Explore the world of tech sales, a booming industry with an emphasis on problem-solving, relationship building, and fulfilling client needs. Learn about the various certification programs available, the differences between a certificate and certification, and how they can benefit your career in tech sales.

Tech Sales Certifications and Certificates

If you’re looking for a way to demonstrate your skills in tech sales, you might be overwhelmed by the different certifications and certificate programs available. You might also have a lot of questions, such as Will a tech sales certificate help you get a job? What is the difference between a certificate and a certification? How do you prepare for these credentials? This article aims to provide answers to these questions so you can efficiently choose the right path toward a tech sales certification. Keep reading to find out more.

What is Tech Sales?

Tech sales is exactly that: selling technology. Technology Sales Representatives work for companies that make hardware and software or provide services like cyber security or financial services, but tech sales is focused more on solving a problem than on selling a product. Building a relationship with customers based on meeting their needs is the foundation of tech sales.

Tech sales is a business-to-business sales model, also known as “B2B.” Sales Reps spend a lot of time reaching out to potential clients through cold calling or emails. Once they’ve made a connection, Tech Sales Reps often pass the clients on to an Account Executive to complete the sale, but the Rep usually stays in contact with clients after the sale to make sure they are satisfied. 

Because businesses continue to embrace technological solutions, the field of tech sales is easy to get into. There are many opportunities available, and the pay is very good. As long as technology is booming, tech sales will be a solid career.

Read more about what tech sales are and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Tech Sales?

Do you have a passion for technology? Are you always reading about new devices and what they can do, but you don’t know how to code and aren’t really interested in learning? You can turn that passion into a new career in tech sales. Selling software as a product relies less on the development of the software and more on what problems it can solve. If you are outgoing and enjoy talking about what software products can do for people, you can use those skills in tech sales. This is a rapidly growing field that offers numerous opportunities for advancement and lucrative pay.

When you work in tech sales, you can find a job in different kinds of companies. Some sales reps work for firms that sell hardware products, others develop and sell software, and others sell services. If you want to change to a different type of product down the road, that won’t be a problem in the high-demand field of tech sales. It is easy to get into and jobs are plentiful. Most businesses use some type of technology product, so tech sales is likely to remain strong far into the future.

Certifications vs. Certificates: What’s the Difference?

Most companies hiring Tech Sales Reps ask for a college degree, but it is possible to find a job in tech sales without going to college. You can enroll in a certificate program or take a certification test. Four or five years at a college or university costs thousands of dollars, while certificate programs can be completed in two to four months. Attending college can give you a well-rounded education, but an intensive tech sales certification course focusing exclusively on best practices will get you into a new career faster. 

There is a difference between a certificate and a certification. Certificates are awarded at the completion of a course. You can attach certificates to your digital resume or profile on LinkedIn and let prospective employers know you have been trained in the latest techniques and tools in tech sales. Training programs hire instructors with tech sales experience who are more familiar with the rapidly changing tech world than college professors.

Certifications differ from certificates in that you need to take an exam and get a minimum score in order to earn them. Professional associations and testing companies give the exams. Some certifications need to be retaken on a regular basis, and others are good for life.

Top Certifications & Certificates for Tech Sales

Many training programs offer tech sales certification courses. You can choose classes that meet in-person or live online, and some are a hybrid of live classes and pre-recorded sessions. They range in cost from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. 

Certificate Courses

The Springboard Tech Sales Career Track is a three-month course requiring about 15 hours a 

week. After completing the course, graduates can get an additional nine months of career coaching. The class costs $7,000.

The Kellogg Sales School offers a Professional Certificate in Sales that lasts five months and requires 10-12 hours a week. The sessions are asynchronous and on-demand, but students can interact with instructors and other students on a communication platform. The cost for this program is $6,500.

HubSpot has an inbound sales course for tech sales. The course takes 2-3 hours to complete and is free. It is a good overview for people who are curious about what a career in tech sales would be like.

Certifications

The Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP) certification is offered by the National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP) to improve sales abilities in professionals at all levels. The six-week on-demand course costs $695.

The American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP) has an online program called Certified Inside Sales Professionals (CISP). The 8-12 week course includes ten modules and a final exam and costs $875 for AA-ISP members and $1,020 for non-members.

NASP has another certification for people who are interested in sales leadership called Certified Professional Sales Leader (CPSL). The 6-week online course culminates in a final exam and costs $795.

Should I Get Certified in Tech Sales?

Whether or not you should get certified in tech sales is up to you. You are not required to be certified to get a job as a Tech Sales Representative, but certification is a sign that you have put in extra work to learn the best practices in tech sales. This can put you ahead of other applicants for jobs. 

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Classes are taught by industry professionals who have real-world experience in their subjects. Class sizes are small, and you can choose between in-person training and live online sessions. Each class offers a free retake option within a year, and upon completion, you will receive a digital certificate that you can attach to your resume or LinkedIn profile.

Key Takeaways

• Tech sales is a good career for someone who loves technology but isn’t interested in learning to code.
• It’s a great way to make a good living doing something you love.
• There are numerous opportunities to take certification courses in tech sales or to get certified in some aspect of the field.
• Certificates are awarded at the completion of a certificate course, while certification requires passing an exam.
• Certification is not required to get a job in tech sales, but earning one shows that you know what you are doing.
• You can receive comprehensive tech sales training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.