recruiter vs headhunter

Why Use Outside Help to Recruit

Talent acquisition is a crucial aspect of any company’s growth and success. While some businesses may have internal recruiting teams, others turn to external firms to assist them in finding the best candidates for their job openings. Among these external options, headhunting firms and recruitment agencies stand out as popular choices. This article will delve into the key differences between these two talent partners and guide readers in making informed decisions for their hiring needs.

The Role of Headhunting Firms

Headhunting firms, or executive recruiters, specialize in sourcing top-tier candidates for high-level and administrative positions. They meticulously search for talented individuals with the skills and experience required for these critical roles. Unlike recruitment agencies, headhunters often target passive candidates who are not actively seeking new opportunities but may be persuaded to consider a better offer.

The Role of Recruitment Agencies

In contrast to headhunting firms’ specialized focus, recruitment agencies cater to a broader spectrum of job openings across various industries. They handle everything from entry-level to mid-level and managerial roles, showcasing their versatility in fulfilling diverse hiring needs. Recruitment agencies actively seek out candidates through job boards, online platforms, and networking, engaging with those seeking new employment.

headhunting firm near me

Positions Filled: Executive vs. Diverse Roles

One of the fundamental distinctions between headhunting firms and recruitment agencies lies in the type of positions they aim to fill. Headhunters dedicate their efforts to executive-level roles, including C-suite executives and other top-level management positions. Conversely, recruitment agencies take on various roles, from administrative functions to technical and specialized jobs.

Target Candidates: Passive vs. Active Job Seekers

The approach to candidate sourcing sets headhunting firms and recruitment agencies apart. Headhunters proactively seek out passive candidates, often targeting professionals already holding crucial positions in other companies. In contrast, recruitment agencies focus on engaging with active job seekers actively applying for job openings.

Methods of Talent Sourcing: Proactive vs. Reactive

Headhunting firms employ proactive methods to identify and approach potential candidates discreetly. They leverage their industry connections, conduct competitor analysis, and use networking to uncover hidden talent. On the other hand, recruitment agencies rely on reactive methods, posting job openings on job boards and websites and actively encouraging applications from interested candidates.

Hiring Process: Specialized vs. Comprehensive

Headhunting firms’ hiring process is highly specialized and tailored to executive positions. They thoroughly assess candidates based on the unique requirements of the roles they aim to fill. In contrast, recruitment agencies handle a comprehensive hiring process, from initial candidate screening to conducting interviews and managing the entire recruitment journey.

Industry Expertise: Niche vs. General Knowledge

Headhunting firms often possess niche expertise, specializing in specific industries or roles. This in-depth knowledge allows them to identify the most qualified executives for their clients. On the other hand, recruitment agencies have a more general understanding of various industries, allowing them to cater to diverse hiring needs.

what does a headhunter do

Working With Rainmakers

At Rainmakers, we are a unique blend of both a recruitment agency and headhunter, offering our valued clients the best of both worlds. Our approach combines the specialized focus of a headhunting firm with the versatility and comprehensive services of a recruitment agency. We pride ourselves on tailoring our talent acquisition strategies to meet the distinct needs of each client, ensuring that we identify and attract the most exceptional candidates for their high-level executive roles and entry-level positions.

Our extensive industry expertise gives us the insider knowledge necessary to seek out top-tier executives and specialized professionals for niche roles. At the same time, we are well-versed in the art of proactive talent sourcing, targeting passive candidates who may not be actively searching for new opportunities but possess the skills and experience that align perfectly with our client’s requirements.

Moreover, our recruitment process is driven by a commitment to excellence, combining the thoroughness of a specialized headhunting approach with the comprehensiveness of a recruitment agency. We diligently screen, interview, and evaluate candidates to ensure they meet the job qualifications and align with our client’s company culture and values.

contact local headhunters

At Rainmakers, we understand that each company has unique hiring needs, whether it be for top-level executives or diverse talent pools. Our versatility allows us to cater to various industries and roles, making us the ideal talent partner for businesses seeking exceptional candidates at every level.

Our distinct blend of headhunting expertise and recruitment agency capabilities positions Rainmakers as a leading talent acquisition firm dedicated to helping businesses attract, identify, and secure the best candidates to fuel their growth and success in today’s competitive market.

Partner with Rainmakers today, and let us elevate your talent acquisition strategy to new heights.

salary negotiation tips

The Influence of Sales Recruiters

Salary negotiation is one of the most important steps of the interview process for both the interviewer and the hiring company. Yet the process of negotiating a salary can be intimidating for talent and hiring managers alike. Both need to be aware of industry trends and salary ranges to know what effective talent is worth. In addition, talent needs to be able to advocate for themselves when asking for an increased salary, which can be difficult.

Working with a sales recruiter can help. Recruiters are well-versed in industry trends and salary ranges and know what is necessary to match candidates with employers to fulfill sales roles. Here is a closer look at how sales recruiters help with the salary negotiation process.

The Role of the Recruiter in Salary Negotiations

When you enter into salary negotiations with a recruiter at your side, you gain insider information about salary expectations and benefits packages. You also have someone who can help you highlight the skills and benefits you bring as a candidate so you present yourself well in the negotiation process.

A recruiter represents both the talent and the employer. Their goal is two-fold: they want the candidate to be happy in their new role so they do the job well, and they want the employer satisfied with the hire so they continue their professional relationship. Thus, they will be skilled at bringing the two parties to a mutually beneficial agreement during negotiation.

What specific benefits can you expect when working with a sales recruiter to negotiate your salary? Here are some of the significant ways a recruiter can assist:

  1. Expert knowledge about salaries: Sales recruiters can help both parties know whether a salary offer is fair and competitive. Their insider knowledge can help both parties have realistic expectations for the negotiations.
  2. Help selling talent to the employer: Sales recruiters know what top talent looks like. So if you are a talent looking for a job and an employer match, they can sell your qualifications to your potential employer.
  3. Experience with negotiation: Finally, recruiters already have experience in negotiations. That experience helps everyone get the best possible outcome from the negotiation process.

The negotiation process is filled with nuances. For example, not only do you have to negotiate the pay, but you also have to negotiate benefits and perks, which can be hard to quantify. Your recruiter will help you understand these factors and their potential value so that you can make an informed choice about your employment contract.

recruiter salary negotiation

Understanding the Benefits of Salary Negotiation

There are several reasons why it makes sense to negotiate your salary. First, negotiation is often where those perks and benefits come into play. You may find it worthwhile to take a slightly lower salary package when you realize that you have flexible work options and a generous medical plan.

Second, the offer presented at the start of the process is rarely the best offer available. Only through negotiation can talent get paid what they’re worth.

Finally, you can start your employment on good terms with your new employer through negotiation. The two of you will get the opportunity to see how each operates. Since the sales process often involves some measure of negotiation, this is an invaluable part of becoming a sales professional.

How to Choose the Right Recruiter

Choosing the right recruiter is a vital step in a positive negotiation experience. Here are some tips to help you find one.

1. Choose a Sales Recruiter

When negotiating for a sales position, you need a recruiter who specializes in sales recruiting. The unique demands of a sales career require a recruiter with industry knowledge.

2. Look for Experience

Next, look for a recruiter or recruiting firm with experience, not just knowledge, in sales recruiting. For example, have they previously worked for major companies or sales firms? Can they back their stated experience with success figures?

Rainmakers has successfully matched tech sales talent with some of the top names in the industry. Our recruiting team can assist you in finding the right position and negotiating a fair, competitive salary with excellent benefits. We have been in the industry since 2016 and are ready to put that experience to work for you.

3. Ask for References

Finally, ask your sales recruiter for references. Check those references, especially if they were talent that found a position through the recruiter, and see how the negotiation process was handled. This information will tell you much about the support level you’ll likely get from that recruiter.

