Start by building a strong foundation in both sales and technology. Familiarize yourself with fundamental sales methodologies like SPIN Selling, Challenger Sale, or Solution Selling. Simultaneously, gain a basic understanding of software development lifecycles, cloud computing, and emerging technologies like AI and IoT. Resources like Coursera, edX, or Udemy offer courses on both sales techniques and technical concepts.

Expand your skill set by cross-training in technical sales roles through job rotations, shadowing colleagues, and participating in diverse projects. Attend cross-functional meetings to understand different perspectives. Leverage online courses and certifications to gain new knowledge. Regularly seek feedback and apply learnings to enhance your versatility and effectiveness.

1. Attend various seminars and online webinars to learn about different skill sets required in various technical sales roles. To understand what is the need of the hour. 2. Once shortlisted which skills you want to imbibe upon attend various F2F and virtual trainings from different OEM's, SI's and Partners to upskill yourself. 3. Always interact with your peers to find out what are hot topics in the market. For example with GenAI becoming one of the most fastest growing technology and skills try to find our more about it and attend different trainings. 4. Very important read about the topics/products you want to learn and try to do hands on practice labs to understand how the product actually works before selling it to your customers.

With 5 years at Animaker, I've successfully transitioned from BDR to AE,CSM/AM. Key to role switching in SaaS Continuous Learning: Stay curious & actively seek new knowledge. Product Passion: Deeply understand and advocate for your product. Transparent Communication: Keep leadership informed of your initiatives & progress. For SDRs to AE Strategic Demos: Master product features and tailor demos to specific needs. Account-Based Targeting: Identify & pursue high-value accounts. For CSM/AM Relationship-Driven Success: Build strong customer bonds for long-term retention. Account Growth: Identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities. Communicate your goals and career aspirations & track your KPI to measure performance against defined metrics.

We need to study the latest industry standards and compliance and see where a digital transformation can help perform those practices in an innovative way that drives scalability and productivity. As a technical sales enthusiast, I am always keen on improving our products or services that can serve various industry needs and provide a one-stop solution. Once you understand the market and do your R&D about the current practice, You can create and convey different unique solution that can ease the process, Improve productivity and boost ROI of the company.

Role rotation involves spending time in different sales functions, such as Sales Development (SDR), Business Development, Account Management, and Pre-Sales Engineering. This hands-on approach enables you to build a well-rounded skill set. At Codup, for example, moving between roles like BDR, Pre-Sales, and Customer Success helps you develop a comprehensive understanding of the entire sales process, from lead generation to post-sale support. Companies like IBM and Google are known for promoting internal mobility and cross-training through role rotations

I like the last sentence of this, touching on how the demo is delivered. This is a great point because no matter how good your pitch is, if you can't deliver it well, it's gone down the drain. So make sure you practice your delivery and know what you're selling

Mastering product demonstrations is crucial in technical sales. Practice giving demos of your company's software or services. Learn to customize demos for different audience types, from C-level executives to technical teams. Tools like Demodesk or Walnut can help in creating interactive and engaging product demonstrations.

Data-driven decision-making is becoming increasingly important in sales. Cross-training in sales analytics helps you interpret key metrics such as conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and pipeline velocity. Learning tools like Tableau or Power BI can provide insights into customer behavior and sales performance, enabling you to make informed decisions. Companies like Salesforce and HubSpot provide built-in analytics tools that help track and optimize sales strategies based on data-driven insights .

I would say that the most important part of your job when you are working as technical sales is to engage, grow and continuously improve the relations that you have with your customers. This includes the relations with all kind of staff, from purchase to legal and IT. Most interactions will be with business and IT, but you have to be perceived as a great professional by all the staff from your customers. Actively engage with them and try to get feedback in each of the interactions you have with the different stakeholders. Customer relations will last after your role, your relation with your current employee and the different roles of your customers. And it's one of the hardest part of dealing with customers

Stay updated with industry trends and emerging technologies. Attend tech conferences, webinars, and workshops regularly. Join professional networks like the Association of Professional Sales or the Software & Information Industry Association. Consider obtaining relevant certifications such as Certified Sales Professional (CSP) or technical certifications relevant to your industry niche.