What Does An Inside Sales Associate Do?

WHAT DOES AN INSIDE SALES ASSOCIATE DO?

Published: Sep 5, 2025 - The Inside Sales Associate establishes customer relationships by providing professional assistance, processing orders, and recommending products that meet customer needs. This role educates customers on product features and benefits, performs data entry and invoicing, secures payments, and ensures accurate delivery scheduling. The associate also manages follow-up calls, handles complaints, supports warranty evaluations, maintains product displays, and assists with warehouse operations to drive sales and customer satisfaction.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Inside Sales Associate

1. Inside Sales Associate Duties

Product Promotion: Promotes iA Investment products and services to Independent Financial Advisors through World Financial Group (WFG)
Relationship Building: Help build effective business relationships with the advisors and administration staff of the WFG offices
Advisor Training: Deliver training to WFG advisors on iA segregated funds products, sales concepts and software, as well as the completion of all applications/forms
Marketing Collaboration: Works in close collaboration with territory Sales Directors in developing a Marketing Plan for their regions, particularly for the delivery of product and software knowledge to advisors
Industry Knowledge: Use in-depth knowledge of products and the investment industry in general, along with interpersonal skills, to increase sales and retain assets
Presentation Creation: Creating and revising presentations using PowerPoint software
Inquiry Response: Responding to inquiries through telephone, email, written correspondence, or in person, in a timely and professional manner
Event Participation: Attendance at planned conferences, road shows, presentations, and organized events for supporters during evening and weekend hours
Client Prospecting: Identifying and developing potential new clients through outbound calls and networking
Business Growth: Generate new business and growth by prospecting for new relationships
Lead Conversion: Responding to email queries, and converting financial advisor leads into client relationships
Advisor Expertise: Becoming an expert in the financial advisor industry to better help advisors and identify new opportunities to help them
Sales Cycle: Owning the full sales cycle, from prospecting to closing
Customer Education: Providing detailed information to prospective customers and educating them on the features and benefits of SmartAsset's platform
Strategy Research: Collaborating with company leadership to vet and research different strategies for finding and converting both inbound and cold leads
CRM Maintenance: Maintaining contacts and outreach in Salesforce

2. Inside Sales Associate Details

Customer Communication: Communicating with customers, making outbound calls to potential customers, and following up on new leads
Inquiry Handling: Attending inbound telephone sales enquiries as well as online queries/potential leads
Lead Conversion: Converting leads into opportunities and nurturing them through the sales process towards close
Lead Follow-Up: Outbound calls to follow up on warm leads generated by Marketing campaigns
Funnel Building: Building the sales funnel, generating leads via warm and cold calling, emailing and other lead generation activities such as LinkedIn networking
Lead Qualification: Ensuring all leads are well qualified by identifying the correct decision makers and understanding their requirements
Needs Assessment: Understanding customers' needs and identifying sales opportunities
Product Knowledge: Keeping up with product and service information and updates
Brand Promotion: Enhancing the company’s brand and perception in the market by utilising consultative, customer-focused and IM values-based sales approach
Proposal Delivery: Developing, presenting and delivering information/proposals to potential clients
Product Upselling: Upselling products and services
Sales Closing: Closing sales and achieving sales targets
Database Management: Creating and maintaining a database of current and prospective client information (Salesforce, CRM, Excel, etc.)

3. Inside Sales Associate Responsibilities

Sales Strategy: Develop/implement a clear strategy to exceed quota
Product Knowledge: Develop knowledge of IHS Markit capabilities and, in particular, the specific Maritime and Trade Business area
Value Proposition: Develop a strong understanding of the sales value proposition for the Maritime and Trade data solutions and how they fit into the business requirements of clients
Market Awareness: Stay on top of industry news and market trends
Opportunity Identification: Identifying opportunities and challenges that customers and prospects are facing
Client Relationships: Develop relationships with customers to ensure long-term partnerships
Account Management: Maintain existing client base as well as sales into new accounts
Sales Reporting: Prepare and submit accurate weekly/monthly/quarterly sales reporting and forecasting
Quota Achievement: Achieve specific monthly, quarterly and annual sales quota
Lead Generation: Generate referrals and new business leads
Upselling Skills: Responds to customer calls regarding a specific set of products and services and identifies upselling opportunities for such calls
Revenue Growth: Grow revenue at existing and new clients

