Benefits of Having Inside Sales Associate
What is an Inside Sales Associate?
Inside Sales, Associate / Representative sells products and services in a physical store or an office environment. They are responsible for developing new ideas or leads, handling customers, understanding their needs, and ensuring a smooth sale process. They should be well motivated and well-spoken to be able to meet required sales and targets. Their main duties include presenting information, building relationships, maintaining records, salesmanship and multitasking.
To be a successful inside sales associate, you will need to deal with either walk-in customers or source sales via email, cold calling, and follow-ups when you chose to do it in an office environment (work from home setup as well). Also, you need to build rapport to achieve customer satisfaction. Being competitive and a good listener is a plus to gaining customers' trust.
Inside Sales Associate Skills that one should have?
Product Knowledge
These are likely the most important skills that a sales associate must have. They must have intimate knowledge of the products they are selling. Customers tend to ask numerous questions with regards to the product you are trying to sell since you will not know precisely what they'll ask, it is important to gather much information as you can about every aspect of the product-from its benefits down to its weaknesses. Understanding the product better can gain customers' trust and can build a hopeful lead to a sale.
Communication Skills
Good verbal and written communication skills are needed since you will be engaging with different customers over the phone or physically. Your ability to communicate effectively will have a high impact on making sales and pitching a product. In a written sense, you'll most likely have to draft referrals or memos. Keep in mind that the impression you leave towards customers will highly affect your company and the brand itself.
Building Rapport
As an inside sales representative, you'll need to effectively engage with a wide variety of characters and ages, that's why it is important to understand your client to build a rapport with them. Being able to make connections with them is an important skill to have in this field. The better the relationship you have with them, the more likely they are going to listen and purchase from you. You need to understand who your target market is and where they're coming from this will be beneficial not only for your sales but your future in this career as well.
Listening Skills
Active listening skills are one important role of an inside sales associate. Customers you are speaking with cannot note what your body language is since they not do eye contact over the phone. Understanding clients' needs thru active listening can be a demonstration that you genuinely care for them; thus this can also help you build a rapport.
Social Media Skills
Knowledge of different social media platforms can be a great help in selling products. With a lot of social platforms in use today, it's important to understand the best tactics in using them to become an advantage. But remember, this might not be the case for all inside sales roles.
Customer Relation Skills (CRM)
As an inside sales representative, you'll need to understand is the CRM you are working with. It will greatly improve your efficiency in the work area depending on how you properly make use of this skill. There are a lot of CRM features you can utilize which can make your day-to-day easier, some of those are reminding tasks and sending bulk emails.
Benefits of Inside Sales Associate
Probably the greatest benefit of an inside sales representative is the reduced cost of customer acquisition. Sales teams attract new customers for about 40-90 percent less than the costs acquired by field sales personnel. With the increase of new technology inside sales representatives can easily communicate with prospective clients. Also, with their experience probably they've mastered administrative and prospective obligations quicker than their outside sales counterparts.
Inside Sales Representative Responsibilities:
Communicating, making outbound calls to customers or potential customers, and following up on leads.
Understanding customers' needs and identifying sales opportunities.
Answering potential clients' inquiries and sending more information thru email or phone calls.
Dealing with products and services information and updates.
Creating and Improving a database of current and as well potential customers.
Demonstrating and explaining features of products and services.
Being informed about competitive products and services.
Upselling products and services.
Researching new leads.
Closing deals and achieving sales targets.