Common Salary Negotiation Mistakes

As you enter the negotiation process, make sure you avoid some common negotiation mistakes. Remember, negotiating a salary is a challenging dance, and you need to understand that dance to succeed. Here are the mistakes that are common but avoidable:

  • Not doing research into the market and your potential role
  • Not asking about the employer’s budget, which can guide your request for salary
  • Opening the discussions with your salary range
  • Not considering benefits beyond the salary amount
  • Being too quick to say “yes.”
  • Turning negotiations into a power play
  • Negotiating too much and frustrating the employer

Working with a recruiter will help you avoid some of these mistakes.

find sales job in tech

Negotiating Non-Monetary Benefits

As you enter negotiations, remember it’s not just about the salary. The non-monetary benefits are quite important as well. Remember to consider these in your negotiations. Some common benefits include:

  • Paid vacation time
  • Phone or tech allowance
  • Transportation
  • Continuing education or professional development
  • Flexibility to work from home
  • Healthcare
  • Childcare reimbursement
  • Company Equity

With so many potential benefits, it would be easy to overlook one. That’s where a sales recruiter can help, ensuring you know all of your possible options and are getting a compensation package that’s fair and equitable.

Start Your New Career with Help from Rainmakers

Getting hired doesn’t stop with the interview. You must prepare for the negotiation process once you get past the interview. Rainmakers will support you every step of the way. Start the process by joining our talent pool today, and let us match you with employers who need your skills.

sales development representative salary information

How Much Do Sales Development Representatives Make?

It’s getting increasingly challenging to find top SaaS sales talent. In order to identify the best potential sales team members, internal and external recruiters are searching LinkedIn, online job boards, and other resources to find qualified Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) to help fill your team.

Following their experiences working from home during Covid, sales staff are looking for remote employment opportunities that provide flexibility and require less travel time. This is the case everywhere across the country, and it presents challenges in sourcing acceptable individuals and what to offer in terms of base salary and OTE.

As market leaders in hiring tech salespeople, Rainmakers provides a transparent, data-driven platform to efficiently match top salespeople with the most intriguing and forward-thinking tech firms. The SDRs with the highest potential are consequently linked with the most suitable opportunities that meet their qualifications.

How Much Does the Average Tech SDR Get Paid?

Positions as a Sales Development Representative (SDR) are frequently entry-level. Because most candidates have little to no sales experience, it can be challenging to calculate typical pay.

According to data from the Rainmakers platform, an SDR’s base income tends to start at a little under $59k and an OTE of almost $81k. However, SDR compensation will vary due to differences in regional living expenses.

High-demand areas such as San Francisco and New York will command a higher starting base pay—closer to $64k, with OTEs up to $86k. While still a powerhouse in tech development and sales, Denver would pay a bit less with $55k base pay and $83k in OTE.

Because SDR employment is entry-level, pay rarely rises significantly as one gains experience. According to Rainmakers’ research, between five and seven years of experience, on-target earnings start to decline. After seven years, growth resumes, although this is often a result of many sales representatives moving up to management and lead positions.

how much does an sales development rep make

Being a Sales Development Representative

Sales development representatives begin by researching prospective customers to deliver promising sales-qualified leads (SQLs) to account executives for further contact.

The “outbound sales” procedure starts with the SDR locating a potential customer. They then contact them and pass the prospect to another sales team member. While Account Executives are responsible for closing deals, the SDR primarily focuses on research, outreach, lead qualifying, and facilitating the initial meeting with the account executive. 

By using SDRs, businesses can divide their sales divisions into specialized teams with in-depth knowledge of particular sales process stages. This strategy works well because it streamlines the lead-to-closing process and enables everyone to work more effectively and successfully.

The best SDRs have a committed mentality, good sales skills, and an awareness of buyer personas. They should also have the persistence and inventiveness that makes things happen. A top-notch SDR should be able to recognize the problems and troubles that prospects are having, then explain how they can help.

They must also have strong research skills. A good Sales Development Representative must be able to “deep dive” into a potential client’s needs to uncover demographic information. Then they must communicate their findings to the Account Executive.

How Long Does an SDR Position Last?

That’s difficult to predict, and much depends on the size of the sales team and the target markets. The larger the company, the longer an individual may continue to fill an SDR role before moving up in the sales team. So while a small business may offer quicker promotion opportunities, overall earnings may be less than a similar position at a larger company. Slower promotion can be made up for with greater OTE earnings, but the SDR’s skill set must also be greater.

On average, SDR positions serving small businesses may last up to a year and a half. Those serving mid-market businesses can last up to two years. And those SDRs targeting enterprise businesses could see themselves staying in that position for two to four years.

sdr jobs

After Being an SDR, What’s Next?

SDRs pick up many skills while performing their duties. And they’ve had plenty of opportunities to watch Account Executives and other sales team members. 

After working further to develop skills such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and time management, SDRs can begin exploring the next step of their career. Often, the next logical stage of a sales career would be a closing, quota-carrying position such as Account Executive (AE). 

Account Executives are responsible for managing customer accounts. Typical duties of AEs include prospecting for new business, running demos, attending to the needs of current clients, and, most importantly, closing transactions that will bring in new customers and generate income for the firm. For example, where the Sales Development Representative develops initial interest and sets up the first sales meeting, the AE is responsible for following up and closing the deal.

Beyond that, an SDR can move on to roles such as Mid-Market Account Manager, Enterprise Account Manager, or Customer Success Manager. However, these positions and others above will almost always require time spent as an Account Executive.

What Cities Are the Best For SDR Jobs?

The West Coast and innovative technology go hand in hand in many peoples’ minds. The region of Northern California, known as Silicon Valley, is widely regarded as the birthplace of the modern technology sector. San Francisco is one of the leading cities that has benefited from its proximity to the technology sector and its large pool of skilled workers.

Other cities across the US are also becoming innovation hubs for information technology, primarily due to widespread technological advancements. On the East Coast, New York City is in the lead, and it is on par with San Francisco in terms of the number of potential customers for SaaS sales representatives. Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Raleigh are other cities that rank highly in terms of their SaaS sales markets.

sales recruiting agency

SDR Opportunities At Rainmakers

Rainmakers only considers the most qualified candidates for employment, allowing you to confidently interview the highest-quality sales professionals. When we look at potential candidates, we review their sales statistics, such as their performance, what they have sold, and who they have sold to. This enables you to economize valuable time by quickly identifying candidates with the required skills, experience, and personality traits.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can assist you in hiring the best team members for your tech sales initiatives.

how much do account executives make

How Much Do AE’s Make?

Acquiring the most successful SaaS sales talent is becoming increasingly competitive. As a result, in-house and external recruiters scan LinkedIn and other sites and reach out to qualified Account Executives (AEs) to find top sellers.

In recent years, many salespeople have turned to look for remote job opportunities that offer flexibility and less time commuting. This is the case all across the country, and it’s raising challenges regarding locating suitable candidates and what to offer in terms of base pay and OTE.

As market leaders in hiring tech salespeople, Rainmakers provides a transparent, data-driven platform to efficiently match top salespeople with the most enticing and forward-thinking tech organizations. The best AEs are consequently paired with the most suitable opportunities that meet their requirements.

Duties Of an Account Executive

An account executive typically works in sales, selling goods and services to corporations and/or consumers. For example, they often deal in SaaS products and hardware in the tech field. To succeed in this role, the executive’s employer commonly sets sales quotas, and the rep’s compensation combines base pay and commission.

The AE might receive clients or work on prospecting potential clients and engaging in cold calls. They identify new customers, learn about their pain points and wants in a solution, and then make specific pitches for services and goods that will satisfy those needs before closing the sale.

But the AE’s duties don’t end there. They will also follow up with customer service teams or talk directly with clients to ascertain whether the products are satisfactory after the sales transaction has been completed. Should issues arise, the AE might help find solutions. In addition, because repeat business is among their goals, the account executive is expected to develop positive relationships with the clients.

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Account Executive Compensation

As mentioned, pay is usually a combination of base pay and commission. Levels will depend on experience, geography, quotas, deal sizes, and success rate.

Averaged nationally, base pay will broadly range between $60,000 and $150,000. Most Account Executives are on a fifty-fifty split, meaning commissions can range from approximately $60,000 to $150,000.

A talented and experienced AE stands to earn a fair amount. The above information doesn’t include other benefits such as bonuses, equity, or profit sharing. For more salary information, review this helpful guide.

The Role of Quotas

If you’re looking for a new AE to close a specific dollar amount within a year, you may wonder how that would affect compensation.

