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Inside sales manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.,

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical inside sales manager skills. We ranked the top skills for inside sales managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 13.1% of inside sales manager resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an inside sales manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 inside sales manager skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how inside sales managers use customer service:

Maximize profitability through superior customer service, effective and prompt communication and follow-ups on all pending matters with the customer.
Started with company as a Senior Customer Service/Inside Sales representative and was promoted to Manager of their paper manufacturing facility.

2. CRM

CRM stands for Customer relationship management and it is a complete process through which a business or organization monitors and administers its interactions with the customers. A process in which large amounts of data are collected through marketing via a company's website, polls, surveys, and other social media applications. The basic goal of CRM is to target the right audience for their product, and then fulfill their needs, to increase the sales and revenue of the company.

Here's how inside sales managers use crm:

Coached to successful usage of internally developed CRM application, ensuring successful capture of customer information and sales and activity metrics.
Account management of detailed information into CRM regarding all sales call activity and new business initiatives.

3. Salesforce

Salesforce is an American cloud-based software company based in San Francisco, California. This company provides customer relationship management services that enable the customers to be closer to the company. It gives the company detailed information about each customer, including marketing, sales, commerce, and services. Salesforce also helps market a product to attract more buyers, and helps win more customers by targeting the right audience.

Here's how inside sales managers use salesforce:

Changed over database system from SalesForce to NetSuite became administrator.
Trained numerous new hires in product, sales pitch, SalesForce, lead generation, and market expansion

4. Customer Satisfaction

Here's how inside sales managers use customer satisfaction:

Introduced new processes, procedures and systems, and led an aggressive cross-training effort that significantly improved efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Collaborated with Marketing, Product Management, Regional Sales Managers and Directors to address and facilitate resolutions for customer satisfaction and growth

5. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how inside sales managers use product knowledge:

Utilized product knowledge expertise to overcome customer objections in sales training.
Coordinated and attended trade shows demonstrating product knowledge and usability.

6. Sales Process

Here's how inside sales managers use sales process:

Organized and developed highly motivated and successful inside sales team through implementation of effective sales processes and metrics.
Re-engineered sales processes by integrating call cues with direct marketing campaign frameworks and market collaboration selling tools.

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7. Excellent Interpersonal

Here's how inside sales managers use excellent interpersonal:

Organized and committed to reaching goals, demonstrate strong closing skills, excellent interpersonal communication skill.
Possess excellent interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills.

8. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how inside sales managers use business development:

Lead marketing and business development activities for Global Buildings division by supporting building design and program/construction management opportunities.
Report directly to managing broker with weekly updates on lead generation, agent productivity and business development.

9. Work Ethic

Here's how inside sales managers use work ethic:

Selected to this position due to success, work ethic, and self-motivation.
Managed own business by successfully understanding the importance of high quality customer service relationships and a solid work ethic.

10. Sales Reps

Here's how inside sales managers use sales reps:

Facilitated daily performance reviews with internal sales reps.
Supervised 4 customer service/inside sales reps.

11. Sales Professionals

Here's how inside sales managers use sales professionals:

Recruited and hired sales professionals based on competency, experience, and market area compatibility.
Developed and coordinated customer on-site visits for Outside Sales Professionals and Manufacturer Representatives.

12. Sales Targets

Here's how inside sales managers use sales targets:

Provide mentoring and motivational leadership while ensuring successful execution of productivity and sales targets.
Developed daily, weekly and monthly sales targets to ensure peak sales performance to meet and or exceed company set goals.

13. Direct Reports

Here's how inside sales managers use direct reports:

Created and implemented Professional Development Program to provide direct reports with structure and guidance where none previously existed.
Build teamwork with direct reports by communicating information and ensure understanding.

14. Lead Generation

Here's how inside sales managers use lead generation:

Developed and managed reporting structure to executive management for all performance metrics of lead generation.
Implemented productivity metrics to effectively track individual and departmental lead generation and sales efforts.

15. Sales Strategies

Here's how inside sales managers use sales strategies:

Motivated tenured group of agents through communicating new sales strategies and realigning their business models to achieve organization objectives.
Developed sales strategies aligned with seasonal objectives and revenue targets.

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What skills help Inside Sales Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on inside sales manager resumes?

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.

Director, Western Oregon University

The skills that stand out on resumes fall into two categories: 1) Skills required to do the job and 2) Skills almost all employers look for. The most important aspect of resumes is to make sure it reflects exactly what the employer needs. Study the job description, identify key skills, and have them reflected on your resume. Think about transferrable skills, not the specific roles you've had.

