Inside Sales & Showroom Support Associate

• Growth Opportunities: Many team members have advanced from entry-level roles to leadership positions through mentorship and training.
• Collaborative Culture: Teamwork and camaraderie are at the core of our operations.
• Supportive Environment: Employees consistently describe Travers as family-oriented, with approachable and understanding management.

Role Summary

The Inside Sales & Showroom Support Associate is a dual-function position that combines proactive inside sales, customer lifecycle management, and showroom support within the South Carolina Branch.

The primary focus of the role is driving customer engagement and sales growth through outbound calling, account development, lifecycle outreach campaigns, quote follow-up, and relationship building. The associate will manage assigned customer accounts while supporting branch initiatives including new customer onboarding, customer retention, account reactivation, and growth-focused outreach.

In addition to inside sales responsibilities, this position serves as a key member of the South Carolina Branch team by providing showroom and counter sales support. This includes assisting walk-in customers, processing will-call orders, maintaining showroom presentation standards, and providing counter coverage during breaks, lunches, vacations, and other staffing needs.

The ideal candidate combines a proactive sales mentality with strong customer service skills and the flexibility to succeed in both phone-based and face-to-face customer interactions. Success in this role is driven by customer engagement, revenue growth, operational excellence, and a commitment to supporting the overall success of the South Carolina Branch.

Primary Responsibilities

Customer Development & Lifecycle Management

· Manage and develop an assigned portfolio of customer accounts.

· Execute customer lifecycle outreach initiatives to valued, unassigned branch accounts (aka. New customer onboarding, Customer retention campaigns, Account reactivation efforts, Growth account development and Unassigned account engagement)

· Build relationships with purchasing personnel, shop owners, managers, and key decision-makers.

· Maintain regular customer contact to increase engagement and drive sales growth.

· Identify opportunities to increase share of wallet through cross-selling and upselling Travers Tool Co. products and services.

· Support branch sales initiatives through targeted outbound communication and customer follow-up.

Revenue Growth & Sales Execution

· Manage and grow revenue and gross margin within assigned and targeted customer accounts.

· Develop relationships with multiple contacts within each customer organization.

· Own opportunities from initial engagement through close using a structured sales process.

· Re-engage inactive and underpenetrated accounts to uncover growth opportunities.

· Apply effective objection handling, retention strategies, and closing techniques.

· Follow up on quotes and opportunities to maximize conversion rates.

· Present and recommend products that solve customer challenges and create additional value.

Proactive Sales Activity

· Execute consistent outbound calling and email activity to support account development and customer engagement.

· Maintain disciplined follow-up to advance opportunities and strengthen customer relationships.

· Apply creative outreach strategies to penetrate accounts and expand buying relationships.

· Balance proactive outbound selling activities with customer service and showroom support responsibilities.

· Prioritize activities based on customer opportunities, lifecycle status, and branch objectives.

CRM, Analytics & Pipeline Management

· Maintain accurate CRM records in HubSpot for calls, emails, opportunities, and customer interactions.

· Build and manage a qualified opportunity pipeline aligned with branch sales objectives.

· Use Phocas BI reporting and other available tools to analyze account trends, identify product gaps, and prioritize outreach activities.

· Maintain customer pricing agreements within the ERP system.

· Prepare and process quotes and orders with accuracy and timeliness.

· Build and maintain customer organizational profiles by identifying key decision-makers and influencers.

Customer & Cross-Functional Coordination

· Serve as the primary contact for assigned accounts regarding quotes, orders, and follow-up activities.

· Coordinate with operations, vendors, accounting, customer service, and sales personnel to resolve customer needs.

· Communicate order status, risks, and delays in a timely and professional manner.

· Develop a strong understanding of each customer's business, purchasing process, and application requirements.

· Deliver responsive, professional service while maintaining a focus on customer growth and retention.

---

Branch Operations & Counter Sales Support

This position serves as a key member of the South Carolina Branch team and provides support to the showroom and counter sales operation as business needs require.

Counter Sales & Customer Support

· Assist walk-in customers with product inquiries, recommendations, and face-to-face consultations.

· Process will-call order pickups and walk-in purchases.

· Provide product guidance and recommendations on industrial tooling, cutting tools, abrasives, shop supplies, and related products.

· Support customers with basic product application questions and troubleshooting.

· Deliver a professional customer experience that reflects Travers Tool Co.'s commitment to service and expertise.

Showroom & Branch Operations

· Provide counter coverage during lunches, breaks, shift gaps, vacations, and other staffing needs.

· Maintain showroom appearance through shelf stocking, product merchandising, and inventory organization.

· Create and update pricing labels, signage, and promotional materials.

· Assist with merchandise movement, display setup, and showroom maintenance.

· Support branch events, customer open houses, vendor demonstrations, and related event logistics.

· Collaborate with branch personnel to ensure a clean, organized, and customer-focused facility.

---

Performance Expectations

Success in this role will be measured through a combination of sales growth, customer engagement, operational excellence, and branch support.

Sales & Account Growth

· Achievement of assigned revenue and gross margin objectives.

· Consistent growth and development of assigned, targeted, and underpenetrated customer accounts.

· Increased share of wallet through cross-selling, upselling, and customer relationship development.

· Successful execution of customer lifecycle initiatives, including onboarding, retention, reactivation, and growth outreach.

· Strong customer retention and repeat purchasing behavior.

Customer Engagement & Activity

· Consistent execution of outbound customer activity, including calls, emails, quote follow-up, and account development efforts.

· Effective prioritization and completion of branch-directed customer outreach campaigns.

· Timely follow-up on opportunities, customer requests, and open quotes.

· Development of meaningful relationships with key customer contacts and decision-makers.

CRM & Pipeline Management

· Maintenance of an active and healthy opportunity pipeline within HubSpot CRM.

· Accurate and timely documentation of customer interactions, opportunities, and next steps.

· Effective use of CRM, reporting tools, and customer data to identify opportunities and prioritize activities.

· Consistent pipeline progression from opportunity identification through close.

Customer Service & Branch Support

· Responsiveness and effectiveness in resolving customer inquiries and concerns.

· Professional handling of quotes, orders, and customer communications.

· Positive customer feedback and strong service levels for both phone and walk-in customers.

· Professional and knowledgeable showroom counter support.

· Reliable support of branch operations, showroom maintenance, merchandising activities, and branch events.

· Effective collaboration with sales, operations, customer service, warehouse, and accounting teams.

---

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

· 2+ years of inside sales, account management, customer service, or related business experience.

· Proven ability to build customer relationships and drive business through proactive outbound communication.

· Strong verbal communication skills with confidence interacting with customers over the phone and in person.

· Comfortable balancing outbound sales activity with showroom and counter sales responsibilities.

· Strong organizational, time management, and follow-up skills.

· Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced branch environment.

· Proficiency with CRM systems (HubSpot preferred) and Microsoft Office applications.

· Demonstrated problem-solving skills and commitment to delivering exceptional customer service.

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience in industrial distribution, manufacturing, metalworking, MRO, or related industries.

· Experience in a high-activity outbound sales or account development environment.

· Familiarity with HubSpot CRM, ERP systems, and sales pipeline management.

· Experience utilizing business intelligence or reporting tools such as Phocas.

· Product knowledge related to cutting tools, metalworking, abrasives, shop supplies, or industrial products.

· Demonstrated success growing customer accounts through proactive engagement and relationship development.