Technical Sales

Outbound Sales – Equilibar

Location: Fletcher, North Carolina

Reports to: Director of Operations

Company Profile

Richards Industrials, founded in 1961, is a manufacturer of pressure regulators, control valves, and other fluid control products, known by our customers for high-quality products, excellent customer service, and fast & reliable deliveries. Our products are marketed under a series of distinct brands, each of which is used in unique applications that require precise technical attributes. The company serves a range of end markets, including pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, chemicals, petrochemicals, and various industrial segments.

The company has two locations, Cincinnati, OH, and Fletcher, NC, and a global headcount of 190. Equipped with an experienced, passionate team, our company focuses on driving profitable growth through operational excellence, opening new channels to market, and investing in new products.

Equilibar, based in Fletcher, NC, manufactures specialized valves that enable pharmaceutical, green energy, and research organizations to solve complex fluid control challenges and bring innovative products to market.

Equilibar Has Four Core Values

• Empowerment – Employees are our most valuable asset
• Collaboration – Together we achieve more
• Pioneering Spirit – Curiosity and innovation are our driving forces
• Service Mindset – Never stop advocating for the Customer
  
  

And our purpose is to solve tomorrow’s demanding fluid control problems, today.

The Position

Equilibar is seeking an Outbound Sales Development & Quote Follow-Up Specialist to help increase quote-to-order conversion and expand high-value market opportunities. This person will consistently follow up on quoted opportunities that have not yet converted, pursue high-potential applications by identifying similar prospects, and reactivate inactive customers.

This is the first outbound-focused commercial role at Equilibar, and the right candidate will help us build a repeatable process that grows revenue while maintaining a highly technical and customer-focused approach.

He Or She Will Be Responsible For The Following

Quote Follow-Up & Opportunity Conversion

• Execute a regimented follow-up process for prospects who received quotations but have not yet placed an order.
• Use structured phone email follow-up sequences to re-engage prospects and drive next steps.

• Identify where the quote is in the decision process and uncover blockers such as:
• Waiting on budget approval

• Technical validation delays

• Competitive quotes / preferred vendors

• Procurement onboarding issues

• Project timelines shifting
• Determine the best “next action” (technical call, sample request, revised quote, purchase timing, escalation to Applications).
• Coordinate closely with Equilibar Application Engineers while maintaining clear ownership of the commercial follow-up process.
• Maintain accurate CRM or sales tracking notes so opportunities remain visible and measurable.
  
  

Strategic Opportunity Expansion (Outbound Prospecting)

• Identify and pursue opportunities similar to promising inbound applications (ex: food & beverage coating/skid systems, landfill gas, biodigesters, industrial process control).
• Use tools such as LinkedIn, industry directories, web research, and AI-assisted prospecting to develop targeted lists of potential customers.
• Build contact lists using company websites and “about/team” pages to identify decision-makers and influencers.
• Conduct outbound outreach by phone and email to introduce Equilibar and generate new qualified opportunities.
• Focus primarily on opportunities in the $10k–$100k range, coordinating closely with Application Engineers and leadership for larger opportunities.
  
  

Inactive Customer Reactivation

• Identify former Equilibar customers who have become inactive and re-engage them through structured outreach.
• Ask targeted questions to understand why purchasing stopped (new supplier, application changes, personnel turnover, pricing, lead times, etc.).
• Work with internal teams to restore relationships and generate new quote activity.
  
  

Performance Goals & Success Metrics

Success in this role will be measured through clear commercial outcomes, such as:

• Increased conversion of quotes to purchase orders
• Increased recovered revenue from previously expired quotes
• Number of qualified outbound conversations completed weekly
• Number of reactivated customers and renewed quote activity
• Pipeline growth and documented next steps for active opportunities
• Improved visibility and process rigor across follow-up activity
  
  

Required Qualifications Include

• 2 years of experience in inside sales, business development, customer success, or B2B technical sales support (industrial/manufacturing preferred)
• Comfortable making outbound calls and sending follow-up emails daily
• Strong communication skills with engineers, purchasing teams, and operations contact
• Organized, detail-oriented, and process-driven—able to work a follow-up “cadence” consistently
• Ability to manage multiple opportunities simultaneously and keep organized documentation
• Strong curiosity and ability to learn technical products and applications quickly
  
  

Preferred Qualifications Include

• Experience working with engineered-to-order products, OEM customers, or technical quoting environments
• Familiarity with CRM tools (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, etc.) or structured sales tracking systems
• Experience using LinkedIn Sales Navigator or similar research tools
• Ability to recognize patterns across applications and translate them into repeatable prospecting targets
  
  

Personal Characteristics

• Strong work ethic
• Organized and detail-oriented
• Motivated and proactive
• Curious and creative
• Disciplined
• Committed to Continuous Improvement
• Outstanding Problem Solver
• Adaptable, able to thrive in a dynamic work environment
  
  

Why would this role be exciting for me?

• Richards is a profitable, thriving company that’s investing for growth - career development is important for us
• This is an opportunity to join a talented, hard-working team that’s pushing itself to be the best it can be
• We give back to the community through philanthropy and community service
  
  

Equilibar firmly supports the principle and philosophy of equal opportunity for all individuals. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.