Salary: $60,000 Bonus: up to $10,000 (contingent upon sales results and employee performance)
Location: Chicago Schedule: Full time
About us
Klett World Languages is a growing educational publisher located in Chicago with a flourishing North America market share. Publishing high-quality Spanish, French, German, and Italian content for grades K-12 and Higher Ed, Klett World Languages is the newest venture of the European-based Klett Group, which was founded in 1897 and encompasses 80+ educational enterprises.
At Klett World Languages, we create content that helps students build authentic communicative competence and become global citizens. Our materials are authentic, accessible, and help students create connections to our increasingly global world. We strongly believe that educators play a key role in language learning. Therefore, part of our mission is to support them and provide opportunities for professional development. At Klett World Languages, we are driven to change world language education in North America for the better.
Why join Klett World Languages?
Klett World Languages is uniquely positioned as a start-up publishing company in the U.S. and Canada yet is financially backed by a leading European publishing group. Because of this, we have been able to think outside of the box and redesign language learning to meet today’s needs. It’s no surprise that we are called “disrupters” within the world language publishing industry.
Klett World Languages supports an international work environment and global work culture that provides room for personal and professional growth as our market share expands exponentially throughout the U.S. and Canada. The leadership makes a concerted effort to respect work-life balance through generous paid time off (PTO) and remote work policies, flexible schedules when possible, and paid professional development. Leadership encourages a growth mindset, provides coaching, and promotes belonging and inclusivity. Klett World Languages also rewards its team for its growth and success through individual bonuses tied to evaluations, prizes and rewards tied to sales earnings, and yearly retreats.
The Klett World Languages Team is driven by the mission of how we can help change world language education in North America for the better…are you driven to make this change with us?
Job description
The Inside Sales Representative plays a key role in growing our K–12 customer base by identifying, qualifying, and converting leads from both public and private schools, particularly in Tier 2 (Mid-size districts, mid-size private) schools. This position actively supports the sales team by conducting discovery calls, booking presentations, nurturing warm leads, and processing small orders, contributing directly to revenue growth and increased market penetration.
Responsibilities
- Proactively engage with inbound leads from marketing campaigns, events, and website forms.
- Qualify leads using a structured process: size, WL offerings, timeline, interest level, etc.
- Convert straightforward opportunities (e.g., private K–8 schools requesting basic packages) into closed orders.
- Schedule appointments and product presentations for Sales Consultants.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date CRM records (Zoho), including lead status, notes, and next steps.
- Partner with Sales Consultants to support the daily tasks of the sales department.
- Support outbound prospecting campaigns (email and phone) in segments determined by the Director and VP of sales.
- Understand and adapt outreach strategies to the needs of both public (district-driven, adoption cycles) and private (individual school-level) markets.
- Respond to customer inquiries regarding pricing, product availability, and basic implementation.
- Track and meet weekly and monthly KPIs around lead contact, conversions, and pipeline contribution.
- Conduct timely post-sample follow-up, especially in pilot districts and high-potential private institutions.
- Support Sales Consultants with promotional and post-sale training.
Qualifications, knowledge, and skills
- Bachelor’s degree preferred.
- 1–3 years of experience in sales, customer service.
- Familiarity with the U.S. K–12 market and/or world language programs is a plus.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Proficient with CRM tools (Zoho, Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.).
- Ability to manage a high volume of leads and juggle multiple tasks efficiently.
- Highly organized and driven by results.
- Full Time Position with a 90 days introductory period. Employment is at will.
Benefits
- SIMPLE IRA with 3% employer match.
- 75% Employer-funded group health insurance.
- 16 PTO days (includes sick, vacation, and personal time), which will increase to 25 days after 2 years with the Company.
- Paid federal holidays.
- Paid 30-minute lunch break during an 8-hour work day.
- Parental leave (50% paid for up to 12 weeks).
- Professional development allowance.
To apply, submit your cover letter and resume to [email protected]. Only serious candidates who submit a cover letter will be considered. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.
