The demand for skilled tech workers has risen significantly over the past few years and isn’t going away. When people think about tech talent, they sometimes forget that salespeople are among the hardest staff to find. A recent survey of U.S.-based tech companies found that 80% of businesses intend to invest more in their efforts to recruit and hire sales talent. And we’re seeing that many employers aren’t even necessarily looking for talent with engineering or computer science degrees to work in sales for their companies. As long as applicants understand the basics of the industry, and are motivated to work hard, that can be enough to get a foot in the door.
The open job roles that businesses are struggling to fill are proving a wider societal problem around our approach to training and education. While post-secondary education is a worthwhile pursuit in and of itself, outside of a few professional programs, universities rarely provide the specific skill sets that businesses require. In sales specifically, fewer than 2% of higher education institutions provide sales-related training, and even MBA programs are missing the mark. Making it worse, there aren’t enough non-traditional programs—in-house training, professional certifications, junior colleges, business internships, etc.—to fill the gaps.
There are many reasons why there might be a disconnect between the current tech skills landscape and education. I believe that one of the reasons is due to an old-fashioned approach to career support. Following the Great Resignation, it’s imperative to know that the workforce has changed and they are expecting changes from their potential employers as well.
Schools and universities provide valuable knowledge and skills, but those skills aren’t aligned with the fast-changing needs of modern tech companies. And the pace of change in our industry is so fast that universities don’t have any real prospect of catching up. Learning how to learn is something they provide and this value really shouldn’t be understated—but people who want to work in tech will need to find their practical day-to-day skillsets somewhere else. That said, one reform universities should look at is how they provide career services. Traditional institutions focus on providing education first and then following up with career services after graduation. But often, students require both simultaneously. People in financial need can’t wait to find a job. The need for people to work while they learn is paramount. Building out education and career services as connected branches provides a faster path to better jobs, and ensures that people are always learning about the challenges being faced by tech sales teams, no matter what stage of the career journey they’re in.
Our data shows the top three skills gaps for tech sales reps are in customer stories, competitive objections, and discovery questions. Our work with trainers and technology companies across North America gives us special insight into the types of training that can overcome these skill gaps.
First and foremost, relevant experience is the top training goal. Companies and students agree that hands-on experience in tech sales is of paramount importance. And it’s not just about roleplay, but practice achieved through work such as prospecting, delivering demos, and handling objections. Secondly, a deeper understanding of tech is an undeniable skill set. There’s a reason that real estate or insurance sales reps can’t just step into equivalent SaaS roles. Most of the popular sales methodologies (and the associated training programs) were designed before the internet existed, yet every tech sales rep uses a huge array of digital tools. This juxtaposition is proving problematic.
Finally, a new model to keep up with the times is crucial. Most training programs on the market require companies to simultaneously train large numbers of employees in person (which doesn’t allow for training new hires as they come on board), charge the company a large recruiting fee (reinforcing high turnover rates), or charge the student a large upfront fee (without any commitment to delivering the career transformation the students seek). It’s just not good enough.
The tools and teachers are out there. For individual contributors in the tech industry—whether developers, sales reps, marketing talent, QA engineers, or something else—there is often a shortage of opportunities to advance, pivot careers, or engage in new ways. Part-time instruction contracts—taken in addition to your regular job duties—are a great way to restore your motivation, develop new relationships as a mentor, and make room for other people to follow your job path. Education and skills-building should be accessible to all people. As educators and leaders in this field, we can address this gap and create better futures, regardless of background.
