UPDATE:
Head over to A Practical Guide On How To Break Into Tech Sales and download the complete .PDF containing over 75 pages on how to break into the industry.
Hello ladies, gents, cartoon animals, and others.
Another article when it comes to “breaking into tech sales”. In case you are looking for the other ones in the series. We recommend you check out the following article where you will find a complete list.
Hopefully, readers who are yet to break into tech sales have already gone through all the earlier posts based on this content.
In case you didn't there is a required reading before moving forward:
The article will provide you with practical tricks on how to prepare yourself. Preparation is mandatory to get a role. This means you need to practice your answers as well as how you are delivering them.
Once you are ready to start interviewing.
What we want to do is create a systematic approach. To put it more precisely, it's about how you approach it and win the interview game. We are about to break down a “tier system” → where you are about to rank your target companies.
Interview Cycle?
If you have followed our advice and gone through all the earlier articles on breaking into tech sales. You should already be aware that we don't recommend applying to your “target companies” right away. Especially true if you haven't entered the interview cycle yet.
What do we mean by the “interview cycle”?
Made up term. Point here is to emphasize that the key to getting better is treating interviews as practice. Especially if we are talking about "Tier 3” of your interview sequence.
All the early testing comes in handy right here. Not getting interview calls? Your CV is off. Not getting second rounds? Something you are doing during the interview goes wrong, or you don’t have good enough Q&As.
Once you've completed 10 to 15 interviews, the difference in your approach, confidence, and ability to secure a role you want will multiply at least 5x times. This is not a joke.
There is no reason you want to attack the “Goliath” companies without being prepared for what is coming. With non-targeted mass applying you will be only lowering your chances of landing a job.
What you should do is practice on the companies you aren't afraid to lose. To wrap up the breakdown, the logic behind the article comes down to:
Splitting companies into “tiers”
Sequence application sending based on “tiers”
Testing out your CV
Practicing your Q&A
Getting feedback from decision-makers on your interviewing
Throughout the whole article, you will see the terms “tech sales” and SaaS sales. SDR roles are the primary focus of this article. Keep in mind the same approach can be applied to any role and industry.
Sequence-Based Interviewing
Something we have seen the first time back when coding became popular on the internet. Smart individuals began recommending a “sequence-type interviewing” approach. The approach involves interviewing while simultaneously building your interview skillset.
When it comes to coding interviews they are much more technical in that sense that you will have to prove your knowledge. Case studies often take hours, and the technical questions asked during interviews will require some thinking.
Tech sales are not so technical when we are drawing the comparisons. Still, you will need to be on the point. Success will largely depend on your delivery and how effectively you sell yourself to hiring managers. The process of selling yourself begins even before you secure a role. During the interview process.
The goal of sequence-based interviewing is to build confidence, build the pipeline, and prepare you for the “better” choices. You just lost the “great company” because you bombed on one of the questions?
Why worry when you have 4 interviews in the next few days?
“Tier” And Logic Behind
Each of the tiers should be split accordingly. Our recommendation is to limit each 'Tier' to 10 to 15 companies, which should be more than sufficient.
Tier 3 - Testing The Waters
Not getting invites? Probably CV
Not getting second-round invites? You are doing something wrong during the interviews
Should also serve to practice Q&As
Tier 3 - Companies you don’t care about the outcome
This is a full-on practice “round”. The purpose of the round is to prepare you for what is coming and how you should position yourself during the interviews. In each case don’t put the companies you care for in “Tier 3”.
Keep in mind post-interview self-critical report is crucial.
Tier 2 - Applying Fixes
Positive signs should start showing up (in case you are working on received feedback)
At least one - two offers if done right
Tier 2 - Companies you could see yourself working here
Most will stop during this round. Because the “Tier 2” companies in general should already be good enough choices to see yourself working for them.
There's nothing wrong with that. Feel comfortable or you are in a tough spot?
Stop and accept the offer.
Tier 1 - Getting A Role
High-priority companies → the ones you want to work for
Most will not even get to this round because of their situation or because of their low-risk tolerance
Tier 1 - Goal companies
Where the best ones will land. It's much easier to land here if you already have some experience and know how to market yourself. Again this comes back to being a subjective choice.
When it comes to all “Tiers” and personal choices → our advice is to get yourself under the big logo and follow the money.
“Self-critical report”
Should be performed once the interview is done
Write what went good
Write what went bad
Be honest and critical with yourself
Keep it all in the Excel file - think about it in terms of CRM
Keeping this in mind. Each company should take at least two (10 - 14 days to be precise) weeks in case you manage to bypass the CV screening.
Sometimes even longer if it happens during the summer and vacation season (common in Europe).
Based on that make sure to plan accordingly. Most people might think, “Okay, that means I have at least 2 months to complete Tier 3“.
Not really.
Your goal with Tier 3 is to get as much as repetitions as possible in the shortest amount of time. Because it will serve as a base for further interviews. Also as a testing ground for your CV as well as your Q&A.
Tier 2 and 1 will require you to take a smarter approach.
Right Time To Stop?
By the time you are close to finishing “Tier 2” in your interview sequence. If everything goes well, you can expect at least one to two offers.
When should you stop and accept the offer?
It's hard to say because it's entirely subjective. If you did everything correctly when it comes to setting up tiers. “Tier 2” companies should already be good enough to work for.
If you are desperately looking for a new role or you are a low-risk tolerance individual you might as well accept a “Tier 3” company.
Else if you are already an experienced individual and not afraid to push for something better. Your best bet would be to push (skip “Tier 3”) straight into “Tier 2” or “Tier 1”.
Maybe a few quick interviews to brush up on your skills → the ones you don’t care about the outcome. But any more of that would be a waste of time.
Instead, your time would be better off spent attacking the Goliaths.
Still wondering when the right time to stop is?
The right time to stop is when you will feel satisfied with the offer you will be presented. Again completely subjective since we don’t know your background and current situation.
Be realistic with yourself.
Matter Of Time
Practicing what we mentioned above → huge chance you will land the role.
Things get easier once you have enough interviewing experience under your belt. Plus the confidence you will gain based on your interview pipeline will be on another level.
The outlined approach will make winning the interview game easier because you will have a complete overview of how to approach mass interviewing. There's no reason to make this article any longer than it already is.
As always do what you want with this info.
Got questions? Feel free to comment or DM.
Big shoutout to @PedroCastenada as he was one of the first to break down mass approaching when it comes to applying for tech sales roles.
Make sure you give his FREE breaking into tech sales course a look.
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