What does a sales operations specialist do?

The sales operation specialist is the one who is responsible for making certain that the company's sales are efficient and effective. They gather and evaluate sales data for a company. The results are compared with business plans and previous forecasts to find out if goals were achieved. These specialists are also responsible for creating forecasts about upcoming sales data. Also, they make contracts that fulfill both customer and company needs. Skills required for a sales operations specialist include negotiation, good communication skills, analytical, and strong leadership skills.
Sales operations specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real sales operations specialist resumes:
- Manage and maintain SalesForce to implement and adjust as needed per sales team requirements.
- Master delivering technical product information to doctors on training and teaching proper injection technique to achieve optimal results for patients.
- Audit and execute contracts, banking documentation, in SalesForce to support creation of permanent client profile in PeopleSoft.
- Project management of CRM migration and implementation activities as required.
- Lead effort to redesign Microsoft CRM functionality and increase utilization.
- Master delivering technical product information to doctors on training and teaching proper injection technique to achieve optimal results for patients.
- Provide quotes to OEM customers and third party vendors for new and repeat business using company sales database.
- Create and implement profitability (ROI, QQ, etc . )
- Authore company's RMA protocol.
- Work directly with shipping and receiving, process all RMA items and warranty machines.
- Assign territory includes both international and domestic OEM accounts and distribution.
Sales operations specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Sales Operations Specialists are proficient in Sales Operations, CRM, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Physical stamina, Self-confidence, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Sales Operations Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Sales Operations, 12%
Traveled to various Manufacturing and Distribution facilities for off-site meetings involving projects related to the Sales Operations department.
- CRM, 11%
Managed CRM software, worked with management to create effective measurement strategies, and supervisor of program inefficiencies.
- Customer Service, 10%
Performed inventory management, including inventory review, forecasting and analysis of manufacturing schedule to insure customer service and inventory levels.
- Salesforce, 9%
Audited and executed contracts, banking documentation, in SalesForce to support creation of permanent client profile in PeopleSoft.
- Product Knowledge, 4%
Participated in pilot initiatives and product education classes to improve the customer experience and further product knowledge.
- Sales Support, 3%
Participated effectively in a variety of sales support activities with customers, vendors and affiliates.
"sales operations," "crm," and "customer service" are among the most common skills that sales operations specialists use at work. You can find even more sales operations specialist responsibilities below, including:
Physical stamina. One of the key soft skills for a sales operations specialist to have is physical stamina. You can see how this relates to what sales operations specialists do because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives are often on their feet for a long time and may carry heavy sample products." Additionally, a sales operations specialist resume shows how sales operations specialists use physical stamina: "support physical inventory of warehouse data entry. "
Self-confidence. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling sales operations specialist duties is self-confidence. The role rewards competence in this skill because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations." According to a sales operations specialist resume, here's how sales operations specialists can utilize self-confidence in their job responsibilities: "order entry billingo confidentiality with personal information (ssn, credit cards, etc. "
Customer-service skills. sales operations specialists are also known for customer-service skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to sales operations specialist responsibilities, because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to listen to the customer’s needs and concerns before and after the sale." A sales operations specialist resume example shows how customer-service skills is used in the workplace: "communicated and resolved any discrepancies with sales reps or higher management quickly so customer orders would stay on schedule. "
Interpersonal skills. For certain sales operations specialist responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "interpersonal skills." The day-to-day duties of a sales operations specialist rely on this skill, as "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to work well with many types of people." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what sales operations specialists do: "provided a high level of customer service based on outstanding communication and interpersonal skills. "
The three companies that hire the most sales operations specialists are:
- RELX17 sales operations specialists jobs
- Bunzl Distribution12 sales operations specialists jobs
- Spectrum8 sales operations specialists jobs
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Sales operations specialist vs. Inside sales coordinator
An inside sales coordinator is primarily in charge of overseeing a company's inside sales operations, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction. Their responsibilities include managing schedules and objectives, organizing meetings and discussions, performing research and analysis to identify new business opportunities, implementing solutions on problem areas, and maintaining an active communication line within different teams. Furthermore, as an inside sales coordinator, it is essential to monitor the progress of sales and develop strategies to build positive relationships with clients, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a sales operations specialist are more likely to require skills like "sales operations," "work ethic," "excellent interpersonal," and "data entry." On the other hand, a job as an inside sales coordinator requires skills like "outbound calls," "counter sales," "phone calls," and "purchase orders." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that inside sales coordinators earn slightly differ from sales operations specialists. In particular, inside sales coordinators are 2.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a sales operations specialist. Additionally, they're 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sales operations specialist 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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, sales operations specialist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "sales operations," "salesforce," "data entry," and "strong analytical." Meanwhile, an associate sales representative has duties that require skills in areas such as "patients," "excellent organizational," "sales techniques," and "customer satisfaction." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Associate sales representatives earn similar levels of education than sales operations specialists in general. They're 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sales operations specialist vs. Business sales associate
A business sales associate's primary goal is to secure sales and reach sales targets. To make this possible, a business sales associate conducts market research and analyses to identify new business and client opportunities, generates leads, and develops sales strategies. They usually reach out to potential clients or representatives through calls or correspondence, arrange appointments, discuss product or service specifications, organize payment plans, and negotiate contracts, building positive business relationships along the way. Moreover, they produce progress reports and coordinate with managers regularly.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a sales operations specialist is likely to be skilled in "sales operations," "salesforce," "sales support," and "work ethic," while a typical business sales associate is skilled in "business sales," "customer satisfaction," "customer support," and "sales quota."
When it comes to education, business sales associates tend to earn similar degree levels compared to sales operations specialists. In fact, they're 0.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Sales operations specialist vs. Inside sales representative
An inside sales representative is responsible for selling services and products to clients, driving the company's revenues and increase sales profitability. Duties of an inside sales representative include developing strategic sales pitches, responding to customer's inquiries and requests, offering promotional products and discounts, researching potential clients, creating sales reports, and managing customer's possible complaints. An inside sales representative also provides strategic solutions to share with the sales team to improve their sales performance. Inside sales representatives must have excellent communication and negotiation skills to deal with customers' needs.
Updated January 8, 2025











