Recruiters still struggle to fill an undeniable shortage in the tech sales industry as qualified candidates are becoming even more difficult to fit the needs of the specified role. This ubiquitous trend stretches across the tech industry as a whole. Tech recruiters continue to seek out experienced and tenured tech talent to fill more technical positions.
According to a recent report by Code.org, there are more than 500,000 Tech Jobs unfilled in the United States. This presents a prime opportunity if you’re looking to break into the tech industry, especially tech sales. As an added bonus, salaries in the tech industry are rising as companies compete to secure the limited amount of talent available. According to a survey conducted by CNBC, the majority of new tech workers switched careers due to higher salaries that had been offered.
In addition to the competitive salaries as being one of the leading benefits, employees can also work remotely and have the opportunity for career advancement. Because this is not an overtly technical career, one does not necessarily have to become a Software Engineer. If you’d like to break into tech sales in 2020, please continue reading.
What is Tech Sales?
Tech Sales Development are the professionals who prospect for new clients and respond to inbound leads when they’re purchasing new products. A Tech Sales Developer must have some basic technical knowledge, but it’s not necessary to have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. Tech Sales Development identify and create new businesses in addition to providing support for inbound inquires. Follow these steps to enter the field.
Step 1: Build a Tech Sales Resume
Just like any profession, you need to prepare a stellar resume for your job search. However, please remember that this isn’t a typical sales job; you’ll be working in the tech field. Therefore, your resume should be tech-oriented.
If you have no experience in tech sales, you can always educate yourself. Since there’s no bachelor’s degree in tech sales, bootcamps have become the solution. Tech Sales Bootcamps will not only give you the fundamental technical knowledge, they’ll also guide you through the whole job search dynamic from start to finish of tailoring your resume to have a successful interview.
Step 2: Keep an Eye on New Technical Trends
Now that you have crafted your resume, it’s time to prepare yourself for the job. Knowing the current tech trends in the market will surely impress recruiters. Therefore, continue to keep an eye on tech publications, studies, and press releases. It is also essential to study the prospect company and determine what is vital for them, what their pain points are, what skills they need, and the type of trends they’re following. This will boost your chances of landing the job.
Step 3: Job Search Process
To start, you should create a prospect list of companies you’d like to pitch. This way, you’ll be able to prioritize those you find the most attractive. The next step is to strategically reach out and network with these prospects without seeming desperate.
There are excellent online platforms such as LinkedIn, Upwork, and Indeed where you can directly reach out to companies. Another way to connect with businesses is by joining mutual group chats. The introduction process will be much smoother and more natural. Prior to reaching out, have your profile organized and prepared to showcase to prospects.
Ivan Misner quotes, “Networking is more about farming than it is about hunting.”
It is vital to build relationships with others in the field and ask them for referrals. Having strong references to share with recruiters will significantly increase your chances of expediting your application to be considered for an interview.
Step 4: Prepare for your Interview
When preparing for your interview, one of the most important things you can do is investigate the company’s upcoming projects. Therefore, you’ll be prepared to provide valuable insights to the company on what products they can utilize to ensure their project’s success.
At the basic level, be sure you know the company owner’s name. Furthermore, research relevant leadership teams and offer to reach out to them in order to provide relevant product information pertaining to their projects. If you’ve come prepared, you’re already off to an excellent start.
Step 5: Nailing the Interview
Remember, you’re still applying for a sales position so showcase your skills during the interview. Stay calm and keep control of the narrative.
This does not translate to you becoming the interviewer and not the interviewee. Rather, you guide your interviewer through the paths you’d like the interview to take. Thus, you’ll have the opportunity to steer the interview in a direction which allows you to showcase your potential and provide value when it comes to their specific projects.
