Inside Sales Representative

Summary

The Inside Sales Representative gathers data and actively listens to prospective and existing clients by using consultative methods to fully understand their business, uncover their problems, and identify impact areas. The daily functions include prospecting, qualifying, disqualifying, and selling products across multiple applications to prospective and current customers across the region. These customers are distributors and resellers only. The markets they serve vary greatly but are mainly chemical, oilfield, petrochemical, pulp and paper, refining, power, and water treatment industries. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Customer Base Management

• Engage in cold-call prospecting with current customers to nurture client relationships and to create new opportunities.
• Follow up with customers to determine the status of open quotes and report findings to the Vice President, Northeast & Midwest.
• Reply to quotes promptly and enter in P21 software for accurate tracking.
• Expedite orders and ensure the customer’s quoted date is met.
• Address and resolve any customer issues and complaints promptly and notify management and/or Outside Sales Rep. if circumstances escalate.
• Research customer demographics and keep management informed of customer needs, buying trends, and market conditions.
• Process cancellations or changes in sales orders appropriately and communicate to related departments as required.
• Interface with Shipping and Vendors to ensure delivery commitment to clients is met.
• Communicate and help resolve payment and credit issues with the Accounts Receivable team if needed.
• Update customer contact information in P21’s Contact Management System.
• Participate in the “On Call” Rotation (this includes lunch hour, after hours, and weekends).
• Ask probing and discovering questions when receiving a quote from a customer to ensure the best options to receive an order are presented.

Business Creation & Growth

• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of qualified sales opportunities.
• Identify and close inside sales (ex. Up-selling) opportunities with existing customers to achieve assigned objectives while ensuring regular and effective communication.
• Continuously identify and develop opportunities utilizing inbound/outbound calls for customer development and revenue growth.
• Collaborate with Vice President, Northeast & Midwest to determine essential strategic approaches for sales.
• Attend sales meetings concerning sales targets or forecasts, skill building, and professional development meetings.
• Participate in ad-hoc sales campaigns and programs to help generate new prospects/opportunities.

Additional Responsibilities

• Assist other co-workers as needed
• Record all missed opportunities and submit them to the Vice President, Northeast & Midwest.
• Delegate order entry, sourcing, filing, and expediting to the Sales Assistant, clearly communicating urgency when needed.
• Must be able to begin working promptly at 7:45 AM and stay after 5:00 P.M. as needed until promised quotes/orders are completed.
• This role requires occasional travel to gain outside sales experience once the training for the Inside Sales role has been completed.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Energetic, self-starter with the ability to adapt to change in a highly dynamic work environment
• Outstanding written and verbal communication, presentation, and time management skills
• Microsoft Office proficiency
• Ability to maintain a high level of activity, manage multiple competing priorities, and work effectively in a results-driven culture
• Ability to initiate, establish, and nurture meaningful business relationships over the phone.
• Develop strong product/price knowledge as well as customer knowledge.
• Strong ability to sell and be persuasive over the phone.

Education and Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED required
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or related field a plus
• 3-5 years inside sales experience - preferably in pipe, valve, steel, or fitting