Although it changes a lot by company, a good starting point is to assume an AE will earn a ten percent commission on the revenue they bring in. An AE with a quota of $750,000 could see additional compensation of approximately $75,000. A $1M quota could see a $100,000 commission, and a $2M quota could see commissions exceeding $200,000.

The Role of Geography

Economic conditions vary across the United States. Where a business or account is located and its customers can also affect AE compensation.

For an AE with 6-7 years of experience, top markets such as San Francisco and New York will see base pays of approximately $91,000 and OTE of $187,000, while Atlanta may see the average base pay drop to $79,000 and OTE to $172,000 for a rep with the same experience.

In the middle would be a city like Chicago, with an average AE base pay of $87,000 and an OTE of around $179,000.

Overall, national data points to a SaaS account executive’s total earnings averaging approximately $167,000 if they have 6-7 years of experience.

The Role of the Buyer

Does account executive compensation vary by the buyer they are selling into?

The impact of the product on the sales cycle will play a role in this. For instance, a software scheduling tool can be ready to use in minutes. On the other hand, a new digital operations platform (DOP) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system needs time to integrate with any current customer tools.

Some sales contracts will take longer to close, which may affect the overall number of accounts able to close within a year and, thus, the total commissions earned. These longer sales cycles generally command larger deal sizes, larger quotas, and, therefore, larger commissions.

In addition to timing, the department of the buyer has an impact on potential earnings. Therefore, AEs who target specific high-earning departments stand to earn more.

For instance, a relatively new AE who closes with a procurements department stands to earn $135,000 in OTE. Closing sales with an IT department could deliver up to $138,000 in OTE. By contrast, closing with small businesses presents the AE with a potential $100,000 in OTE.

What is Annual Contract Value (ACV)?

Annual Contract Value (ACV) is a crucial statistic that assists in evaluating the effectiveness of your sales teams. A client’s annual revenue to your business is determined by its ACV. It’s the typical yearly revenue per client contract. The ACV is an essential SaaS measure used to market products with annual or yearly subscription plans.

AEs can review their annual customer revenue with ACV and determine which customers to focus on using customer success tactics. Then, once high-value contracts expire, they can use sales analytics and work closely with their Account Management or Customer Success team to keep their top-earning clients.

Consider a scenario where a business examines its sales dashboard and discovers that Client A has an ACV of $50,000 while Client B’s ACV is only $10,000. Client A is bringing in more revenue than Client B, so it makes sense for the business to give Client A a higher priority in time and resources.

But this isn’t a call to ignore Client B.

Instead, an effective business should increase ACVs across the board. This means looking at ways to increase revenue from Client B (and C, D, and so on). This can be accomplished by raising quotas and meeting those goals through upselling and cross-selling strategies and looking if some prices and rates could be increased. This, in turn, leads to higher earnings for both the business and the AE.

sales recruiting agency

What Cities Are the Best For Account Executive Jobs?

Most people think of the West Coast when it comes to top American cities for technology. However, Northern California’s Silicon Valley is well-regarded as the cradle of the modern technology sector, with San Francisco as one of the top cities profiting from both proximity to the tech sector and the skill pool.

In large part, thanks to technology, other cities around the country are also becoming hubs for IT innovation. New York City leads the pack on the East Coast and rivals San Francisco in potential earrings for SaaS sales representatives. Other cities with top SaaS sales markets include Austin, Chicago, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Raleigh, and Atlanta.

AE Recruitment Solutions At Rainmakers

Rainmakers accepts only top applicants, so you can confidently interview the most high-quality sales talent. In addition, when we look at potential candidates, you can see all their sales stats, such as performance, what they’ve sold and who they’ve sold to. This allows you to save valuable time by quickly identifying candidates with the skills, experience, and fit you’re looking for.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help fill your tech sales needs. Sign-up now!

salary guide tech sales

Brought you by Rainmakers x Sales Assembly.

How the Sales Hiring Landscape Has Changed

Since its debut in 2018, Rainmakers has worked with thousands of sales candidates and hundreds of businesses in the tech and SaaS sectors. Rainmakers specializes in guiding technology firms through the complex hiring and compensation processes, focusing on acquiring the best salespeople for your business. 

With that in mind, Rainmakers has gathered the most comprehensive and accurate data on tech sales trends, markets, and remuneration based on national industry averages balanced with add-on factors such as equity, benefits, and remote flexibility.

The Sales Hiring Landscape Is Changing

The top IT sales talent market is more competitive than ever, even in light of recent reports of layoffs in some areas. On LinkedIn, internal and external recruiters frequently reach out to qualified AEs (account executives) and SDRs (sales development representatives). However, internal hiring teams often find themselves at odds in their continuous search for fresh candidates. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of sales personnel available for work are currently seeking remote employment alternatives. This is happening all across the U.S. This raises concerns about where to find candidates and how much base pay and OTE to offer these reps.

As industry pioneers in tech sales hiring, Rainmakers offers a transparent, data-driven platform to effectively pair top sales reps with the most desirable and innovative companies in the tech space. As a result, the best AEs and SDRs are paired with the most relevant and appropriate opportunities available.

Data From the Rainmakers Team

The vast amount of unique data collected from thousands of candidates who have applied to the Rainmakers platform reveals clear trends regarding what sales candidates can potentially earn in the tech industry. Here’s some of what’s been learned. 

find tech sales job

Account Executives

Are San Francisco and New York still the tech sales hubs?

Before 2020, the majority of tech salespeople were located in San Francisco and New York. In fact, we initially launched in just those two geographies. Since 2020, we see the geographical distribution to be much more even – and thus so are the salaries. 

While the compensation averages are still highest in San Francisco, other cities are quickly catching up as we see salaries starting to normalize across the United States due to the increase in remote hiring. 

account executive salaries
Does AE compensation vary by the buyer they are selling into?

It’s common to hear hiring managers say, “We want someone who has a track record of selling into engineering or IT.” 

The question then becomes, how much will that cost?

That partly depends on how the product affects the sales cycle. For example, a software scheduling tool can be up and running in minutes. Still, a new digital operations platform (DOP) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system must sync with existing customer tools. This requires a more specialized sales rep. 

The following table shows that sales reps who have closed sales with product engineering, legal, operations, and procurement departments tend to demand the highest salaries.

account executive salary information
What are AEs earning relative to their quotas? 

Another frequently asked question is, “What should we be paying a rep if we want them to close a certain dollar amount in year 1?” 

Sales representatives make an average commission of slightly under 10% up to around $1M in quota. Note that despite the rise in quota from $1M to $2M, earnings tend not to improve significantly.

You can compare how much sales reps are making and their yearly quotas with the data below.

How does ACV affect yearly earnings? 

The data reveals that a sales representative’s ACV can affect yearly profits, but not in the way one might assume.

Naturally, larger contracts require a more seasoned salesperson to close them. Still, with the emergence of product-led SaaS businesses, some salespeople exceed large annual quotas with just modestly sized individual contracts. 

The graph outlines this.

what does an account executive make

Sales Development Representatives

What is the going rate for an SDR? 

Sales Development Representative (SDR) positions tend to be entry-level. As such, it’s often difficult to determine accurate compensation because most candidates have little or sometimes no sales experience. 

According to information acquired from the Rainmakers platform, an SDR’s typical base income is just under $59k, with an OTE of about $81k. However, since geographical regions vary in living costs, SDR compensation will also change. 

This is how it breaks down:

sales development representative salary information
Does more SDR experience command more pay?

Given the entry-level nature of an SDR position, pay tends not to increase dramatically with experience. Rainmakers’ research suggests that on-target earnings decrease between 5 and 7 years of experience. Growth happens again after seven years, typically because many of these sales reps advance to lead and management roles.

sdr salary information

About Sales Assembly

Since 2017, Sales Assembly has revolutionized how B2B tech companies scale. They believe that team and individual growth should be ongoing, dynamic, and in a setting of peers as opposed to isolated “corporate events.” According to them, developing a business’s strategy and infrastructure should be a dynamic process that complements learning and growth.

Sales Assembly’s unique structure combines contemporary learning and development for all commercial roles with crucial consulting and strategy formulation, a strong peer network, and effective implementation and enablement tools.

