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Software sales jobs can get you a six-figure salary without a college degree. That’s a fact.
But is working in sales for you?
Between the high-pressure environment, tough to establish work-life balance, and the particular type of person that you have to be to succeed as a software salesman… Do you have what it takes?
This article will give you (most of) the answers.
Read on to find out about:
Different software sales roles
Getting top-level tech sales jobs
Salaries, bonuses, and comission schemes
Remote software sales jobs
Day-to-day life working in software sales
Top skills for software sales
And much more!
Software Sales Positions in a Nutshell
Working in sales is a great opportunity for a lucrative career that gets you out of your comfort zone and challenges you every day. Even better – unlike law, medicine, or engineering, it doesn’t require a particular degree.
No college AND you can make six-figures?!?
Yes, that’s right. Sales reps in Oracle have an average base of $110,000 per year and make $250,000 when you add commission. Some people made $500,000 last year!
But there are two major hitches:
You are only as good as the last quarter. Meaning that there is constant pressure to perform. You are paid on a salary plus commission basis. However, if you fail to meet the quota, you don’t get commission. And your quotas increase if you’re constantly increasing your performance!
Top software sales companies pay well, startups… not as much. Oracle is notorious for their high salesperson wages. Entry-level software sales jobs won’t make you $500k per year. Working in a smaller company might come with an equally smaller paycheck, but it’s a good way to boost your CV and make contacts in the field.
In short: six-figure salaries are possible but don’t expect them at your first job.
The average mean wage for Sales Representatives: Computer Systems Design and Related Services is actually $93,130 per year.
And know that it’s a highly competitive market .
Do you have what it takes?
The good news is sales is (pretty much) only about soft skills.
Granted, a degree in computer science, information technology, networking, or any related field will help but it’s never among the software sales job requirements. The same goes for any other post-secondary degree. It will help you stand out (i.e. if you’ve studied law and you want to go into selling legal software) but, ultimately, it’s your sales skills that matter.
Types of Sales Jobs
Most of the positions in technology sales are software-as-a-service SaaS sales jobs. The software you sell is licenced on a subscription basis. Thus, these are not one-time sales. Instead, a software salesman builds relationships with his clients, offering software-based solutions to their enterprise-level problems and needs.
You have different software sales positions depending on which step of the sales funnel you’re working on.
Sales Development Representatives work on lead generation, interacting with prospective buyers and arranging meetings and demos for senior sales reps. While there are many software sales representative career paths, this is a common starting point.
Sales Executives are the “closers” who meet with leads, discuss their needs and expectations, and close on deals. They have very high earning potential – top performers can make over $500,000 per year!
Client Success Representatives work with current clients, ensuring they are happy with the product and upselling any upgrades or additional services. They provide customer service and serve as a point-of-contact for the client with the company.
Key Accounts Managers are sales professionals who work with happy clients (much like client success reps) but focusing on upsales. A key account manager (also known as account executive) is a senior sales executive seasoned in technology sales and well-acquainted with both the customer’s needs (budget, expectations) and the products of the company.
Tech Sales Jobs for Beginners
Wondering how to get into software sales?
You can:
start with a background in sales, or
begin with a tech background, or
move from another field over to sell specific software (i.e. from biotechnology to selling biotechnology software).
The most common position before software sales representative, however, is general sales representative. In other words, most people in a technology sales job come from sales, not IT or another field.
Where do I find entry-level software sales jobs near me? Well, job sites. Not to brag or anything but our directory is a solid place to start.
The good news is you don’t need a specific degree to get into sales. As you go up the corporate ladder, however, higher education becomes more and more important.
Choosing the Right Degree
You can choose to pursue a degree in business, technology, or a specialized field.
But, let’s be honest here, if you’re doing microbiology, you probably hope to get a job in microbiology, not tech sales.
Business administration degrees are the most versatile option. Associate degrees take two years of full-time study to complete and tuition is much more affordable than B.S.
A bachelor’s, on the other hand, takes longer to complete but gives you access to higher-ranking sales roles.
