How to Start a Successful Inside Sales Career (Part 2)

Now that you’ve gotten a job as a sales professional (as discussed in this previous blog in the series) it’s important to know how to be as successful as you can as an inside sales rep. You’ve completed the onboarding process, you passed all the tests with flying colors, and you’ve got a headset, a CRM and a ‘can do’ attitude about everything. As you compete against your coworkers, and yourself, it’s a good idea to keep a few things in mind as you start down the path of a sales professional.

Listed below are the top 5 things you should consider doing if you want to be successful in sales:

1. Remember to always listen to your coach. They are the ones who will help you reach your potential. As you role play calling scenarios, make sure to try and take away something new every day. There are a lot of resources out there in webinars, blogs to books that can help you become a great sales professional. The best part is a lot of these resources are free, so make sure to take advantage of them!

2. There’s an organization knows as the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, or the AA-ISP. By joining, you will be able to network better and learn even more about your industry. The AA-ISP will also keep you up to date on the latest inside sales events and information. You will also have access to valuable information and possible other jobs as you look to move up in your career.

3. Something that can’t be emphasized enough is sales reps need to be engaged on social media. But don’t get too carried away since it’s possible to spread yourself too thin in the process of trying to conquer the whole social media landscape. Instead, try to focus on two or three social media platforms to reach out to clients and leads. Reaching out through social media is a great way to stay current and be ahead of the game. Use platforms like Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay connected with leads and customers.

4. Take your work and play seriously. Learn when to let loose and have fun outside of work, but once you sit down at your desk you need to hit the phone hard and work efficiently to close deals. If you have a plan in place each day you will find that you will be more successful than just winging it and going into the day blindly. Write out who you plan on contacting the night before, not the day of – this will help you jump in as soon as you get in. Have a plan in place of what you will say if you get the decision maker on the phone, the gatekeeper, the voicemail, or no answer.

5. Finally, it’s very important to know who you’re calling. Before picking up the phone and calling make sure you’ve done some research about the company and why your products or services would be a benefit to them. People like to know you’ve done your research about their particular business and about them. Don’t waste their time, know everything you can before you pick up the phone and you’ll stick out as professional and responsible – someone they’ll like to talk to again.

Now that you know the basics of being successful in inside sales, remember that constant learning is in order to really be good at what you do. Remember that you’re not going to be the best performer right out of the gate. Like all things, it takes time and patience to be good as a sales professional – but you will get there.

What are some things that you have found that have helped you early on in the inside sales profession?

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