Sales Development Representative

COMPANY SUMMARY:

Based in Minnesota, Duncan Company is one of the largest stocking industrial distributors in the Upper Midwest. We offer an extensive inventory of high-quality products, including ball valves, butterfly valves, actuators, instruments, controls, safety products, and piping specialties. Partnering with leading manufacturers, we ensure you have access to reliable solutions for your industrial needs. Being proactively involved during all stages of a project's life cycle from conception, design, completion, and into post-sale support allows Duncan Co. to provide the best solutions and products to meet both the application and customer needs and requirements.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Duncan Co. is seeking a driven, early-career sales professional to join our team in a Sales Development Representative / Technical Sales Trainee role. This position is designed as a development path into a future outside sales role. During the first 6–12 months, the individual will learn our products, quoting process, customer applications, internal workflow, and industry fundamentals while helping develop opportunities for outside sales representatives and supporting growth within selected house accounts.

This role is ideal for someone who is hungry, coachable, competitive, organized, and motivated to build a long-term career in industrial technical sales. This role will report to sales leadership and work closely with outside sales representatives, the quotes function, customer service / order teams, and other internal departments. This position is intended to develop into future account ownership and outside sales responsibility for strong performers.

Key Duties and Essential Functions:

• Work assigned house accounts in the Twin Cities metro area and help grow smaller or developing accounts
• Prospect for new business opportunities within assigned markets, accounts, and territories
• Follow up on inbound leads, open quotes, and dormant opportunities
• Support outside sales representatives by developing accounts, preparing call plans, and helping advance opportunities
• Set site visits, lunch-and-learns, discovery meetings, and other customer appointments
• Leverage internal teammates, vendor resources, and technical support contacts to help secure appointments and move opportunities forward
• Learn Duncan Co.’s quoting process, product categories, vendor landscape, and internal workflow
• Coordinate with quotes, customer service, operations, purchasing, and other internal teams to support customer opportunities
• Maintain accurate activity, opportunity, and account records in company systems
• Develop working knowledge of lead times, fulfillment considerations, and internal escalation paths
• Communicate professionally with customers by phone, email, and virtual meetings
• Participate in sales training, product training, ride-alongs, and internal development activities
• Over time, assume greater responsibility for smaller accounts and selected growth opportunities

Required Qualifications:

• 0–3 years of sales, business development, customer-facing, or related experience preferred
• Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required
• Strong desire to build a career in B2B industrial sales
• Strong communication skills, especially by phone and email
• Highly motivated, coachable, organized, and competitive
• Comfortable learning technical products, quoting concepts, and internal business processes
• Strong follow-up habits and attention to detail
• Ability to work across departments and respond well to coaching and feedback
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and CRM / sales software is a plus

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit.  The employee frequently is required to talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to stand and use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.   Standard office environment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles. The noise level in the work environment is minimal.]

The company is committed to equal employment opportunity. The company will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis including, but not limited to: age, ancestry, childbirth or related medical condition; citizenship; color; creed; familial status; gender expression; gender identity; genetic information; height; weight; marital status; national origin; physical or mental disability or handicap; pregnancy; race; religion; sex; sexual orientation; uniform service member status or veteran status; or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.