Have you ever wondered what’s it really like to work in the world of internal sales? I’m Christine Snazel, an Internal Sales Manager at ROYD Tool and I’m going to give you an insight into my role.
What does a typical day look like for an Internal Sales Manager?
My day starts at 8am and the first thing I like to do is to check my emails with a cup of coffee. A typical day for me mainly consists of order processing so once I’ve caught up on emails, I’ll dive straight into customer orders. Order processing is the process of fulfilling a customer’s order. Once the customer sends us their order, I’ll put the order onto a system where our warehouse team can pick and package the order.
This will keep me busy all morning and I’ll try to take my lunch at 1pm, if my stomach can hold out that long! I usually bring in my own lunch and I tend to go for healthier options.
After lunch I work on clearing the customer orders. We have an agreement with our customers that any orders before 3pm, as long as we’ve got the stock, goes out the same day. I like to make sure everything is cleared by 3pm which allows me to assist my team members with other tasks, such as back orders.
My role also involves generating additional sales opportunities by contacting customers who haven’t ordered from us for a length of time. This allows us to find out why they haven’t reordered and flag any issues. But essentially the main goal for me is to generate additional sales by getting customers to reorder.
What do you like most about your role?
My role is quite structured, so I like the idea of knowing what I’m doing each day. I’m also a very talkative person so I enjoy talking to customers every day.
What skills does an Internal Sale Manager need?
The main skills you need for this role are general administration skills. Firstly, good communication skills, both written and verbal are essential. I couldn’t imagine a quiet person doing this role, particularly because they would need to phone customers and assist with answering calls. So, having the confidence to talk to customers in a friendly, positive manner is crucial.
It’s also important to be familiar with Microsoft Office software, such as Word and Excel. There are other systems I use which are really straight forward so you can easily learn those on the job.
What’s the highlight of your role so far?
When I joined ROYD Tool Group one of my goals was to hit £100k of reorders within my first year. Once I realised how close I was, it gave me the extra encouragement and I smashed it.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to do your role?
For anyone looking to do this role, I’d recommend taking time to really understand the products. Customers are more likely to trust a salesperson who shows confidence in what they’re selling. Whilst I’m not necessarily selling products directly to customers, I am a point of contact for customers who may enquire about a product. Therefore, it’s important to give customers a good first impression by demonstrating your product knowledge.
Want to get an insight into other roles? Take a look at Ben’s Day in the Life as a Product Designer.