4. Inside Sales Associate Job Summary

Customer Needs: Work hand-in-hand with Outside Sales associates by determining customers’ needs and recommending appropriate products and solutions
Order Management: Ensuring the delivery of personalized customer service through timely quotations and accurate sales orders
Delivery Coordination: Coordinate deliveries with the warehouse and answer sales calls for general information, addressing and resolving customer concerns or questions
Inventory Analysis: Analyze inventory levels and create Amazon FBA replenishment shipments accordingly
Inventory Control: Monitor and reduce excess inventory
Claims Management: Reconcile shipment discrepancies and file and track claims reimbursement
Return Handling: Manage removal and monitor to make sure products are received back accurately and if not, file and track claims for reimbursement
System Navigation: Understand and have the ability to navigate Amazon’s systems with the know-how to help resolve any Amazon.com issues
Feedback Response: Review Amazon customer feedback and reply accordingly
Return Processing: Manage all order returns and make sure the warehouse has processed them accurately

5. Inside Sales Associate Accountabilities

Client Acquisition: Increasing the number of known clients that come to visit the showroom with a constant and proactive action (phone calls and emails)
Lead Research: Researching actively for new leads to expand the clients' database
Territory Sales: Grow sales of the New York City territory
Client Development: Manage sales through developing new and existing Dedar clientele
Database Management: Fulfill databases on clients using digital tools, and update to help all marketing and communication activities
Showroom Management: Managing basic activities of the Dedar New York showroom, with the main goal of presenting and selling company products and providing excellent service to current and potential clients who visit the showroom
Sales Coordination: Ensuring a smooth and productive experience from the beginning of the sale to the delivery as well as being involved in evaluating new business opportunities and new services to the company
Customer Contact: Maintaining regular contact with customers
Product Information: Supply customers with information on products marketed by the company
Collection Presentation: Presenting the collection with enthusiasm and feeling
Sample Management: Supply/manage quickly all memos for ongoing projects and samples for the library
Library Maintenance: Maintain the client libraries and samples’ stock updated, checking phase out collections, and the missing best sellers collection
Email Handling: Checking and managing e-mail every day and giving prompt answers to customer requests and/or the headquarters customer service office
Project Assistance: Assisting clients in their projects (fabric selection, moodboard), follow-up of the projects (stock, reserve, offer), and closing orders
Office Administration: Handle general office duties and administrative/commercial aspects associated with the running of the sales activities
Team Support: Assist colleagues in their work while busy and also transmit all necessary information
Service Support: Lend support to customer service at the company headquarters, in the administrative/commercial aspects regarding the clientele, including telephone, fax and e-mail contacts with customers

6. Inside Sales Associate Functions

Partnership Development: Profile, qualify and close partnerships with home improvement installers across the country from offices
Industry Training: Learn the home improvement industry through formalized training and Sunlight’s sector experts
Product Knowledge: Develop a comprehensive knowledge of Sunlight Financial products and attributes, understand customer needs and requirements and help the two connect
Lead Sourcing: Source new partnership opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls and emails
Objection Handling: Clearly explain and position technical issues such as financial products and legal agreements and overcome objections
System Management: Continuously update Sunlight’s internal systems and use data to make decisions
Account Collaboration: Work in collaboration with Account Managers to ensure partnership success
Process Innovation: Innovate on sales processes, pitches, and approaches
Feedback Delivery: Provide feedback and enhancements
Team Collaboration: Collaborate with other Sunlight Financial teammates to continually improve a new initiative within a growing company
Partner Support: Help partners address challenges large and small

7. Inside Sales Associate Job Description

Prospect Development: Develop client prospects through trade shows, networking, targeted cold and warm calls generated from marketing campaigns and targeted emails from inside sales campaigns
Value Proposition: Drive sales by understanding and articulating the company's value proposition, competitive landscape, and customer needs
Decision Navigation: Navigate institutional and large organization buying/decision-making processes
Prospect Qualification: Pre-qualify prospects and advance them through a multistage, consultative sales process
Partnership Building: Forge partnerships to bring comprehensive solutions to clients
Event Representation: Represent the company at industry events
Sales Input: Provide input into sales collateral development and sales strategies (campaigns, cadence, etc.)
Product Feedback: Provide product enhancement feedback to technology and service teams
Relationship Management: Create and maintain direct business relationships with the best venues, bars, restaurants and organizers in the city
Sales Achievement: Meet sales goals whilst maintaining a high bar of quality
Contract Negotiation: Expertly manage contract negotiations with potential and existing clients, ensuring sustainable economics and long-lasting value for both parties
Brand Promotion: Collaborate closely with the marketing team to build the Fever brand and promote the partnerships forged

