6 free inside sales representative templates for B2B, SaaS, insurance, entry-level, remote, and small business, each with the FLSA and commission guidance generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
An inside sales representative sells by phone, email, and video rather than traveling to meet clients. For a small B2B, SaaS, insurance, or home-services business, it is often one of the first sales hires, and the job description needs to get two things right that generic templates skip: the commission structure and the FLSA classification, because inside sales reps are usually non-exempt and overtime-eligible.
These six templates cover the role across its common types: a general baseline, B2B or SaaS, insurance or financial or home services, entry-level, remote, and a small-business version. Each is ready to use, with the compensation and FLSA guidance built in. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
TL;DR
An inside sales rep sells by phone, email, and video, qualifies leads, manages a CRM pipeline, and closes to a quota. The role is usually non-exempt under the FLSA, and pay is typically a base plus commission, quoted as on-target earnings. The one common overtime exemption is the narrow Section 7(i) retail or service test. The points generic templates skip are the commission block and the classification line. Download six templates as DOCX, by type.
What an Inside Sales Rep Does
An inside sales representative sells products and services remotely, by phone, email, and online channels, instead of traveling to meet clients in person. The work is goal-driven and CRM-based: qualifying leads, running calls and demos, managing a pipeline, following up, and closing deals against a quota.
There is no single federal occupation for inside sales; the closest references are wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives and the broader retail and services sales groups. What defines inside sales is the channel, selling from a desk rather than the field, and the pay structure, a base plus commission. Because the role spans industries and experience levels, the templates here are organized by type.
Inside Sales vs Outside Sales
Inside sales reps sell remotely from a desk or home office and handle a higher volume of shorter interactions; outside sales, or field sales, reps travel to meet clients in person and manage fewer, larger deals. The distinction matters beyond logistics: outside sales employees who customarily work away from the employer's place of business can qualify for the FLSA outside sales exemption, while inside sales reps generally cannot and are usually non-exempt. Name the role accurately, since the duties, pay, and classification differ. This page covers inside sales; a field role needs a different posting.
Duties and Responsibilities
Inside sales duties cluster into four areas: outreach and qualification, selling and closing, pipeline and CRM, and knowledge and growth. A strong job description picks the specific responsibilities that match your product and process, rather than listing every possible task.
Outreach and qualification
Make outbound calls and work inbound leads
Qualify prospects and understand needs
Set appointments and demos
Selling and closing
Present products and run demos
Handle objections and follow up
Close deals and hit quota
Pipeline and CRM
Manage a pipeline in the CRM
Keep records and forecasts accurate
Coordinate handoffs with other teams
Knowledge and growth
Keep product and market knowledge current
Apply a consistent sales process
Take coaching and improve
A SaaS role weights toward demos and full-cycle selling; an insurance role toward warm-lead closing on scripts. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by type. The core structure is the same across all six, but each emphasizes the duties, scripts, and compensation that fit a specific kind of inside sales role. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
General
The flagship version
The universal, ready-to-post baseline: inbound and outbound selling, lead qualification, CRM, demos, and quota. The starting point to adapt.
B2B / SaaS
Tech and software
For a software or B2B company: full sales cycle, demos, MQL handoff, CRM, and quota tied to revenue or new logos.
Insurance / Financial / Home Services
Warm inbound closing
For agencies and contractors: warm-lead closing, scripts, a licensing line, and the Section 7(i) commission question.
Entry-Level
No experience, will train
For a first sales hire: coachability over experience, a structured ramp, and hourly base plus commission.
Remote
Distributed teams
For a remote role: video selling, self-discipline, provided equipment, and a note that remote does not change FLSA status.
Small Business
Owner-led first hire
The differentiator: a plain-language version for an owner making an early sales hire, with simple comp and direct reporting.
Match the Template to the Role
Any small business: General. Software or tech: B2B / SaaS. An agency or contractor closing warm leads: Insurance / Financial / Home Services. A first sales hire you will train: Entry-Level. A distributed role: Remote. An owner making an early hire: Small Business. When unsure, the General version is the baseline to adapt, but always include the commission and FLSA lines.
