Getting Into Technology Sales
Here is everything you need to know about salary, what you'd be doing, how to get into the role, and how to become good at sales. The goal isn't to make this the one page you ever read, but to help set you up in the right direction.
A little bit about me
I'm Dan, I've been doing Technology sales since 2015. I've worked for 4 different companies in that time going from Sales Development (entry sales) to now being a Strategic Account Executive. During that time, I've been able to get training from the top programs in the country, close multiple 7-figure contracts, and attend roughly 100 conferences.
What is Technology Sales?
B2B technology sales is the process of selling tech products or services—like software, hardware, cloud infrastructure, or cybersecurity solutions—to other businesses. The goal is to help companies operate more efficiently, solve pain points, or gain a competitive edge using technology.
In B2B tech sales, you're not just pushing a product—you’re offering a solution to a business problem. That means understanding your client’s operations, challenges, and goals, then tailoring your pitch to show how your product creates value.
B2B tech sales is very different from the classic “sell me this pen” style of sales, which tends to be transactional, pressure-driven, and focused on pushing a product regardless of the buyer’s needs.
Here’s how they differ:
1. It’s Problem-Solving, Not Pitching
Old-school sales: Focuses on convincing someone they want the product, often using urgency or persuasion tricks.
B2B tech sales: Starts with asking thoughtful questions to uncover a real business pain. You're not selling features—you’re diagnosing a problem and offering a strategic solution.
Think like a consultant, not a closer.
2. It’s Relationship-Driven, Not One-Time Transactions
Old-school sales: Tries to close quickly, often in a single conversation.
B2B tech sales: Involves multiple stakeholders, longer sales cycles, and repeat conversations. Success depends on building trust and helping the buyer make a smart business decision.
You’re selling to teams, not individuals, and trust is the currency.
3. It’s Value-Focused, Not Feature-Focused
Old-school sales: Emphasizes the product itself—“Look at this pen! It writes upside down!”
B2B tech sales: Emphasizes outcomes—“This software will reduce your churn by 15%, saving you $250K a year.” You’re selling business impact, not bells and whistles.
Every feature must connect to measurable value.
What Does a Tech Sales Rep Do?
The day-to-day of a tech sales job varies on what position you hold and your seniority level, but there are some basics that apply to sales roles across the board:
Creating “Opportunities” - This means proactively identifying potential customers, starting meaningful conversations, and uncovering business problems your solution can solve—even if the buyer isn’t actively looking yet. It’s about generating interest, building trust, and turning that into a qualified deal. Instead of waiting for leads, you create momentum by finding the right people, asking smart questions, and connecting your product to real business value. This happens in the form of networking, referrals, cold calling, emailing, LinkedIn, conferences, and partners typically.
Talking with Prospects - This is the part you probably would envision sales is like if you don’t know a ton about sales. Meeting with prospects, I primarily do this over Zoom, to discuss their business, objectives, responsibilities, interest in talking to you, your product, and everything you can imagine. There is a whole framework of how to run these calls and a structure on how you can drive deals forward that most companies will train you on. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel or feel that you need to be an expert; nobody is initially.
Follow Up - This is more than just sending a “checking in” email—it’s a strategic process of staying top of mind, re-engaging prospects who go dark, and continuously adding value. When a prospect ghosts you, effective follow-up means offering new insights, relevant content, or reframing the problem in a way that reignites interest. It also involves working behind the scenes: connecting with other stakeholders, researching the account, and finding new angles to build relationships within the org. Great reps don’t just wait—they deepen the connection between calls, find champions, and turn silence into opportunity. Follow-up is where deals are often won or lost, especially in long, complex sales cycles where persistence and creativity matter most. This is actually what I spend the most time doing day to day.
Closing - In tech sales, closing isn’t just about asking for the sale—it’s the culmination of trust, clarity, and timing. A strong close means aligning your solution with the prospect’s business goals, navigating internal approval processes, and eliminating doubts. It often requires handling last-minute objections, collaborating with legal or procurement, and reinforcing the value the buyer is getting. Closing also means reading the room—knowing when to push, when to pause, and when to bring in an executive to help seal the deal. Behind the scenes, great closers keep momentum, confirm next steps, and set expectations clearly. It’s less about pressure, more about confidence—ensuring both sides feel ready to move forward with a shared plan for success.
What Roles Should You Be Looking For?
Tech sales boasts a rich job ecosystem that caters to varying interests and levels of experience.
Here are some of the most common positions found on tech sales teams:
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Sales Development Representative (SDR): Informs prospects about a company’s products and services, connecting qualified leads with account executives.