About Rainmakers

Rainmakers is the only recruiting platform built specifically to help Technology and SaaS companies hire top-notch tech sales talent. 

They help leading companies grow their sales teams. Some of our satisfied clients include:

  • NextRoll
  • Wellsaid Labs
  • EcoVadis
  • Paperless Parts
  • Visier
  • Modern Health

Why Companies Use Rainmakers


Leverage the power of Rainmakers’ advanced sales sourcing technology, a breakthrough solution that replaces outdated job boards and generic hiring platforms. With Rainmakers, you gain access to:

  • Personalized Candidate Identification: Our technology zeros in on the perfect sales reps for your team, diving deep into pertinent sales data such as quota attainment, deal details, buyer profile, and compensation expectations.
  • Accelerated Hiring Process: Say goodbye to lengthy hiring timelines. Employers experience a whopping 92% response rate from our pre-screened candidates, significantly reducing time-to-hire.
  • Enhanced Team Diversity: With Rainmakers, you can foster a diverse sales team. Over 52% of candidates hired through our platform come from underrepresented backgrounds, promoting diversity and inclusivity in your workforce.

To learn more about how Rainmakers can help your business, fill out a profile to get started.

sales resume tips and best practices

The resume is continually evolving and what seemed standard and beneficial just a few years ago can become a disadvantage in the current recruiting environment. With employers receiving an average of 50 to 75 resumes per role they post, making your resume stand out can sometimes seem like a moonshot. Making matters worse, your resume generally has less than 10 seconds to make a positive impression and avoid being flushed down the drain.

While a LinkedIn profile is very important, resumes still matter, and some organizations (especially enterprise companies) will want to see a resume in order for you to apply. In this guide, we’ll provide 25 actionable sales resume tips so you can land the sales job you’ve always dreamed about.

Under these dismal conditions, what should a smart sales professional on the lookout for a dream job do?

First, don’t panic. If there’s a science to selling, there’s an art to writing resumes. All you have to do is learn it. Fortunately, career sites, professional coaches, and hiring managers have been sharing their insight on how best to make your resume shine.

Here are 25 sales resume hacks that will compel recruiters to take your application to next level.

1) Go for high impact.

Ideally, resumes should pack a punch. But that is hardly the case in real life. In fact, recruiting managers regularly receive hundreds of generic resumes that look and sound similar, echoing the same cliches, and even sharing the same grammatical errors. Not surprisingly, weak resumes just become fodder for the recycling bin at the end of every recruiting period.

Remember: The three goals of sending a resume are…

1) to signal an Intention.

2) to convey Information.

3) to make an Impact.

So create one that is unique, memorable, personalized for each employer, and clear about the value and benefits you offer. You can’t sell yourself by being generic or timid.

2) Leave a strongly positive impression.

Making an impact is good, but standing out for the wrong reasons is definitely bad. A resume that seeks to differentiate itself through artificial methods (i.e., larger/smaller paper size, loud colors, too much images, arrogant/disrespectful language, radically different content formats, etc.) will likely get the resume owner into a blacklist.

Do this instead: you can still be creative and impactful while adopting best practices, maintaining high standards, and conforming to effective formats. There are many ways to leave a positive impression: crisp language, elegant and readable formatting, relevant but rare sales skills, remarkable sales accomplishments, highly sought after certifications, awards and accolades.

 3) Customize your message for every employer.

Your resume may be about you but it is also very much about the recruiter. Avoid sending a one-size-fits-all resume, especially to employers you really admire and want very much to join.

As a rule of thumb, always think about the specific recruiter or employer you are aiming for when authoring or structuring your resume. Consider one or more of the following —

  1. Mention the specific employer in the Current Career Objective section (if you intend to have one.)
  2. Respond directly to the employer’s job post or ad by highlighting your skills, certifications, training, or qualifications using the style, ordering, or language used by the recruiter.
  3. Research about the services and products of the employer and make the case for how you can sell such offerings.
  4. Showcase the value and benefits the employer gets if they were to hire you.

4) Make it sweet and short.

Your resume is the elevator pitch you use in the job market. Go ahead: Be impactful and make an impression but do both as fast as you can. Go for a single-page resume whenever possible and avoid exceeding two pages. Unless specifically requested by the recruiter, never send multi-page resumes.

5) Always have a summary section.

Provide a quick way for the recruiter to assess your credentials and potential value using a summary section near the beginning of your resume. If you are not using an Objective section, then positioning your career or profile summary just after your Contact Information section is best.

In the summary, showcase unique experiences and accomplishments. Mention the demonstrable benefits the employer can expect to get when they hire you. The summary section should be articulated using elegant and crisp language and should clearly articulate your value proposition.

6) Watch your language.

Avoid trite, formal, legalistic, or jargon-ridden text. Think about recruiters forced to skim through dozens of resumes that sound like a lease agreement or a private policy statement every single day.

Instead, go for a smart and casual business tone using crisp and simple but elegant language. Use power words (contextual terms that resonate with specific types of employers) but refrain from cliches and stale expressions.

Oh, and if you happen to get that interview, watch your body language too!

7) Be readable.

Every aspect of your resume — formatting, sectioning, print quality, fonts, language, etc. — should be optimized for readability. Think of your resume as an app or a website and recruiters as users. User experience (UX) must be optimal for recruiters to even consider reading key sections of your resume. If your resume is haphazardly formatted or uses confusing language, recruiters will be more irritated than impressed.

8) Think strategically.

Depending on your situation, you can use a historical, functional, hybrid, or other types of resumes. For example, consider complementing a standard curriculum vitae with a video resume if you are trying to land a job with a media or advertising company. Use a functional resume if you are entering the workplace fresh from college and you have very little employment history to speak of. Always adopt what is best for your particular situation.

9) Answer common questions recruiter/employer

Anticipate the questions employers ask when looking for top talent. Using your resume, provide quick answers to the most pressing questions they might ask. Here are some you should consider:

  1. What are your most important achievements when it comes to sales?
  2. Have you won any award or accolade?
  3. How did your previous employers benefit from your performance?
  4. What is your average win rate for all the employers and products you worked with (Do not answer if your performance is less than sterling.)
  5. What’s the estimated value in real dollars of the deals you have successfully closed for each employer?
  6. Which sales skills or techniques have you mastered? Show proof.
  7. How do you handle challenging leads or situations.

10) Formatting matters.

Adopt a stylish format but don’t get too creative that recruiters begin to focus more on visuals and optics instead of your core message. Consider the aesthetics of your resume but not to the point that you de-prioritize brevity, readability, or conciseness. Use prominent section headings to help recruiters easily find what they are looking for. Deploy bullet points instead of long paragraphs whenever applicable.

11) Organize your profile into clearly defined sections.

The main sections of a standard resume are —

  1. Contact Information
  2. Profile Summary
  3. Relevant Certifications, Licenses, or Awards
  4. Work Experience (typically arranged in reverse chronological order)
  5. Education

Depending on the situation, your strategy, or the availability of information or support, you can include one or more of the following optional elements:

  1. Personal Brand Tagline (this can be a personal quote or a catchy description that highlights your credentials, favorite technique, or mantra/philosophy as a professional)
  2. Current Career Objective
  3. Achievements (Bulleted items. Use if f there are too many to include in the short summary)
  4. Personal Info (Use only if somewhat relevant to the role or company you are focusing on. If so, you can mention volunteer work, hobbies you are passionate about, or non-work related achievements that enhance your character. Avoid mentioning sensitive issues such as politics and religion).
  5. Character References

12) Provide complete and clean contact information.

Make it easy and convenient for recruiters or employers to get back to you when they need clarifications or when they want to go ahead with a job interview. Give clear, complete, and correct email addresses, phone numbers, and home address. Provide the links to your LinkedIn profile, portfolio site, blog, or other personal/professional websites.

However, do not use or mention email addresses, blogs, or other identifiers that do not help your personal brand. Email addresses such as loverboy1299@gmail.com or blog sites such as Bad Girl’s Revenge hardly exude competence or professionalism.

