Recruiting for tech sales jobs has transformed as most companies have pivoted from hiring for go-to-market (GTM) teams at larger volumes to seeking out a few key tech sales unicorns, or technical salespeople that align just right with your existing sales motion, along with other factors. In this blog, we will discuss the right of this new type of technical seller in the technology sector and what this means for talent acquisition going forward:
The Old Generalized Job Description for Tech Sales
For a long period, tech sales was consisted of a mix of roles yet many companies in SaaS and other subsectors recycled the same job descriptions over and over again. These typically included a cookie cutter persona for GTM teams, described with vague terms like “go-getter” and “self-starter,” and asking for a general level of experience.
The purpose of this old school JD was to be a flexible, plug-and-play model that made it easy for hiring managers to be able make a few tweaks and repackage a given job; it also made recruiting at volume easier as many companies sought to fill out their sales teams with the same few titles. Deals could often be closed by getting to prospects faster and with the right messaging, so SDRs (Sales Development Representatives) and even AEs (Account Executives) did not need to know the technological side of the house to sell. In a post-pandemic world, however, the nature of tech sales has changed considerably and now technical sellers are the key for unlocking growth in the current market.
Why the Recruiting Model for SaaS Needs to Change
News of layoffs in the technology sector have persisted since 2022, with several SaaS enterprises claiming they were correcting overhiring that occurred as a result of the pandemic remote work pivot that had been predicted to accelerate digital transformation. Regardless of which exact factors are driving these changes, they reflect the new direction of most tech companies – leaner and consolidated, abiding by the maxim of doing more with less. Unfortunately, both this shift and greater scrutiny among software buyers have contributed to many GTM teams being overwhelmed.
This is where technical sellers will sweep in and help steer the sales channel back on track, combining solution knowledge and selling techniques to solidify deals. However, to get there, talent acquisition in the technology space needs to be better geared to source unicorn tech sales candidates for each given industry or company.
What Makes a Tech Sales Unicorn?
A unicorn seller is defined by how they stick out (hence, “unicorn”), but more importantly, they are also defined by how they “fit” – with your existing sales motion and everything that goes into it, from your market idiosyncrasies to your target prospect personas. For tech sales, this also means having a deep understanding of product, as without technical knowledge deals can easily fall through. With Generative AI making it easier to mass produce automated emails and other messaging, everyone is being bombarded by new solution pitches every day, but the winners will be those who cut through the noise to pitch their platform on functionality quickly.
The New Model of Tech Sales Recruiting
Sourcing technical sellers over generalists requires talent acquisition to become a more targeted process that can successfully zero in on the right factors needed. In keeping with being a quality over quantity approach, this includes a more intricate list of requirements and a more detailed job description that outlines exactly what type of experience you are looking for, from sales motion familiarity to the type of companies or clients they have worked with in the past.
You can see an example of this with our Account Executive Job Description 2.0.
Sourcing for Technical Knowledge & Sales Skills
For your tech sales unicorn’s background, you are looking for two big X factors:
- Technical Experience: A technical seller needs technical experience, but more importantly, you need to search for one that has proven expertise in the categories that your solution lives in. From the simpler items like knowing the differences between a CRM or HRtech platform, to more complex aspects like programming language, the ability to leverage this level of knowledge will make it easier to close deals.
- Soft Skills: Emotional intelligence can be coached, but more often than not personability, empathy and other soft skills are acquired naturally and sales professionals will build up their strengths in the field over time. Because these are harder to train, it is generally easier to find an experienced candidate that can demonstrate they know how to engage with clients effectively.
Prioritizing Specific Experience – Sales Motion, Industry, etc.
The true key to finding your unicorn seller is alignment, namely with your sales motion, which dictates where and how you sell (along with everything else that goes into it). Experience is the biggest qualifier for meeting this requirement, as you want to search for someone who has worked with the kind of circumstances your organization is facing and knows how to adapt to the environment, and lead your team to sales success and growth.
What You Need to Hire the Right Technical Seller
Hiring the right technical seller requires a few key steps before you are ready to start seeking your unicorn tech sales candidate:
Identify Your Tech Sales Unicorn Type
What exactly makes a unicorn seller a “unicorn” can vary from company to company, so you must define what this person looks like for your organization as explicitly as possible. The easiest way to start is to look at your GTM team past and present – who has stuck out as a top performer or performers? What worked for them, and what were the common characteristics? Take a deep dive and start piecing together the qualities that have contributed to success for your sales motion previously.
Competitive Compensation Rates
Compensation for tech sales jobs is in a state of some flux – the growth of average rates slowed down in 2022 on paper, but in reality top performers and specialists are still able to command higher salaries in many cases. In order to attract your unicorn technical seller, you must be able to offer competitive earnings that are commensurate with their title, skill set and level of experience simultaneously. Refer to the target comp rate provided by the Betts Compensation Guide for a given role, then increase by 20% for your unicorn seller.
Salary According to Title, Experience & Location
Salary can vary by job title as well as by location for a given role – for example, an Enterprise Account Executive (EAE) in NY will earn more than a regular AE in the Midwest, as would a Sales Engineer (SE). Also keep in mind that some rates are likely to change over time and as new developments impact trends in the industry. To keep a closer eye on how compensation is evolving for any given title, as well as for a more detailed breakdown of our recommended target rates, check out the Comp Engine by Betts for real-time data.
Betts Recruiting Will Connect You with Your Tech Sales Unicorn
The Betts team will leverage our deep understanding of the technology industry as well as our extensive network to help you track down the tech sales unicorns that will unlock your next stage of growth. Armed with our expertise, tools and data, your hiring managers will be able to source top-tier technical sales talent faster and within budget – get in touch with our experts today to learn more.
Contact Betts here to get started on your search for your unique unicorn seller with technical experience and see how we can help you source talent faster and without breaking your budget.