Inside sales
Reviewed by Dasha ShakovVP Marketing, Proton
Updated
What is inside sales?
Inside sales is selling done remotely, by phone, email, chat and video, rather than in person at the customer’s location. In distribution, inside sales reps handle quotes, orders, pricing questions and follow-up for a set of accounts, often paired with an outside rep who covers the same customers in the field.
How it works
How inside sales, outside sales and customer service divide the work is covered under inside vs outside sales.
Inside sales example
An inside rep spends the first hour of her day answering five quote requests, then calls a contractor who ordered every week for a year and hasn’t ordered in three.
Further reading
Related terms
- Outside salesOutside sales is selling done in person at the customer’s location, such as a job site, plant or office.
- Customer service representative (CSR)A customer service representative (CSR) at a distributor handles incoming customer requests, from entering orders and checking stock to fixing problems.
- QuoteA quote is a distributor’s written offer to sell specific items, in specific quantities, at stated prices, with availability, lead time and an expiry date.
- Sales territoryA sales territory is the set of accounts, or the geographic area, that a sales rep is responsible for.
