What carries over
| What you did as an FMCG trade marketer | Where it shows up now |
|---|---|
| Pitched schemes to retailers | Pitch products to businesses |
| Handled objections | Handle objections on calls |
| Tracked distributor orders | Track a sales pipeline |
| Knew retail | Sell to retail businesses |
What is new
- CRM tools.
- Email and call outreach.
- B2B sales stages.
Try it: Hot Lead, Cold Lead
A quick exercise using your own experience.
Hot Lead, Cold Lead
Your first proof in 30 days
Write a call script and 5 outreach messages for a retail-tech product. Share them as a PDF.
Your 30/60/90 quests
XP: learning 20 · proof 60 · outreach 40. Ranks: Wayfinder → Builder → Pathmaker. Progress stays in your browser only.
Worries, answered
I don't like cold calling. Many SDR roles lean on warm leads, follow-ups and messages, not only cold calls (observation). Ask in interviews how outreach is split.
Is it only targets? Targets matter, but good teams also coach you and track what you learn. Ask how new SDRs are trained in their first 90 days.
Pay, honestly
We haven't verified pay data for this move.
Your realistic 90 days
You worked as an FMCG trade marketer. This plan moves you toward inside sales / SDR in 90 days, using what you already do.
Assumes 2–3 hours a day alongside job applications, a laptop and a phone, and free plans only. Every step has a smaller version and a way to pause. Use them. It runs in three blocks of 30 days, each ending with a signal that you're on track. A signal is not a promise of a job or income.
Other worries
Age, a career gap, no degree, English, family pressure and savings are covered on the route page and the role page.
Your first 7 days
| Day | Task | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Learn free HubSpot CRM | HubSpot set up |
| 2 | List 10 retail-tech firms | 10 firms listed |
| 3 | Write a call script | Script written |
| 4 | Write 5 messages | 5 messages written |
| 5 | Role-play a call | Practice done |
| 6 | Log 10 leads | 10 leads logged |
| 7 | Save 10 postings | 10 links |
Days 1–30: Sales pack
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publish a script and 5 messages | about 8 hours over 3 weeks | Script and 5 messages published | Script only. | Stop at the end of the step you're on and write two lines about where you stopped. Pick it up from those notes later. |
| Show it to 5 people who hire for this | about 1 hour | 5 messages | Show it to 2 people who hire for this. | Optional. If reaching out feels like too much this week, skip it and put the time into your proof. |
Signal by day 30: A sales manager comments.
Days 31–60: Applications
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turn your proof into a one-page case and CV line | about 8 hours | Case and CV line done | CV line only. | Put it on hold until your current interviews are done, then come back to it. |
| Apply to 10 inside sales and SDR roles | about 5 hours | 10 logged | Apply to 5 roles. | Stop sending for now. Keep a list of who you've contacted so you can follow up later without doubling up. |
Signal by day 60: A screening call.
Days 61–90: Interviews for inside sales and SDR roles
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practise a 2-minute story of why you are moving | about 2 hours | 2 practice runs | 1 run. | Optional. Skip it if the week is full; nothing later depends on it. |
| Ask 3 people for referrals into inside sales and SDR teams | about 2 hours | 3 asks | Just one instead of 3. | Stop sending for now. Keep a list of who you've contacted so you can follow up later without doubling up. |
Signal by day 90: A second round or a paid trial.
One search that fits your background
The full set of search strings for this move is on the route page. They work on LinkedIn, Naukri and foundit; Instahyre and Cutshort are worth a weekly look too. Add your old job title to any of them with AND, so recruiters who want both skills find you first.
Job-hunt moves that matter for this route
- Share a short call script and the follow-up messages you'd send.
- Mention your work with distributors and retailers.
- Apply to retail-tech and B2B companies that sell to stores.
Fake-job traps
Watch for 'marketing internships' that charge a registration or certificate fee, 'work from home' review or like-and-earn tasks, and anyone asking for an OTP, UPI PIN or a deposit before you start. Real employers never charge you to hire you. Use official domains only. Report in India at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930; in the US, ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Back to FMCG Trade Marketer · About the Inside Sales / SDR route · Marketing hub
Quick quiz: does this path fit?
Answer each, then press Check. Every answer explains itself.
Make your Path Card
A shareable reminder of where you're heading. The day count starts the first time you open this page; quest XP comes from your log above.
Scam check before you apply anywhere
- Real job and gig platforms are free to join. Never pay a "joining" or "training" fee.
- Never share an OTP or UPI PIN — no genuine employer needs them.
- Use official domains only; type the address yourself.
- India: report at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.
- US: report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Small steps, every day.
Each quest has a smaller version for hard weeks, and a pause button. Nothing is lost.
Keep exploring
Sources
Checked 26 Oct 2026. We opened every link below ourselves. Search volumes on this site come from OpenSEO keyword research (Oct 2026).
The other facts here are shared with the route page, where each is listed in full with its link.