Inside Sales Rep – Literacy Initiatives

Responsibilities

• Utilize phone, email, direct mail, and virtual presentation platforms to retain existing business and grow sales within an established territory.
• Engage in consultative conversations with educators, literacy leaders, and community-based organizations to understand family and community engagement goals and identify how Scholastic Education products, services, and literacy solutions can support their specific initiatives and funding priorities.
• Proactively reach out to schools, districts, public libraries, and community organizations to generate new business opportunities and expand existing partnerships.
• Identify customer needs and recommend appropriate Scholastic Literacy Initiatives solutions.
• Maintain and grow existing customer accounts through ongoing communication, customer support, and strategic account management.
• Collaborate with outside/field Account Executives to coordinate sales efforts, increase territory coverage, and support customer initiatives.
• Utilize CRM systems and sales tools to document customer interactions, manage opportunities, and maintain accurate account records.
• Monitor and follow up on quotes, proposals, orders, and customer inquiries in a timely and professional manner.
• Support customer participation in literacy initiatives and family/community engagement programs.
• Attend educational conferences, community outreach events, sponsored trainings, and sales meetings as assigned.
• Participate in ongoing professional development and sales training opportunities as needed.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in sales, customer service, education, literacy initiatives, nonprofit organizations, or community engagement is beneficial, but not required.
• Prior experience with schools, educators, libraries, or community-based organizations is a plus.
• Prior experience with phone sales, relationship management, account support, or consultative selling is helpful.
• Familiarity with CRM systems, virtual meeting platforms, and customer outreach strategies is preferred.
• Candidates with strong communication skills, a customer-focused mindset, and the ability to build relationships are encouraged to apply, even without direct industry experience.

Skills & Qualifications

• Professional verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong phone presence with the ability to build rapport and engage customers effectively.
• Active listening and consultative selling skills.
• Strong computer proficiency (Salesforce, Microsoft Office applications, Google Suite, Outlook, etc.).
• Digital presentation and virtual meeting skills.
• Organizational and time management skills with strong attention to detail.
• The ability to manage high call volume while maintaining accuracy and professionalism.
• A self-motivated individual with the ability to work independently and achieve sales goals.
• Problem-solving and objection-handling skills.
• The ability to thrive in a fun and fast-paced environment with the ability to multi-task and re-prioritize as needed.
• The ability to adapt to new products, systems, and sales strategies.
• A customer-focused mindset with a passion for delivering excellent service and support.
• Strong follow-up and relationship-building skills.