What is an inside sales manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Bill Thorne

An inside sales manager is an individual who oversees a team of sales representatives who sell products or services via phone, email, or online communication. They are responsible for setting sales goals, developing sales strategies, and training their team to meet those targets. They collaborate with other departments to ensure the sales process runs smoothly and efficiently. They possess excellent communication skills, leadership qualities, and a deep understanding of the products or services they are selling.

What general advice would you give to an inside sales manager?

Bill Thorne

Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation

Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the country, directly employing 32 million people and supporting 52 million jobs overall - roughly one-quarter of the U.S. workforce. While COVID-19 has presented new and unexpected challenges, retailers have continued to showcase the industry's resilience and adaptability time and again. The safety and security of customers and employees remains our greatest priority. It is no doubt that the professional environment has changed this year, but retail continues to offer a plethora of career opportunities for graduates and seasoned veterans alike.

ScoreInside Sales ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $78,425

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 4.07%

Black or African American 3.24%

Hispanic or Latino 9.82%

Unknown 4.41%

White 78.23%

Gender

female 36.67%

male 63.33%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an inside sales manager?

Pros

Competitive salary and bonus structure
Opportunities for career advancement
Opportunity to lead and motivate a team
High level of job satisfaction from achieving sales goals
Exposure to new technologies and sales tools

Cons

High pressure to meet sales targets
Long hours and high stress
Constantly changing sales strategies and goals
Lack of work-life balance during peak sales seasons
Limited ability to make strategic decisions without approval from upper management

Key steps to become an inside sales manager

Explore inside sales manager education requirements

Most common inside sales manager degrees

Bachelor's

69.3 %

Associate

15.9 %

Master's

5.9 %

Start to develop specific inside sales manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	13.11%
CRM	9.70%
Salesforce	6.43%
Customer Satisfaction	4.89%
Product Knowledge	4.55%

Complete relevant inside sales manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New inside sales managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an inside sales manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real inside sales manager resumes.

Research inside sales manager duties and responsibilities

Implement and enforce SalesForce usage for entering leads and using the system through the customer sales cycle.
Achieve proficiency in all aspects of international business from documentation to freight logistics to pricing negotiations.
Leverage other sales office resources and administrative/support staff to achieve personal and team relate revenue goals.
Account management of detail information into CRM regarding all sales call activity and new business initiatives.

Prepare your inside sales manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your inside sales manager resume.

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