Inside sales: key roles and responsibilities
Understand products thoroughly
Since they're selling primarily over the phone or email, inside sales representatives need to develop a deep understanding of the product(s) they sell—deep enough to quickly and clearly explain the functionality without an in-person demo to lean on.
Learn to do demos and answer questions
For digital products like software, inside salespeople are often responsible for running virtual demos, typically over video conferencing. Reps need to be prepared to answer prospect questions on the fly during these demos, too.
Build prospect relationships
Inside sales teams are often the first point of contact for potential customers, so reps need to be adept at developing positive relationships with new prospects. Inside reps should represent the company well—be friendly and professional, speak competently about the product, and confidently answer prospective client's questions.
Engage with interested prospects and build trust
Trust is the foundation of sales today, and it falls to inside sales teams to build that initial trust with new prospects and potential clients interested in their product. Be honest and think of yourself more as an advisor to prospects, offering educational resources and answering questions, rather than going for the hard sell.
Attain monthly sales targets
Inside sales teams are often held accountable to monthly sales goals for the number of small and large deals they close, meetings they book, or sales qualified leads (SQLs) they pass on to account managers, along with activity-based benchmarks for the numbers of calls made and emails sent.
Track and report data
As inside sales reps talk with prospects, gather information, and qualify or disqualify leads, they're responsible for reporting that data—often using CRM software to keep track of everything.