How to hire for Inside Sales?

Summary:

Inside Sales Executives interact with potential and existing customers through emails, telephone calls, and live website chats to persuade them to purchase companies’ products and services. They generate qualified leads, create suitable quotes, and process purchase orders.

Standard Job Description:

Unlike outside sales personnel, inside salespeople traditionally do not travel. Despite this, they are still proactive about contacting potential customers and may engage in cold calling. However, a company may also designate incoming calls from prospective customers as inside
sales. In addition, a company may outsource its inside sales duties to a third party instead of conducting sales in-house.

Unlike telemarketers who read from scripts, inside sales reps are highly trained, creative people, who determine a sales strategy for selling products and services to customers. By the late 1990s or early 2000s, the term “inside sales” was being used to mark a difference between
inside and outside sales.

The Inside Sales Executive’s responsibilities include updating the CRM system on a regular basis, upselling and cross-selling to existing customers, as well as attending industry events and educational workshops as required. You should also be able to conduct research on market
trends and competitors’ products.

Sometimes inside and outside sales personnel and practices work together for greater efficiency. For example, an inside sales individual within a department may handle the legwork of creating and organizing sales appointments for outside sales personnel, otherwise known as lead generation. In some cases, inside sales personnel may be used to upsell incumbent customers by adding ancillary products or services to their order.

To be successful as an Inside Sales Executive, you should be persuasive and committed to achieving sales goals. Ultimately, a top performing
Inside Sales Executive should be able to demonstrate strong negotiation, communication, and customer service skills always.

Key Job Responsibilities:

1. Maintaining long-lasting relationships with existing customers through exceptional after-sales service.

2. Actively sourcing new sales opportunities through cold-calling and emailing.

3. Developing in-depth knowledge of product features and benefits.

4. Utilizing virtual meetings to build relationships with new customers.

5. Processing customers’ purchase orders and liaising with the logistics department to ensure the timely delivery of ordered products.

6. Advising customers on suitable product selection based on their needs and specifications.

7. Creating a sales pipeline to accurately reflect the relative placement of sales prospects in the purchasing process.

8. Following up on sales inquiries that are made by potential customers through website chats, emails, and inbound calls.

9. Setting up face-to-face meetings between potential customers and Outside Sales Representatives.

Ideal Candidate:

1. Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.

2. Proven sales experience.

3. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

4. Excellent negotiation and consultative sales skills.

5. Effective communication skills.

6. Exceptional customer service skills.

Desired Education:

1. High school diploma or GED.

2. Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Management, Marketing, or related field is preferred.

Certifications Associated:

1. Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP)

2. Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP)

3. Certified Sales Leadership Professional (CSLP)

4. HubSpot Inbound Sales Certification

5. RISE Up Sales Certification

Key Skills:

Business Development, Key Account Management, Market Penetration, Channel Management, Distribution Management, Revenue Generation, Channel Sales, Brand Management, Sales Promotion, Market Analysis, Solution Selling, Accounts Manager, Sales Strategy, Market Research, Lead Management.

Common Positions:

1. Inbound Sales Representative

2. Lead Development Representative

3. Lead Response Representative

4. Market Response Representative

5. Sales Development Representative

6. Account Development Representative/Executive

7. Sales Executive

8. Inside Sales Representative

9. Customer Success Representative/ Manager/Executive

10. Account Manager/Representative

Screening Questions/Assessment Parameters:

https://resources.workable.com/inside-sales-representative-interview-questions

Basic Terminologies:

1. FAB. An acronym for “features, advantages, and benefits.” Sales reps use this three-part structure to communicate the value of their product or service.

2. Positioning. Showcasing endeavors planned for characterizing an item or organization in the customer’s psyche.

3. Segment. A bit of a group of people that is focused to get a showcasing effort. You can section dependent on numerous elements including topography, segment, age, sexual orientation, industry, purchaser development and purchaser movement stage.

4. Value Proposition. The useful, passionate, and self-expressive advantages conveyed by item, administration, or brand, that offer some incentive to the client, and the justification for settling on one brand decision over another.

5. Side selling. Selling a complementary product or service to a prospect who is using a competitor for your main product.

6. Smile and dial. Cold-calling with a cheerful, positive tone of voice—and yes, a smile.

7. Top of the funnel (TOFU). The start of the buying process.

8. Bottom of the funnel (BOFU). When a prospect enters the bottom of the sales funnel, they’re nearing the point where they will make a purchase. In other words, they have made it through higher-funnel stages like qualification, and they’re ready to be closed.

9. Emotional sale. A selling method that attempts to appeal to a buyer’s emotions, either by generating desire and excitement around the product’s benefits, or evoking negative emotions like fear and frustration—pain points that your product or service can alleviate.

10. Prospect. A potential client who you have focused on. Not yet a Lead.

Industry Jargons:

1. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR). The amount of revenue generated each month from subscriptions to your product or service. Understanding MRR provides you with a more comprehensive understanding of your business’ health and growth trajectory.

2. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). Also known as user lifetime value (LTV), CLV represents the total value of a customer over their lifetime with your company. CLV is influenced by the length of the customer lifecycle, your customer retention rate, churn rate, and average profit margins
per customer.

3. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). The cost of acquiring a new customer.

4. Weighted Sales Pipeline. A more in-depth type of the pipeline, in which opportunities in each stage are assigned a value based on how likely they are to close.

5. Net Promoter Score (NPS). A 10-point rating system that allows you to measure your customers’ happiness, loyalty, and odds of referring new customers to your business.

6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System. Software that streamlines customer relationship management by automating repetitive
tasks and tracking customer data.

7. BANT Framework. A system created by IBM to determine how likely a lead is to become a customer. This framework looks at four factors that influence purchasing decisions: budget, authority, need, and timeline.

8. Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL). A prospect that has shown interest in your business or products.

9. Sales Qualified Lead (SQL). A prospective customer that has demonstrated intent to buy.

10. Sales Pipeline. A visual approach to managing your sales process. A sales pipeline reveals where each of your leads are in the buyer’s journey and helps you visualize how many ongoing opportunities you have. A typical sales pipeline has 4-6 stages, which often include: Initial Contact, Qualification, Meeting / Demoing, Proposal / Negotiation, Close.

Benchmark Profile:

Benchmark Profile on LinkedIn (1)

Benchmark Profile on LinkedIn (2)

Benchmark Profile on LinkedIn (3)

Benchmark Profile on RMS(1)

Benchmark Profile on RMS(2)

Benchmark Profile on RMS(3)

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