Inside Sales Account Manager

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: April 17, 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 Account Manager supports the functions of the Sales & Marketing Departments within Border States in managing assigned customer account relationships. Promotes Border States's products, services, and capabilities to maximize customer sales potential. Focuses on retaining existing business, penetrating assigned accounts, and converting new accounts primarily through phone, email, and occasional face to face meetings. Inputs cost savings documentation, coordinates sales strategies with preferred vendors, actively manages and directs company sales and support resources, and provides input to the pricing and purchasing departments on competitive issues related to price, margin strategy product evaluations, electrical code requirements, inventory requirements, and other related sales, marketing, and service functions.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Meets or exceeds the sales and gross profit objectives which are established.
• Proactively develops contacts and services customers using phone, email, and/or web conferencing to secure orders and generate sales of products and services.
• Proficiently completes cold call and qualify leads.
• Creates account plans and achieve sales objectives.
• Identifies and helps transition accounts in the medium potential segment to the high potential segment for field-based coverage.
• Ensures quality customer support through expediting, pricing, follow-up, returns, and other services as required.
• Provides customers with timely follow-up on technical inquiries and requests; this may be needed after business hours as well.
• Inputs TCCM cost savings documentation that is relevant to the assigned customer base.
• Directs the use of marketing tools, technical specialists, and company capabilities/services in support of a broad spectrum of products and services to facilitate a coordinated sales strategy for each assigned customer.
• Coordinates sales strategies with preferred vendors to maximize customer sales potential.
• Actively manages and directs company sales and support resources to maximize the sales and profit potential in support of all products, markets, and specialist team opportunities for Border States.
• Participates in and advises sales management on the implementation and success of marketing plans and strategies.
• Provides input to other sales and marketing staff on customer needs and concerns regarding pricing, products, customer service and support, competition, procedures, and market / customer potential.
• Provides strategic input to the pricing and purchasing departments on competitive issues related to price / margin strategy, product evaluations, electrical code requirements, inventory requirements, and other related sales, marketing, and service functions.

Non-essential Functions

• Advises CFS staff on changes in customer credit worthiness.
• Advises CFS in any changes in customer management or ownership.
• Leads and attends sales and product meetings and technical training programs, as required.
• Attends and assists with sales meetings, trade shows, and training programs, as needed.
• Coordinates with the Customer Financial Services staff to resolve customer billing issues resulting from errors in pricing, shipping, delivery or other credit areas, as needed.
• Entertains clients as needed.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor or other designate.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, sales, marketing, or trade or the equivalent in related work experience.
• Minimum of 4 years of prior customer service, marketing, and quotation or sales experience preferred.
• Minimum of 4 years of prior electrical distribution and quotations experience preferred.
• Technical competence in understanding electrical systems.
• Experience with contract negotiation.
• Experience with presenting in front of a large group.
• Ability to read, write and speak in English required.
• Prefer strong working knowledge of PC for Windows, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Access, and PowerPoint), internet, email and SAP software.

Skills and Abilities

• Consistently provides responsive, quality service to meet and exceed customer expectations.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to effectively plan and organize.
• Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.
• Ability to read a one-line diagram (electrical drawings).

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. - Frequently
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 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) - Frequently
• 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) - Frequently
• 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) - Frequently
• Fingering (picking, pinching, typing; working with primarily fingers and not whole hand) - Frequently
• Talking (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word) - Continuously
• Driving (the control and operation of a motor vehicle) - Frequently
• Desk work (work usually performed at a desk) - Frequently
• Use of a computer - Frequently
• Use of a telephone - Continuously
• Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
• Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions) - Occasionally
• Travel (travel needed to perform job duties) - Frequently

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.