← Back to Changemakers

Tony Armstrong

December 4, 2023
By
Team Tangent

Our Changemakers are Sales Mentors who are supporting the next generation to access opportunities in tech sales. They make an outsized impact on the lives of our jobseekers through short-term mentoring and referring them for open roles.

Learn why they became a Tangent Mentor 👇

Tony Armstrong

Tony Armstrong is a Senior Account Executive at OpenText. In this edition, Tony talks about his journey from accounting into tech and why understanding the culture of a company and the products they sell are key to early success.

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re up to now

For the last 4+ years I’ve been part of OpenText’s LegalTech business as an Account Executive having enjoyed previous careers as an Accountant and within the legal sector as a headhunter for 10 years.

What was your journey into a career in tech sales?

My journey into tech sales was entirely by accident. In 2017, after supporting a range of legal clients for 10 years, my employer purchased a US tech company that had no UK footprint. I demonstrated an interest in supporting this initial growth and was offered the opportunity to develop the UK business. I later decided to move to OpenText to further develop my product knowledge and gain access to a wider client network.

What would you say are the best things about working in tech sales?

Tech sales can be a very rewarding career, both financially and emotionally. With technology at the forefront of innovation you have the ability to play an influential role within clients and aid decision making, however it can also be incredibly demanding; your impact and success can be easily measured and even after a successful quarter, or year, the clock re-sets and the next target awaits. Career development within sales is unusual, in that you can be amongst the most successful individuals within a company, with an uncapped earning potential, however this won’t always translate to senior titles.

What advice would you give to someone who is just about to start their career in sales?

For me the most important advice for an individual looking to start a career in sales is to really try to understand the business and culture at prospective employers. A natural interest in the underlying product you’re selling or an understanding of the target market, and the types of individuals that you’ll be selling to, will certainly help build early success. I’d also say to anybody looking to start your career in sales, if you truly believe you have the ability to influence others and can handle the pressures of working in a sales environment then keep focussed on finding the right opening at the right company, don’t be seduced by unrealistic OTE numbers and remember that any company that values you, will provide a decent base salary.

Why did you decide to join Tangent as a Mentor and why should others join as Mentors too?

I was interested in the opportunity to take what I have learned over the last 20 years and give something back to individuals that are starting their career in this industry. I was lucky to often be in the right place at the right time to take advantage of opportunity when it arose and if I can help provide that career lift to somebody from a less advantaged start, then I gain from this too.

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 👇

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Share this post
Valentina Buitron
December 4, 2023

Valentina Buitron

Valentina is an Account Executive at Stripe. In this edition, Valentina shares her story of growing up in Ecuador, applying to over 100 jobs after university and becoming a Growth Account Executive at FinTech Unicorn, Stripe.
Tony Armstrong
December 4, 2023

Tony Armstrong

Tony Armstrong is a Senior Account Executive at OpenText. In this edition, Tony talks about his journey from accounting into tech and why understanding the culture of a company and the products they sell are key to early success.
Nurudin Mudhir
December 4, 2023

Nurudin Mudhir

Nurudin Mudhir is an Account Executive at Hotjar. In this edition, Nurudin talks about his humble upbringing, how he started his career in Sales and why he has chosen to be a Tangent Mentor
View all

Want the easy way into tech?

Create your account to get discovered by hundreds of sales leaders.

Sign Up — It's Free