Graduate school will be valuable further down the line in your career but it’s not a must. You can think about it once you have some experience and job prospects. For a recent college graduate, however, further education will only cost more money. Not to mention it takes time, which you could otherwise use to gain experience.
What Are Entry-level Software Sales Jobs Like?
As a junior salesperson, you’re usually responsible for lead generation. This involves a solid amount of time spent on emails, phone conversations, as well as researching prospective clients. Contacting cold leads can be intimidating at first, but it is a part of the job.
In more practical terms, junior software sales jobs are:
Full-time during business hours (there are virtually no tech sales positions that require shift work)
Office-based but may involve travelling to meetings with prospective clients
Working under a sales manager – in larger companies, you might only be responsible for generating leads and arranging meetings for senior sales reps.
According to Payscale, entry-level positions have a median base pay of $40,432 before bonuses and commission. Skills in business development, technical sales, and customer relationship management (CRM) will statistically boost your pay.
Related Positions
Interested in software and technology… but not necessarily sales?
If you come from a technological background, software engineer jobs are another option. SaaS jobs are also not limited to sales. They also include Development Operations (DevOps), which integrates software development with deployment and operations, as well as cloud architecture and engineering.
Learn more about these positions on our blog!
Software Sales: Comprehensive Job Description
Disclaimer: This is a general job description for this position. Every employer will have different criteria for hiring.
What Does a Software Sales Representative Do? In the wise words of Alec Baldwin’s character in Glengarry Glen Ross:
“A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing.”
This is the role of any sales rep – to do their best and close deals. On a day-to-day basis this involves:
Getting leads into the pipeline – whether it’s cold prospecting (contacting companies that you think would be interested in the product), getting warm leads, or (most often) a combination of both.
Qualifying the lead – you need to set criteria to decide if a prospect is worth your time. Do they have the budget? Does your product solve an issue they might be facing? Who should you contact?
Booking and preparing meetings – whether it’s a demo, face-to-face, or a phone call to discuss the sale, you should do your homework in advance. Working in software sales means selling the benefits this product will have to the company. An enterprise might not realise the full ramifications of the issue your product will solve. It is up to you to draw their attention to that positive impact.
Attending meetings and demos – along with excellent presentation skills, you also need to be able to think on your feet. As a software salesman, you are the point of contact and you should be able to answer all questions regarding your product. Arranging free trials is also one of your responsibilities.
Converting and closing – rarely will cients give you an answer right after your meeting or the demonstration. There are stakeholders to be consulted, meetings to be held, budget and functionality to be discussed… As much as we want to close every deal, it is often out of our control. What you should do, however, is to aim to close as often as possible and get feedback to learn from the times you did not succeed.
Software Sales Representative Career Paths
Software sales positions come with solid job prospects. Most employees spend an average of three years on the job, moving on to:
Sales manager, directing the company’s sales teams.
Account manager, serving as point of contact and project manager for client projects.
Regional sales manager, establishing and pursuing sales objectives for a certain region.
Eventually, you can progress into regional or national sales director, strategic account manager, or senior territory manager.
Higher-level software sales jobs openings come with a further post-secondary education (at least a bachelor’s degree but usually a master’s) requirement, as well as an extended period of relevant experience. According to Zippia, it takes six years to make it to Director of Internal Sales and up to 12 years to become Director of Sales & Business Development.
Software Sales Salary Range
Pay depends on location, experience, education, the software sales company, performance… In top software sales companies, the best 20% of salespeople make $250,000 to $350,000 a year.
Which are these businesses? Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, and HP are among them. Salesforce jobs also have the reputation for high salaries, as do other SaaS jobs.
The average technical and scientific product sales representative salary in the USA is $79,680. Sales reps who sell computer systems design and related services make an average of $93,130. That said, wages vary enormously depending on the location.
Top Locations for Software Sales Jobs
San Francisco and San Jose are the hottest locations in the tech industry. But can you guess where the highest interest in software sales jobs is? Illinois!