6 Free Inside Sales Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, a compensation block with base plus commission, and an FLSA line, with an EEO statement and how to apply. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
General, B2B / SaaS, insurance, entry-level, remote, and small business. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: General (Flagship)
The universal, ready-to-post baseline: inbound and outbound selling, lead qualification, CRM, demos, and quota. The starting point to adapt to your business.
[Company Name] is a small business making one of our first sales hires. As our
Inside Sales Representative, you will own selling by phone and email, work our
leads, close deals, and help shape how we sell as we grow. This is a hands-on
role with direct access to the owner and real impact.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Own inbound and outbound selling by phone and email
•Qualify leads and close deals
•Set up and maintain a simple CRM or pipeline
•Help refine our sales scripts and process
•Hit clear, agreed-on sales goals
•Report results directly to the owner
•Represent the business well with every customer
•Suggest improvements as we grow the team
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Sales or strong customer-facing experience preferred
•Self-starter comfortable in a small, growing business
•Organized and reliable with follow-up
•Comfortable with goals and commission pay
•Honest, dependable, and customer-focused
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ base, plus commission or bonus (OTE $___)
Classification: Confirm FLSA status; inside sales is usually non-exempt
To apply, send your resume to __ by _.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
FLSA, Commission, and Classification
This is the part generic templates skip, and it is the part that protects a business: the FLSA classification that makes most inside sales reps non-exempt, the narrow Section 7(i) exemption that is the only common exception, the commission structure that belongs in writing, and the state rules and long ramp to plan for. Get these right and your posting is both compliant and clear to a candidate.
Inside sales is usually non-exempt
This is the single most misunderstood point in inside sales hiring. An inside sales representative is generally non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which means they are entitled to overtime at one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. The inside sales role does not fit the outside sales exemption, which requires the employee to work away from the employer's place of business. Paying a rep a salary, or paying them on commission, does not by itself make them exempt. The safe default is to classify an inside sales rep as non-exempt and track hours. This is general information, not legal advice.
The narrow Section 7(i) commission exemption
There is one common overtime exemption that can apply to commissioned inside sales staff, the Section 7(i) retail or service establishment exemption. Per the Department of Labor, all three conditions must be met: the employee works for a retail or service establishment, the regular rate of pay exceeds one and one-half times the federal minimum wage for every hour worked in a week with overtime, and more than half the employee's total earnings in a representative period come from commissions. A retail or service establishment is one where 75 percent of annual dollar volume is not for resale, which excludes many B2B and wholesale employers entirely. Check all three conditions before relying on it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Write the commission structure into the offer
Inside sales pay is almost always a base plus commission or bonus, often quoted as on-target earnings, or OTE. Spell out the structure in the job description and the offer: the base, the commission rate or bonus, the quota, the draw or ramp guarantee for new hires, and when commissions are earned and paid. Clear commission terms reduce disputes later, and some states treat earned commissions as wages with strict payment rules and penalties. Put the plan in writing, have the rep sign it, and keep it on file. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
State rules and the long ramp
Two practical realities shape an inside sales hire. First, state law can add requirements on top of the federal rules, from higher minimum wages to stricter commission-payment and overtime rules, so confirm your state before you post. Second, inside sales has a notoriously long ramp; a new rep often takes weeks or months of product and CRM training before hitting full quota. Plan a structured onboarding and training period, set ramped goals, and document the training, so a new hire becomes productive faster and expectations are clear on both sides. This is general information, not legal advice.
Usually Non-Exempt, Base Plus Commission
Inside sales does not qualify for the FLSA outside sales exemption, which requires working away from the employer's place of business, so an inside sales rep is usually non-exempt and overtime-eligible. The one common exception is the Section 7(i) retail or service exemption, which has three strict conditions that must all be met. This is general information, not legal advice.