13) Achievements vs. Responsibilities

Always favor accomplishment over responsibility. Describing your skills, tasks, and functions is ok, but telling a story about how you use those skills or performed those tasks to achieve organizational goals is a lot better. So instead of merely saying that you performed sales ops functions as an analyst, you can say that you created a data-driven strategy that helped sellers improve their win rate by 10%.

14) Don’t include the Stone Age in your Work Experience section.

If you have been in the job market for awhile and have worked for quite a number of employers, focus on your career milestones in the last ten years or so. Recruiters are more interested in your current and more recent employment history than they are about your stint as a part-time librarian when you were in high school. For the same reason, arrange your employment history in reverse chronological order. Use brief descriptions and cite noteworthy achievements whenever applicable.

15) Even an A+ won’t compensate for poor sales metrics.

Highlight your academic achievements if you are new to the workplace. Mention relevant papers or projects you’ve made, as well as honors you have earned as a student. If you’ve been around though, prioritize work experience and accomplishments over education. That means positioning employment history above education in your resume.

16) Certified, trained, and ready to roll.

Recruiters seek candidates who have undergone verifiable training programs or have earned relevant field certifications. Position the Training and Certification section if the role you are applying for strongly requires such qualifications. Some of the most coveted certifications in sales include the Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP), Certified Sales Executive (CSE), and Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Certification.

17) Get personal if it helps your brand.

You can opt to add a Personal Information section in your resume if space permits and if mentioning something beyond your sales career enhances your professional brand. For example, volunteer work for a worthy (non-divisive) cause certainly helps create a picture of social responsibility and commitment to a community. A hobby such as scale modeling may explain how you have developed discipline and a keen attention to detail. On the other hand, your sports life may explain your highly competitive nature.

18) Sales is a numbers game.

Quotas, win rates, and revenue are all expressed as numbers. Your sales performance is measured in metrics. That is why a salesperson’s resume without the right numbers will never make the cut. Whenever possible, quantify your achievements to help recruiters assess your potential.

19) Get visual.

If you can fit them in your resume, visual aids such as graphs and charts can add style and clarity to your message. Some resumes look exactly like infographics. However, you should only add visuals if it matches your message and is relevant to the particular employer you are currently engaging.

20) Inaccuracy will destroy you.

The work history, achievements, figures, dates, and other information in your resume should always be accurate. At worst, inadvertent errors will erode your chances of getting selected, specially if you have comparable rivals for the position who have submitted error-free resumes. On the other hand, intentional inaccuracies (i.e., lies) — when caught — can send your name into a database of blacklisted jobseekers. More importantly, you wouldn’t want to be branded as “dishonest” in an industry that already attracts its hefty share of suspicion.

21) ABC means “always be consistent.”

Structurally and content-wise, your resume should demonstrate a high degree of consistency. That means section headings and line spacings should be rendered the same way throughout the document and that entire resume conforms to a recognizable and visually appealing format.

Content-wise, the resume should have a uniform tone and language when articulating your value proposition or when describing your achievements. Furthermore, all information you include in the resume must agree with all the information about you that can be accessed publicly (such as your profile on LinkedIn and other social media sites). Most profile inconsistencies are likely to be minor but a few might erode your authenticity as a sales professional.

22) Review, update, and polish.

Unless you’re close to retiring, resumes are always works in progress that require constant review, updating, and polishing.

Proofread your resume for structural, grammatical, or factual errors. Allow your friends or a professional editor to help you polish your resume. Remember, incorrect grammar and spelling impacts how recruiters view your professionalism, discipline, and attention to detail. Use relevant, crisp, and smart language to show the depth of your understanding and demonstrate your potential as a sales leader.

23) Look at other resume examples

Try to find other resume examples that are relevant to your industry and experience. This can help you zero in on which key words and KPI’s you should include in your own.

24) Go beyond a resume or a LinkedIn profile.

Resumes have traditionally been the primary ticket for navigating the job market. You send a resume to signal that you’re interested in and applying for a job at a particular employer.

There are now many other channels for reaching businesses looking for talent. These include LinkedIn, online portfolio sites, and referral systems. There are even tools that allow you to create infographic and video resumes. These forms are becoming more popular. Lastly, don’t overlook specialist services that provide profile pages for field/sector-specific professionals. Salespeople for example, can create compelling online profiles on Rainmakers.

25) Make your brand worth selling.

You are a brand as much as a seller. If you can sell esoteric products and services few people care about, then you should be able to sell yourself.

As an integral element of your personal sales and marketing kit, your resume plays a crucial role in getting you through the screening door and into the position you are aiming for.

You’re good at selling so practice what you do best: research like crazy about the customer (employer), customize your pitch to establish a strong connection, articulate your value proposition (the benefits the employer gets by hiring you), and clinch the deal.

how to get a tech sales job with no experience

2020 is around the corner and you want to get a new job in tech sales. Problem is, you’re not sure if you have the experience. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll explain how to go about getting a tech sales job in seven steps, even if you have limited experience.

Step 1: Basic Research

Making any important decision in life, like lookig for a new job, often begins with research. In order to wrap your head around the tech sales ecosystem, do some basic searches around tech sales stack examples, major players in the industry, what types of roles there are, and how you can move up the ranks over time. Be sure to also familiarize yourself with the terminology of any verticles you are particularly interested in, as you would not want to be caught off guard in a conversation with a possible recruiter down the line.

Step 2: Build A Tech Oriented Sales Resume

Your resume is a representation of you, so you want it to reflect on you in the best way possible and highlight your strengths. Even if you are competing against seasoned salespeople, you can get the most out of the experience you do have.

Think back to your past experiences and pull together a summary of the most relatable sales skills you can bring over into your new responsibilities as a sales representative in the tech industry.

Not sure what those relatable skills might be? No worries, we’re here to help you out.

For starters, if you have any sales experience at all from a previous job that’s absolutely a great place to start. Whether or not you’ve specifically sold technology, if you’ve gone about selling anything, much of the selling process remains the same.

You’ll still be uncovering as much information as you can about your prospective customer in order to learn what it is that they want or need and then tying the underlying reasons behind that desire back to your product or service.

What if you don’t have any previous sales experience?

Don’t worry, you can still find a way. At the end of the day, sales is simply the profession of persuasion. No matter what kind of work experience you have, you’ll almost certainly have had to do some kind of persuading.

Whether it was persuading your co-workers to jump on board with your new idea or even to go eat together at a particular restaurant, what you’ve been doing is persuading people. That said if you really can’t think of any situations where you’ve done some kind of persuading, well… perhaps you may want to reconsider a profession in sales.

Let’s move on. So now you’ve got your resume all built up and polished. What next? Getting interviews. 

Step 3: Begin Your Job Search Process

There are many ways you can go about this. You can go directly to a company’s website to look for open positions if you have a specific one in mind, but more often than not you’re going to need some help with even identifying what companies you’d like to work for.

This is where platforms and recruiters can come in handy. If you do some searching online there are plenty of them, even ones dedicated specifically to tech sales, that you can leverage. Of course, we can help you too. 

Step 4: Make Sure You Prepare For Your Interview FAR Ahead Of Time

There are a few things you’re going to want to do before you step foot into the room with your potential employer.  

  • Research about the company itself.
  • Learn when they were founded.
  • Learn their products and and unique value proposition.
  • Discover what differentiate them from the other players in the market.
  • Find any other details that seem important to be informed about.
  • Recent news about and announcements from the company are always a plus.

Step 5: Learn Your Target Company’s Sales Process (And Picture Yourself In It)

Above all, you’ll want to really familiarize yourself with their sales process. After all, you are applying for a position in sales.

Prospecting

You need to understand the following things intimately:

  • Who are your potential customers are and how will you find them?
  • What tools or services will you be using?
  • If you’re not sure, this can actually be a great question for you to ask during your interview.
  • What are the tools and services the company is using today?
  • Why did they choose to bring on those specific tools?

Engaging

Questions to ask yourself:

  • How are you going to reach out and get connected with your prospects?
  • What’s the reasoning behind your strategy?
  • Based on the company’s target industry, market and customer profiles – what methods do you think will be most effective? And why?

Discovery

Here’s what you should do:

  • Schedule a time to have a conversation with your prospect to learn more about them.
  • What is their current situation?
  • What problems are they dealing with?
  • Based on what you uncover, think of the ways you can best articulate the ways in which your company’s products or services can alleviate those pains.

