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swerve profile picture

swerve

Account Executive

WR Lieutenant
Executive
Opinionated
+3

Tech sellers: How do you view sales advice from non-tech salespeople?

Firstly, don't want to take away anything from martech/sales tool sellers. Selling things to your own kind in a crowded space where differentiators are minimal sounds as appealing as having a power outage during a blizzard.


Since I sell complex technical stuff to engineers, at the hip with an SE, I find myself skeptical of sales advice from people who haven't sold in my world. Almost like taking golf club swing coaching from Mike Trout. It's not bad advice, it just doesn't hit the mark for me as much. Am I alone in this?

Do you value all sales advice equally regardless of product market?

Attached poll
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14 comments

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fuzzy
Notable Contributor
8
CMO (Chief Meme Officer)
It's more nuanced than that. Some sellers just know the art of holding a (sales) conversation and can sell pretty much anything. It's about knowing your audience more than whatever the product is. 
ounceoz
WR Officer
2
US Sales Director
There is some sales 101 stuff that applies, but in general, I can't imagine a scenario where a car salesperson can offer any insight into enterprise software sales
fuzzy
Notable Contributor
5
CMO (Chief Meme Officer)
you see this baby? you can slap so many SaaS in the trunk!
Kanyebut4sales
WR Lieutenant
1
Account Executive
I've done both and it's not that SaaS is always more complicated but that the industry demands you are always using the cutting edge methods of selling, tools, processes etc....most people I've met in other sales industries hold onto really cringy ideas of how to sell and since they survived many years doing it this way...they think it is how it's done best.

And also SaaS can be wayyyy more complicated
salesdaddy
Fire Starter
1
Senior Account Executive
I sell a very technical product and agree with @fuzzy but I think that if you can't really play technical ball you lose a lot of buyer confidence and it results in way longer sales cycles. Learn the tech or be a B and C player. 
swerve
WR Lieutenant
0
Account Executive
Tend to agree. You have to at least understand when you have a qualified opp or not from a technical standpoint.
DialForDollars
Opinionated
1
Account Executive
I think at the end of the day, as long as you do a *proper* discovery then it wouldn't matter who or what you're selling - everyone buys for a reason, just gotta find it
Jdawe
Praised Answer
1
Strategic Account Exec
I’m on the flip side of this, being a SaaS seller, with many friends on the tech side.

my opinion is that Tech can be more transactional out the gates, then driving consumption is quite complex.  While SaaS you have to tackle the complexity head on. 

On both sides, if you are able to articulate the business case with  support of a solid pre-sales team it’s not that different. 
daddy
Executive
1
Major Account Manager
I sell technical solutions, but I am not technical. If there are engineers involved and I do not have a sales engineer with me, I would get squashed. Just like if an awkward sales engineer didn't have me to negotiate price and fight backs, they would be cave.
DwightsEgo
Politicker
0
BDR Manager
Baseline sales skills certainly help....but the folks who think they are "sellers" who want to come take over SaaS get put in their place quick. Tech sales is more about building the case, being socratic to the point the prospect makes their own choice. No other professional seller can do that....but us. 
donkey_teeth
Valued Contributor
0
Account Executive
All sales experience is relevant in some way or another. It can help you get out of your box regardless if you sell SaaS or used cars...
Sales4what
Opinionated
0
Co-Founder & VP Sales @ PLURiTy
From the flip side- I sell a product and have sold a service, never tech, I’ve found that advise can be applied to either or. It all comes down to how you take it. If it’s from a different industry I’m always open to see how it will apply to mine 
LizardKing
0
CRO
Take all advice at face value to inform your own opinions.
TheAnswer
Contributor
0
Sales Learning & Development Director
Tech sales has a layer of technology that other sales reps dont have, but you usually have more people to support during the cycle...so to me, a good sales person can sell anything

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