Internal Sales Representative
Also known as: Sales Office Representative · Order Desk Representative
Handles customer enquiries from the office, prepares calculations and quotations, processes orders, and keeps field sales informed of customer agreements.
The internal sales representative is the fixed contact for customers who call or email with an enquiry, an order or a delivery question. Unlike an inside sales representative, the work is mainly reactive and there is no personal acquisition target. Selection emphasises administrative accuracy, while probing actively on an enquiry and noticing sales opportunities is what makes the difference in margin.
Competencies to measure
These are the behavioural and ability constructs in this profile. Each one shows which hrmforce questionnaire measures it.
| Competencies to measure | Target level | hrmforce instrument | Assessment method | Behavioural anchor at target level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persuasiveness Competency (50-framework): Persuasiveness Knockout | N4 | Big Fifty, Competency Check, 360 Feedback | Assessment centre | Chooses per counterpart the argument that matches their interest and checks along the way whether the agreement is genuine. |
| Client focus Competency (50-framework): Customer Focus Knockout | N4 | Big Fifty, Competency Check, 360 Feedback | 360-degree feedback | Uncovers the real need behind a client question, makes a fitting proposal and checks after delivery whether it works. |
| Result orientation Competency (50-framework): Results-Orientation | N4 | Big Fifty, Competency Check, 360 Feedback | Personality questionnaire | Translates an assignment into measurable interim goals, measures progress and drops activities that do not contribute to the result. |
| Commercial capability Competency (50-framework): Commercial acumen Knockout | N4 | Big Fifty, Competency Check, 360 Feedback | Assessment centre | Discusses additional services with existing customers on own initiative and records the revenue opportunity in the customer file. |
| Accuracy and attention to detail Competency (50-framework): Accuracy | N4 | Big Fifty, 360 Feedback | Personality questionnaire | Builds check moments into the own process, keeps track of errors and prevents repetition by adjusting the method. |
| Listening and probing Competency (50-framework): Listen | N4 | Big Fifty, 360 Feedback | 360-degree feedback | Summarises both the content and the feeling of the other party and probes until the real interest behind the request becomes visible. |
| Perseverance Competency (50-framework): Perseverance | N4 | Big Fifty, 15PF, Mental Resilience (4C) | Personality questionnaire | Keeps seeking alternative routes on a stalled case and involves others in that search on own initiative. |
| Market orientation Competency (50-framework): Market Orientation | N4 | Big Fifty, Competency Check, 360 Feedback | Assessment centre | Links signals from customers and competitors to the own offering and proposes adjustments on that basis. |
| Recovery after setbacks Competency (50-framework): Stress resilience | N3 | Big Fifty, Mental Resilience (4C), 360 Feedback | Personality questionnaire | Analyses after a failed effort what went wrong, discusses it with those involved and starts a revised approach within a week. |
Short profile
The ten heaviest skills in this profile. The full profile with every skill, behavioural anchor and assessment method is in the download.
| T | Skill | Target level | Weight | Knockout | Assessment method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Persuasiveness | N4 | 5 | yes | Assessment centre |
| G | Client focus | N4 | 5 | yes | 360-degree feedback |
| G | Result orientation | N4 | 5 | no | Personality questionnaire |
| G | Commercial capability | N4 | 5 | yes | Assessment centre |
| V | Consultative selling | N4 | 5 | yes | Assessment centre |
| G | Accuracy and attention to detail | N4 | 4 | no | Personality questionnaire |
| V | Conversation management | N4 | 4 | no | Assessment centre |
| G | Listening and probing | N4 | 4 | no | 360-degree feedback |
| V | Negotiating | N4 | 4 | no | Assessment centre |
| V | Written client communication | N4 | 4 | no | Work sample test |
See all 27 skills in the full profile
Assessment instruments for this job
Competency Check
Behavioral-Level Competency Assessment
360 Feedback
Multiple assessments based on behavioral anchors
Big Fifty
Personality questionnaire, 150 items, 25 factors
Work sample test
Representative work sample under standardized conditions
Knowledge test (client-specific)
Professional knowledge test, customized for each client
Mental Resilience (4C)
Mental Resilience According to the 4C Model
Communication Styles
Preferred communication style
Conflict Styles
Preferred style in conflict situations
15PF
Personality Profile, a shorter alternative to the Big Fifty
Portfolio
Evaluation of prior work against fixed criteria
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