Inside Sales - Steel Distribution

Position Overview

Modesto Steel's Sales Department is seeking an experienced, customer-oriented, and driven Inside Sales Representative to join our team at our steel service center. This is a fully office-based role at our Modesto location — no travel required. You'll be the first voice our customers hear and the engine behind our quote-to-order process, managing a high volume of inbound calls, emails, and walk-in inquiries and turning customer needs into accurate quotes and fulfilled orders.

Our ideal candidate has a strong sales mindset, understands steel distribution and/or industrial products, and thrives in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Sales & Service

• Inbound Sales: Professionally handle incoming calls, emails, and walk-in inquiries, converting prospects into active customers.
• Consultative Selling: Engage with new and existing customers to understand their needs and recommend the right products.
• Customer Experience: Build rapport over the phone and deliver the responsive, knowledgeable service Modesto Steel is known for.

Quoting & Order Fulfillment

• Quote-to-Order Conversion: Prepare accurate quotes, stay current on inventory levels, and process orders through the system.
• Technical Verification: Thoroughly review and verify customer specifications to ensure accurate pricing and order fulfillment.
• Order Revisions: Track, acknowledge, and verify order revisions.
• Follow-Up: Maintain a rigorous follow-up cadence on open quotes and orders, capturing feedback on pricing, quality, and delivery — and closing the sale.
• Expectation Setting: Communicate processing capabilities and delivery expectations to customers and vendors.

Internal Collaboration

• Cross-Functional Sync: Coordinate with Warehouse and Operations teams to ensure delivery timelines, customer satisfaction, and expectations are met.
• Credit & Finance: Partner with the Credit Department to manage customer account statuses and payment terms.
• Outside Sales Support: Act as a bridge for our outside sales reps by managing customer accounts and providing real-time inventory, pricing, and account updates.

Qualifications

Minimum

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Past sales experience in steel, construction, or other industrial commodities required.

Preferred

• Higher education in a related field.
• Steel service center or mill experience.
• Ability to read and understand technical drawings.
• Experience with computers and data entry; CRM proficiency and the ability to manage high-volume quoting and order entry.
• Proficient in professional telephone communication.
• Understanding of basic mathematical calculations.
• Previous sales experience in an industrial or commercial environment.

Professional Competencies

• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently as a problem solver and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Courteous, professional conduct with customers and coworkers.
• Adaptability to different social settings and situations.
• High attention to detail and ability to maintain focus in a fast-paced environment.

Compensation & Benefits

• Pay: $23–$25/hour + bonus (based on experience, qualifications, and market considerations).
• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Paid time off
• On-the-job training and growth opportunities

Additional Information

• Job Type: Full-Time, On-Site
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Work Environment: Office setting with regular phone and computer work
• Reporting Structure: Reports to the Sales Manager
• Location: Modesto, CA

About Modesto Steel Company

For over 50 years, Modesto Steel has been Central and Northern California's premier steel and metal service center, offering more than 3,000 line items in stock — carbon, alloy, stainless, aluminum, galvanized, and specialty products — alongside in-house processing services including saw cutting, flame cutting, high-definition plasma cutting, shearing, forming, and rolling. With more than 20,000 annual deliveries on our own fleet of trucks, our team is committed to quality products, low-minimum orders, and customer service that goes the extra mile.