How to hire an inside sales executive

How to hire an inside sales executive, step by step

Here's a step-by-step inside sales executive 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 executive job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new inside sales executive
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an inside sales executive do?

Post an inside sales executive job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an inside sales executive, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An inside sales executive's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, inside sales executives from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of inside sales executive salaries for various roles:

   Type of Inside Sales Executive	Description	Hourly rate
   Inside Sales Executive	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.	$24-56
   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... Show more	$16-37
   Sales/Account Representative	A sales account representative is responsible for managing and responding promptly to customer complaints and queries of clients. They focus on customer concerns and contact prospects... Show more	$18-38

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Outbound Sales
   • Healthcare
   • Outbound Calls
   • Digital Marketing
   • Lead Generation
   • Sales Process
   • Business Development
   • Cold Calls
   • Account Management
   • Customer Issues
   • Inbound Calls
   • Cloud
   • Sales Strategies

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage individual sales activities by developing highly effective, communications focuse relationship with multiple sales channels.
   • Operate as inside sales consultant, primarily in areas of customer relations, sales/service support, coordinating production and transportation scheduling
   • Train new hire on SFDC and help him with messaging and solution description.
   • Master and utilize all sales relate tools including SFDC, SalesLoft, ZoomInfo, InsideView, and Engagio.
   • Present ADT security systems presentations to those businesses by reviewing their needs for security.

   More inside sales executive duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the inside sales executive job description is a good way to get more applicants. An inside sales executive salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an inside sales executive in Michigan may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level inside sales executive. Additionally, an inside sales executive with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average inside sales executive salary

   $77,590yearly

   $37.30 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level inside sales executive salary

   $51,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average inside sales executive salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$95,580	$46
   2	Delaware	$95,018	$46
   3	New York	$94,673	$46
   4	Texas	$86,979	$42
   5	Massachusetts	$86,952	$42
   6	Louisiana	$86,179	$41
   7	Florida	$85,474	$41
   8	Arizona	$83,362	$40
   9	Kentucky	$83,197	$40
   10	Connecticut	$81,407	$39
   11	Missouri	$81,336	$39
   12	District of Columbia	$79,043	$38
   13	Washington	$78,849	$38
   14	Nevada	$78,680	$38
   15	Arkansas	$78,057	$38
   16	Alabama	$77,200	$37
   17	New Hampshire	$77,171	$37
   18	Pennsylvania	$76,975	$37
   19	Mississippi	$76,305	$37
   20	North Dakota	$75,564	$36

   Average inside sales executive salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amd	$102,621	$49.34	5
   2	Cambium Learning Group	$96,968	$46.62	5
   3	DTCC	$95,902	$46.11	9
   4	Library Systems & Services	$90,589	$43.55
   5	MultiLing	$90,557	$43.54	1
   6	Dotdash	$90,395	$43.46
   7	Vonage	$89,950	$43.25	1
   8	Ocrolus	$86,327	$41.50	2
   9	FloWater	$86,327	$41.50	6
   10	SMB Partners	$86,327	$41.50	2
   11	Rain For Rent	$86,327	$41.50	29
   12	The Independent Traveler	$86,284	$41.48	59
   13	BlackRock	$86,175	$41.43	3
   14	AmerisourceBergen	$85,441	$41.08
   15	Hunton Group	$85,193	$40.96	14
   16	VantagePoint HealthCare Advisors	$84,905	$40.82
   17	Allscripts	$84,900	$40.82
   18	1 800 Postcards, Inc.	$84,607	$40.68
   19	AdvanTech	$83,510	$40.15	10
   20	MedPro Disposal	$82,145	$39.49	5

4. Writing an inside sales executive job description

   A job description for an inside sales executive role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an inside sales executive job description:

   Inside sales executive job description example

   Marco?s Pizza store crews are like families. To maintain that environment, we hire new Teammates for their values, character, and attitude, and then train the skills they need to become a productive and highly engaged member of the family. Why do we place such high importance on values and character? Because our culture of accountability and operational excellence demands it. At Marco?s Pizza, we expect each member of the team to habitually See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It!
   
   Our Insiders (Pizza Makers) are the key to making the premium quality pizzas, subs, CheezyBread, etc that Marco?s Pizza is known for and that our Guests expect. Insiders work multiple stations within our stores, from Dough Stretching, to Saucing and Cheesing, to the Cut Table, and even the cash registers and phones, where they directly interact with our valued Guests. Friendliness, persistent smiling, and loving what they do are critical qualities of Marco?s Pizza Insiders.
   
   If being part of this kind of a values-based, close-knit family environment interests you, then continue reading and consider applying for an ?Insider? (Pizza Maker) position within the Marco?s Pizza family.
   Knowledge:
   
   Successful applicants must be knowledgeable in the concepts of:
   
   Personal responsibility and accountability
   Teamwork
   Pride (in both self and team)
   Hospitality, and what it means to delight Guests
   Self-motivation and initiative
   Integrity, Trust, and Honor
   Skills:
   
   Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate:
   
   A strong work ethic that showcases personal responsibility, accountability, hospitality, self-motivation, initiative, integrity, and moral behavior
   The ability to work as part of a purpose-driven, highly engaged team dedicated to providing Marco's Pizza Guests with a Five-Star Experience
   Pride in personal appearance, pride in the team, and pride in its products and service
   Sincerity in providing Guest Delight
   The ability to follow verbal and written instructions
   Basic mathematical skills, which include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
   The ability to tactfully and effectively communicate with supervisors, Team Mates, and Guests, both verbally and in writing
   The ability to effectively work in often high tempo, stressful environments demanding attention to detail
   Attributes/Abilities/Attitudes:
   
   Successful applicants must possess the following attributes:
   
   Enjoys serving Guests at a Five-Star level of service and hospitality
   Able to work flexible schedules
   Tact, courtesy, and respectfulness
   Consistently gives total effort and demonstrates initiative
   Maturity
   Comfortable with using technology and restaurant equipment
   Safety consciousness and a willingness to stop unsafe acts
   Handles high operational tempos and stress in a professional and courteous way
   Aligns personal actions and attitudes to support the Marco's Pizza team and to delight our Guests
   Must be able to adopt the Marco's Cultural Beliefs and then consistently demonstrate them

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find inside sales executives for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your inside sales executive job on Zippia to find and attract quality inside sales executive candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit inside sales executives, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 executive

   Once you have selected a candidate for the inside sales executive position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new inside sales executive 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an inside sales executive?