According to Payscale, the highest-paid jobs in the field were in:
San Francisco, California – 93% over the national average. Los Angeles, California – 56% above the national average. Seattle, Washington – 52% over the national average. Denver, Colorado – 7% over the national average.
Business Insider sources, on the other hand, mention Maryland, Arizona, and Georgia as some of the states with the highest paying software sales jobs. Top performers there make over $500,000 per year!
Top Salary-Boosting Skills for Software Sales
Experience is the main factor that can increase your pay. Late career sales professionals make 58% over the average! That said, some skills will not only set you apart from other applicants, but actually grant you a higher wage:
Business Development (27% higher pay) – strategic planning to improve the company’s market position and ensure growth; business-related degrees, experience in senior positions, as well as knowing the ins and outs of your organisation will help you acquire this skill.
Technical Sales (7% higher pay) – in-depth familiarity with the technical aspects of the software product that you’re selling; if you come from a tech background (higher education, courses, or simply a keen interest) this will be arguably be easier for you. Still, most employers also have internal training courses to prepare you.
Customer Relationship Management (7% higher pay) – usually refers to the CRM system for customer contact and sales management; Salesforce skills.
Software Knowledge (5% higher pay) – because most people in software sales jobs come from sales and not IT, any software knowledge you have will be greatly appreciated by your employer (and prospective clients).
Freelance Software Sales Jobs
Remote software sales jobs are not a myth. Granted, most positions are office-based but companies are getting more and more flexible. At most software sales jobs you get to work from home for a set amount of hours every month. There are thousands of freelance offers online, most of them for completely location-independent positions.
But before you jump on the bandwagon consider:
Productivity – as much as we like hanging out at home/working from the beach, most people are more efficient when they work from the office.
Pay – the best remote software sales jobs are the ones that come with the same salary as a 9-to-5 job. Unfortunately, this is the exception, not the rule. Since a lot of the freelance gigs come from startups and smaller companies, your paycheck will be respectively smaller (but you do save on commuting and possibly price of living).
Prospects – sales are about personal connection. If you hope to climb to a higher position in marketing, freelancing will cut your opportunities drastically. Nothing replaces face-to-face interaction, even if it’s just for networking purposes.
All of that said, remote work comes with a bunch of undeniable perks like independence, savings, and the flexibility to decide your own working hours.
Learn Software Sales: College, Certification, and More
The interpersonal skills are what sets a top salesperson apart. But you can’t exactly learn communication and charisma in university. What you can do is opt for a degree with a work placement year or get experience through summer internships.
Enterprise software sales jobs also require business acumen. You are not selling software, you’re selling a business solution. Knowing how to identify problems and propose a custom solution is at the core of a successful deal.
This is why business degrees are your best bet if you want to go into sales. Some of the popular majors in the field include:
Business Management and Administration
Marketing
International Business
Finance
… and, of course, Sales.
An undergraduate major can set you on your way to a master’s – an MBA. While you don’t need it for most positions in sales, postgraduate studies will open doors to higher managerial positions.
What About Tech Degrees?
More in-depth knowledge of IT and/or software development will give you a huge advantage when applying to jobs. It’s also one of the skills that leads to higher pay.
Then again, college-level education in software opens a lot of tech-related opportunities. This is why very few of those working in software sales come from an IT or software development background.
Becoming a Certified Sales Professional
Think you are a born salesman? You might be, but supplementing your raw skill with formal training from sales experts is still a smart move. Sales certifications take much less time than a degree, but they impress recruiters and help you get top sales jobs. Here are some to consider:
Certified Professional Sales Person(CPSP) – coming from the National Association of Sales Professionals, this is a six-week online course to help you acquire new sales tactics. Membership to the association also offers ample networking and continuous training opportunities.
SPIN Selling – Huthwaite International delivers the emotional intelligence, persuasion, and communication skills training for this certification. Considering that interpersonal skills are 90% of what makes a great salesperson, this course and certification are a solid choice.