Closing

In technology sales, the step that usually comes after the discovery is the demo.

This is where you as the sales rep have the floor and opportunity to clearly illustrate to your prospect how their lives will be improved through the use of your product or service.

You do this by relating the benefits your company provides to the problems they voiced to you during the discovery part phase.

There may be a bit of back and forth after that in terms of negotiation and the need to deal with a procurement team but soon after the demo the final step you’ll want to end with is closing the deal.

This is when your prospect and the involved stakeholders have made the decision to move forward in doing business with your company and are willing to put pen to paper, or so to say.

Step 6: Revisit and Master Stages of the Sales Funnel

A great way to think of this process from a high level is to think of it much like a funnel.

In fact, the concept of a sales funnel is very prevalent in the world of technology sales and is something you’ll likely want to familiarize yourself with as well.

You can easily do a search for this term online and get a quick understanding of what it is and how it would work for a business. As a quick summary though, it’s the idea of taking a large number of leads, which you then refine into prospects based on some target criteria, and ultimately convert into customers by putting them through the sales process.

Awesome. So you’ve done your research and taken the time to understand what the sales process is and how it works. All that’s left for you to do now is nail the interview.

Step 7: Nail The Interview

There’s a ton of advice out there around the best ways to approach an interview but here are a few pointers to help you get started.

Be on time. In fact, show up a bit early so you have some time to spare. Trust me, having that little extra time before the interview to level-set and get your head straight can only bode well for you.

Next, keep in mind that most hiring managers are likely looking for 3 primary qualities.

Those are competency, character and the ability to learn.

Competency is simply a measure of whether or not you can do the job at hand. If given the opportunity, would you be someone the company can rely on to get things done effectively?

Character is important because let’s face it, whether you like it or not, co-workers are people we end up spending a lot of time with. As such your potential boss is probably looking to see if you’re someone he/she can stand having around and, more importantly, if you’re someone he/she can trust.

The last quality you want to make sure to convey to the person at the other side of the table is the ability to learn.

As a bonus, you may want to think about emotional intelligence too. This will help you to become more empathetic as a sales professional, something that employers definitely care about.

Sure, it’s great and all if you’re a good person who’s capable of doing the job at hand but, that’s not all that’s important in the work place. Change is imminent in all aspects of life and business is no different. Your boss is going to want to know that, should it become necessary, you’ll be someone who’s open to new ideas and willing to adapt to the changing circumstances rather than someone who is always stuck in their old ways.

Again there’s a ton more information out there on additional things you can do to do well on an interview but keep these things in mind and you should land your dream job in tech sales in no time. Now go out there and make it rain!

Find A Sales Job In Tech

The economy is the strongest it’s been in years, and companies know it. It’s going to be a great year for getting your new job in tech sales, and that’s exactly what we will help you achieve.

One way to ensure you get the best possible job is to first be aware of what’s out there. We put together this list of all the great opportunities that were recently available. Please note that all numbers are estimates and could have slightly changed since we wrote this article.

Here are some abbreviations used:

  • SDR – Sales Development Representative
  • ADR – Account Development Representative
  • BDR – Business Development Representative
  • ISR – Inside Sales Rep
  • SMB AE – Small business Account Executive
  • MM AE – Mid-market Account Executive
  • EAE – Enterprise AE
  • MNG – Management

25. World Wide Technology

Overall ranking: #99

Company rating: 4.2

What it does: Technology consulting

What employees say: “Bar none, THE BEST place I have ever worked.” — World Wide Technology Senior Consultant (Denver, Colorado)

24. Expedia Group

Overall ranking: #92

Company rating: 4.2

What it does: Travel technology

What employees say: “Expedia is the best place to work. I have been here for 11 months and enjoying every single day. The culture is upbeat, leadership is transparent, clear on direction, and very well-organized process-oriented company. Awesome work-life balance.” — Expedia Software Engineering Manager (Chicago, Illinois)

23. HP Inc.

Overall ranking: #87

Company rating: 4.2

What it does: Maker of laptops, PC desktops, printers, and more.

What employees say: “HP’s global footprint makes it unique in allowing you to have a BIG impact. Senior leaders are quality execs who’ve proven their mettle. Lots of opportunity to contribute given the size of the businesses.” — Anonymous HP Employee

22. NetApp

Overall ranking: #82

Company rating: 4.2

What it does: Data storage solutions

What employees say: “Great team chemistry. Interesting work. This company cares about its employees a lot and there are numerous events at work and outside work which show this.” — NetApp HPC Solutions Architect (Sunnyvale, California)

21. Apple

Overall ranking: #71

Company rating: 4.3

What it does: Computer hardware and software, and more.

What employees say: “The company is AMAZING. There are limitless advancement opportunities. You work with some very cool people and the leadership cares about your development. You may get coaching but you never get battered or belittled.” — Apple At Home Advisor (Lakewood, Colorado)

find the best sales career for yo

20. Cisco Systems

Overall ranking: #69

Company rating: 4.3

What it does: IT, networking, and cybersecurity solutions

What employees say: “Military Friendly Culture empowers and gives transitioning veterans the opportunity to learn develop self to full potential. As a Military Retiree I feel there could not have been a better company to transition to than Cisco and the leadership team is very understanding and appreciative of what we bring to the table.” — Cisco Program Manager (Austin, Texas)

19. Paycom

Overall ranking: #62

Company rating: 4.3

What it does: Payroll and HR software

What employees say: “This is honestly the best job I think I’ll ever have. The benefits are amazing and the pay is more than I ever thought I could get. BE WARNED this job is hard. Never in my life have I had so much stress. That’s the reason why it pays so well. Be prepared to be stressed every day and have heavy daily work loads and have new procedures constantly thrown at you from management. But guess what it’s your job so you either adapt or you don’t make it.” — Paycom Specialist (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

18. AppDynamics

Overall ranking: #58

Company rating: 4.3

What it does: App performance analytics

What employees say: “Great encouraging and supportive leadership. Promotional opportunities every quarter. Family atmosphere, where everyone has a genuine interest in you as an individual and employee.” — AppDynamics Business Development Representative (Dallas, Texas)

17. VMware

Overall ranking: #51

Company rating: 4.3

What it does: Cloud infrastructure and digital workspace technology

What employees say: “Lots of smart and talented coworkers who are happy to share information you will learn a lot in a short amount of time but are expected to contribute. Slackers need not apply. If you’re a slacker you won’t survive the high stress and fast pace.” — VMware Technical Support (Broomfield, Colorado)

16. Kronos Incorporated

Overall ranking: #44

Company rating: 4.3

What it does: HR, payroll, recruiting, and timekeeping software

What employees say: “The culture is positive. Employees are hard-working and care. Leadership cares for employees and their experience. The company also cares for their customers.” —Anonymous Kronos Employee (Denver, Colorado)

top companies hiring salespeople

15. Cengage

Overall ranking: #41

Company rating: 4.3

What it does: Education technology and online textbooks

What employees say: “The leadership of the company has been jaw-droppingly motivated, visionary, and transparent. They have turned a company haunted by downturns in the market into a trendsetter that is adapting profitably. Along the way they have been committed to employee growth and job satisfaction. I am thrilled with what we are doing for learning.” — Senior Cengage Systems Analyst (Rapid City, South Dakota)

14. TaskUs

Overall ranking: #40

Company rating: 4.3

What it does: Outsourced customer support

What employees say: “Taskus puts their people first, they understand that their people are the ones who make their company! I have gone through many interviews with other companies, and Taskus is the first one who truly shows it!” — TaskUs Digital Content Moderator (San Antonio, Texas)

13. Intuit

Overall ranking: #38

Company rating: 4.3

What it does: Business and financial software

What employees say: “Incredible company that has market dominance, yet also has so much room to grow. Management constantly preaches disruption, and it’s reflected in our priorities and work.” — Intuit Data Scientist

12. NVIDIA

Overall ranking: #36

Company rating: 4.3

What it does: Creates interactive graphics for gaming and professional markets, like healthcare

What employees say: “I’ll be up front and say that it has always been my dream to work here. With that in mind, I came in telling myself to look at this place as objectively as possible to not cloud my judgment. After working here for over a year, I must say, the hype is real.” — Senior Nvidia Systems Engineer (Santa Clara, California)

11. Microsoft

Overall ranking: #34

Company rating: 4.4

What it does: Creates computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and more.

