Breaking into Tech Sales....

[toofun]

I have a sales job. I have been with two companies over the past 18 years and have been extremely successful in sales. I always exceed my numbers and I love the aggression and competition of it all but the money is not there. I know if I had the chance to have uncapped potential, I could make alot more. Many have told me to get into Tech sales. I have no tech sales experience but I have tons of international and B2B sales experience. I have been through interviews with companies like Oracle etc... but when it comes right down to it, they all go with either the inside position or another candidate that has tech sales experience.

I know many people have been successful in tech sales coming from a totally different background so how to they do it? How do they break that barrier? I know this is where the 6 figure potential is but damn it is so frustrating not to have anyone give you the chance to prove you can do it! My face to face interview skills are strong and I always manage to sell them on the fact that years of sales experience and a proven track record counts for alot more than a guy with 1 or 2 years of tech experience but it does not seem to make a difference. Any input would be appreciated. Oh and if anyone out there has an in with a tech company in the Massachusetts area I have resume I can forward you!! Thanks in advance!!

Mark
TOOFUN

[GetMore]

Sounds like you aren't completely succesful in selling yourself. Maybe you need to make sure you sell yourself to everyone involved in the decision.
(That was partially a wiseass response, please take it as such: Both a joke and a suggestion.)

Maybe you need to do a little more research on whatever you would plan on selling. Learn as much as possible, so you sound like you know what you are talking about.

What is Tech Sales, exactly?

[toofun]

Thanks for the suggestion. It is funny cause I think I do a really good job at selling myself. Tech sales can be anything from Hardware, software both applications and solutions etc... I even tried to get into the resellers market in tech. Companies that sell parts and components that support older systems for companies that need replacement parts. I figured I could get into that area and work my butt off and break into a larger company. It is not easy out there but I love sales. Just want to do something that I can make the money I need to make...

Mark
TOOFUN

[6'9"Witha69]

Knowing something about the products they sell is paramount. As a technology project manager you need to know how the technology works. I don't code but I know several languages both for client and web apps and relational database management. Also the hardware requirements for each. Virtualization and server farming. Look those terms up if you don't know them and familiarize yourself with the various technologies for each, their compatability and uses.

Buy some Wired and other technology magazines. Read up on what people are doing.

Every tech company will have a training and development group to assist you in learning all aspects of their offerings, but showing up knowing what their widgets do to begin with makes a huge difference.

[69TAPoser]

I have been asked this question quite a few times. The high level answer, unless you are willing to take a ground floor inside sales job (i.e. little money), is "it is hard." I am not trying to be coy, but I have several friends that have been successfull doing so, but many more that were unsuccessfull.

Here is what you are up against...No matter how good your interview skills are, you will be viewed as a high risk simply because you have not sold in tech. And it is a "clan" of sorts. Believe it or not, an unsuccessful sales person with a tech background will look more desireable to many companies vs. a perso with no tech background and a proven sales track record. Therefore, unless you know someone that can get you special attention, you are going to have to be creative and most likely willing to take some risks yourself.

Your strategy of looking at channel partners (software resellers and/or integrators) is a good one. They will typically not have the stiff requirements that a vendor has. Once you spend a few years at a reseller, you can more easily jump to a vendor.

Suggestion #1: Also look at tech distributors. Avnet, Ingram, Arrow, and Synnex come to mind. They are all large distributors and they offer extensive sales training and would give you the opportunity to explore multiple product areas.

Suggestion #2: Familiarize yourself with a product area and learn it cold. If you are thinking software, choose a "hot" area, read everything you can, and research the players in that space. A good online resource is: http://www.capterra.com/. They have already broken down software by type and companies in each space for you.

Suggestion #3. Network. Talk to all your friends about their friends that they have in the tech space. Get an intro. Use networking tools like www.linkedin.com (http://www.linkedin.com).

Suggestion #4. Look at start ups. They are high risk, but are typically more willing to hire from outside the tech area as they often have a difficult time hiring.

The good news is, you are in a good geo to go after tech. Boston is a pretty strong market for techs and tech start ups.

Good luck!

Phil

[BA.]

I like the way Phil put it. There's lots of good info there.

Also, as I think Nick eluded to, keep in mind that there's the Hardware Sales and Software sales. (Firewalls, routers, switches, servers, intrusion protection, proxy/application front-end VS the likes of Oracle, Checkpoint, Solaris, Siebel,etc)

Third-party resellers of the above are probably the best ways to break-in. (Phil's #1) Around here, we have plenty. (Cadre, Cincinnati Bell Technology Services, Accuvant, Ameritech)

If you had the time, perhaps getting some low-grade certifications would show that you have a little Tech Savvy to go with your sales skills. Similarly, maybe you could show the knowledge side of things via specific training at Global Knowledge, Learning Tree, New Horizon or Nexum. It's an investment in yourself man!

There is good, 6-figure money in Tech Sales but the economic slumps still affect the corporate spending and thus, your success to a degree.

[shep]

Another thought is to look at smaller managed service providers IE. the local 3rd party tech providers. The one I was working for was a partner with HP, Microsoft, Shoretel, Sonicwall and a few others. They only had 10 employees. http://www.lammtech.com/general/industry-partnerships.html Places like that can expose you to several different products both hardware and software to at least get started.

[toofun]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the info. ALOT of good research material and ideas to kick around. I definately will do my homework for sure. Funny thing is I have had two interviews with Oracle in the last year. Both times I made it to the final interview but they have decided to go with the candidate that came from a tech background. All very good points to be sure and I appreciate all of the input. One boundary I always come up against is when interviewers talk about my lack of tech experience and how I am going to sell a customer on the product. Here is what I always say in response to that. My job as a salesman is to create what I call a "buyers vision". You have to paint a picture for the client to show them the value of your product and services you provide, to show them benchmark performance records with other companies that have used your product and how it made a vast improvement in their company. As long as I can understand the basic framework of a company, what they use and how they use it, I can get my foot in the door to try and sell them on the value our products. Technical aspects of the particular software,hardware, and compatibility issues are the job of the tech experts on your team. You need to utilize them in your sales process to extract their valuable knowledge and experience.They are the ones you pull into the mix when the customer wants to pinpoint the details on the products themselves. I could be in sales for years and NEVER understand the product as good as the tech advisors do. Thats what they get paid for to come in and help solidify the selling process and then I close the sale. You are only as good as the TEAM around you...

See to me I think people who come from the outside make better salesmen than people who come from tech. Because nothing is worse than a guy who comes from tech who has a superman complex. Their confidence turns to cockiness thinking they can answer all the questions customers have to ask when they should be taking a back seat and let their tech experts take over from their.. Just my .02 cents.

Anyways, thanks for all the info, I will definately check it out!!

Mark
TOOFUN