The Sales Associate is an entry-level sales development position that is designed to train and prepare highly potential individuals for a successful career in outside sales. The Sales Associate works closely with assigned sales representatives to support customer relationships, administrative responsibilities, prospecting activities, proposal development, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system data input, and sales execution.
Over a 12-to-18-month period, the Sales Associate will gain hands-on experience with our products, services, sales processes, systems, and customer base. The goal of this role is to learn and put into practice the knowledge and skills that are necessary to become a successful outside Sales Representative.
Key Responsibilities
- Support assigned Sales Representative (s) with day-to-day account management activities.
- Prepare proposals, quotes, presentations, and customer documentation.
- Maintain accurate customer and prospect information within the CRM system.
- Assist with prospecting, lead generation, and appointment setting.
- Conduct outbound customer follow-up calls and emails.
- Coordinate meetings, demonstrations, site surveys, and customer visits.
- Manage sales-related administrative tasks and workflow follow-up.
- Assist with contract processing and sales order coordination.
- Support marketing campaigns and customer engagement initiatives.
- Learn product offerings, competitive positioning, and industry knowledge.
- Participate in field rides, customer meetings, and sales training activities.
- Learn and develop proficiency in QuoteIQ, HubSpot, and other utilized systems.
- Progressively assume more direct sales responsibility as skills and confidence develop.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree preferred but not required.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Organized and detail oriented.
- Self-motivated with a desire to build a professional sales career.
- Comfortable learning new technology and business systems.
- Strong customer service mindset.
- Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
Preferred Characteristics
- Competitive and goal oriented.
- Strong work ethic.
- Positive attitude and coachable mindset.
- Professional appearance and communication skills.
- Demonstrated initiative and willingness to learn.
Performance Expectations
During the first 12 to 18 months, the Sales Associate is expected to:
- Develop a working knowledge of the company's products and services.
- Demonstrate proficiency with CRM and sales-related systems.
- Support assigned Sales Representative (s) effectively.
- Build customer relationship skills.
- Learn and demonstrate the sales process from initial prospecting to contract execution.
- Achieve established developmental milestones and training objectives.
- Exhibit the ability to perform the sales process independently.
Career Path
Successful Sales Associates will be considered for promotion into an outside sales role as territory openings become available and developmental objectives are achieved.