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Business Development Representative (BDR): Performs a role similar to an SDR, reaching out to prospects, sharing information and funneling qualified leads to AEs.
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Sales Engineer: Leverages technical expertise to lead product demos, troubleshoot customer issues and support the sales team in other ways.
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Inside Sales Representative: Reaches out to leads via phone or email to share information about products and services and guide them through the sales process.
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Account Executive (AE): Responsible for running product demos and closing deals while performing many of the same outreach tasks as SDRs and BDRs.
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Account Manager (AM): Takes over new customers brought in by AEs, ensuring a positive customer experience and looking for upselling opportunities.
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Customer Success Manager (CSM): Functions similarly to an AM, maintaining strong customer relationships and cross-selling and upselling to existing customers.
What Can I Expect To Earn
Typically you would start as an SDR and work your way to Inside Sales or SMB, then AE, and then a series of other types of AE's until finally a Strategic Account Executive.
Alternatively, another path you can take is to get into Customer Success. This role is less quota pressure and still pays well as you work your way up the ranks.
How Do I Find Good Companies
https://builtin.com/ - tech articles and company news, segmented by city
https://www.repvue.com/ - sales rep reviews
https://www.g2.com/ - customer reviews on B2b products
https://www.gartner.com/en - Analyst reviews of products, they put out a “Magic Quadrant” if you’re top right, you’re the best
E = MC^2
Excellent Company = Mandatory Product, Best in Category, Amazing Culture
This is the formula for finding the best company to work for.
Is the solution something that people actually need. You’ll slowly start to realize that there are a ton of companies with products that people don’t need. Think about how many consumer products there are which are just useless. If you’re selling something that is a Need to Have - you’re going to position yourself to be more successful.
If it’s a mandatory product, you should try to be the best solution or product. Anything that is mandatory will have competition. It’s actually a bad sign if there is no competition. But, you don’t want to be putting yourself in a situation where you’re not the best solution in that category. Imagine having something everyone needs and truly having the best option for them. Much easier to do your job.
And lastly, does the company have a great culture. That means a lot of things to people. Figure out what it means to you and know how to spot it. For me I care about leveling up. So, I want to know are the people that work there people who can truly level me up and do they actually care about leveling me up. For you, it could be work life balance, being able to be remote, maybe you prefer to be in the office, maybe you want to work for a company that gets together after work, maybe you don’t. You’ll start to know what you want as you work longer in corporate America. But, this is important. I’ve worked for toxic work cultures where the product was amazing and you’re miserable. It’s not worth it.
What Makes A Good Salesperson
1. Deep Customer Empathy
Exceptional salespeople prioritize understanding their customers' challenges and goals. They view themselves as partners, not just vendors, ensuring their solutions genuinely address client needs. This empathetic approach builds trust and fosters long-term relationships, as clients feel heard and valued. By aligning their offerings with the customer's vision, they not only close deals but also become trusted advisors, leading to repeat business and referrals.
2. Active Listening and Curiosity
Top sales reps excel in active listening, allowing them to uncover underlying client needs and concerns. Their curiosity drives them to ask insightful questions, leading to a deeper understanding of the client's business. This approach enables them to tailor their pitch effectively, demonstrating genuine interest and commitment. By focusing on the client's perspective, they build rapport and position themselves as solutions-oriented professionals.
3. Continuous Learning and Adaptability
The sales landscape is ever-evolving, and successful salespeople embrace this by continuously updating their knowledge and skills. They seek feedback, learn from both successes and failures, and adapt their strategies accordingly. This commitment to growth ensures they remain relevant and effective, capable of navigating new challenges and seizing emerging opportunities in a dynamic market.
4. Strategic Organization and Follow-Up
Effective sales professionals are meticulous in managing their pipelines and follow-ups. They maintain detailed records, set reminders, and ensure timely communication, preventing leads from slipping through the cracks. This organizational prowess not only enhances efficiency but also demonstrates reliability to clients, reinforcing trust and increasing the likelihood of closing deals.
5. Emotional Resilience and Patience
Sales can be a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Top performers cultivate emotional resilience, allowing them to handle rejection and setbacks without losing motivation. They understand that building relationships and closing deals often require time and persistence. This patience, combined with a positive attitude, enables them to stay focused and continue delivering value, even in the face of challenges.
6. Collaborative Mindset
While individual performance is crucial, great salespeople recognize the value of collaboration. They work closely with marketing, product, and customer success teams to align strategies and share insights. This cross-functional approach ensures a cohesive customer experience and allows for the sharing of best practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collective success.