8. Inside Sales Associate Overview

Sales Planning: Responsible for individual sales planning and sales funnel management
Pipeline Management: Create a solid sales pipeline and be able to use it for sales forecast accuracy
Activity Recording: Record account/customer activity in the appropriate system
Target Achievement: Achieve agreed-upon sales targets and outcomes
Selling Techniques: Utilize selling techniques and marketing strategies to expand and build upon the client base
Needs Analysis: Perform cost-benefit and needs analysis of existing/potential customers to meet their needs
Competition Monitoring: Monitor competition by gathering information on pricing, products and market presence
Reporting Skills: Supply management with reports on customer needs, problems, interests, competitive activities, and potential for new products and services
Continuous Improvement: Continuously improve through feedback
Inquiry Response: Respond to and engage inbound consumer inquiries for the purpose of setting client appointments for outside Listing and Buyer Specialists
Database Management: Input and manage client and lead databases using dialogues, systems, action plans and strategies
Lead Nurturing: Conduct lead follow-up and nurture opportunities until appointments are set
Goal Setting: Set and meet daily, weekly and monthly goals as specified
Activity Tracking: Track all key business activities
Performance Measurement: Measure conversion ratios and meet performance benchmarks
Training Participation: Attend training, meetings and special events
CRM Management: Manage contacts and daily tasks using a CRM system

9. Inside Sales Associate Details and Accountabilities

Cold Calling: Heavy outbound cold/warm calling to properly pre-qualify sales leads (50+ touch points per day)
Prospect Contact: Contact prospects to gain a clear understanding of buying needs and time frame
Call Scheduling: Schedule follow-up conference calls between prospects and the Sales team
Campaign Follow-Up: Follow up on marketing campaigns and provide detailed feedback on the success of each campaign
Quota Achievement: Consistently achieve qualified opportunity quotas to ensure revenue objectives
Business Analysis: Analyze partners' business objectives by asking probing questions that are relevant
Value Proposition: Deliver Webroot’s value proposition persuasively and accurately, structured to targeted calling cadences
Competitive Knowledge: Maintain knowledge of competitive products to enable the capability to effectively address and dispel partner objections to Webroot solutions
Solution Selling: Leverage solution-selling strategies in qualifying lead opportunities
CRM Management: Keep Salesforce.com database up-to-date and manage information
Process Feedback: Provide closed-loop feedback to ensure continuous process optimization

10. Inside Sales Associate Tasks

Product Sales: Sell a diverse range of Security, Datacom, and Telcom products serving the Network and Security Solutions (NSS) market
Solution Delivery: Serve a variety of markets by suggesting and delivering the right infrastructure solutions to meet customer needs
Account Development: Actively participate and develop new accounts and generate sales quotes
Inquiry Handling: Handle customer inquiries to help service customers and grow the business
Opportunity Calling: Make cold and warm calls to uncover opportunities in new markets
Customer Service: Provide superior customer service by delivering products and services to meet or exceed customer expectations
Relationship Building: Build strong customer relationships, loyalty, and retention
Colleague Engagement: Actively engage Anixter colleagues and resources regularly
Customer Solution: Provide a complete customer solution to capitalize on opportunities
Team Collaboration: Work effectively with others in a team-based environment to accomplish organizational goals and to identify and resolve problems

11. Inside Sales Associate Roles

Client Contact: Act as WuXi STA’s first point of contact to prospective customers, identifying their needs and aligning with internal capabilities
Lead Management: Manage leads from multiple sources to deliver qualified opportunities to the field Business Development teams
Territory Planning: Engage with the field Business Development staff for the development and execution of prospect lists and territory plans
Campaign Execution: Execute campaigns to support directed lead generation for identified capabilities or company/molecule profiles
Marketing Support: Support Marketing initiatives, maximizing translation of inbound leads from marketing activities to qualified contacts and opportunities
Feedback Delivery: Provide feedback to the BD Team and Marketing to improve target profiling, prioritization, and qualification criteria used for Lead Management
Sales Collaboration: Collaborate with Sales Operations and field Business Development staff to effectively identify qualified opportunities that meet the business unit’s strategic goals
Service Promotion: Promote customer service excellence through the hand-off of qualified opportunities
Inquiry Response: Respond to client inquiries and offer guidance on appropriate products and services
Product Knowledge: Possesses a working understanding of company products/services and utilizes sales techniques effectively
Business Understanding: Understand WuXi STA’s existing business
Tactical Sales: Utilize knowledge of accounts to make informed decisions on tactical sales efforts to drive further traction, account penetration, and lead generation

12. Inside Sales Associate Additional Details

Leadership Alignment: Meet routinely with the Senior Director of Business Development and VP of Business Operations to ensure coordinated efforts through North America and Europe are being achieved
List Management: Maintain a system to keep track of target/prospect lists by account, functional groups, and service area
List Development: Grow lists, and routinely grooms target lists for relevance
CRM Alignment: Align with the CRM system
Document Management: Responsible for establishing necessary legal documentation (CDAs) to allow for the progression of lead qualification activities
Proposal Support: Support the proposal development and revision process for the San Diego site account management
Industry Knowledge: Develop a level of competence, while continuing education to develop a strong understanding of the drug development industry including market, service, and customer dynamics
Follow-Up Tracking: Maintain a system to track and trigger follow-up to prospecting efforts, and opportunities in progress, for gathering client feedback and expediting client decisions
Trend Analysis: Aid review and the tracking of account or service-level trends, identifying gaps and potential areas of opportunity
Administrative Tasks: Complete administrative/documentation (i.e., activity and opportunity reports, and expense reports) promptly
Regulatory Compliance: Perform job-specific tasks in compliance with applicable Regulations, International Standards, and WuXi AppTec Policies and Standard Operating Procedures

