Inside sales interview questions and the mock call

Inside sales happens remotely, by phone, video and email, so you have more conversations in a day and each one is shorter. Outside sales means meeting customers in person, with fewer, longer meetings and more travel. The skills overlap, but inside sales puts more weight on phone presence, pace and keeping a full pipeline organized.

I like the pace. In my customer support job I handle a lot of calls a day, and I enjoy the variety and getting to an answer quickly. The part I want more of is the end of the conversation: helping someone make a decision. Inside sales gives me plenty of those conversations, and fast feedback on what works.

Mostly by listening well. I use their name, slow down, and repeat back something specific they said, so they know I heard it. I match their pace: quick with someone who's busy, more relaxed with someone who wants to chat. And I'm honest about why I'm calling, which builds more trust than small talk.

Hi Dana, it's Alex. You asked for pricing on our website about an hour ago, so I wanted to make sure you got what you needed. What made you start looking? ... Your team's growing and the shared inbox is a mess, got it. How many people would use it, and when would you want it running? ... Five people, before the end of the month. Is it your decision? ... Then the team plan fits. I can set up your account now and have you running this week. Shall we do that?

I keep research to a short routine with a time limit: one or two things I can mention in the first sentence. I batch similar calls so I'm not switching context, and I use a few note templates so logging is quick. Personalizing doesn't have to mean long research. Often it's just listening properly and using what they said.

By making sure we've agreed the problem and the fit before I ask, then asking clearly. I summarize what they told me, check I've got it right, and ask a direct question: "Shall we get you set up today?" If they hesitate, I ask what's holding them back rather than repeating the pitch. And after I ask, I stop talking.

"Happy to. So I send the right thing, what would you want it to cover?" ... Then I'd suggest a short call to go through it: "It takes about ten minutes to walk through and answer questions. Could we do Thursday at 2? I'll send it beforehand." If they still only want the email, I'd send it and put a follow-up date in the CRM.

I log each call straight after it, before the next one: what we discussed, what they care about, and the next step with a date. Every open deal has a next step. At the end of the day I spend ten minutes checking tomorrow's follow-ups. If it isn't in the CRM, I assume it didn't happen.

Last quarter my support team was asked to move more trial users onto paid plans during support calls. I was behind at the halfway point, so I listened back to my calls and noticed I never asked about their plans after solving the issue. I added one question at the end of each call, finished the quarter above target, and the team adopted the question.

Two minutes to confirm what they want to see and what a good outcome looks like. Ten minutes showing only the parts that solve what they told me, asking questions as I go so it doesn't become a lecture. Three minutes for questions and the next step. And I'd test my screen share and audio beforehand, because technical problems eat a short demo fast.

I'd follow up with something useful rather than "just checking in", like the answer to a question they raised. If that doesn't work, a short, direct message: "Should I close this out for now, or is it still a priority?" People often reply to that. And I'd look back at the last call, because silence usually starts when I let a call end without a firm next step.

Deals close to a decision and follow-ups due today come first, because they're the most likely to slip. Then new inbound leads, quickly, because they go cold fast. Then outbound and nurturing work. I plan it the evening before, so the first hour of the day is calls, not deciding what to do.

Calls and emails, conversations, how many conversations become a next step, and how many of those close. The middle numbers are the useful ones. When I noticed I was having plenty of conversations but getting few next steps, I changed how I ended calls, and that number went up.