3 Types Of Remote Sales Career And The Skills They Require

Looking to redirect your sales career path, transition from another industry, or exploring first-time job opportunities? Either way, a career in sales can be one of the most rewarding and lucrative directions you could take. It's true that no one says they want a sales job growing up, but few sales reps ever regret taking the plunge.

Not only does a career in sales offer limitless opportunities for career progression, but sales professionals in the U.S. make above-average base salary and are always in demand. As many influential figures in the field say: 'good salespeople need never be unemployed.'

So, you've started looking into sales careers and are coming across lots of unfamiliar terms. You don't know your CRM from your SDR or your inside sales rep from your outside sales rep. And what about remote? There's a lot to learn - but don't panic!

At Leadium, we're pros at this stuff. So clock in and read on to find out what sales positions you need to know, plus discover if you have the skills required to succeed in the sales world (pssst: if you've had a job before, you probably do).

3 types of remote sales professionals

Sales is a big world, and any sales department - and even sales teams within that department - is made up of any number of subsidiary roles. A sales organization only works when every part is working in harmony. So closing deals and stacking up those dollars relies on a whole team of specialized pros working round the clock to deliver results.

1. Inside Sales Reps

The primary job of inside sales reps is to sell products or services through a variety of sales tools (for instance, cold calling, email, or social selling) rather than through in-person meetings. As the name suggests, this sales job is mostly conducted on-screen.

In fact, the role lends itself so perfectly to remote work that over 50% of all salespeople now report working from home more than half the time.

But the role is crucial to sales operations and isn't without its difficulties. A great inside sales representative will need to be able to:

• Reach our to potential customers via many channels
• Follow up on leads
• Conduct online product demonstrations
• Negotiate deals
• Use a variety of sales tools and software

2. Sales Development Rep (SDR)/Business Development Rep (BDR)

Here come the acronyms! While SDRs and BDRs aren't the same, the both fulfil a similar role within the sales process. Let's tackle them one at a time.

SDRs are distinct from other sales representatives in that they're responsible for lead generation - that means identifying and qualifying high-quality potential customers (or 'prospects') with whom to do business. Once they've done their part, they'll pass the prospect over to an inside sales rep.

BDRs play a similar role with a greater emphasis on exploring new business opportunities through outbound channels. That's why it's called 'business development'.

Although the two sales positions are distinct, they share some common ground in terms of necessary skillset. For example, both need to:

• Conduct thorough market research
• Identify potential leads
• Qualify leads based on specific criteria
• Make outbound calls and send outbound emails
• Set up appointments for executives

3. Account Managers and Customer Relationship Management

These crucial sales management roles are essential for maintaining and growing relationships with new and existing customers. While they may not handle sales directly, they are deeply involved in the sales process and are fundamental to long-term sales success.

In fact, around half of sales organizations agree that customer relationship management helps with customer retention.

So if you're interested in a sales career path that is centred around customer experience, these roles could be for you. But what skills do you need to stand out in this position?

• Provide continuous support and consultation
• Identify up-selling and cross-selling opportunities
• Manage client accounts (using customer relationship management software)
• Review and renew client contracts

Essential skills for a remote sales job

So, we've looked at just three of the rewarding career paths sales has to offer. Now, let's take a look at some of the key skills required to make it in the sales world.

A sales career isn't just about being able to deliver a killer sales pitch (although that's certainly part of it). In addition, sales professionals need to be natural organizers, tech savvy, great at relationship building, comfortable with data analysis, and much, much more.

1. Communication skills

As you might expect, one of (if not the) key skills you need to succeed in a sales career is great communication. Sales reps are constantly communicating with everyone from sales managers and other members of their sales teams to new prospects in a range of roles and industries. And being able to effectively turn customer interactions into sales requires - you guessed it - watertight communication skills.

2. Self-motivation and discipline

Although sales leaders will provide overarching strategies and sales managers will oversee your progress, sales reps generally have a high degree of autonomy. It's down to you to (depending on your sales role) scour the web for leads, hook those leads with powerful outreach, and guide them through the sales funnel.

Discipline is particularly important for remote sales roles, as they have to motivate themselves to meet their deadlines without the direct presence of a manager.

3. Tech proficiency

Okay, you don't have to be a coder to succeed as a sales rep. But you do need to be comfortable with a range of different software and technology.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software in particular is a fundamental part of any modern sales role. You'll find gaining proficiency in CRM tech super useful, too: such software increases productivity by 34%, accuracy (saving you time) by 42%, and sales by 29% - and that means more commission for you.

4. Active listening

While most sales professionals only spend between 30-40% of their time actually selling, that time is crucial to success. So when it comes to picking up the phone, salespeople need to be prepared to listen. And we mean really listen.

Gone are the days when sales organizations simply rang as many people as possible and spouted out the same tired old sales pitch. Today, reps are required to actively listen to their prospects' pain points and objections and tailor their pitch around those problems. This is one the most important sales skills to master.

5. Time management

We mentioned that salespeople spend less than half their time selling, so what about the rest of the time? Most sales jobs, whether they're as business development reps, regional sales managers, chief sales officers, or anything else, require you to juggle several important tasks at once.

You'll have to manage client meetings, stay on top of follow-ups, set aside time for prospecting, and keep myriad other administrative tasks in order. And as a remote sales professional, you won't have anyone telling you what to do, either, so the ability to manage your own time is key.

6. Adaptability

The world of sales is constantly in flux: markets swing, new technologies emerge, client needs evolve, prospects change their minds, new opportunities come up, sales targets shift... you get the idea.

Take AI, for instance, which has, in just a few years, changed the face of sales. In 2020, AI was in its infancy, yet 80% of retail leaders now expect to incorporate AI automation fully by 2025.

Being able to adapt to changing circumstances is one of the key sales skills that'll stand you in good stead for a great sales career.

Take the first step on you sales career path today

As you can see, sales isn't all about making cold calls; the industry encompasses an enormous range of roles and responsibilities from sales representatives to senior executives and sales engineers - and more and more of these sales positions are being conducted remotely.

So if you're thinking about making a change or getting stuck into a rewarding long-term career, there's never been a better time to explore a career in sales. And chances are, you probably already have many of the fundamentals skills needed to succeed in one. What most sales jobs rely on, at heart, is great communication, organizational ability, and a desire to help prospects find solutions.

If you'd like to know more about the world of sales, we recommend checking out our blog, where you'll find a ton of useful tips, tricks, and resources you can use to get started. And don't forget, for experienced, founder-led B2B lead generation and sales development services, Leadium's services have you covered.