Why Tech Sales Could Be Your Next Big Career Move

Indeed, tech sales is often labeled a great entry point into the tech industry. But that “Entry point” does not mean a dead end.

The truth is, tech sales is a legitimate career path with phenomenal growth. You can absolutely build a career here, rising from an entry-level position like a Sales Development Representative (SDR) all the way up to a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).

To demonstrate exactly how this is done, our founder, Jess Armooh, sat down with Dara Ahmed, a Tech Commercial Expert to show you the practical steps, essential skills, key metrics, and resources you need to not just break into tech sales, but to succeed and thrive in it.

Whether you’re transitioning from traditional sales or you’re a newcomer eager to explore this high-growth field, you’re in the right place.

Ready to dive in? Continue reading or watch the video below if you prefer:

Tech Sales vs. Traditional Sales: What You Need to Know

While the core concept of “selling” remains similar across industries, the landscape changes when you move from B2C (Business-to-Consumer) to B2B (Business-to-Business), which is the majority of tech sales.

The Complexities of B2B Tech Sales

In B2C, sales often rely on basic persuasion for a single transaction. In B2B tech, however, it is a complex, process-driven effort. Here’s why:

Selling to a Panel

You are typically selling to a buying panel, not just a single person. This means engaging multiple stakeholders like the CEO, CTO, or Head of HR.

Technical Credibility is King

Because you are selling (sometimes) complex software, you must have in-depth technical product knowledge and credibility.

For instance, if you’re trying to sell to a CTO or a product manager, they often know how the infrastructure works better than you on a deeper level. You need to show that you understand the software you are selling and its business impact.

Virtual-First Environment

Unlike traditional sales that might involve physically going “door-to-door”, tech sales is primarily a virtual-first environment based on calls, online demos, and meetings, which is why so many remote tech sales jobs are available.

Explore the best places to find remote work →

The BANT Framework: Sales with Strategy

To successfully navigate the B2B tech sales complexity, you must factor in specific elements of the customer’s business, often following the framework known as BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Time):

• Need: This is actually the first thing to consider. Before getting on a call, you must identify whether the prospect needs the solution now, or if you can confirm a future date when they might.
• Budget: Does the company have the necessary funds allocated for this solution?
• Authority: Who are the key decision-makers on the call? Are you speaking to the right person, or do you need to bring in the economic buyers?
• Time: You need to understand the timing of their projects and sprints. If they are not ready at the moment, you must figure out the right time to reach back out—next month, next quarter, or the end of the year.

How to Break Into Tech Sales

The good news is that breaking into tech sales has no set degree requirement or singular formula. Your success relies on your preparation, mindset, and ability to leverage what you already know.

Here’s how your transition might look in two different ways:

Avenue 1: Transitioning with Prior Sales or Entrepreneurial Experience

If you have a sales background in a traditional setting or have run a small business, companies will look favourably upon your application because. This is because you already think like a salesperson, and are in fact, a sales person.

Your focus here is on positioning and polish:

1. Tailor Your Resume and LinkedIn

Don’t send a generic document. Update your sales resume and LinkedIn profile to specifically target the job description. If the role requires business development, emphasise those skills. If it’s pure sales, focus on closing and revenue.

Recommended Reading: Applying for Jobs: Why Personalising Your Job Applications is Important & How to Do it Right

2. Master the Interview Process

Beyond understanding the role, you need deep industry and company awareness. For sales roles, you’re likely to face a role play or a sales presentation (pitch). For business development, expect a case study where you detail strategies for scaling the business.

Recommended Reading: How to Ace Your Job Interview and Get Hired (Remote or In-Person)

3. Industry Knowledge

Be ready to discuss the latest trends, competitors, and regulatory changes in the vertical you’re applying for. You can do this by reading industry news and testing your knowledge.

