Tech sales is a big industry, and I believe that it is the most expensive and the least glamorous. But, it’s also the best investment you can make in your life. I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I have been investing in my tech career for the past few years.
I spent the first 15 years of my career in finance. I had a great job at a Fortune 500 company until I left to start my own company at age 23 in the mid-90s. I was able to move to a less stressful and a much more lucrative position. In my entire career, I have never spent a penny on tech. Why not? I love technology. I love learning about new technologies and how they can be used.
I think it’s the same reason we don’t buy new technologies. We often use the very same technologies that we ourselves are using. The problem is if you have a tech salesperson that is selling you a new technology, it doesn’t matter how much money you spent, it still won’t work for you because you don’t understand the technology or how it works.
The problem is if you hire a tech salesperson (or a tech manager) that is selling you technology, and that tech salesperson cant explain to you the technology or how it works, then you will likely buy the technology anyway. I have worked with a lot of tech companies that do a good job of making sure they explain the technology to their customers. But I also know people who have no idea what the technology even is.
This is why I will not recommend tech salespeople or tech managers. They are a big waste of time for a lot of reasons. They are not technical experts, nor are they knowledgeable about technology in any way. They are not even really good at selling the technology. Most tech salespeople and tech managers will make you feel like you are dealing with a robot rather than a human. That is just so wrong. You should feel like you are talking to a human being.
Tech salespeople are people who are selling the wrong technology. Instead of selling a new car or a new computer or a new phone, they are selling a product that has already happened. They are selling a product that someone else made. They are a waste of time. Tech salespeople should not be a big part of sales people. They should not be a part of sales people. They should not even be part of sales reps. They should be part of sales managers.
It’s true that selling new technology to others can be a good idea. It can be an effective way to build your business, get a new customer, expand your network, and make sales. But it’s also a bad idea because it’s a direct attempt to sell to the customer, and you don’t want to do that. It’s like trying to talk to a stranger who’s drunk and can’t speak.
I think that sales people should not be sales people. They should be sales managers. And in my experience, they should not even talk to customers. They should just be in front of sales people and have their sales managers be in front of their sales reps. That way, when the sales reps ask for a quote, they dont have to figure out how to sell to a customer they dont know. And its just not fair when the customer has to figure out how to sell to the sales rep.
This is the same point I made in the intro about sales people and sales managers. Just because you aren’t a sales manager doesn’t mean you can’t talk to customers. If you work like a sales manager, you can just come and talk to your customers and even make it fun. But as a sales person, you have to be nice.
The sales reps on the tech sales team I work with are awesome! They actually are my life’s passion. I get so passionate about the tech sales industry that I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t have sales people on my team. They are also the reason I’m on this website.