Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re up to now
I am currently a Senior BDR at Pulsar which is a SaaS platform and have been here since December 2022. This is my first tech sales role after years of trying to get into the space. I originally studied Law at university and love sport (literally anything and everything I could watch people arm wrestling) music and travelling!
What was your journey into a career in tech sales?
Before tech sales I was working in the expert network space which is essentially a recruitment role for 1 hour consultations between industry experts and private equity, consulting firms and hedge funds. Prior to that I was working as a caseworker in law firm. Wanting to be in the tech space but realising I was not a ‘tech’ guy I decided my experience in a recruitment type role would translate to sales and was a way into the tech world.
What would you say are the best things about working in tech sales?
Being able to grow new business particularly in greenfield spaces and developing new relationships is something that helps in any next step. Uncapped commission that you can influence and actually control for the most part so there’s always an incentive to work harder. I would struggle to remain motivated in a position that just solely relies on a salary.
Working in sales has helped me plan on building out a coaching programme and it's helped me understand what it means to run my own book of business. Being in sales you are handling your own leads/clients/opportunities and the 360 nature of the role from the lead generation, prospecting to closing of a deal this very much has given me the confidence to know I would succeed in setting things up for myself.
What advice would you give to someone who is just about to start their career in sales?
There is no magic trick to sales, you have to put in the work at the start soaking everything up and try everything. Then after this you will see what works for you and can focus in on those areas whilst still touching up on other spaces.
Why did you decide to join Tangent as a Mentor and why should others join as Mentors too?
I joined Tangent after seeing how so many new joiners did not really grasp what a sales role entailed. They would get thrust into the role and told a lot of big picture things without understanding the nitty gritty. I wanted to help those trying to get into sales make a smoother transition and be more equipped to hit the ground running.
Why others should join: it's a good way to find and nurture good talent which can grow within your company and a way of starting their training and development before they even walk through the door. It took me a long time to get into tech sales and had someone just taken the time to support me getting into the space I could have made a real difference. It does not cost anything to just give up some time to just support someone trying to make their way.
Ready to make a difference?
Tangent connects you with aspiring Business Development Reps from socially diverse backgrounds for short-term mentoring and an employee referral.
Sign up to be a Tangent Mentor today 👇