Avenue 2: Starting with Zero Experience (The No-Code Path)

If you are starting from scratch, your focus should be on building foundational knowledge and a robust support system:

Build Foundational Knowledge

Start by understanding what the field truly entails. Read articles, listen to podcasts, watch videos, and follow thought leaders on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Additionally, study job descriptions to understand required skills and tools.

Invest in Learning Resources

Take a practical online course or tech sales bootcamp. Good courses are available on platforms like Coursera and Udemy that can provide you with structured, low-cost training to get started.

Recommended Reading: Upskilling: A Proven Way to Stay Competitive in the Fast-Changing Remote Job Market

Get Mentorship

It’s always helpful to have someone guide you. Platforms like ADPlist are excellent places to schedule free calls with professionals who can review your CV, conduct mock interviews, and help you strategise.

Recommended Reading: How to Find a Mentor

Join a Community

Community is crucial when making a career transition. Being surrounded by like-minded people provides encouragement, networking opportunities, and a space to learn what you don’t yet know. 

• Join the Tech Sales and Partnerships Community (TSPC)
• Explore 40+ online communities for NoCode Techies

3 Core Skills That Separate Great Tech Sales Professionals from the Rest

To excel and thrive as a tech sales professional, technical knowledge is not enough. You need non-negotiable soft skills that set you apart, even in a highly demanding sales environment.

1. Communication and Active Listening

Sales is, at its core, a conversation. But simply talking isn’t enough.

You have to be an active listener. “Are you the kind of person who listens? Are you an active listener? Do you let people finish before you speak? Do you listen to understand?”

In the high-stakes B2B space, active listening allows you to uncover the prospect’s actual pain points, which is crucial for determining their Need (the first step in BANT).

In addition to this, having the emotional intelligence and empathy not to be defensive when speaking with a prospect is key. If you are fighting with the prospect rather than helping them solve a problem, you immediately lose credibility and trust.

2. Resilience

This skill is the salesperson’s shield against burnout. When you’re constantly reaching out and getting ignored or rejected, you need mental fortitude.

“You need to be very resilient because as a salesperson, honestly, you don’t need rejection therapy. If you’re in sales, every day in sales is rejection therapy… You need to be able to bounce back.” – Dara Ahmed

Resilience ensures you can maintain a high volume of activity and bounce back from a “closed loss” without letting emotion affect the next deal.

3. Adaptability and Growth Mindset

The tech industry evolves rapidly, and every company uses different products and tools (CRMs, tech stacks). If you are switching industries or companies, you cannot assume the process will be the same.

You need to be able to adapt fast to the new product itself and to the tools you’ll be using. 

Additionally, you need to have a growth mindset. Be open to learning over and over and again – with speed. This continuous learning is vital for maintaining technical credibility.

Understanding Sales Metrics and KPIs that Matter

Understanding the specific metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that matter to a tech business will significantly strengthen your interview performance. It shows you understand the company’s goals and why they are hiring you.

These metrics in sales shift based on your experience level:

Entry-Level (SDR/BDR Focus)

For Sales or Business Development Representatives (SDRs/BDRs), the KPIs are heavily focused on the activity that fuels the sales pipeline. These are the numbers you will live by:

• Activities: The volume of outreach you conduct (Dials, emails sent, LinkedIn connection requests).
• Meetings Booked: The number of initial discovery calls or demos you successfully close for the Account Executive (AE) team.
• Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs): The number of prospects you move through the initial qualification stage (often BANT-qualified) and pass to a senior sales representative.
• Conversion Rate: Your efficiency in moving a prospect from an initial contact to a booked meeting or qualified opportunity.
• Average Sales Cycle: Though less of a daily KPI for entry-level, understanding the ideal length of time it takes to move a deal from first touch to close demonstrates commercial awareness.

