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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Sales Support Administrator

💰 $45,000 - $65,000 per year

SalesAdministrationBusiness OperationsCustomer Support

🎯 Role Definition

The Sales Support Administrator serves as the operational engine of the sales department, providing essential administrative and operational support to the field sales and account management teams. This role is the central hub for communication and process management, ensuring that the sales cycle runs smoothly, efficiently, and with a high degree of accuracy. By managing data, coordinating logistics, and serving as a key point of contact for both internal teams and external clients, the Sales Support Administrator enables the sales representatives to focus on building relationships and closing deals. This position is fundamental to maintaining customer satisfaction, driving sales effectiveness, and ensuring data integrity within the company's sales systems.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Administrative Assistant
  • Customer Service Representative
  • Junior Account Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Senior Sales Support Administrator
  • Sales Operations Analyst
  • Inside Sales Representative
  • Account Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Marketing Coordinator
  • Operations Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Accurately and efficiently process a high volume of incoming sales orders, from initial entry into the ERP system to final confirmation with the client, ensuring all pricing and terms are correct.
  • Generate and deliver timely and precise sales quotes, proposals, and service agreements for the sales team based on customer requirements and company pricing structures.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for client inquiries regarding order status, product information, delivery schedules, and billing, providing exceptional and responsive service.
  • Meticulously maintain and update customer and lead information within the CRM system (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot), ensuring data integrity for accurate forecasting and reporting.
  • Act as a crucial liaison between the sales team and other internal departments, including logistics, finance, and production, to resolve issues and ensure a seamless end-to-end customer experience.
  • Prepare, manage, and track sales contracts and renewal agreements through their entire lifecycle, ensuring all documentation is complete and filed correctly.
  • Assist the sales team in preparing for client meetings by compiling data, creating presentations, and organizing necessary collateral and product information.
  • Proactively monitor and manage the sales pipeline alongside sales representatives, identifying potential bottlenecks and following up on pending items.
  • Investigate and resolve customer issues related to orders, billing discrepancies, or service complaints with a sense of urgency and professionalism.
  • Support the sales team with calendar management, travel arrangements, and expense reporting to maximize their time in customer-facing activities.
  • Coordinate the logistics for product samples and demonstration equipment, ensuring they are shipped to and returned from client sites in a timely manner.
  • Distribute up-to-date sales and marketing materials, including price lists, product specification sheets, and brochures, to the sales team and channel partners.
  • Onboard new sales team members by providing training on administrative processes, software systems (CRM/ERP), and reporting requirements.

Secondary Functions

  • Develop and maintain comprehensive sales reports and dashboards to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as sales volume, pipeline velocity, and win/loss rates.
  • Assist in the coordination and logistical planning for industry trade shows, sales conferences, and customer events, including booth setup and material shipment.
  • Manage and distribute inbound sales leads from various channels to the appropriate sales representatives based on territory or other established criteria.
  • Support the creation and execution of the Request for Proposal (RFP) and Request for Information (RFI) process by gathering necessary information and formatting documents.
  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to uncover sales trends or customer insights.
  • Contribute to the organization's efforts to improve sales processes by identifying inefficiencies and suggesting potential solutions or new workflows.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements for better reporting and analytics.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the broader commercial operations or data teams.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • CRM Software Proficiency: Deep, hands-on experience with major CRM platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Microsoft Dynamics, including data entry, report generation, and dashboard management.
  • MS Office Suite Mastery: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, formulas), PowerPoint (presentation creation), and Word (document formatting).
  • ERP System Experience: Familiarity with Enterprise Resource Planning systems such as SAP, Oracle NetSuite, or Epicor for order processing and inventory lookup.
  • Order Management Systems: Competency in using dedicated order entry and processing software with a high degree of accuracy.
  • Data Entry & Management: Fast and accurate typing skills coupled with a meticulous approach to maintaining data integrity across multiple systems.
  • Basic Reporting & Analytics: Ability to pull data, create basic reports, and visualize trends to support sales team decision-making.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional Organization & Time Management: The ability to expertly prioritize a high volume of competing tasks and manage deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  • High Attention to Detail: A meticulous and thorough approach to all tasks, ensuring accuracy in orders, quotes, and data entry to prevent downstream errors.
  • Proactive Problem-Solving: A forward-thinking mindset that anticipates potential issues and independently seeks out effective and timely solutions.
  • Polished Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication abilities for clear, professional interaction with clients, sales staff, and internal teams.
  • Strong Interpersonal Skills: The capacity to build rapport and collaborate effectively with diverse personalities across different departments.
  • Customer-Centric Mindset: A genuine dedication to providing an outstanding customer experience and acting as an advocate for the client.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate's Degree or equivalent relevant professional experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's Degree

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Marketing
  • Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2-5 years of experience in an administrative, operational, or customer-facing support role.

Preferred:

Direct experience in a sales support or sales operations capacity, preferably within a B2B environment. Proven success supporting a remote or field-based sales team is highly advantageous.

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