Tech companies work differently when compared to traditional sales firms. They are looking for salespeople who can explain complicated tech solutions, build advisory relationships and adapt to fast product evolution. During your sales interview, hiring managers will decide if you have the right level of technical knowledge and commercial acumen.
At Apache Associates we regularly work with IT Service Delivery Companies, MSPs and Application Development Companies so we know that successful candidates demonstrate interest in the tech product, understanding of the market as a whole and have evidence of hitting targets in past sales roles. You will need to show that you can learn fast, work across functions with engineering and product teams and embody the company's values to prospective clients. In this article we are going to share the steps to take to prepare for a sales interview with a tech company.
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- Research The Company & Their Products
- Prepare Your Sales Data
- Master Technical Knowledge
- Practise Interview Questions
- Plan For A Sales Pitch Exercise
- Choose Questions To Ask The Interviewer
- Final Prep Before Interview Day
Research The Company & Their Products
Start by exploring the company's website, looking at their products, case studies and blog content in depth. Learn about what problems their technology solves and who their ideal customers are. See if you can request a demo or sign up for a trial version to experience the product yourself.
Read recent press releases and news articles about the firm, especially information about funding, launches, leadership changes and expansion. This level of context will help you to ask the right questions and show genuine interest during your interview.
Finally, research the company's competitors and discover where they sit in the sector. Be ready to discuss the competition and share why you’d like to work at this particular firm rather than others in the market.
Prepare Your Sales Data
Tech sales interviews are often led by the data. Prepare examples of your achievements with quantifiable results, then structure them to explain the situation, the actions you took and the measurable outcomes.
Key metrics to have ready:
- Sales quota attainment percentages at different times
- Average deal size & sales cycle length
- Pipeline conversion rates at each stage
- Yearly revenue growth you have contributed to
- New business versus account extensions
Explain your achievements in business terms. For example, instead of saying you exceeded quota by 120% explain how you identified a new market segment, developed an outreach strategy and closed eight enterprise deals that contributed £450,000 in annual repeat revenue.
Master Technical Knowledge
You don't need to be a developer but you should understand the basics of the technology you will be selling. Research the tech stack, integrations and key USPs of the product. Then get to know the common technical terminology in the sector.
If the vacancy you are interviewing for involves selling infrastructure, cloud services or developer tools, don’t forget the basic concepts such as APIs, deployment models and security protocols. For SaaS products learn the subscription models, timelines and integration requirements.
Think about how you have managed complicated tech setups in previous jobs. Then put together examples of when you sold tech features as business benefits for clients or collaborations with tech teams to close deals.
Practise Interview Questions
Tech sales interviews tend to include behavioural questions, scenarios and exercises. Come up with answers to questions like these:
- Walk me through your most complicated sale
- How do you qualify prospects & prioritise pipelines?
- Describe a time you lost a sale & what you learned
- How do you handle objections around price or function?
- Share a time you worked with a tech team to get a sale
Practise your responses out loud or record yourself to identify any unclear explanations. Aim for concise answers that get to the point with sufficient detail to demonstrate your capabilities.
Plan For A Sales Pitch Exercise
Many tech firms have a mock sales scenario as part of their interviews. You could be asked to pitch the company's product, sell something unrelated or handle a difficult customer conversation.
If you are given notice of the exercise, take the time to create a plan. Understand the buyer's pain points, prepare open questions and organise your pitch around value not features. Focus on listening first and then changing your sales tactics based on feedback and handling objections with confidence.
Treat this interview step seriously as your interviewers are assessing your sales methods, communication and ability to work under pressure.
Choose Questions To Ask The Interviewer
Asking considered questions shows strategic thinking and genuine interest in the vacancy. As a candidate try to avoid asking questions about salary, benefits or holiday allowance in early interviews unless the interviewer raises them. Here are some good questions to think about asking:
- What is success in this role in the first six & twelve months?
- How does the sales team work with product & engineering?
- What are the biggest challenges in the team currently?
- How is quota set & what percentage of the team is hitting this?
- What is the typical customer journey?
These questions show you're thinking about your future performance, the company culture and how you will contribute to the team's goals.
Final Prep Before Interview Day
On the day before your interview, complete the following:
- Confirm interview format, location & interviewer
- Virtual interviews - test your pc/laptop, lighting & background
- Plan a professional outfit despite company's usual dress code
- Prepare supporting materials if needed - presentation deck, case studies or a written plan
- Bring extra copies of your CV & a notepad/pen for notes
- Get a good night's sleep
- Arrive early – log on five minutes before a video call or get to the office 15 minutes early
A calm and prepared mindset with the resources you need to hand will help you perform at your best on interview day and sets you apart from other candidates. Here at Apache Associates we work with ambitious sales professionals in the UK tech sector to help them secure roles successfully. You can browse our latest vacancies or send us your CV so we can help you in your job search, get in touch with our recruitment team today.