Management-Level Focus

At a more senior or management level, the contributions become more strategic, operational, and directly tied to revenue:

• Sales Strategy and Forecasting: Defining the sales strategy for the quarter and year, and accurately projecting sales forecasts (pipeline value and health).
• New Business Opportunities: Identifying and building out strategies to chase new markets or high-value accounts.
• Operational Excellence: Creating a sales playbook (a guide for effective selling), documenting the sales process, and generating sales enablement materials (like pitch decks, case studies, and battlecards) to make the team more efficient.
• Team and Technology Management: Deciding what tech stack (CRM, sales engagement tools) the team uses, managing team performance, and leadership development.

Level Up Faster with Tech Sales Resources

The best way to accelerate your transition is by learning from those who have already succeeded. Here are the top recommended resources by Dara Ahmed, Tech Commercial Expert, to help you study, network, and grow:

Books

• Sales Differentiation by Lee Salz

Podcasts

• Sales Hunter by Mark Hunter

YouTube Channels

• Patrick Dang
• Tech Sales with Higher Levels

Communities

• Tech Sales and Partnerships Community (by Dara Ahmed)
• Sisters in Sales

For a comprehensive, curated list of tools, scripts, and links, be sure to explore this complete Tech Sales Resource Toolkit. Thanks to Dara!

Career Growth in Tech Sales

You might have heard the notion, “Tech sales is merely a stepping stone to other roles, such as product management, etc”. This is understandable, and while true for some, two truths can coexist: tech sales is not merely a launchpad for non-coding roles; you can build an entire, high-growth career out of sales.

According to Dara Ahmed, there are lots of growth opportunities in tech sales. From the entry-level SDR, you could grow into a manager, being a Sales Manager, a VP of Sales and Business Development, a Business Manager, or even the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).

Your clear, legitimate career ladder in tech sales might look like this:

SDR → Account Executive → Sales Manager → VP of Sales → Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

This is a path that ensures both consistent growth and excellent pay/salary.

Now you’ve learnt all about tech sales and how to transition into the field. In case you need extra motivation, read Dara’s story below for inspiration:

Dara Ahmed’s Journey into Tech Sales

Dara’s personal story is a testament to the power of transferable skills.

Her journey began not in an office, but while studying: She used to run a fashion business, and although that was B2C, it still required selling to people.

When she decided to move into the tech world, she didn’t have industry-specific knowledge. She recalls, “I didn’t have the technical knowledge. I didn’t know anything about fintech”, but she had the essential sales mindset.

The key was her ability to make the connection: “I was able to identify the transferable skills from the B2C fashion business I was doing into this B2B tech sales role. And the skills I had that I could translate into the role during my interview, I communicated that to my interviewers.”

Today, in addition to her role as a Tech Commercial Expert, Dara maintains a balanced life, enjoying yoga and going to the gym, and pouring her energy into her community, demonstrating that a successful tech career can support a well-rounded lifestyle.

Dara’s Top Tips for Breaking In and Thriving in Tech Sales

1. Put Your Best Foot Forward: Give your applications your absolute best, and if you get to an interview, give it your absolute best. Preparation is everything.
2. Be Accountable: To make life easier for yourself, join a community of people or get a mentor you’re accountable to. They can help you track your progress throughout your application journey.
3. Keep an Open Mind: Recognise tech sales as a rewarding and high-growth career path with excellent pay, not just a low-entry barrier to tech.
4. Be Persistent: Remember that rejection is part of the job; resilience is your greatest asset in sales.

Your Turn: Start Building Your Tech Sales Career Today

As Dara’s story shows, you don’t need to start with a technical background to succeed. What you do need is curiosity, preparation, and the willingness to keep learning.

Whether you’re coming from traditional sales, entrepreneurship, or an entirely different field, there’s space for you in tech sales, and it’s a space that rewards persistence, adaptability, and genuine connection.

If you’re ready to take the leap, start by exploring the resources shared in this article, join a community like the TSPC, and connect with others who are already on the same journey.

Your first step could be updating your resume, booking a mock interview, or simply reaching out to a mentor. The opportunities in tech sales are wide open, and your next big career move might just begin here.

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