Tech Sales

[unknown00]

I'm in tech sales, actually a VP right now. I've been doing software sales for over a decade since I graduated college. I've worked for the largest tech company (IBM/MSFT) and I've worked for startups (under 50).

How high can you go? I mean if you want to know the upper limit, 1mil+ easy

Originally Posted by Teckeeee

I have done well in tech sales, but the market is pretty full. I don't have a lot of software sales exp and I can't make the jump to from IT/telecom to software..........and I have many years.........so they people I know that work at Oracle..........they worked their way up selling third party mediocre software before they ever made to IBM/Oracle/SAP

You make it sound like IBM/Oracle/SAP are the holy grail. Given my experience, startups all day!! Compensation isn't necessarily higher at the large companies, don't be mistaken

Originally Posted by Staggerlee666

In software sales, you really need the experience. You can get an entry level job making $75-$100K but to get to $300K it takes a lot of years in the same market. Just knowing how to sell doesn't get you a job there.

Partially disagree. In sales, it's all about being outgoing and more importantly networking. Networks > experience all day

Originally Posted by kkentson

Really? But I know a guy that got recruited into an pre-sales SAP program straight out of college. I don't think there was anything special about him...he went to a sub-80 undergrad for business, didn't really have much technical experience with coding, but now he'll probably be making more than the engineers who designed the damn software in the first place working with "solution experience" or something like that. I understand that sales jobs are what drives the company's profit in the first place. But...I always felt that the designers of the software would be more compensated than most others in the company...Makes me wonder why I did engineering in the first place. Oh well...

Yes yes yes!! That's why and how I said I did software sales once I graduated. All of the large tech companies have "accelerated sales programs" for new grads, that's what I did

Originally Posted by kkentson

Thanks for responding. I guess a job would really suck, no matter how highly compensated if it's that bad of a culture. Are you guys involved in sales? If so, what's the shelf life of an average employee at one of these ultra-large corporations?

Yes I am, see above. No one is at a place for really more than a couple years. Why? Because if you are bad, then obviously what you are selling and yourself do not fit well, so move on to try another thing. But if you are good, they keep raising your quota every year, it gets stupid frustrating, so leave to somewhere else with a lower quota so you can kill it again
Of course, those that stay for 5 years+ have been promoted

Originally Posted by jade408

Now selling at the startup trying to unseat SAP would be much much harder.

My track record proves you wrong so many times

Originally Posted by TestEngr

I have zero experience in doing anything other than interacting with various sales reps of tech companies for 30 years, the happiest ones worked government sales is all I can say. Some other things I noticed, some Japanese and some other overseas company reps in US seemed to like their job better than sales reps for US companies. I think most US companies mistreat sales reps.

100% disagree. Sales reps are treated the best. Why? Because without sales, well, your company wouldn't exist lol


Highlight - Yes you can get into sales with no sales experience. Look for inside sales and business development jobs!! Note the pay will be low. You literally need to earn your way into the position where you can have those 6 figure commission checks!

//EDIT: One reason these are "hard to get" is because college doesn't advertise sales jobs. I have an engineering background. No where throughout my 4 years of college did professors say "get into sales"

[jade408]

Originally Posted by unknown00

My track record proves you wrong so many times

I'll clarify. You need to be a certain sort of personality to do well in startup sales. It it not the same skill set as big software. I have worked at startups who tried to get the SAP sales guy. He couldn't cut it because he was used to all of the infrastructure and resources. He wasn't good at "selling the dream" of the next horizon. Some people are great at that. They tend to be risk takers and really really into what's new. If you aren't that person, you will suck at selling for a startup. You need to be a little scrappy.

OP didn't give off those vibes. He seems to be looking for easy money, not big opportunity.

[unknown00]

Originally Posted by jade408

I'll clarify. You need to be a certain sort of personality to do well in startup sales. It it not the same skill set as big software. I have worked at startups who tried to get the SAP sales guy. He couldn't cut it because he was used to all of the infrastructure and resources. He wasn't good at "selling the dream" of the next horizon. Some people are great at that. They tend to be risk takers and really really into what's new. If you aren't that person, you will suck at selling for a startup. You need to be a little scrappy.

OP didn't give off those vibes. He seems to be looking for easy money, not big opportunity.

100% agree! Sorry for the misunderstanding. I have seen plenty of, unfortunate, layoffs because startups hire from big companies, but those from big companies are not use to small companies. Exactly what you said, they get used to all of the infrastructure and resources that small companies can't provide.
Pretty much, for small companies, you need a grinder!

Also for clarification, please don't think I mean when you get into a position where you can make 6 figure commission checks that you will. It's actually uncommon. Besides being awesome at your job, in sales, a lot of it is dependent on luck and timing with the customer as well. It is also dependent on the type of accelerator the company gives you.