Inside Sales Specialist

Northern Lights Candles is seeking an Inside Sales Specialist to assist sales managers and outside sales representatives with sales functions in a designated territory. The role involves generating sales leads, maintaining customer relationships, and providing exceptional customer service through various communication channels.

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, Faire, Shopify, MarketTime, etc
• Promptly respond to all customer inquiries that come through directly and via customer portals or the shared inboxes – NL Rep and NL Sales Team
• Meet or exceed established sales targets and key performance indicators including outbound calls per day, email activities, follow up calls, and sales
• Keep records of calls, sales, and note any useful information in the CRM
• Maintain a call schedule to ensure all follow-up call are performed in a timely manner as requested by manager
• Handle all prospects with courtesy and professionalism; establish and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction in all interactions
• 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 the frequency and priority that customers will be called which will allow 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
• Writes debits, credits, return material authorizations and instructs 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
• Assists sales manager in conveying information to the field and outside reps. Trains 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
• Works closely with the PD dept for any custom projects involving customer artwork / logos. Provides instructions for processing the artwork. Upon receipt of virtual and hard samples, forwards them to manager and or customer. Upon receipt of approval, enters sales orders as necessary to prompt work orders for production
• Develops and maintains numerous spreadsheets for projects and reporting
• Develops and maintains reports for Sales Managers
• Perform related duties or special assignments as directed
• Enters creative services project requests as necessary
• Use and maintain with regularity, 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
• Provides back up to other sales team members on the Wholesale Team as well as the Gift Shop as needed
• Learn and master all customer provided reporting tools and portals
• Assist with item setups for Large Account Customers
• Attend trade shows and participate in set up and/or tear down of booths as needed
• Assist with e-sale events and cross-branded events (i.e., Zippo and Case)
• Always promotes a positive company image in-house and while traveling
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Skills

• Excellent customer service skills
• Demonstrated Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
• Available for travel to trade shows
• Associate degree preferred
• Wholesale, retail, or giftware sales experience preferred

Company Overview