Inside sales reps are hired on communication, drive, and CRM comfort more than formal credentials. Scale the requirements to the type and seniority.
Requirement
What to look for
Communication
Strong phone, email, and video selling skills
Drive
Comfortable with quotas and a goal-driven role
CRM
Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar; pipeline habits
Experience
Sales experience a plus; entry-level can be trained
License
State license where the industry requires it
Classification
Usually non-exempt; confirm by duties and pay
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Inside Sales Rep Pay
Inside sales pay is a base plus commission, so total earnings vary widely and are best shown as a range. Set your base and on-target earnings using government and market data as a baseline, then adjust for industry.
Base Plus Commission, OTE Varies
There is no single federal occupation for inside sales, but the closest reference, wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives, had a median annual wage of $66,780 (except technical and scientific) and $100,070 (technical and scientific) in May 2024. Most employers combine salary with commissions or bonuses, so quote a base plus on-target earnings rather than one figure.
Because commission inflates totals and cross-source estimates differ, benchmark the base and OTE to your industry and market, and state the structure clearly in both the posting and the offer.
Hiring Inside Sales for a Small Business
A large company hires inside sales reps through a sales-ops and recruiting team. A small B2B, SaaS, insurance, or home-services business does not. The owner or a sales lead writes the posting, screens candidates, sets the commission plan, and onboards the new rep directly, often while still selling themselves. Because inside sales has a long ramp and commission pay carries compliance rules, getting it right matters even more for a small team. For a retail-floor selling role rather than a phone-based one, the sales associate templates are the better fit.
Same Sales Rules, Smaller Team
A small business carries the same FLSA, commission, and state-law obligations as a large sales org, just handled by fewer people, so a clean, repeatable hiring and onboarding process is worth setting up once. That is where FirstHR fits: e-signature for the offer letter and the signed commission plan, training modules for the product and CRM ramp that inside sales requires, task workflows to set up territory, quota, and tools, and an employee database and org chart to track the sales team and reporting line as it grows. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a CRM, dialer, or payroll system, so pair it with those tools. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a rep accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and a sales-specific onboarding. Because inside sales pay is commission-based and the ramp is long, getting the signed commission plan, the training, and the tools right from day one is what gets a new rep to quota faster.
Send the offer with the comp plan
Confirm base, commission, quota, and ramp in writing, with an offer letter and signed commission plan the new rep can e-sign.
Train on product and CRM
Inside sales has a long ramp, so plan structured product, script, and CRM training with ramped goals for the first weeks.
Set quota, territory, and tools
Define the quota, lead source or territory, and the CRM and dialer access the rep needs to start selling on day one.
Track the team and records
Keep the signed offer and commission plan on file, and track the rep, quota, and reporting line as the sales team grows.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new rep a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, the signed commission plan e-signature, product and CRM training, the onboarding workflow, and the employee database in one place so a small business can manage the full process from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a CRM, dialer, or payroll tool, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
An inside sales rep sells by phone, email, and video, manages a CRM pipeline, and closes against a quota.
Use the template that matches the type; the general version is the flexible baseline for any small business.
Inside sales is usually non-exempt and overtime-eligible; it does not qualify for the outside sales exemption.
The narrow Section 7(i) retail or service exemption is the one common exception, with three strict conditions.
Pay is a base plus commission, often quoted as OTE; put the commission plan in writing and have the rep sign it.
Plan for a long ramp: structured product and CRM training gets a new rep to quota faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an inside sales representative do?
An inside sales representative sells products and services to customers by phone, email, and online channels, rather than traveling to meet clients in person. Day to day, that means making outbound calls and working inbound leads, qualifying prospects, running calls and product demos, managing a pipeline in a CRM, following up consistently, and closing deals to hit a quota. The mix shifts by setting: a SaaS rep runs demos and manages a full sales cycle, an insurance or home-services rep closes warm inbound leads on scripts, and an entry-level rep ramps up with training. Across settings, the role is goal-driven, CRM-based, and measured against quota. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between inside sales and outside sales?