What employees say: “Respect for the individual, constant stressing of core cultural values of letting everyone be heard, etc. Decent work/life balance, though it’s hugely dependent on the individual to enforce. Individuals are encouraged to engage with managers at any level (for example, with your manager’s manager’s manager…). There’s a general high level of passion for the products we make.” — Senior Microsoft Electrical Engineer (Redmond, Washington)

best sales jobs in tech

10. Compass

Overall ranking: #32

Company rating: 4.4

What it does: Real estate agency and platform for buying, selling, and renting a home.

What employees say: “Having recently joined Compass, all I can say about the company, its mission, and the people in it is… ‘simply amazing.’ Compass is a unicorn. It is that rare company that combines passion, focus, execution, vision, and has a heart and a soul.” — Anonymous Compass Employee (San Francisco, California)

9. Adobe

Overall ranking: #30

Company rating: 4.4

What it does: Software development company best known for its design and photo-editing solutions.

What employees say: “Relentless commitment to customer success. This is the core of most day-to-day decisions and the North Star for all activity. This makes it a place to be proud to work. Incredible products. Amazing benefits and culture that draws incredibly talented individuals.” — Adobe Learning Specialist (San Jose, California)

8. SAP

Overall ranking: #27

Company rating: 4.4

What it does: Develops enterprise software to help manage business operations and customer relations.

What employees say: “We have yoga and meditation classes, mindfulness workshops. Many invited guests from technology industries to provides you with information.
Leadership women work shops, global coaching, mentoring programs, and flexible work environment.
 It is truly a top-notch company that will give back to their employees.”— SAP Manager (Montreal, Québec)

7. Paylocity

Overall ranking: #20

Company rating: 4.4

What it does: Payroll and HR software

What employees say: “Great company culture. People that really believe in what we do, and investment in technology to push the envelope.” — Paylocity Account Executive (Tampa, Florida)

6. Ultimate Software

Overall ranking: #18

Company rating: 4.4

What it does: HR software, including payroll, benefits, and timekeeping products.

What employees say: “Amazing company. It’s the only payroll / HCM organization that truly cares about the customer – and while it’s not easy – the organization has maintained an amazing culture all in an effort to provide the best support to the customer. I love that.” — Anonymous Ultimate Software Employee

find sales job in tech

5. DocuSign

Overall ranking: #17

Company rating: 4.4

What it does: Electronic signature technology

What employees say: “We’re on a good path with no signs of slowing down and a lot of untapped market potential. This is great news. Because the company is growing fast, there’s a lot of opportunity to grow your career and step up into new roles.” — DocuSign Enterprise Corporate Sales (San Francisco, California)

4. HubSpot

Overall ranking: #16

Company rating: 4.4

What it does: Sales and marketing software

What employees say: “I’ve been at HubSpot now for almost 4 years, and there’s nowhere else I’ve even thought about working in that time. Why? HubSpot is a great place to work. I feel like I’m valued. I have a lot of autonomy in how, when, and where I work. I feel strongly about the mission of the company.” — Anonymous HubSpot Employee (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

3. Salesforce

Overall ranking: #11

Company rating: 4.4

What it does: Customer-relationship management software

What employees say: “Supportive and inclusive environment, clear and reasonable expectations, challenging environment, awesome corporate mission, lots of room and support for professional growth.” — Salesforce Solutions Engineer (Cincinnati, Ohio)

2. Procore Technologies

Location: New York City, New York

Types of jobs: SDR, BDR, SMB AE, MM AE, E AE, Mng

Compensation: $49,000 – $125,000

Overall ranking: #2

Company rating: 4.5

What it does: Cloud-based video conferencing technology

find the best sales career for yo

1. Zoom Video Communications

Location: San Francisco, NYC, Dallas, Chicago, Irvine, etc.

Types of jobs: SDR, BDR, SMB AE, MM AE, E AE, Mng

Compensation: Variety

Overall ranking: #1

Company rating: 4.5

What it does: Cloud-based video conferencing technology

Want help landing a job with one of these top technology companies? Land your dream job with Rainmakers! Sign up now!

emotional intelligence sales job 2018

Imagine walking into your office on Monday morning only to discover that after months of courting your top prospect has terminated their relationship with you. Would you throw a fit and blame your sales team? Or would you take a moment to compose yourself and then start figuring out what went wrong? While we’d all like to believe we would choose the third reaction, emotions can be a difficult beast to tame. And although equating intelligence with emotion may seem like an oxymoron, emotional intelligence now accounts for 80% of the qualities responsible for success in the workplace.

And if you happen to be in the market for a new sales gig, emotional intelligence is one the most underrated qualities you can possess as a sales candidate.

The challenge? You can’t easily claim that you’re an emotionally intelligent person during an interview because it’s not a numerically measurable KPI.

Emotional intelligence on a resume is like a deflected pass in basketball. You know it makes a difference, but it’s hard to prove the ROI. 

So, What Exactly is Emotional Intelligence?

In a nutshell, emotional intelligence involves a person’s ability to recognize and regulate their own emotions as well as the emotions of others.

A study of Fortune 500 companies found that salespeople with high emotional intelligence “outperformed those with medium to low EI by 50%“. With numbers like these, it’s no wonder an increasing number of sales professionals are investing in the development of their emotional intelligence to obtain the following qualities.

Self Awareness:

Those with high emotional intelligence are self-aware, which means they know their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to customer relations. This is important as it allows you to understand how you come across to potential clients and promotes a relationship based on understanding.

Self-Control:

Self-control is also a trait of the emotionally intelligent and is especially important in sales. Dealing with clients is unpredictable, to say the least, which means the ability to control your emotions could be the difference between a closed deal and a lost one.

Empathy:

Empathy is the ability to understand what others think or feel. In other words, it’s the ability to put yourself in your prospective clients’ shoes in order to understand them better.

Much like self-control, empathy can save a strained professional relationship. Rather than pushing your own agenda, empathy allows you to understand where your client is coming from and enables you to provide them with what they need in that moment.

Fortunately, while some individuals naturally exhibit high levels of emotional intelligence, it is also a skill set that can be improved upon with the following practices.

Key Takeaways For Improving Your Emotional IQ

1) Scheduled Self-Reflection:

Salespeople are notoriously busy. Between answering and sending out emails, managing client relationships, and putting out proverbial fires it can be difficult to carve out some downtime.

Although it may seem counterproductive to put your day on hold for self-reflection, it could be the secret weapon you need to increase your sales. It takes time to examine our behavior and set intentions for change, without it our desire to improve is a moot point.

Whether it’s riding the subway or waiting for your spin class to start, find the time to ask yourself some introspective questions such as:

What did I do well today, and how can I continue that behavior?

What caused me to react poorly today?

What can I do differently next time?

2) Practice Empathy:

Take a moment prior to your interactions to view things from the other side of the table. Sure, your prospects may have a need for what you’re selling, but they likely don’t have the time to understand everything that you offer. This means they need you to be their valued shortcut that helps them to make an informed decision without wasting precious time.

3) Practice Responding, Not Reacting:

Remember the scenario above about losing a top prospect? The first two scenarios are examples of reacting to an emotional trigger, while the last scenario is an example of responding.

In contrast to an unconscious emotional reaction, responding involves making a conscious choice about how you will act. So, the next time someone cuts in front of you in the Starbucks line or uses the last of the coffee creamer at work – practice your cool, calm, and collected response.

Nobody said being a salesperson was easy, but there are times when it’s undeniably worth it. While the challenges you face every day may never change, your reactions can — all it takes is a little practice.

TOP 10 ROLES FOR TECH SALES AE, SDR, AND BDR ROLES IN SF!

Are you looking to make a career move that also has the potential to bring in a little extra cash and pay you what you’re worth? Then, check out the top 10 openings in San Francisco for AE, SDR, and BDR roles.