Challenger Development Program – this is a two-day intensive workshop that teaches you the most effective sales tactics and behaviors to successfully attract leads and close deals.
Sandler Training – this is one of the top sales and leadership development training companies and they are universally recognized as ‘the place’ for upping your skills and leveling up your career.
Additionally, software certifications prove your skill with some of the most common enterprise-level tools:
Salesforce certification – the leading CRM platform is used across industries and all over the world. Being well-versed in Salesforce is one of the first requirements for software sales roles. Getting certified could also open doors to salesforce admin jobs. Hubspot Academy certifications – as one of the most popular sales and marketing platforms, Hubspot Academy is the place to go to learn about sales’ relationship to marketing. Check out their Inbound Sales Certification, as well as the various marketing cert options.
Top Skills for Software Sales
Normally, we divide this section into “hard” and “soft” skills. When it comes to software sales jobs, however, reps need soft skills above all else.
Of course, you have to be knowledgeable and able to respond to customer questions about the product. Salesforce skills are also key and so is proficiency in any other enterprise software your company is using. However, you can learn these through on-the-job training.
As for becoming one of the top performers, though, these skills only come through experience.
What skills am I talking about?
Here is a list:
Marketing alignment and integration especially since sales and marketing are so closely tied together.
Strategic prospecting skills to help you find the right leads that fit the ideal customer profile as closely as possible.
Communication skills are an obvious one. You should be able to build rapport, convey confidence and professionalism, and master both your verbal and (even more important!) non-verbal communication.
Needs analysis and lead qualification – these are key sales procedures because not all leads are good leads. You don’t want to spill out all the information about the product. Instead, a successful salesperson identifies their customer’s business plan and how the product fits into their needs and goals.
Objection prevention and objection handling – people in sales are notoriously persistent. The best option is, however, to not have the client object at all. Sometimes, of course, it’s not avoidable and this is where you need excellent emotional intelligence skills to understand what is at the core of the concern and successfully handle it.
Software Sales Jobs in 2021: In Conclusion
The cool thing about working in sales is that no two days are alike. Whether you are a senior sales executive or just starting out at a junior position, working in software sales is a fast-paced and lucrative career. Before you consider it, however, make sure you are prepared for the challenges that come with it. Those six-figure salaries are a fact but so are the long hours and high expectations.
Think you have what it takes? Check out some of the recent job postings here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Can You Make in Software Sales?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a software sales representative is $93,130 per year. However, as sales positions are salary plus commission, top earners can make upward of $250,000 per year!
Some of the highest paying tech companies for software sales include Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, and HP.
Do You Need a Degree for Software Sales?
Not necessarily. There is no post-secondary education requirement for most software sales positions. If you want access to higher managerial positions like senior sales representative or district sales manager (which are options in the career path), consider getting at least a bachelor’s. Certifications are another option to prove your skills to prospective employers and gain leverage for a higher salary.
How to Become a Software Sales Representative?
You can start without a degree, so you might as well start without one. If you’re still in college, get hands-on experience through summer internships or placement. If you are yet to choose your major, any business-related field will help immensely in your future career.
Working your way up the corporate ladder, you will find that post-secondary education helps, but your track record is the most important factor. Strive to meet and exceed your quotas – not only will your paycheck receive a healthy boost, but you will also become a more desirable salesperson.
What Skills Are Required in Software Sales?
Working in software sales is mostly about soft skills. Learning how to build rapport, qualify leads, prevent and/or handle objections is at the core of a successful career. While a lot of these come with experience (or naturally), there are sales courses that can help.
Companies like Sandler Training are world-renowned for their training courses and certifications. Consider them, they do more than just decorating your software sales jobs resume!
Who Creates Jobs for Software Sales Representatives?
Top software sales companies include Oracle, SAP, EMC, Workday, and Salesforce. Software sales jobs in these firms pay well and employees report a great working environment (as well as nice benefits). Of course, any software sales salary depends on your location, experience, and track record of meeting quotas.
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