The core difference is where and how the selling happens. Inside sales reps sell remotely, by phone, email, and video, from an office or home office, and handle a higher volume of shorter interactions. Outside sales, or field sales, reps travel to meet clients in person and typically manage fewer, larger, relationship-driven deals. The distinction also matters for pay and law: outside sales employees who customarily work away from the employer's place of business can qualify for the FLSA outside sales exemption, while inside sales reps generally do not and are usually non-exempt and overtime-eligible. For hiring, name the role clearly, since the duties, pay structure, and classification differ. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is an inside sales representative exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
An inside sales representative is generally non-exempt and entitled to overtime at one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Inside sales does not qualify for the outside sales exemption, which requires the employee to customarily work away from the employer's place of business, and paying a salary or commission does not by itself create an exemption. The one common path to exemption is the Section 7(i) retail or service establishment exemption, which has three strict conditions that must all be met. The safe default is to treat an inside sales rep as non-exempt, track hours, and verify any exemption against the specific tests. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the Section 7(i) exemption for commissioned salespeople?
Section 7(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act is a narrow overtime exemption for certain commissioned employees of a retail or service establishment. According to the Department of Labor, all three conditions must be met: the employee must work for a retail or service establishment, the regular rate of pay must exceed one and one-half times the federal minimum wage for every hour worked in a workweek with overtime, and more than half the employee's total earnings in a representative period must come from commissions. A retail or service establishment is one where at least 75 percent of annual dollar volume of sales is not for resale and is recognized as retail in the industry, which excludes many B2B and wholesale employers. Check all three conditions before relying on it. This is general information, not legal advice.
How should I structure inside sales pay and commission?
Inside sales pay is almost always a base plus commission or bonus, often quoted as on-target earnings, or OTE, which combines the base and expected commission at full quota. For a job description and offer, spell out the base, the commission rate or bonus structure, the quota, any draw or ramp guarantee for new hires, and when commissions are earned and paid. Entry-level roles often use an hourly base plus commission with a ramp guarantee during training. Clear, written commission terms reduce disputes, and several states treat earned commissions as wages with strict payment rules. Put the plan in writing, have the rep sign it, and keep it on file. This is general information, not compensation advice.
Do small businesses hire inside sales representatives?
Yes, and inside sales is one of the most common early sales hires for a small business. Small B2B, SaaS, insurance, home-services, distribution, and real estate companies frequently hire inside sales reps to sell by phone and email, and the role concentrates in the small-to-midsize band rather than large enterprises. At a small business the owner or a sales lead writes the posting, screens candidates, sets the commission plan, and onboards the new rep directly. Because inside sales has a long ramp and commission pay carries compliance rules, getting the job description, the comp plan, and the onboarding right matters even more for a small team. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does an inside sales representative make?
Total pay varies widely because commission inflates the range, so present a range rather than one figure. There is no single federal occupation for inside sales, but the closest reference points help: the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of 66,780 dollars for sales representatives of wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products, and 100,070 dollars for technical and scientific products, as of May 2024. Cross-source estimates for inside sales reps specifically commonly land in a base range of roughly the high 40,000s to low 60,000s, with commission pushing on-target earnings higher. For a posting, benchmark base and OTE to your industry and market, and state the structure clearly. This is general information, not compensation advice.
What should an inside sales job description include?
Start with the type: general, B2B or SaaS, insurance or home services, entry-level, remote, or small business, since each shifts the framing. Include a short company summary, a job summary naming the phone-and-email selling focus, and responsibilities grouped into outreach and qualification, selling and closing, pipeline and CRM, and knowledge and growth. State the requirements clearly, especially communication skills, CRM comfort, and any license. The most valuable additions that generic templates skip are the compensation block with base plus commission or OTE, and the FLSA classification line noting that inside sales is usually non-exempt with the Section 7(i) exemption as the narrow exception. Close with an equal opportunity statement and apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
