Breaking Into Tech Sales

Tech sales is becoming one of the most popular jobs for people to get into quickly earning 6 figure paychecks. The salary for a tech sales representative is significantly higher than in any other sector.

Having a job that pays well is one thing, but having a job that actually interests and stimulates you mentally is another. You often times get to help others solve their problems through a unique solution that you have to offer, and through learning your own product you may even find ways to improve it.

A successful tech sales representative can expect a salary increase of 40% to 70% per year on average. If you are going to start out fresh – looking for a job in tech sales, start looking in the industries that you are personally interested to help fuel that inner fire of excitement and motivation.

Wait. But what is tech sales exactly?

What kind of earning potential does it offer? And transitioning from your current position – is it worth the trouble?

This guide will take you through the answers to these questions and more. We’ll be looking at what a tech sales job demands, necessary skills, estimated salaries, career paths, and how to break into the industry.

Tech sales is the process of selling technology as software, hardware, or an IT service.

As the tech industry is constantly churning out new products to sell, and it needs good salespeople to communicate the value of its products to the public, it is high in demand.

Most buyers will be businesses rather than individuals. As a result, B2B salespeople will be better acquainted with the unique sales process than B2C sales.

A day in the life of a tech salesperson

Learning about their products: In B2B sales, even a small error can ruin the deal. So tech sales representatives will therefore need to carefully study and fully understand their products.
Following up with leads: In the world of tech sales, maintaining long-term relationships is essential for success. Reps will devote a significant portion of their day to calling companies, following up with leads via email, social selling on LinkedIn, and responding to numerous client inquiries.
Demo calls: Demo is usually the final step before the pitch. During the call the sales reps usually showcase their product and its use cases to the prospects. Here again, a salesperson will need to know their product inside out to demonstrate its value effectively.
Networking: Word-of-mouth deals are common among tech buyers. The more people you know, the better equipped you’ll be to leverage those relationships to generate new customers.

Do you need any technical degree to get into tech sales?

Nope, you don’t. A common misconception is that you need to have direct knowledge of tech to get into tech sales. In fact, nearly half 43% of all open tech sales jobs in the industry don’t require any technical background. Moreover, most tech sales roles are remote jobs, so you can work from wherever you want.

Benefits of getting into tech sales

Average Tech Sales Representative Pay in the United States is $51,720 a year.

Beyond the average base income, tech sales representatives also tend to earn high commissions. Commission rates will, of course, vary between companies. But reps tend to bring in anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 per year as extra pay. There are few sales reps making over a million dollars in sales commissions alone.

It’s more than just a paycheck…

Everyone is looking for a big paycheck, and tech sales can give you that. But outside of the payoffs, there are a few long-term benefits of working in tech sales.

1. Building strong relationships

Tech sales is all about getting to know your customer, building a relationship, and helping them solve their problems. As a by-product, tech sales representatives build long-term relationships with an array of clients, which can be incredibly rewarding. These relationships can also lead to a larger professional network, which in turn can lead to even more opportunities.

2. Continuous learning on the latest technologies

Technology has transformed sales in recent times.

Companies have been modernising sales with new sales technology as otherwise their competition will surely do it before them and gain a clear competitive advantage.

The results of this have been a more efficient selling process and improved bottom lines, while the everyday job of salespeople will be simpler, more streamlined, and freed from some annoying, repetitive tasks that normally take a lot of their time.

So salespeople have been continuously learning, adapting, as well as modifying their methods and approach with the evolving technology.

3. Master communication

The longer you are in sales, you slowly start mastering communication by understanding how to approach social situations while being smooth in conversations.

All the key elements of effective communication like authenticity, open mindedness, empathy, clarity and listening becomes your forte.

You develop empathy, you learn to be curious about other people’s lives and what you have in common instead of what makes you different.

All these help you build trust with the prospect and which then lands into a sale.

Mastering communication is not an easy task, it takes a lot of time, energy, effort and hell a lot of experience 🙂

4. Personal Development

Working in sales, facing rejections & failure will be a part of your job.

Objection handling is a critical sales skill, and you’ll quickly learn to master this skill when you start working in tech sales. It’s a skill you’ll use for your entire life.

Furthermore, companies often offer their employees extensive training programs to build on their mindset and sales knowledge. If you have a strong work ethic and resilience, you’ll quickly grow as an employee and find your personal development improves every day. Flexibility is also vital for people with families and external hobbies that require time.

The need is all time high

The global information technology market is expected to reach $11.9 trillion by the end of 2025. With growth in technology, demand for tech sales positions are also expected to grow significantly. This is definitely the right time to switch.

Looking into the 25 U.S. roles that are growing in demand in 2022 published by LinkedIn in its article “Jobs on the Rise 2022”, Sales is the 4th in demand role right now. The role has been top 5 since the last 5 years and will expect to remain in the top 5 for the next few years.

Skills required

Excellent Communication: If you have a background in sales, this may come naturally to you. Tech sales representatives need to clearly communicate their products’ capabilities, features and value to close the deal. They also need to clearly answer their buyers’ questions (a lot of them).
Fast learner: Success in this role takes an in-depth knowledge of the product. And with tech advancing every day, sales reps in this industry need to keep up. Those who can learn quickly will have the edge over the competition.
Problem Solver: Salesmanship alone may work for low-ticket products. But in the tech sector, a successful deal hinges on a salesperson’s ability to demonstrate value. A tech sales rep will focus on solving a buyer’s problem rather than tricking them into saying yes, especially when there are many stakeholders involved.
Highly Motivated: The pressure can be high in tech sales. If you aren’t motivated and ambitious, you can get left behind the pack fast. A successful tech sales rep needs to be comfortable with extended hours in a high-stress environment.

Networking

Networking is responsible for 70 percent of all hires in the modern era. So if you’re looking to land a position in tech sales, interacting with companies is your best bet.

Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and professional. Then, try to find individuals with the tech sales position you’re looking for and ask about their day-to-day.

This is a good way to learn about tech sales processes and strategies from the source, and you’ll also be able to build relationships with people from different tech companies.

Final words

The tech industry is only getting bigger. There are more sales positions at tech companies than ever before. And if you’re considering transitioning into tech sales, now’s the time. It pays well. It offers plenty of upward mobility. For salespeople more interested in solving problems than selling, it can be very fulfilling.

Hopefully, this guide has helped you figure out if tech sales is for you. If it did, put it to good use & break into tech sales with a bang!