenishment, stocking, cycle counting, physical inventory, receiving, stocking, storage. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of inside sales associates is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday inside sales associate duties, as "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to work well with many types of people." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "utilized interpersonal communication skills and professional work ethic to deliver high quality sales. "
Self-confidence. inside sales associate responsibilities often require "self-confidence." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations." This resume example shows what inside sales associates do with self-confidence on a typical day: "utilize customer de-escalation model to handle customer complaints as an effort to reassure wireless confidence and reduce deactivation. "
The three companies that hire the most inside sales associates are:
- AutoNation287 inside sales associates jobs
- Lowe's Companies149 inside sales associates jobs
- Kelly-Moore Paints65 inside sales associates jobs
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Compare different inside sales associates
Inside sales associate vs. Associate sales representative
The duties of an associate sales representative depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around reaching out to clients through calls or door-to-door visits, offering products and services, collecting payments, addressing issues and concerns, and performing corrective measures when necessary. An associate sales representative often has a quota and deadline to reach; therefore, it is essential to be sales driven and goal-oriented. Furthermore, one must adhere to the policies and regulations of the company.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an inside sales associate are more likely to require skills like "inside sales," "data entry," "phone calls," and "plumbing." On the other hand, a job as an associate sales representative requires skills like "patients," "excellent interpersonal," "sales techniques," and "powerpoint." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Associate sales representatives really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $56,246. Comparatively, inside sales associates tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $47,342.The education levels that associate sales representatives earn slightly differ from inside sales associates. In particular, associate sales representatives are 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an inside sales associate. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Inside sales associate vs. Sales development representative
A sales development representative qualifies leads at the sales funnel's initial stages. Sales development representatives need to conduct research for prospective clients and qualify the leads before handing them to the sales team. They develop sales strategies to attract buyers or solicit potential customers. They need to build relationships with their customers to determine their needs and qualify the viability of interests to drive sales. Also, they collaborate with the sales executives making certain that corporate targets and goals are met.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that inside sales associate responsibilities requires skills like "inside sales," "strong customer service," "sales floor," and "data entry." But a sales development representative might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "sdr," "customer service," "account executives," and "linkedin."
Sales development representatives earn a higher average salary than inside sales associates. But sales development representatives earn the highest pay in the start-up industry, with an average salary of $54,512. Additionally, inside sales associates earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $47,342 annually.In general, sales development representatives achieve similar levels of education than inside sales associates. They're 0.2% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Inside sales associate vs. Sales internship
Sales internship is a program that requires work in the business and sales development. Sales interns work as assistants to managers and senior staff. Their duties and responsibilities are administrative. They do research, send emails, update records, and make calls. It is their job to maintain good client relationships. They observe the process and other details related to sales. Also, they help in identifying and tracking sales leads, evaluating success, and generating sales reports.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from inside sales associate resumes include skills like "inside sales," "strong customer service," "data entry," and "phone calls," whereas a sales internship is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "sales intern," "powerpoint," and "client relationships. "
Sales interns earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $36,889. Comparatively, inside sales associates have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $47,342.Most sales interns achieve a similar degree level compared to inside sales associates. For example, they're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Inside sales associate vs. Sales consultant
Sales consultants are employees who work in the sales department of a company. They are usually more skilled than usual sales employees. As such, they are usually given more complicated products or services to sell because they will be able to explain the product or service to the customers better. Sales consultants have in-depth knowledge of the offerings of the company. They talk to customers, understand what the customers need, and match the customers' needs with company products that can address the needs. They should also be updated on trends in the market and what is currently popular with the masses.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between inside sales associates and sales consultants, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an inside sales associate might have more use for skills like "inside sales," "sales associates," "strong customer service," and "data entry." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of sales consultants require skills like "cross-selling," "customer service," "customer loyalty," and "java. "
In general, sales consultants earn the most working in the finance industry, with an average salary of $68,120. The highest-paying industry for an inside sales associate is the health care industry.sales consultants reach similar levels of education compared to inside sales associates, in general. The difference is that they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of inside sales associate
Updated January 8, 2025