Account Executive Positions

Job Title: Enterprise Account Executive

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on Terminus: “Terminus is a fast-growing technology company in Atlanta, challenging the status quo of B2B marketing. We’ve built an industry-leading Account-Based Marketing (ABM) platform that enables our customers to be more targeted in reaching their ideal customers, driving powerful business outcomes, including an increase in revenue and acceleration of pipeline velocity.”

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Job Title: Account Executive – Enterprise

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on RapidAPI: “RapidAPI lets developers find, try and connect to APIs more easily. Call an API directly from your browser and export the code into your app in whatever language you like (NodeJS, PHP, Python, cURL, Java, Objective C). As you connect to multiple APIs, you just call Rapid instead of calling each individual API. RapidAPI manages all those connections and saves all your API keys. That way, you can keep your code nice and clean and focus on creating”

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Job Title: Senior Enterprise Account Executive

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees:

More info on Process Street: “Process Street is a SaaS platform that helps companies manage their processes and workflows. We are a lean, flexible, 100% distributed team that relies on systems to improve output 10X. Process Street is a venture-backed startup and an AngelPad alum (the #1 Accelerator in the US).”

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Job Title: Senior Account Executive

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on Adikteev: “Adikteev works with app advertisers to retarget their users while they use other apps to generate more revenue (increase LTV) or bring back churned users (increase DAU). The main focus of our campaigns is often incrementality, meaning we measure the uplift using a control/target group setup. We are connected to all major ad exchanges and display our ads only on in-app inventory. We focus on playable & interactive rich media ads that we build in-house (we have an in-house creative studio).”

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Job Title: Global Enterprise Account Executive

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 201-500

More info on GoCardless: “Our platform makes it easy to collect Direct Debit payments. It’s perfect for invoice payments of variable amounts, subscriptions, and fees.”

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sales recruiters

Job Title: Senior Account Executive

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on Pusher: “Pusher is the category leader in delightful APIs for app developers building communication and collaboration features. Using its core product, Channels, developers can easily create interactive features such as in-app notifications, activity streams, chat, real-time dashboards, and multi-user collaborative apps.”

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Job Title: Account Executive

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on BrightIdea: “We sell software to the most innovative companies in the world. Our customers have reported more than $5B worth of net impact to their organizations. We’re the #1 player in the market and have plans to grow dramatically over the next few years.”

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Job Title: Account Executive

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Acquire: “Acquires users are support agents who help online customers. One of the most requested tools for support agents is to allow them to see and interact with the customer screen visually since they typically use a basic chat solution or over the phone. In this scenario, agents typically try to guide the customer blindly, increasing handle time and decreasing conversions.”

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Job Title: Account Executive

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Atrium: “At Atrium, we use data and smart analytics to help teams make better-informed work decisions. The company is based in San Francisco and is backed by Charles River Ventures, First Round Capital, and notable individual investors. Join us (jobs@atriumhq.com) to enable an effective change in how people work.”

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Job Title: Enterprise Account Executive

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Strong DM: “Centrally manage access to every database & server in every environment.”

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Sales Development Rep Positions

Job Title: Sales Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Hevo Data: “At Hevo, we are building the world’s most secure and scalable data integration platform as a service (PaaS). There has been a fundamental change in the number of data companies are generating these days. More and more users in an organization are looking at data now. Data is no longer a second-class citizen, and companies see data as a competitive advantage rather than a geek’s obsession.”

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Job Title: Sales Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees:

More info on Juniper Square: “Juniper Square is transforming the real estate investment experience for both sponsors and investors.”

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Job Title: Sales Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on Kong: “We are the company behind Kong, the most widely adopted open-source API gateway. We have a world-class Enterprise platform, and our mission is to facilitate a new revolution in software production by serving as the backbone of the distribution and consumption of data and services through APIs.”

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Job Title: Sales Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Intricately: “We give marketing and sales teams an inside look into the spending, usage, and adoption of cloud technologies to predict revenue opportunities. We work with marketing and sales teams to provide an unfair advantage in finding and acquiring new customers through our spend intelligence data which monitor how companies consume cloud products across every application.”

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Job Title: Sales Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Constructor.io: “Constructor.io is a search-as-a-service company that provides AI-first search to companies like Jet.com and Expensify. We focus on four key pillars to deliver an amazing search experience: natural language processing, automatic re-ranking of results driven by machine learning, collaborative personalization, and industry-leading merchant controls.”

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best tech sales jobs contact

Job Title: Senior Sales Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on Adikteev: “Adikteev works with app advertisers to retarget their users while they use other apps to generate more revenue (increase LTV) or bring back churned users (increase DAU).”

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Job Title: Senior Sales Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Leapfin: “Leapfin is the leading unified financial data platform for modern businesses. Leapfin automates financial data management and complex processes. Our customers include Flexport, Canva, Vimeo, Top Hat, Salesforce, and thredUP.”

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Job Title: Sales Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on Rainforest: “Rainforest QA is modern testing for web and mobile apps. The Rainforest platform delivers all the resources needed for fast, efficient QA. Rainforest combines a massive crowd of human testers with algorithmic management and virtual machines to execute web and mobile regression testing for continuous deployment.”

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Job Title: Sales Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on Mixmax: “Mixmax makes email as powerful as web pages by enabling actions like completing purchases, confirming expense reports, scheduling events, and answering surveys—all within an email, no plugins required. Any developer can bring interactive apps into email using Mixmax as a platform without worrying about client peculiarities.”

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Job Title: Sales Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on Heap: “Heap builds analytics infrastructure that powers decisions for over 6,000 online businesses. Connect your customer data sources with a few clicks. Then, Heap will start capturing _every single_ user interaction automatically — clicks, swipes, gestures, form submissions, emails, support tickets, and more.”

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Business Development Representative Positions

Job Title: Business Development Associate

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 1-10

More info on Janeous: “Janeous is a mobile-first digital job fair platform that uses algorithms to match the right companies with the right candidates for 2-way video interviews. Our data-driven speed interview platform will reduce your process from 5 weeks to 5 minutes so you can easily identify your next professional-level hire.”

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Job Title: Business Development – FinTech Partnerships

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on Synapse: “Synapse builds tools that allow companies to integrate banking products into their applications. We power everything from rental and invoicing platforms to payment apps, crowdfunding sites, and currency exchanges.”

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Job Title: Business Development Associate

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Textline: “Textline is Software as a Service (SaaS) that lets customers text message businesses, rather than call or email.”

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Job Title: Business Development Associate

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Injective Protocol: “Backed by Binance Labs, we are building a layer-2 front-running resistant decentralized exchange that can support advanced trading features such as margin trading and derivatives.”

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Job Title: Business Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Nylas: “Nylas is building a new API to power software with email, calendar, and contacts data and functionality, starting with simple REST APIs and infrastructure for developers.”

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contact rainmakers

Job Title: Business Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on Beyond Pricing: “Beyond Pricing is a SaaS product to help owners in the $85B vacation rental and home-sharing market maximize revenue from their homes with data-driven dynamic pricing.  We are the main platform for managing revenue for the 3 million vacation rentals in the US, Europe, and beyond.”

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Job Title: Business Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 11-50

More info on WorkRamp: “WorkRamp empowers employees to reach their full potential. We build onboarding, training, and development products businesses use to accelerate employee growth.”

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Job Title: Business Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 51-200

More info on Algolia: “Algolia’s hosted search API supplies the building blocks for creating great search to connect your users with what matters most to them. Our hosted search API powers billions of queries for thousands of websites & mobile applications every month, delivering relevant results in an as-you-type search experience in under 50ms anywhere in the world.”

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Job Title: Business Development Associate / Manager

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 1-10

More info on Cognition IP: “Our technology company is currently working on tools to help increase the efficiency of the patent prosecution pipeline from client intake to management to attorney review. Our tools also leverage advances in artificial intelligence to enable our attorneys and staff to work faster and smarter.”

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Job Title: Business Development Representative

Location: San Francisco

Number of Employees: 1-10

More info on ScoreScrub: “SourceScrub’s origination intelligence platform was built for origination professionals by investment professionals. Our platform streamlines the process of target identification through on-demand access to thousands of industry conferences, buyers guides, and award publications, as well as the ability to build your company, lists via keyword, geography, and firmographic details such as size & ownership.”

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