Inside Sales Representative

Position: Inside Sales Representative

Reports to: Director of Sales Operations, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas

Location: Remote Capable/Waukegan, Illinois, about 40 miles north of Chicago’s Loop

Salary Range: $65,000 - $75,000 – Compensation is based on education, skills, experience and other job-related factors.

Position Summary:

The Inside Sales Representative will play a vital role in supporting the sales team by managing key administrative tasks, facilitating trade shows, and conducting inside sales outreach. This position will ensure that our sales operations run smoothly, and customer relationships are effectively managed from initial contact through the sales process. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, proactive, and have strong communication skills.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Sales Administrative Duties:

• • CRM Management: Keep customer and account information updated in the CRM system. This includes maintaining accurate records of customer interactions, contact information, and sales activities.
  • Sales Support: Assist Sales Directors with customer portal management and general account maintenance, ensuring that all customer-related data is accurate and up-to-date.
  • Account Set-Up: Collaborate with the sales team and customer service to ensure accurate and timely processing of customer orders, including resolving any issues that arise during the order lifecycle.
  • Reporting: Generate regular sales reports and dashboards to track performance metrics and provide insights to the sales team and senior management.

2. Trade Show Facilitation:

• • Vendor Management: Coordinate with external vendors to manage trade show logistics, including booth design, setup, and teardown.
  • Marketing Collaboration: Work closely with the marketing team to ensure alignment on messaging, branding, and best practices for trade shows.
  • Sample Management: Oversee the timely preparation and shipment of product samples to trade shows, ensuring that all materials are delivered as needed.
  • Event Logistics: Manage all logistical aspects of trade shows, including scheduling, travel arrangements, and on-site coordination.

3. Inside Sales Outreach:

• • Customer Outreach: Conduct inside sales outreach to existing customers to maintain current assortment and sell in new items.  Callout risk and competitive information and develop action plan with internal team, as necessary. Achieve quarterly sales and customer contact metrics.
  • Pipeline Development: Assist the sales team in developing and nurturing the sales pipeline by identifying potential leads and qualifying them as they move through the sales process. Source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls and emails.
  • Lead prospecting:  Research accounts, identify key players and make initial contact with customers. Develop prospecting process after trade show events. Utilize CRM to create and maintain a database of current and potential customers.
  • Customer Vetting: Collaborate with the sales team to vet and assess potential customers, ensuring they are a good fit for our products and services.

Attendance: 

Must be punctual and timely in meeting all requirements of performance, including, but not limited to, attendance standards and work deadlines; beginning and ending assignments on time; and scheduled work breaks; where applicable.

Personal Characteristics:

• Organization
  • Business Necessity – The needs of the employer may be dependent on responding to and anticipating rapidly changing external and internal demands in all aspects of how business is conducted. This may include, but is not limited to, organization structure, finances goals, personnel, work processes, technology, and customer demands. Therefore, it may become necessary to no advance notice to employees. Accordingly, the employees must be capable of adapting, with minimal or no advantage notice, to changes in how business is conducted, and work is accomplished, with no diminishment in work performance.
  • Safety and Security –All employees are responsible for observing safety and security procedures as applicable and reporting potentially unsafe conditions to management.
• Intellectual
  • Analytical – Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs workflows and procedures.
  • Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations.
  • Technical Skills – Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; Pursues training and development opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others.
• Interpersonal
  • Customer Service – Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
  • External Working Relationships – Develops and maintains courteous and effective working relationships with clients, vendors and/or any other representatives of external organizations.
• Safety and Security
  • All employees are responsible for observing safety and security procedures as applicable and reporting potentially unsafe conditions to management.

Knowledge and Characteristics:

MUSTS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• • Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from four-year college or university in business, marketing, or a related field preferred; 2-4 years of experience in sales operations, sales support, or a related role; or equivalent combination of education and experience
  • Proven inside sales experience, preferably in ingredient sales. Experience with CRM programs required
  • Strong phone presence, email communication, and cold calling skills.
  • Proficient in CRM systems (e.g., Hubspot), Microsoft Office Suite, and experience with trade show coordination.
  • Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and ability to multitask and prioritize in a fast-paced environment. Ideally experience with technical ingredients, or willingness to learn.

WANTS:

• 2-4 years of sales support experience preferred.
• Experience with trade show coordination.

Benefits

• 401k Plan and up to 4% company matching
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement or Health Savings Account
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) – Health, Dependent Care, and Commuter
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave
• Bereavement
• Short Term Disability
• Weekly paychecks
• Rewards & Recognition Programs
• Employee Referral Program
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Annual Bonus Program