Most employers look for skills such as communication (written/oral), flexibility, proactivity, problem-solving, project management, and technical. Make sure to cultivate those skills in whatever role you have, and have examples that demonstrate those skills.

What soft skills should all inside sales managers possess?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

Since sales professionals have a lot of information available to them today via customer relationship management (CRM) systems, the sales manager's "supervisory" role is less important (especially for experienced sellers). Consequently, the sales manager needs to be more of a coach and enabler of high performance. Having confidence balanced with humility allows the sales manager to engage more effectively with their salespeople.
One of the critical soft skills for sales managers going forward will be the ability to connect members of the sales team to others in the organization - in other words, the sales manager of the future needs to have strong skills in network building for others. Sellers have access to data which helps them build success.
They also need access to the right people to turn to when they need specific expertise or assistance.

What hard/technical skills are most important for inside sales managers?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

One of the growing technical skill requirements for sales managers is in the area of data analytics. Our performance and customer systems provide a myriad of data, and the role of the sales manager is to be a sense-maker of that mound of data. What are the implications for changes in strategy or behavior evident in last quarter's activity? How can the sales manager help a specific seller "see" where the data suggest new approaches?

What inside sales manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kerri Orders

Assistant Professor of Business, Aquinas College

In terms of a gap year, I recommend that international business students acquire tangible skills, relevant experience and/or certifications which will enhance their success in their desired area of interest. For example, a gap year could consist of gaining technical or digital training overseas, which would also further the students' cultural intelligence and language proficiency. These types of enriching gap year experiences will assist students to distinguish themselves in a highly competitive market. Furthermore, students should focus on broadening and maintaining their global network during a gap year in order to be ready for the job market once the gap year is concluded.

What type of skills will young inside sales managers need?

Michael Mikitka

Executive Vice President, MHI – Material Handling Industry

Courses and internships are essential. While the required depth of knowledge may vary from one position to another, employers are generally looking for candidates with strong "people-related" skills, those who are willing to continue to learn, and those with the ability to be flexible and adapt.

By "people-related" skills, I mean the abilities associated with effective communication (listen and express ideas and direction) and the skills related to working independently and a team.

As for the interest to continually learn... from a technology, data, and equipment perspective, today's supply chain looks very different than it did 10-years ago. The willingness and ability to continually learn are essential for anyone in a leadership role.

As for flexibility and adapting...supply chain/logistics is as much about responding to disruption and demand as it is planning for it. There is a predictable demand (i.e., seasonal...everyone knows when back-to-school shopping begins). Then there is the unpredictable demand (i.e., power-outages, wildfires, pandemic) that impact market and the ability to operate. Candidates that express flexibility and problem-solving skills will be much sought-after.

What technical skills for an inside sales manager stand out to employers?

Dr. Miguel Olivas-Luján Ph.D.

Professor, Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Of course, there is variation across industries, but the long lockdown months have highlighted the need for skills that make telecommuting and work from home more efficient and effective. The ability to use not just technologies but also work habits that allow collaboration mediated by information and communication tools has only become more valuable. With this, I mean that it is important to use Zoom, Teams, Skype, and similar technologies, but even more than that, scheduling, collaboration, creative, professional-grade, and timely delivery (in the absence of face-to-face interaction) is vital. If a higher proportion of work-from-home becomes predominant (as many commentators expect), these skills are likely to differentiate high-performers from their counterparts.

Do you want to know more?

List of inside sales manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an inside sales manager resume and required skills for an inside sales manager to have include:

Customer Service
CRM
Salesforce
Customer Satisfaction
Product Knowledge
Sales Process
Excellent Interpersonal
Business Development
Work Ethic
Sales Reps
Sales Professionals
Sales Targets
Direct Reports
Lead Generation
Sales Strategies
Account Management
Sales Objectives

Sales Associates
Project Management
Saas
Sales Training
Employee Development
Outbound Calls
Sales Quota
Lead Management
Revenue Growth
Trade Shows
HR
Sales Pipeline
Performance Reviews
Sales Growth
Sales Cycle
Sales Support
Order Entry

Customer Accounts
Gross Profit
Direct Sales
Customer Support
Sales Revenue
Customer Orders
Sales Reports
Customer Complaints
Sales Orders
SMB
Call Monitoring
Order Processing
Customer Issues
Product Line
Enterprise Sales

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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