Sales Development Representative (Remote- Downers Grove IL)

Sales Development Representative - Are you ready to make a difference?

School Specialty is dedicated to transforming education for the better. Our success is fueled by a team of passionate innovators who are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of students. Are you ready to make an impact?

Job Summary: Through high-volume, highly targeted, and personalized phone outreach, the Sales Development Representative is focused on driving top-of-funnel growth. General expectations include lead generation activities, new customer acquisition, reactivation of lapsed accounts, and ensuring all Opportunities are fully developed before handing off to the sales team.

Work Location:

• This will be a remote role, but qualified candidates must be located within 40 miles of the Downers Grove, IL Office.

What you’ll do:

Lead Generation & Campaign Execution

• • Qualify Leads: Be a first contact for leads, identifying top-of-funnel Opportunities.
  • Targeted Outreach: Call non-buying sites within buying districts to drive new acquisition.
  • Convert Non-Engagers: Call prospects who did not respond to postcards, emails, or other low-touch campaigns.
  • Strategic Alignment: Focus outreach on priority product categories and funding initiatives to build a high-value pipeline.

Customer Retention and Reactivation

• • Lapse Prevention: Proactively contact customers flagged as at-risk for lapsing to reduce loss.
  • Reactivation: Re-engage lapsed or lost accounts, especially those less responsive to digital outreach, through phone calls.

Sales Pipeline Development & Data Enhancement

• • Lead Nurturing: Develop leads until they’re ready for handoff to the sales team.
  • High-Touch Outreach: Reach customers directly by phone when automated efforts aren’t effective.
  • Data Enrichment: Collect and confirm customer information (phone numbers and email) to support future campaigns.

What we expect you to bring to the table:

• • Success in managing high-volume outbound calls and meeting targets.
  • Strong verbal communication, active listening, and professional phone presence.
  • Self-motivated, proactive, able to manage both acquisition and reactivation pipelines.
  • Strong organizational skills and professionalism.
  • Team-oriented, ethical, and confident.
  • Have consistent and regular attendance and adherence to schedule.
  • Ability to work during normal business hours

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• • 1-2 years of relevant sales experience
  • Strong organizational and time management skills.

Education and/or Certifications Required:

• • High School Diploma (Associates or Bachelors Degree Preferred)

Benefits Package: We offer a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental & Vision (effective day 1), basic life insurance, disability coverage, PAID parental leave, wellness programs, Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, 401k, Educational Reimbursement, Paid Holidays, annual paid Volunteer time, and so much more!

We’re determined to positively impact the future, one child at a time.

If you share our passion, we need to talk.

Just imagine what we could do together.

Physical and Mental Demands:

• • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, hear, use hands to type data, use a personal computer and telephone. This employee will frequently operate a vehicle and occasionally operate business machines. Specific vision abilities required in this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • Mental demands include multi-tasking, decision making, problem solving, comparing, copying, computing, compiling, analyzing, coordinating, and synthesizing data.

Additional Information

• The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.
• School Specialty, Inc. is a Drug-Free Workplace. All applicants are subject to a drug screen and background check as a condition of employment.
• EEO/AA including Vets and Disabled
• If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [email protected] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

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