By Matt Wesson,

Talent for inside sales is a rare thing.

Inside sales is a proving ground for reps to test their sales mettle. It takes a special type of personality, and an intense type of drive, to take on one of the most intimidating tasks in business -- the cold-call -- and turn it into pipeline for the business day after day.

Most companies rise and fall on the success of their sales team, so which habits do some of the most successful inside sales reps possess or look to develop?

1. Knowing the numbers

While an outside sales rep might say it's a busy day if they call on five prospects, inside sales would scoff at anything short of 100. With such a high volume, successful reps are able to track how many calls it takes to get to a conversation, what time of day yields the best results, and what talking points generate the most interest. By tracking and comparing relevant data, they can improve consistency and production. 

2. Analyzing the wins and losses

Just like a quarterback studying game film, a great inside sales rep analyzes their wins and losses. They look for patterns and trends that give them direction for tweaking their pitch to hit the topics that resonate most. They familiarize themselves with common objections and how to crush them. The best sales reps use data to always be improving and moving forward.

3. Teaming up with marketing

The best inside sales reps know that they have a lot of resources in their arsenal. A sales organization must be better aligned with marketing efforts like content creation, promotions, and emails. Sales reps that make a point to communicate with marketing will find they are never at a loss for great content to send to prospects or a compelling reason to reach out.

4. Multitasking to the max

Inside sales reps are masters of multitasking. Walk past any seasoned sales professional and you'll see them chatting away on their headset, clicking through their CRM to find relevant prospect information, and coordinating with other team members to get advice or hand off a lead. An inside sales rep can have the circumstances change dramatically from minute-to-minute and it would be impossible to stay afloat without a serious knack for task juggling.

5. Respecting the process

Knowledge is power, and that holds true for most inside sales organizations. The best inside sales reps have a firm understanding of their company's sales cycle and can pinpoint exactly where a prospect is in their journey and which tactics will keep them moving. Adhering to this time-tested process will help to ensure that reps are taking the right steps to get the desired results. 

6. Drive

As I mentioned in a recent post on sales hiring, for sales reps, there is nothing more important than drive. The best inside sales reps come in every day motivated to improve their best numbers and crush their quota. Without this motivation, sales reps wither under the daily pressure faced by most reps.

Inside sales is one of the most challenging positions in an entire company, but with the right habits, inside sales reps can become all stars that generate serious results.