Hybrid Inside Sales & Business Development Representative

Schneider Electric•Raleigh, NC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Schneider Electric is seeking a motivated and energetic Hybrid Inside Sales & Business Development Representative to drive the growth of EcoStruxure Automation Expert (EAE), an open, software-defined automation solution. This role offers an early-career professional the chance to gain exposure to industrial automation, digital transformation, Industry 4.0, and software-driven manufacturing solutions while developing a sales career with a global technology leader. The position combines inside sales activities like prospecting and lead generation with customer-facing responsibilities such as trade shows, customer visits, workshops, and business development. You will collaborate with experienced Business Development Managers, technical experts, and industry leaders to introduce automation technology to manufacturers, system integrators, OEMs, and end users.

Requirements

Entry-level candidates are welcome; prior experience in sales, customer service, retail, fundraising, call centers, or other phone- or customer-facing work is helpful but not required.
Clear, confident phone communication and active-listening skills.
A positive attitude, willingness to learn, and openness to coaching, call reviews, and sales scripts.
Self-motivated and comfortable making frequent cold calls, managing a structured call schedule, and speaking with new prospects.
Ability to learn a new offer and explain its basic business value in simple, customer-friendly language.
Willingness to travel primarily within the local or assigned region for trade shows and selected customer meetings, while spending most working time in phone-based prospecting.
High school diploma or equivalent required; an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, technology, or a related field is a plus.
You are comfortable starting conversations with people you do not know, asking questions, listening carefully, and guiding a phone discussion toward a clear next step.
You can stay organized, follow a call plan, work independently, and collaborate with the broader sales team.
You are resilient and persistent. You understand that rejection is a normal part of launching a new offer, and you can remain professional, learn from each conversation, and continue working toward the next qualified meeting.

Nice To Haves

Internship, school project, part-time job, volunteer work, or early-career experience involving customer contact, outreach, sales, technology, or manufacturing.
Interest in learning industrial automation and software concepts; prior knowledge of PLCs, SCADA, HMI, MES, IIoT, or industrial software is helpful but not required.
Experience with phone outreach, appointment setting, customer service, school organizations, networking events, or trade shows is a plus.
Comfort using digital tools and AI-assisted resources to research prospects, prepare outreach, and organize follow-up.

Responsibilities

Use Schneider Electric-provided prospecting tools and AI resources to identify and research potential customers in assigned local markets.
Make cold calls and follow up by email or other approved channels using Schneider Electric tools, scripts, campaigns, and AI support.
Guide phone conversations, communicate the value of the new offer, handle initial objections, and secure a first customer meeting.
Ask clear qualification questions, document customer interest and next steps, and show measurable progress from the first call to an in-person meeting with a Business Development Manager (BDM).
Maintain consistent follow-up with prospects, recognizing that rejection and repeated outreach are normal parts of introducing a new offer.
Conduct introductory and discovery calls to understand the prospect’s needs, priorities, and current automation environment.
Use approved messaging to explain the EAE offer clearly over the phone, keep the conversation focused, and adapt the narrative to the customer’s situation.
Prepare qualified prospects for their first in-person customer meeting and support the BDM with the call history, customer needs, and agreed next steps.
Coordinate closely with BDMs, account managers, and technical teams to hand off qualified opportunities and maintain momentum.
Learn how to speak with engineering, operations, maintenance, OT, and IT contacts and identify the right stakeholder for a follow-up meeting.
Travel within the assigned area to support local trade shows, customer events, and selected industry activities.
Follow up promptly by phone with leads generated from webinars, trade shows, marketing campaigns, and other events.
Convert event and campaign leads into qualified phone conversations and scheduled meetings.
Meet established activity goals for calls, follow-ups, qualified conversations, and first meetings scheduled for the EAE business.
Record call outcomes, customer responses, follow-up dates, and meeting progress accurately in the provided CRM and sales tools.
Share relevant customer information with the BDM and technical team when a prospect is ready for a deeper discussion, demonstration, or evaluation.
Work with internal sales teams and channel partners to ensure qualified leads receive timely follow-up.