Inside Sales Associate

Chefs Warehouse•Hanover, MD

About The Position

The Inside Sales & Sales Support Associate supports Outside Sales Representatives and contributes to customer satisfaction, sales growth, and account profitability. The role serves as an extension of the outside sales team by handling day-to-day customer needs, assisting with account setup and maintenance, analyzing sales and profitability data, and identifying growth opportunities within assigned accounts. The associate supports 2–4 Outside Sales Representatives and is responsible for select key accounts. Success requires strong communication and analytical skills, attention to detail, and a proactive, customer-centric mindset.

Requirements

High school diploma.
Strong verbal, written, and telephone communication skills.
High attention to detail and strong follow-through.
Self-motivated and organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Team-oriented, with the ability to collaborate across departments.
Able to work under pressure with a sense of urgency.
Data entry and 10-key experience required.

Nice To Haves

College coursework.
Prior experience in foodservice distribution, inside sales, customer service, or sales support.
Strong understanding of foodservice products, categories, and customer dynamics.
Bilingual Spanish/English.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary point of contact for assigned customers while supporting 2–4 Outside Sales Representatives.
Assist with new account setup, onboarding, and ongoing account maintenance.
Manage customer orders, add-ons, credits, adjustments, and special requests.
Proactively communicate out-of-stock items, substitutions, and order changes to customers and sales representatives.
Review incoming orders received by phone, email, fax, or voicemail for accuracy and completeness.
Ensure accuracy of entered and outgoing orders.
Suggest and sell additional or complementary items when appropriate.
Run and analyze reports on account profitability, gross profit per drop, and penetration and line-growth opportunities.
Identify trends, risks, and opportunities within assigned accounts and share insights with the outside sales team.
Manage select key accounts, ensuring service levels, pricing accuracy, and issue resolution.
Work with sales, operations, purchasing, and customer service to provide a seamless customer experience.
Escalate issues, irregularities, or customer concerns to appropriate team members.
Document and track customer complaints and assist with quarterly reporting.
Assist with special orders, customer price lists, and program maintenance.
Provide backup coverage for Outside Sales Representatives during vacations or absences.
Attend inside and outside sales meetings and participate in sales initiatives as needed.
Maintain a professional attitude and sense of urgency in a fast-paced environment.
Perform other duties and projects assigned by management.