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Inside sales specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

6 min read

Quoted experts

Jonathan Byers,

Anthony McMullen

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical inside sales specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for inside sales specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 12.6% of inside sales specialist resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an inside sales specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 inside sales specialist 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 specialists use customer service:

Collaborated with technical service engineers and customer field installers to leverage internal resources for streamlined implementations and superior customer service.
Optimized face-to-face contact with homeowners and contractors to deliver exceptional customer service and product knowledge associated with their current project.

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 specialists use crm:

Revised and updated CRM database to ensure accurate customer information.
Maintained and updated assigned territory through SalesLogix CRM program.

3. Sales Process

Here's how inside sales specialists use sales process:

Demonstrated the ability to manage prospects, evaluate, follow up, and close the deal all throughout the sales process.
Assist with development of Inside Sales process and procedures in a start up roll of a growing private company.

4. Work Ethic

Here's how inside sales specialists use work ethic:

Allowed to work remotely because of consistent results and work ethic.
Utilized interpersonal communication skills and professional work ethic to deliver high quality sales.

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 specialists use product knowledge:

Provided customers with comprehensive product knowledge in order to bring about total customer satisfaction.
Maintained Technical proficiency and product knowledge by product training.

6. Outbound Calls

An outbound call is made by the call center representative to the customers on behalf of the company. Such calls help increase sales and generate revenue for the organization.

Here's how inside sales specialists use outbound calls:

Provided outside sales representatives with qualified customer lead/contact information generated from outbound calls.
Initiated outbound calls to more than 800 business customers for sales generation of Voice, Data, and Integrated Solutions Products.

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7. Customer Satisfaction

Here's how inside sales specialists use customer satisfaction:

Maintained an owner follow up system that encouraged repeat and referral business and contributed to customer satisfaction.
Apply expedite fees and other provisions where needed for maximum customer satisfaction and profitability.

8. Strong Work Ethic

Here's how inside sales specialists use strong work ethic:

Surpassed quota by a 145% for seven consecutive months; mentor trainees and establish strong work ethic

9. 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 specialists use salesforce:

Used SalesForce and Microsoft Excel daily.
Specialized in lead generation for new clients while utilizing the electronic system Salesforce.com.

10. Cold Calls

Cold calling is a kind of business solicitation from customers who didn't express interest in their product and services before. In this technique, a salesman conducts a call with potential customers with whom they haven't had a prior interaction. Cold calling can include phone calls or telemarketing. However, in-person visits like door-to-door marketing are also a type of cold calling

Here's how inside sales specialists use cold calls:

Expand existing account base by positively identifying potential customers through cold calling and referrals.
Lead development, cold calling, reservations and promotion of tours from inception to completion of all scheduled tours.

11. Healthcare

Healthcare is the maintenance or improvement of a person's health by the diagnosis and treatment of a person's injury, illness, or any other disease. Healthcare is a basic necessity of human life and is the responsibility of the country's government to ensure that each person gets healthcare. Providing healthcare is the job of certified health professionals that includes doctors, surgeons, nurses, and other physicians. Pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, dentistry, therapy, and health training all come under healthcare. Healthcare plays a vital role in the country's economy and its development.

Here's how inside sales specialists use healthcare:

Identified and developed business relationships with primary care physicians and healthcare providers.
Developed all activities that generated business for healthcare.

12. 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 specialists use business development:

Coordinate and managing new business development initiatives working in conjunction with Account Managers, Administrative personnel and management.
Supported Business Development Directors by negotiating new agreements and discount structures of existing customers.

13. Digital Marketing

Here's how inside sales specialists use digital marketing:

Collaborated with local businesses to establish brand awareness and generate ROI through digital marketing campaigns.
Communicate with digital marketing team to provide new marketing/promotional strategies based on clients' needs and interests.

14. Phone Calls

Phone calls are a wireless or wired connection made over a telephone or a mobile phone between two people. Two parties are involved in a phone call, the caller and the receiver. A caller dials the number of the one he wants to call, and the recipient hears a bell or a tune to which he picks up the call. The call establishes a connection between them through which they can communicate. The voice is converted into signals and is transmitted through wired or wireless technology.

