The tech industry is constantly bringing out new and interesting products, so there’s no shortage of work for people in tech sales. These days most tech products are software as a service (SaaS) products, so that’s where you’ll find the majority of work.
It’s not the easiest field to break into, but a career in tech sales can be rewarding for the right person. And getting your foot in the door is easier than you might think.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s review the basics.
First things first: what is tech sales actually about?
Tech sales is usually defined as the process of selling technology as software, hardware, or an IT service. Most work in tech sales is business-to-business (B2B) sales, mostly selling software products designed to help a business operate more efficiently.
That’s a broad spectrum that includes everything from cloud-based computing services to teleconferencing equipment. And while its scope may seem intimidating at first, the broadness of tech sales allows for a lot of flexibility — or the ability to niche down and specialize.
Since people in tech sales often focus on an intangible product, one that’s often packaged as a subscription service, it’s heavily focused on building and maintaining customer relationships over the long term. It’s about creating value for the buyer since they’ll be ideally using your product for years to come.
Some examples of tech products you’d commonly sell include:
- Software solutions like CRM software
- Hardware products like laptops, monitors, and other physical products used to run software
- Tech services like IT consulting and/or troubleshooting
Tech sales is about identifying what problems a client has that can be solved by technology and pairing them with the best possible solution. That can be anything from a new line of computers to more advanced options like client tracking software or in-depth data analytics.
What are the responsibilities of someone in tech sales?
So what would someone in tech sales actually do? Here are a few examples:
- Using CRM software like monday sales CRM to manage clients
- Designing customized technology packages for clients
- Writing contracts and invoices for completed deals
- Keeping up with sales industry data and trends
- Utilizing sales software to connect with leads
Other day-to-day tasks can include anything from following up with clients to running product demos and will depend on your seniority and exact job title.
Here are a few different job titles in tech sales:
- Business Development Representative (BDR)
- Sales Development Representative (SDR)
- Account Executive
- Sales Manager
- Sales Director
People often start out as a representative and move up to more specialized jobs, like account executives or sales managers.
How to get started in a tech sales career
Experience in the field, or at least in sales, is a plus but not absolutely necessary.
Master soft skills
What’s more important is the skill set you bring to the job. Good skills for a tech salesperson to have include:
- Empathy: Being able to put yourself in another’s shoes to see what would help them
- Resilience: The sales profession deals with a lot of rejection, so you’ll need a thick skin
- Curiosity: You need to be willing to learn about your product and teach it to others
- Adaptability: Keeping up with tech advances and being willing to learn from others is essential
- Proactive mindset: You’ll need to plan ahead and learn what you can about the field. What are the trends? What’s popular that you think you could do or sell? Where would your skills best fit within the industry?
Network
If you have connections in the industry already, reach out to them for advice. If not, do some legwork on sites like LinkedIn and make new connections. Attend events — virtual or in person — to network, and join groups on Facebook. In other words, do everything you can to get yourself out there and gain an idea of what it is people are looking for.
If you know what company you’re interested in working with, scout them out on LinkedIn to see what programs they use, who their sales managers and recruiters are, and what experience they have. It can give you an idea of what that business is looking for in a hire.
Take free courses and internships if you can
There are even free sales certification and training programs you can take to get an education in the sales trade and set yourself apart from other applicants, even without a degree in the field or any relevant experience yet.
Seeking out internships is a great way to get experience and a foot in the door. Look for ones at reputable companies, ideally that pay you for your time.
Find where you fit in
Consider what area of tech sales you’d be most excited to work in. IT sales, for example, requires more technical knowledge, since you have to know how the hardware you’re selling works and be able to educate others. A natural interest in and desire to learn about tech will help a lot here. If that’s not something that interests you, you’ll want to take a different track.
Why work in tech sales?
This industry offers some great perks. The average pay is high, and benefits are often good — the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts the median income for sales engineers that sell complex and technical products to other businesses at six figures.
More reasons to work in this field include:
- High job demand as the tech industry continues to grow
- High job mobility and opportunities for advancement
- Access to the latest, most cutting-edge software
To top it off, many jobs in the field let people work remotely.
4 ways monday sales CRM improves tech sales workflows
Sales professionals, especially in tech, need software that doesn’t get in the way. monday sales CRM is exactly that, offering several features that get rid of redundant work and make communication easier.
1. Dashboard View
You can’t improve what you don’t track, and monday sales CRM lets you track everything from budget expenditures to the number of deals in your pipeline at a glance.
2. Customizable boards
Make boards for anything you need, including sales flowcharts that track the progress of your whole team.
3. Automations
Messages, reminders, and notifications can all be automated so tasks and messages never get lost in the shuffle and things proceed in a timely way. Follow through on follow-ups and get projects moved through the proper channels quickly.
4. Detailed recordkeeping
Every message sent in monday.com Work OS gets saved as a draft so it’s never lost. That means your sales reps have a complete record of every deal from start to finish, that anyone on the account can access, so no one gets left in the dark.
FAQs
Is tech sales a good career?
It can be a hugely rewarding career for someone that enjoys learning about technology, problem-solving, and building relationships with other businesses. Pay and benefits are good in just about any tech sales position, and the field offers a lot of flexibility in the way you work.
How much money can a job in tech sales make?
The median salary for jobs in tech sales is routinely in the high five-and-six-figure range. Top earners can make much more than that depending on the company and how much they may receive on commission.
How do I get into tech sales with no experience?
It’s difficult, but not impossible. Take the initiative to learn about the field and leverage any skills you may already have. Research top companies and their staff. Reach out and make professional connections through platforms like LinkedIn, take free courses, and obtain certificates to gain some experience. All those things can make you stand out and get you a start in the industry.
Is a job in tech sales right for you?
Only you can truly know what job is the right fit. But if you have an outgoing personality, a keen interest in technology, and the ability to help others problem-solve then a position in tech sales is definitely worth considering.
If you want to get an idea of the type of software you’d be selling to businesses, and even get some hands-on experience with it yourself, check out monday sales CRM today and set up a demo.
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