7. Authenticity and Integrity
Trust is the cornerstone of successful sales. Authentic salespeople build this trust by being honest, transparent, and ethical in all their dealings. They prioritize the client's best interests, even if it means walking away from a deal that isn't a good fit. This integrity not only enhances their reputation but also leads to stronger, more sustainable client relationships.
Cons of Sales
1. High Pressure & Quota Stress
In tech sales, you're often expected to meet aggressive quotas, whether it's monthly or quarterly. These targets are tied directly to your compensation, and missing them can have serious consequences, including job insecurity or diminished bonuses. The pressure to perform consistently can create a stressful environment, especially in industries with long sales cycles or a slow-moving pipeline. This pressure often extends beyond just hitting numbers, as sales reps need to balance prospecting, closing, and account management, all while hitting their targets.
2. Emotional Rollercoaster
The nature of tech sales means dealing with frequent highs and lows. On one hand, closing deals and surpassing targets feels incredible, but on the other hand, deals can fall apart unexpectedly, leaving you feeling frustrated or disheartened. Prospects may go quiet or change their priorities mid-process, leaving you with a lot of uncertainty. The emotional toll can be draining, especially for those who thrive on consistency. Maintaining motivation while navigating the ups and downs requires resilience and a strong mindset.
3. Long, Complex Sales Cycles
Enterprise tech sales often involve long, multi-stage sales cycles that can stretch over several months or even years. These deals are rarely quick closes; instead, they require extensive research, demos, multiple meetings, and internal negotiations. You must navigate several layers of decision-makers, each with different concerns and needs. As a result, even once a deal seems close, it could still fall apart due to factors outside your control, such as budget cuts or shifting business priorities, making the process frustratingly slow and unpredictable.
4. Constant Rejection
Rejection is a core part of sales, and in tech sales, it can feel relentless. Cold calling, emailing, and follow-ups can yield little return, even with warm leads. It’s common to face prospects who show initial interest but later ghost you or outright say no. The sheer volume of outreach required to build a pipeline means facing a lot of rejection along the way. Over time, handling constant rejection can wear on your confidence and morale, especially when you invest significant time and effort into leads that don’t convert.
How Do I Stand Out
You sell yourself!
Once you find a company that looks like a good fit and is hiring, you go on to LinkedIn and you email them. You can find their email using https://hunter.io/ - it’s free to use.
Then you’re going to send this email (please update anything in a bracket):
“Hey [First Name]
Personal Trigger that shows you did your research
I noticed that {company} was hiring for {role} and wanted to reach out. I’m sure you’re team has a lot of demand but based on my experience at {most recent company} where I did {copy and paste a responsibility from the job listing} I think I’d be a great fit.
I’ve found that with the ability to “Click and Apply” it’s hard for qualified candidates to stand out. So here I am trying to stand out :)
Could you help broker an intro to the individual hiring for this position?
Thanks,”
Send this to 20 companies and you will get interviews.
Resources For Learning Sales
Follow these people, they all put out amazing content for salespeople:
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Sara Uy - Selling Sara, she does live cold calling and shares a lot about prospecting
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Tom Boston - Funny sales content, helping people learn beginner sales methods
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Corp Bro - Funny sales account on Instagram and LI
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Gal Aga - Buying process as a service
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Kevin Dorsey - Lots of great beginning sales advice
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Jacco van der Kooij - Winning by Design, data about what is working in sales
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Nate Nasralla - Helping you understand complex deals
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Todd Busler - Todd went from SDR to AE to CEO in like 5 years
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Morgan Ingram - How to use LinkedIn effectively
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Rachel Shi - She has videos on her page that basically demo you on sales tactics
Honestly I could overwhelm you with accounts to follow, maybe I already have.
Check out these Blogs:
https://www.pclub.io/blog - they try to sell a course, it’s a really good course but use the free stuff
https://blog.hubspot.com/sales - This one is super super basic
https://www.gong.io/blog/ - They have a ton of data about what works in sales
https://www.sandler.com/blog/ - Many companies will know Sandler training if you say you’ve done it
That’s more than enough to get started.
Read These Books:
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Challenger Sale
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How To Win Friends And Influence People
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Never Split The Difference
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5 minutes with VITO
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GAP Selling
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Spin Selling
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Start With Why - First book i read about sales
Avoid all of Grant Cardone, this is not how you sell.
Contact Me
If you have more questions reach out!
Add me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-brigham-4ab457b0/
Or shoot me an email: budgeters.anonymous@gmail.com