Business Development & Inside Sales

Willis Johnson & Associates•Houston, TX

13d

About The Position

Do you have a fascination with both finance and sales? Have you always been interested in savings strategies, mitigating taxes, and understanding the stock market? Do you have exceptional calling skills? Are you able to handle objections with a smile and convey value to prospective clients in a refined way? Are you looking for a role with unlimited upside and uncapped quarterly bonuses, benefits, and a growth-oriented environment? Reporting to the Director of Marketing, the Client Development Specialist is responsible for identifying, nurturing and booking potential prospects to meet with our wealth management team, and owning the prospect relationship until they become clients. This role directly supports the firm’s new client acquisition goals. Responsibilities include identifying opportunities from both prospective and existing customers by understanding their needs, discussing solutions the firm can provide, and ensuring a smooth sales process throughout. Why Willis Johnson & Associates? Willis Johnson & Associates is a fast-growing, award-winning wealth management firm specializing in corporate executives and professionals. We help our clients optimize their personal financial lives—from compensation and benefits strategy to tax mitigation, retirement planning, investments, and insurance. And with everything we recommend, we put our clients first—always. No product sales. No commissions. Straight fee-only financial planning and asset management. The same way we take care of our clients, we invest in our team. We provide a very competitive benefits package including fully paid medical, dental, vision, disability/life insurance, 401(k), and PTO. We pride ourselves on supporting personal and professional growth. We encourage continued education for all employees and support participation in educational conferences and events. We’re tech-forward and trust our team to get their jobs done without micromanaging.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
1–2 years of professional experience; inside sales or financial services experience preferred.
Proven track record of success in consultative or value-based sales, with consistent achievement of quota or performance targets.
Strong phone presence and comfort operating in a high-volume, metrics-driven environment.
Executive-caliber verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage confidently and respectfully with senior-level professionals.
Demonstrated ability to maintain accurate CRM data, follow defined processes, and manage multiple priorities with strong attention to detail.
High level of coachability, learning agility, and a willingness to implement feedback quickly.
Strong time management, organization, and follow-through skills with an ability to execute tasks reliably and on deadline.
Commitment to ethical conduct, confidentiality, and compliance with industry regulations.

Nice To Haves

2–3 years of experience in the investment or financial advisory industry.
Experience executing multichannel prospecting strategies, including outbound calls, customized email sequences, and LinkedIn outreach.
Familiarity with long sales cycles and the ability to nurture prospects over extended periods.
High emotional intelligence (EQ) with an ability to build rapport quickly and maintain strong relationships with diverse personalities.
Interest in deepening technical knowledge of executive compensation, corporate benefits, retirement planning, and related financial planning areas.
Experience with CRM systems and marketing automation platforms.
Interest in obtaining Series 65, CFP®, CPA, or CFA® credentials; WJA provides sponsorship and professional development support.

Responsibilities

Perform high-volume warm calling and emailing, with an expectation of 250+ outbound calls and 50+ customized emails per week.
Own the prospect pipeline from first touch through booked meeting, ensuring timely follow-ups, accurate CRM documentation, and adherence to standardized outreach cadences.
Schedule qualified initial meetings with prospects and execute all follow-up steps within 24 hours to prevent stalls in the sales process.
Prequalify prospects using WJA’s established framework to ensure meetings are high-quality and aligned with advisor expectations and capacity.
Build professional rapport with prospects and nurture long-term relationships throughout a lengthy sales cycle.
Conduct outbound calls before and after initial meetings; partner with Wealth Management Advisors to address technical questions and ensure a smooth handoff.
Collaborate with Marketing to support campaigns, promote event attendance, and convert marketing- and referral-generated leads.
Maintain, refine, and segment prospect and outbound marketing communication lists to improve campaign targeting.
Confidently handle objections and articulate WJA’s value proposition in a clear, professional manner tailored to executives from Fortune 500 energy companies.
Prepare advisors before prospect meetings, debrief afterwards, and accurately document all relevant activity and data in the CRM.
Maintain strict adherence to industry compliance rules and regulations for all communication.
Conduct research using LinkedIn and other tools to identify high-potential prospects and client referrals, including identifying potential advisor referrals ahead of client review meetings.
Produce weekly activity reports and monthly metrics summaries, and consistently meet booking goals for qualified prospect meetings.
Attend weekly Cases-In-Motion and weekly department meetings and communicate proactively with cross-functional partners to ensure alignment.