Inside Sales Representative - Kansas City

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you're empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work. ·   · This position will be located in: Kansas City, MO   · ...

Job description

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you're empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.
 
This position will be located in: Kansas City, MO  

Application Deadline: March 4, 2026 or Posted Until Filled

Please note that the position may be filled before or after the listed application deadline. Applications will only be accepted while the posting remains active.

Job Summary

The Inside Sales Representative supports the day-to-day operations of the Customer Service team in promoting sales, obtaining orders, and providing service to our customers. Utilizes and continuously develops product and application knowledge and industry best practices to develop solutions to meet customer needs. Grows relationships with customers and suppliers. Manages projects, receives and enters orders, provides consistent and timely follow-up on customer inquiries, coordinates and expedites deliveries, processes returns, runs daily reports and resolves customer and order issues.  

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Receives and enters orders in an accurate and timely manner. 
• Optimizes margin and service through efficient use of cross-docking, transfers, drop-ship, etc. 
• Provides price quotes to customers for existing bill of materials and creates bill of materials from take-offs. 
• Responsible for managing projects. 
• Provides consistent and timely follow-up on customer inquiries and order status. 
• Secures pricing from vendors, coordinates deliveries, and  expedites deliveries when necessary.
• Effectively processes returns to maximize value.  
• Utilizes and continuously develops product and application knowledge and industry best practices to develop solutions to meet customer needs. 
• Provides value to customer through the sourcing of material. 
• Enhances and grows relationships with customers and suppliers through frequent, meaningful communication. 
• Runs daily reports and resolves customer and order issues. 
• Assists customers with billing issues. 

Non-essential Functions

• Assists with and provides training as needed. 
• Attends sales and product meetings, trade shows and technical training programs, as needed.  
• May input TCCM cost savings documentation relevant to the assigned customer base.
• Participates in and advises sales management on the implementation and success of marketing plans and strategies. 
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or other designate.

Qualifications

• Associate's business/trade degree preferred or the equivalent in work experience.  
• 3+ years of prior customer service, city desk, or sales experience.
• 3+ years of prior electrical distribution experience preferred.
• Technical ability to understand electrical systems .
• Working knowledge of PC for Windows, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint), internet, and email.
• Working knowledge of SAP software preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication, reading, and customer service skills.
• Ability to effectively plan and organize. 

Physical Requirements

Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day:

Occasionally 0 – 33% Frequently 34 – 66% Continuously: 67 – 100%

• Lift from Waist:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Lift from Floor:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Frequently
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Frequently
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Carried for Distance:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all

Physical Activity

Frequency at which you would do the following in a typical day:

• Sitting (a continuous period of being seated) - Continuously
• Standing (for sustained periods of time) - Frequently
• Walking (moving about on foot to accomplish tasks) - Frequently
• Bending/stooping (downward and forward) - Occasionally
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet) - Not at all
• Climbing/Walking Stairs (ascending or descending) - Frequently
• Reaching (extending arms in any direction) - Frequently
• Crouching/squatting (bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine) - Occasionally
• Kneeling (bending legs at knee to come to rest on knee(s)) - Occasionally
• Balancing (maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling) - Occasionally
• Repetitive motion (substantial movement (motions) or the wrists, hands, and/or fingers) - Continuously
• Pivoting (movement in any direction with one foot, keeping the other in contact with the floor) - Occasionally
• Pushing/Pulling (using upper extremities to press against or draw or tug) - Occasionally
• Grasping (Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm) - Continuoulsy
• Fingering (picking, pinching, typing; working with primarily fingers and not whole hand) - Continuously
• Talking (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word) - Continuously
• Driving (the control and operation of a motor vehicle) - Occasionally
• Desk work (work usually performed at a desk) - Continuously
• Use of a computer - Continuously
• Use of a telephone - Continuously
• Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
• Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions) - Not all all
• Travel (travel needed to perform job duties) - Occasionally

Additional Information

This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer's discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential job duties and satisfy job requirements either with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Our History

Border States is a leader in the electrical supply distribution industry with approximately 130 locations in 31 states. Our employee-owners are second to none in delivering top-notch customer service and in demonstrating extra-ordinary people skills. We are one of the largest independent electrical distributors in the United States providing products and services to the construction, industrial and utility industries. Border States has a competitive benefit package and is a 100 percent employee-owned company. Employee-ownership is a significant part of our culture and our success stems from the dedication of our employee-owners. We practice open-book management and our employee-owners are empowered with clearly defined levels of authority to be innovative and decisive, allowing us to respond quickly to the needs of customers. Employee-owners understand their roles in the success of the company and care about customers' needs, which drives our focus on adding value to everything we do. We recognize that not all customers are the same and each has specific requirements. Our employee-owners understand these diverse needs and have the commitment, resourcefulness and flexibility to outperform all others.

Values
As a Border States employee-owner, you're responsible for living our mission, service philosophy and service standards.

Our Purpose
We believe unstoppable businesses shouldn't go it alone. We are owners - of relationships, of outcomes, of every moment these unstoppable businesses need to deliver.

Service Philosophy
We earn customer loyalty and confidence by caring about their needs and adding value to everything we do.

Service Standards
Border States employee-owners are competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged .

Your career
Join an experienced team at one of the largest electrical distributors in the United States. What are you waiting for?

Border States has a competitive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

Health, Dental and Vision Benefits
Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity
FSA & HSA
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Disability Benefits
401(k) Retirement Plan
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Paid Holidays
Paid Volunteer Time
Personal Leave time and more
Border States provides bonuses to their employee-owners upon the achievement of branch and company goals.

Equal Opportunity For All

It's not just the law.  It's something  we've believed in since our founding.  We value the diversity of all of our employee-owners and will always be an equal opportunity employer.

Drug Free/Smoke Free workplace

Employment may be contingent on the offered candidate successfully passing one or more of the following pre-employment screenings:

• Criminal background check (required for all positions)
• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check (required for positions involving driving)
• Drug testing

The MVR check and drug testing vary by role and will be communicated to the offered candidate during the onboarding process and as applicable.