Here's how inside sales specialists use phone calls:

Sell strategic communication solutions to commercial customers through inbound customer telephone calls and/or in response to sales leads (web-leads).
Connected with prospective and existing clients through support systems, phone calls, email, web-based inquiries, and instant chat.

15. Excellent Organizational

Here's how inside sales specialists use excellent organizational:

Utilized excellent organizational, project coordination, time management, and communication skills.
Self-motivated, adaptable and have excellent organizational, communication and planning skills.

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What skills help Inside Sales Specialists 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 specialist resumes?

Jonathan Byers

Assistant Director, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

- Professional skills related to career development competencies such as strong oral & written communication, teamwork & collaboration, leadership, problem-solving ability & creativity, and professional integrity, but we recommend that applicants do not just list these skills. They should provide evidence of how they have used them in their work experience, volunteer experience, academic experience, etc.
-The ability to use technology effectively to solve problems or improve collaboration; this could relate to social media management, computer hardware or software skills, proficiency with general programs like Microsoft Office Suite (also being able to demonstrate the use of these skills in various experiences).
-With diversity, equity, and inclusion becoming more important in 2020, the ability to appreciate different points of view, accept and appreciate different cultural backgrounds & types of identities, and increased awareness of one's own cultural biases and assumptions can also be important to market on a resume.

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

Anthony McMullen

Associate Professor of Business Law and Director of Forensics, v, University of Central Arkansas

Generally, the most valuable hard skills are going to depend on your field. So, it is hard to identify a specific "hard skill" that is most important. The current "buzz words" in business education is data analytics, or the ability to use tools to analyze and present data. Our society is increasingly data-driven. How do people wade through all of this information and provide something useful? Those who can do this well will have the upper hand.

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

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

This pandemic taught us many things and one important thing that we have an efficiency gap.

The way of doing business will be much more technology orientated. Hence graduates should be ready to unskill and upskill their credentials. This time it is necessary to forget the old way of doing business and learn new skills to get a job or stay in a current job. Soft skills have become much more important than before, but a different soft skill set would be essential to interact with future market participants. Thus, a gap year should be utilized to unskill-upskill and enhance relevant credentials by getting into short-long term programs, training, and workshops would be highly recommended.

What type of skills will young inside sales specialists need?

Argie Hernandez

Division Advisor, New Mexico State University

-Problem Solving
-Computer skills
-Writing and Communication
-Critical Thinking
-Team Player (very important)

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

Dr. Matteo Cantarello Ph.D.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies, William & Mary

Programming has become an asset within the humanities, too. Even though hires of digital humanists are still limited in number (at least within my discipline), they are probably destined to increase in the near future. Also, flexibility and versatility with respect to teaching are also highly marketable. Any candidate who has experience with in-person, hybrid, and online courses and who has degrees, titles, and certificates that demonstrate that is extremely appreciated on the academic job market.

What soft skills should all inside sales specialists possess?

John Cicala Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Digital Marketing, University of North Alabama

The ability to write for reading and not to write as if they are simply transcribing an internal conversation with the paper or whatever media is being used to communicate. They should also possess the ability to interact and to converse with others in person and to actively listen.

Do you want to know more?

List of inside sales specialist skills to add to your resume

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

Customer Service
CRM
Sales Process
Work Ethic
Product Knowledge
Outbound Calls
Customer Satisfaction
Strong Work Ethic
Salesforce
Cold Calls
Healthcare
Business Development
Digital Marketing
Phone Calls
Excellent Organizational
PowerPoint

Customer Relationships
Customer Inquiries
Distributors
Strong Customer Service
Sales Orders
Lead Generation
Excellent Interpersonal
Inbound Calls
Sales Support
Technical Assistance
PET
Outbound Sales
Customer Support
Account Management
Cross-Selling
Data Entry

Sales Pipeline
Order Entry
Upselling
Lead Management
Trade Shows
Sales Reps
Sales Quota
Marketing Campaigns
Sales Cycle
Math
Technical Support
Product Line
Telemarketing
Gross Margin
Customer Accounts
Sales Revenue

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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