Sales Trainee

Position Summary

The Sales Trainee is an entry-level inside sales role in the Salt Lake City district. It combines outbound sales development with hands-on time in Expeditors' products and operational processes. The role starts with a required 6 to 12-month operations immersion period.

During that time, the trainee works inside the district's operations teams to learn how Expeditors moves freight, clears shipments, and serve our clients. The trainee gradually builds their outreach, lead qualification, and meeting-setting work. As the trainee's operations knowledge grows, the focus shifts toward prospecting and securing first meetings for District Sales Executives and sales leadership. The expectation is this role transitions to a District Sales Executive within 12-18 months.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Product Immersion (Required, 6–12 Months)

• Complete a required 6 to12 month operations immersion period rotating through core products and services.
• Divide working time between operations and sales development as directed by the District Sales Manager. The split may change depending on need or progression.
• Learn the full shipment lifecycle hands-on: booking, documentation, routing, carrier coordination, customs clearance, delivery, and exception handling.
• Support operations during periods of high volume or staffing need as directed.
• Show product and process knowledge by using what was learned in operations in prospect conversations, lead qualification, and meeting preparation.

Outreach & Prospecting

• Make daily outbound calls, emails, and LinkedIn contacts to prospective customers in the Salt Lake City market.
• Research target companies with trade data, industry sources, and market intelligence to find importers, exporters, and supply chain decision-makers.
• Build and work prospect lists in line with district target industries and account strategy.

Lead Processing & Qualification

• Respond quickly to inbound inquiries, referrals, and assigned leads.
• Qualify leads on shipping profile, trade lanes, product needs, current providers, and decision-making structure.
• Keep contacts, activities, leads, and opportunities accurate and up to date in CRM.

Meeting Generation & Sales Support

• Secure discovery meetings and introductory calls for District Sales Executives and sales leadership.
• Prepare account research and pre-call briefs before customer meetings.
• Join customer meetings, presentations, and account reviews to learn the consultative sales process.
• Help existing and prospective customers grow and stay engaged by checking in with them regularly.

Learning & Development

Support ad hoc projects and assignments as needed.

During the training period, the trainee is expected to complete

• Supply Chain Fundamentals
• At least one industry certification, such as the IATA Cargo Introductory Diploma, Licensed Customs Broker, or Transition & Implementation Level 1
• At least one Dangerous Goods certification (Air/Ground, Ocean, or Import)

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or diploma, or equivalent experience
• Commitment to a 6 to 12-month operations immersion period, with flexibility to work in operational roles as business needs require
• Comfort with high-volume phone and email outreach
• Resilience and persistence in handling objections and rejection
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Self-motivated, hardworking, honest, and confident
• Team-oriented with a can-do attitude
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel locally to customer sites

Success in This Role Looks Like

• Completing the operations immersion period within 6 to 12 months, with sign-off from operations leads on product and process knowledge
• Using operational knowledge credibly in prospect conversations and lead qualification
• Meeting weekly outreach targets for calls, emails, and touches
• Converting outreach into qualified conversations and booked meetings
• Handing qualified opportunities to DSEs with complete, useful notes
• Keeping CRM activity and lead records clean and consistent
• Completing required training and certifications on schedule
• Becoming steadily more independent at qualifying opportunities and presenting Expeditors solutions

Expeditors offers excellent benefits

• Paid Vacation (first year prorated based off month of hire then eligible for 15 days)
• Annual Paid Holidays (10)
• Potential Flexible Days (2)
• Paid Sick Time (accrual rate of 1 hour of sick time per 30 hours paid, unused rolls over)
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with employer match (Pre-Tax or Roth)
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental & Vision Coverage
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave (additional eligibility criteria)
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DC FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Training and Personnel Development Program
• Educational Assistance and Reimbursement
• Position is full time (40 hours per week) Monday through Friday 8am-5pm