13. Inside Sales Associate Essential Functions

Sales Handling: Handle incoming sales by phone, e-mail, and online chat and manage all follow-up
Rapport Building: Build rapport with each prospective tenant by calling in
Lead Follow-Up: Follow up until they have made a reservation, found a space within the portfolio, or decided not to need the space any longer
Facility Information: Provide information regarding specific facilities, as well as insights into the area, to generate leases for the sites
Data Entry: Input all activity into the company-provided databases in a timely and accurate manner
Promotion Awareness: Stay up to date with all promotions/leasing incentives
Property Communication: Accurately and completely communicate the benefits and features of the properties in the portfolio
Property Marketing: Assist in marketing assigned properties to generate phone traffic
Team Support: Work in a team environment, supporting each other to exceed customer expectations and sales goals
Tenant Assistance: Provide accurate information to tenants in a courteous manner
Policy Recitation: Recite all facilities' services, hours of operations, policies, etc
Request Handling: Assist all tenants by handling incoming requests to support onsite teams
Issue Escalation: Identify and escalate priority issues
Emergency Response: Follow documented policies and procedures to escalate and resolve emergency maintenance service or access requests and security/parking concerns
Inquiry Response: Respond to customer inquiries promptly
Service Follow-Up: Ensure follow-up with the prospect is completed as well as follow-through of the service
Report Management: Utilize the computer system to run daily reports
Professional Conduct: Display a high level of integrity and professionalism at all times in dealing with tenants, prospects, employees and outside contacts
Standard Compliance: Maintain the company’s customer service and sales standards

14. Inside Sales Associate Role Purpose

Customer Assistance: Solicits sales from walk-in and telephone call-in customers, assisting customers with the identification of product needs and locating merchandise
Paperwork Management: Accurately completes and files all paperwork on a timely basis
Sales Documentation: Documents sales, quotes or other information
Data Entry: Enters sales and quote data into the computer and researches information for customers using the computer system
Payment Handling: Receives payment for merchandise or services sold and enters the sale into the computer
Procedure Compliance: Responsible for payments received and adhering to all administrative and accounting-related procedures
Purchase Support: Wraps and bags purchases and helps customers load merchandise into their vehicles
Warehouse Support: Provides warehouse support for shipping and receiving, inventory stocking, cleaning, labeling, or other tasks
Merchandise Restocking: Restocks store merchandise and marks or tags merchandise
Stock Arrangement: Arranges stock on shelves or racks in the sales area and keeps merchandise in order
Safety Procedures: Uses established safety procedures for cylinder handling during exchanges and storage of cylinders
Showroom Maintenance: Maintains showroom cleanliness by procedures set forth by management
Price Management: Maintains current price documentation and product literature as it becomes available
Product Knowledge: Keeps product knowledge current
Branch Collaboration: Works closely with local Branch managers to assist in promoting sales and customer management through retail store locations within the assigned geographical area

15. Inside Sales Associate General Responsibilities

Customer Relations: Establishes relationships with customers by assisting walk-in and phone customers, representing the company in a professional manner
Order Processing: Processes, pulls and distributes customer products quickly and efficiently
Needs Assessment: Understands the needs of the customers and learns their buying habits and expectations to recommend specific products and solutions
Product Education: Educates customers about terminology, features and benefits of products to improve product-related sales and customer satisfaction
Product Demonstration: Provide product demos to qualified customers on request
Data Entry: Accurately performs data entry of sales orders to generate an invoice of products ordered to be picked up or delivered
Payment Handling: Secures payment of invoice with proper funds or obtains credit authorization in accordance with company policy
Merchandise Support: Assists the customer in checking and loading merchandise purchased at the counter
Delivery Estimation: Estimates the date of delivery to the customer, based on knowledge of the vendor’s production and delivery schedules
Follow-Up Calls: Makes follow-up calls to potential and existing customers to solicit additional business
Complaint Handling: Handles questions and complaints in a timely and professional manner
Warranty Evaluation: Evaluates and determines disposition of warranty items handled at the counter, as prescribed by the manufacturer's warranty policy and customer needs
Display Maintenance: Maintains neat, professional product displays, changing displays once monthly
Sales Promotion: Promotes monthly sales specials
Warehouse Assistance: Assists in receiving, shipping, and general warehouse duties