Inside Sales Specialist

Trident Process; BLOOMINGTON (MN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Trident Process in Bloomington, MN is seeking an entry-level inside sales support specialist to keep CRM accurate, translate customer requests into quotes, and shepherd orders from purchase order to delivery. You will work directly alongside our sales engineers and outside sales team, learning the equipment and the customers as you go.

We are intentionally hiring this role with room to grow. The day-one scope is transactional quoting, order management, and CRM work.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; coursework or a degree in business, supply chain, or a technical field is a plus.
• 1–3 years of experience in inside sales, customer service, order entry, or a related role. Industrial distribution, manufacturing, or manufacturers' rep experience preferred but not required.
• Comfort working in a CRM and with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Outlook.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Much of this job is clear, timely follow-up.
• Meticulous attention to detail. A wrong part number or a missed ship date has real consequences for our customers.
• Genuine interest in learning technical products. You don't need to know how a plate heat exchanger or an industrial mixer works on day one, but you should want to find out.
• Self-directed and organized, with the judgment to know when to solve something yourself and when to ask.

Responsibilities

• Quotations: Prepare and issue transactional quotes for replacement parts, spares, and standard equipment using factory price lists and configurators.
• Order Management: Enter and process customer purchase orders, issue orders to our manufacturers, confirm acknowledgments, track lead times, and expedite when schedules slip.
• CRM Ownership: Maintain accurate customer, contact, opportunity, and activity records. Keep the data clean enough that the whole team can trust it.
• Customer Communication: Serve as a primary point of contact for quote status, order status, shipping information, and general inquiries. Respond promptly and professionally.
• Issue Resolution: Work through delays, shipping discrepancies, returns, and warranty items in coordination with our manufacturers.
• Sales Support: Route incoming leads, assemble literature and documentation packages, and pull reports that help the sales team prioritize.
• Manufacturer Coordination: Build working relationships with the inside sales and customer service teams at the factories we represent.

Skills

CRM proficiency

Strong communication

Attention to detail

Self-directed

Organized

Willingness to learn

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

CRM software

Job description

Trident Process has been a leading manufacturers' representative since 1987, delivering process equipment and technical support to customers across the greater Midwest. We represent premier lines including Alfa Laval, Lightnin, Watson-Marlow, and Zenith, serving food and beverage, ethanol, sugar, and general industrial processing customers.

We are a small, close-knit team of about a dozen people. That means the work you do is visible, the customers you help are people you'll know by name, and the path forward is whatever you make of it.

Position Overview

This is a foundational role on our sales team. You will be the person who keeps our CRM accurate, turns customer requests into quotes, and shepherds orders from purchase order to delivery. You'll work directly alongside our sales engineers and outside sales team, learning the equipment and the customers as you go.

We're intentionally hiring this role with room to grow. The day-one scope is transactional quoting, order management, and CRM work. Where it goes from there depends on your interests and strengths.

Key Responsibilities

• Quotations: Prepare and issue transactional quotes for replacement parts, spares, and standard equipment using factory price lists and configurators. Follow up on open quotes and keep the pipeline current.
• Order Management: Enter and process customer purchase orders, issue orders to our manufacturers, confirm acknowledgments, track lead times, and expedite when schedules slip.
• CRM Ownership: Maintain accurate customer, contact, opportunity, and activity records. Keep the data clean enough that the whole team can trust it.
• Customer Communication: Serve as a primary point of contact for quote status, order status, shipping information, and general inquiries. Respond promptly and professionally.
• Issue Resolution: Work through delays, shipping discrepancies, returns, and warranty items in coordination with our manufacturers.
• Sales Support: Route incoming leads, assemble literature and documentation packages, and pull reports that help the sales team prioritize.
• Manufacturer Coordination: Build working relationships with the inside sales and customer service teams at the factories we represent.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; coursework or a degree in business, supply chain, or a technical field is a plus.
• 1–3 years of experience in inside sales, customer service, order entry, or a related role. Industrial distribution, manufacturing, or manufacturers' rep experience preferred but not required.
• Comfort working in a CRM and with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Outlook.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Much of this job is clear, timely follow-up.
• Meticulous attention to detail. A wrong part number or a missed ship date has real consequences for our customers.
• Genuine interest in learning technical products. You don't need to know how a plate heat exchanger or an industrial mixer works on day one, but you should want to find out.
• Self-directed and organized, with the judgment to know when to solve something yourself and when to ask.

Where This Role Can Go

We're not looking for someone to sit in the same seat for ten years unless that's what they want. Depending on where your interests take you, this position can develop toward:

• Application engineering — sizing and selecting equipment, building technical proposals
• Outside sales — carrying your own accounts and territory
• Project and order coordination — managing larger capital equipment orders end to end

Trident Process is an Equal Opportunity Employer.