Fitting in with Inside Sales as an Outsider
I was drawn to apply for the education specialist position at XANT because the job description included writing. As a recent graduate from a journalism program, I was intrigued by a writing position within a sales organization. “What could these telemarketers possibly need from my skillset?” I asked myself. Clearly I wouldn’t be in my usual position where the questions floating around included the who’s, what’s and where’s of a crime or event or the correct spelling of pumpernickel. (It still looks a little funny.)
I walked into the office armed with only the vague details I pulled from some quick glances of the website, with the words “dialer phone software,” “lead response” and “sales automation” swirling around in my head with no real comprehension. In the lobby I scrambled to read the multiple awards about XANT that garnish the lobby walls, including their Utah Best of State Awards and shout out from the Harvard Business Review. Clearly this company was impressing some people.
I was guided in and faced my now-boss Chris Jorgensen. I had no clue what to expect.
He began to explain the nitty gritty details of XANT. This included an explanation of the famous Lead Response Study, and the methods Dave Elkington and Ken Krogue used to address the problems uncovered with features such as the PowerDialer, Click to Call, lead reponse management, etc. The very definition of inside sales turned out to be something that would take me weeks to conceptualize. I learned it is a far cry from the stereotypical telemarketer and that inside sales is sales done remotely. More importantly, I’ve come to realize that there is a relationship involved, and our clients aren’t just nameless faces we ship a product to. They are people we want to help, people we want to get to know and people whose jobs we want to improve by 100 percent.
I was completely blown away, and when Chris asked “So do you think you would like to work for us?” I could honestly answer, “Yes.” The excitement that revolves around the world of XANT, and the incredible research and technology performed caught my interest. I was “sold.”
Though I started completely clueless (think ostrich trying to swim in a fishbowl), I now think I could give the sales team a run for their money. Well, that might be a stretch, but I am now confident in explaining our incredible products and the benefits they can add to any organization with an inside sales team. As an education specialist, I help onboard new employees, participate in client training and generate new educational materials to help employees, customers and others learn about the expansive world of inside sales.
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