Inside Sales Specialist

About the role

The ideal candidate will assist sales managers and outside sales reps with all sales functions in a pre‑assigned territory, maintain backup duties outside the territory for cross‑functionality, generate sales leads, follow up on prospects, close deals, and grow relationships with existing customers. The primary focus is building customer relationships via phone, email, fax, and in‑person at tradeshows while delivering best‑in‑class customer service.

Responsibilities

• Effectively sell Company products to new and existing customers
• Engage potential customers in dialogue that opens opportunities
• Maintain and strengthen existing customer relationships
• Process orders submitted through B2B portals such as Faire, Shopify, MarketTime, etc.
• Promptly respond to all customer inquiries received directly, via customer portals, or the shared inboxes (NL Rep and NL Sales Team)
• Meet or exceed established sales targets and KPIs including outbound calls per day, email activities, follow‑up calls, and sales
• Keep records of calls, sales, and useful information in the CRM
• Maintain a call schedule to ensure timely follow‑up as requested by management
• Handle all prospects with courtesy and professionalism; establish and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction
• Act as a product consultant when promoting, recommending, and selling the value of Company products
• Effectively balance new lead generation versus follow‑up efforts
• Follow up on all leads, orders, and shipments to ensure positive customer relations and encourage repeat orders
• Create a strong follow‑up plan regarding frequency and priority of customer calls for greater efficiency and increased sales
• Handle grievances while preserving Company reputation
• Exceed customer expectations through superior customer service
• Coordinate sales effort with team members and other departments
• Coordinate credit terms and payment arrangements when setting up new customers
• Work with other departments as needed for specific customer requirements outlined in vendor agreements / routing guides
• Write debits, credits, and return material authorizations; instruct the receiving department on the disposition of returns
• Learn and master all Wholesale ecommerce portals – Faire, MarketTime, Shopify, etc.
• Upload new and remove discontinued products on all Wholesale ecommerce portals, ensuring content is consistent and accurate
• Assist the sales manager in conveying information to the field and outside reps; train new sales team members and incumbents as required
• Collaborate with the Product Development team to provide market insights and contribute to the development of product offerings that meet customer needs
• Facilitate resolution of operational issues to address customer problems and complaints to maximize satisfaction
• Work closely with the PD department for any custom projects involving customer artwork/logos; provide instructions for processing the artwork
• Upon receipt of virtual and hard samples, forward them to the manager and/or customer; upon approval, enter sales orders to prompt work orders for production
• Develop and maintain numerous spreadsheets for projects and reporting
• Develop and maintain reports for Sales Managers
• Perform related duties or special assignments as directed
• Enter creative services project requests as necessary
• Use and maintain regularly a Calendar of activity (Outlook/Monday) including customer appointments, Microsoft Teams meetings, and other time commitments like prospecting
• Submit expense reports and receipts in a timely manner
• Provide backup to other sales team members on the Wholesale Team