Cartoli Instruments is a trusted distributor of test and measurement, inspection, and industrial equipment serving customers across manufacturing, quality control, maintenance, engineering, calibration, and technical service environments. We support customers by helping them identify the right instruments, accessories, and solutions for their specific applications, while delivering responsive service, reliable product knowledge, and strong supplier relationships.
Our team operates with a customer-first mindset, combining technical curiosity, sales discipline, and operational follow-through to help customers make informed purchasing decisions. At Cartoli Instruments, we value accountability, responsiveness, integrity, and continuous improvement as we work to support both established customers and new business opportunities.
Position SummaryCartoli Instruments is seeking a proactive, technically curious, and sales-driven Inside Sales Representative to manage inbound inquiries, develop customer opportunities, prepare quotations, follow up on open proposals, and convert transactional and repeat business into profitable sales.
This role is central to the company’s sales engine. The Inside Sales Representative serves as a primary point of contact for customers seeking test and measurement instruments, inspection equipment, accessories, replacement items, and related technical products. The successful candidate will be responsible for responding quickly to customer needs, asking the right application questions, preparing accurate quotations, recommending value-added products, and ensuring orders are cleanly transitioned to purchasing, fulfillment, and customer service.
This is a performance-oriented position with defined sales goals and eligibility for bonuses based on individual and company sales results. The ideal candidate is comfortable balancing technical product discussions, customer service, outbound follow-up, quotation management, and proactive selling.
Core Responsibilities1. Inbound Lead Qualification and Customer AssessmentResponsiveness Protocol:
Promptly acknowledge and respond to inbound customer inquiries, including web leads, emails, phone calls, quote requests, and supplier or marketplace referrals, in accordance with company service-level expectations.
Application Discovery:
Go beyond basic order-taking by asking relevant technical and commercial questions to determine the customer’s true need. Depending on the product category, this may include understanding measurement range, accuracy requirements, calibration needs, inspection criteria, environmental conditions, compliance requirements, brand preferences, availability requirements, and budget considerations.
Customer Qualification:
Assess each opportunity to determine whether the request is transactional, project-based, repeat business, or a larger account opportunity. Identify customer type, buying timeline, urgency, competitive factors, and potential for future sales.
Escalation and Routing:
Promptly route complex technical requests, large project opportunities, supplier-specific requirements, service-related matters, or strategic account opportunities to the appropriate Sales Manager, outside sales representative, supplier contact, or technical resource.
2. Quotation Development and Solution RecommendationProposal Generation:
Prepare accurate, professional sales quotations using the company’s CRM, ERP, quoting tools, supplier portals, and approved pricing processes. Ensure quotes include correct part numbers, product descriptions, pricing, lead times, freight terms, calibration requirements, and any relevant exclusions or assumptions.
Product Selection and Configuration:
Assist customers in selecting appropriate test instruments, measurement devices, inspection tools, accessories, consumables, and related equipment. Work with supplier resources, product documentation, and internal team members to confirm proper product fit when needed.
Supplier Coordination:
Engage with manufacturers and supplier representatives to confirm pricing, availability, technical specifications, alternatives, substitutions, special discounts, and product recommendations.
Value Enhancement and Add-On Sales:
Identify opportunities to increase order value by recommending complementary products such as calibration certificates, probes, leads, adapters, cases, software, fixtures, replacement parts, consumables, service plans, warranties, or inspection accessories.
Margin Discipline:
Follow approved pricing and discounting guidelines while balancing customer competitiveness, profitability, supplier programs, and company margin expectations.
3. Sales Goals, Pipeline Management, and Follow-Up StrategySales Goal Achievement:
Own assigned sales targets, quotation conversion goals, activity expectations, and bonus-related performance metrics. Consistently work to grow sales volume, improve close rates, and increase customer retention.
Quotation Follow-Up:
Follow up on submitted quotations in a timely and disciplined manner. Contact customers to answer questions, address objections, confirm buying timelines, identify competitors, and move opportunities toward purchase order placement.
Pipeline Management:
Maintain an organized pipeline of active quotes, pending opportunities, repeat customer needs, and dormant accounts. Prioritize follow-up based on order value, customer urgency, likelihood of close, and strategic importance.
CRM Integrity:
Document all customer activity, including calls, emails, quote status updates, follow-up notes, next steps, lost-order reasons, competitive feedback, and customer preferences. Maintain accurate customer, contact, and opportunity records.
Opportunity Revival:
Systematically re-engage customers with open quotes, inactive opportunities, previous purchases, or aging proposals. Use prior transaction history to identify reorder opportunities and related product needs.
Outbound Sales Activity:
When inbound activity is lighter, proactively contact existing customers, dormant accounts, prior buyers, and targeted prospects to generate new opportunities and support sales goal achievement.
4. Order Processing and Operational TransitionClean Order Standard:
Ensure that all required information is gathered before an order is entered or transitioned to purchasing, fulfillment, or customer service. This includes correct customer information, billing and shipping details, product specifications, pricing, lead time expectations, freight terms, tax status, and special handling requirements.
Purchase Order Reconciliation:
Review incoming customer purchase orders against the corresponding quotation. Identify and resolve discrepancies related to pricing, quantities, part numbers, descriptions, shipping instructions, payment terms, calibration requirements, or delivery expectations before order entry.
Internal Coordination:
Work closely with purchasing, warehouse, logistics, customer service, accounting, and sales leadership to ensure accurate order fulfillment and timely customer communication.
Customer Communication:
Provide updates regarding order status, lead times, shipment tracking, backorders, substitutions, supplier delays, and issue resolution while maintaining a professional and solution-oriented approach.
Issue Resolution:
Assist customers with product questions, order concerns, returns, warranty coordination, missing items, shipping issues, and supplier follow-up. Manage issues actively until resolution or proper handoff.
Required Qualifications and AttributesEducation:
Bachelor’s degree preferred in Business, Communications, Engineering, Industrial Technology, or a related field. Equivalent experience in technical sales, distribution, customer service, or industrial products may be considered in lieu of a degree.
Professional Experience:
3–5 years of experience in inside sales, technical sales, distribution sales, customer service, industrial products, test and measurement equipment, inspection equipment, electronics, manufacturing support, MRO, or a related B2B sales environment preferred.
Sales Orientation:
Demonstrated ability to work toward sales goals, manage a pipeline, follow up consistently, close business, and contribute to revenue growth. Prior experience with sales targets, commissions, bonuses, or performance-based incentives is strongly preferred.
Technical Aptitude:
Ability to quickly learn product categories related to test and measurement, inspection, calibration, quality control, electronics, industrial maintenance, and related technical applications. Engineering experience is not required, but comfort discussing specifications, product features, use cases, and technical requirements is essential.
Customer-Facing Communication:
Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to build rapport, ask effective questions, explain product options clearly, and maintain professionalism with customers, suppliers, and internal teams.
Interpersonal Savvy:
System Competency:
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, CRM systems, ERP systems, supplier portals, quoting tools, and general business software. Ability to accurately enter data, manage customer records, and maintain organized sales activity is required.
Dynamic Role Adaptability:
Proven ability to move fluidly between multiple functional modes, including:
Consultative Sales Advisor:
Helping customers evaluate products, specifications, accessories, and alternatives based on their application.
Proactive Business Developer:
Following up on quotes, reactivating past customers, identifying add-on opportunities, and generating new sales activity.
Supplier and Product Coordinator:
Working with manufacturers and vendors to confirm price, availability, lead time, technical fit, and product substitutions.
Customer Service Partner:
Triaging customer questions, order issues, shipping inquiries, and post-sale concerns while keeping sales priorities on track.