Inside Sales Representative

Inside Sales Representative

Connor Sports is proud to be the market leader in Sports Flooring and is the official basketball court of the NCAA Final Four and the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Connor Sports is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Inside Sales Representative to support and grow our Southeast Region. This role serves as a key point of contact for dealers, architects, contractors, educational institutions, sports facility owners, and end users throughout the sales process. Located in the Chicagoland area or within a reasonable commuting distance to the Gerflor North America headquarters in Bolingbrook, IL, preferred.

The ideal candidate is highly responsive, organized, customer-focused, and comfortable using modern technology, including AI-powered tools, to improve productivity and customer engagement. This position is ideal for an early-career sales professional looking to build a long-term career with an industry leader.

Customer and Dealer Support

• Serve as a primary point of contact for customer and dealer inquiries throughout the Southeast Region.
• Provide timely and professional responses to incoming phone calls, emails, and web inquiries.
• Support dealers, architects, contractors, schools, colleges, universities, and facility owners with product information, budgeting, and project guidance.
• Maintain strong relationships with existing customers and channel partners.

Sales Development and Account Management

• Conduct outbound prospecting activities to identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Follow up on inbound leads and convert inquiries into qualified opportunities.
• Manage opportunities throughout the sales cycle and coordinate with internal teams as needed.
• Support customer retention and account growth initiatives.

CRM and Pipeline Management

• Maintain accurate customer records and opportunity data within the CRM system.
• Track and manage sales pipeline activity to ensure visibility and forecasting accuracy.
• Monitor and report on key sales activities, opportunities, and performance metrics.
• Ensure consistent follow-up and progression of active opportunities.

E-Commerce Support

• Assist customers with purchases, questions, and support requests related to the Connor Sports online store.
• Coordinate with internal teams to resolve order, product, and account-related issues.
• Help identify opportunities to improve customer experience and online sales performance.

Market Engagement

• Travel within the Southeast Region approximately once per quarter to support customer meetings, dealer engagement, and business development activities.
• Attend selected industry trade shows, customer events, and company meetings.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. He or she will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other duties requested by his or her supervisor.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
• 13 years of sales, customer service, business development, or related experience, preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and business software applications, required.
• Experience with Salesforce, HubSpot, or other CRM platforms, preferred.
• Experience supporting dealers, distributors, contractors, educational institutions, or facility-based customers, preferred.
• Exposure to project-based selling environments with longer sales cycles and multiple stakeholders, preferred.
• Located in the Chicagoland area or within a reasonable commuting distance to the Gerflor North America headquarters in Bolingbrook, IL, preferred.
• Experience supporting e-commerce or online sales platforms, preferred.

Qualities

• Self-motivated and ability to work independently
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Adaptation Period

6-12 months

AI and Technology Expectations

Connor Sports is committed to leveraging technology to improve customer experiences and business performance. Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Familiarity with AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or similar technologies.
• Ability to use AI to improve prospect research, customer communications, proposal development, and overall productivity.
• Curiosity and willingness to adopt emerging technologies and evolving sales tools.
• A continuous improvement mindset focused on efficiency and innovation.

Key Performance Indicators

• Responsiveness to customer and dealer inquiries.
• CRM accuracy and data quality.
• Pipeline management and opportunity progression.
• Customer satisfaction and relationship development.
• Online store support effectiveness.
• Contribution to regional sales growth objectives.