If you are good at sales and have a passion for technology, then becoming an enterprise software sales professional may be a rewarding career for you. Enterprise software sales professionals meet with different businesses to sell software to meet their company’s networking and information security needs. People in this role should have experience in software sales and have a good track record with high sales numbers.
Enterprise software sales professionals are primarily responsible for educating businesses about the enterprise software products they sell. They will need to have a good understanding of the technical matter of these products to suggest the right solutions to a company’s software or data storage problems.
This job opportunity allows people in this role to excel in developing and presenting sales proposals to customers. It will be important for enterprise software sales professionals to be good listeners and build trust with their customers to properly meet their needs. If you do well in this role, you could be rewarded with higher commissions as you sell more accounts.
Sample job description
[Your Company Name] needs a motivated and professional enterprise software sales rep to join our team. In order to be a successful enterprise software sales rep, you must have experience with sales as well as a good understanding of the technical matter that may need to be discussed when educating customers about our products. Because of this, the ideal candidate for this position must be technical-minded and have good interpersonal skills, as well as previous experience in either the sales or customer service industries. Ideally, you will be able to answer customer questions about our product while building trust and ensuring that our customers are satisfied with the sales you make. If this position sounds like you, please do not hesitate to apply. We would love to have you join our team as our new enterprise software sales rep!
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Assess client needs and promote suitable products
- Meet with decision-makers and provide information about software products
- Perform product demonstrations and training as needed
- Negotiate sales prices
- Construct pitches and sales presentations
Education and experience
A bachelor’s degree is usually required for this position, especially if the job requires selling a scientific or complex software product. Less complicated products often require a high school diploma or the equivalent, with a background in business-to-business (B2B) sales.
College coursework in subjects close to the software product being sold, such as chemistry, biology, or engineering, can make a candidate more attractive to employers. Courses in sales, marketing, economics, or communication can also be helpful.
Required skills and qualifications
- Written and verbal communication skills, including relationship-building and influencing
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite or similar software, including spreadsheets and databases
- Excellent negotiation skills
- Strong sense of organization and time management
Preferred qualifications
- 5+ years of IT/software sales experience
- Proven track record with impressive sales numbers
- Excellent relationship-building skills on the phone and in-person
Typical work environment
As an enterprise software sales rep, you will be highly focused on the sales aspect of the position, which means being extremely confident, outgoing, and sales-minded will be beneficial. Oftentimes, you will be required to recognize the needs of the customer and present the proper technical and benefit-related information about the software you are selling. You may often be required to provide technical information to customers in order to build reputation and trust, as well as solicit information on their computer and system needs. Because of this, an enterprise software sales rep will benefit greatly from having fantastic sales skills, interpersonal skills, and education skills. Oftentimes, this position will require a mode of transportation due to the door-to-door nature of the job. You will generally be required to follow a set marketing path and guide in order to successfully deliver the product presentation.
Typical hours
The typical work hours for an enterprise software sales professional are usually from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Available certifications
Enterprise software sales representatives will benefit massively from certifications in the sales industry. Although enterprise software sales are a unique form of sales and will require some unique knowledge, it is important to note that sales are by far the most important skill to have in this position. Because of this, some of the best certifications for this position are:
- Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP). This certification is one of the premier certifications for multiple types of sales representatives. Because of the nature of this certification, it is created to provide widespread certification and legitimacy in the field of sales. This certification can be immensely useful to an enterprise software sales rep as well, which means that it should be considered when testing for certifications in this position.
- Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP). As a certified inside sales professional, you will have one of the most premier certifications currently available for enterprise software sales reps. This certification is immensely challenging to procure and requires retesting every three years in order to maintain the certificate. Because of this, the certification is easily one of the best certifications in the sales field to demonstrate expertise and sales ability.
Career path
Some software companies have training programs for enterprise software sales professionals that can last up to one year. This position requires a bachelor’s degree and a proven track record in business-to-business (B2B) sales of products such as copiers or uniforms, or professional services. Certifications such as the Certified Professional Manufacturers Representative (CPMR) or Certified Professional Sales Consultant (CPSC) from the Manufacturers’ Representatives Educational Research Foundation (MRERF) are also attractive to employers.
US, Bureau of Labor Statistics’ job outlook
SOC Code: 41-4011
| 2020 Employment | 298,200 |
| Projected Employment in 2030 | 316,500 |
| Projected 2020-2030 Percentage Shift | 6% increase |
| Projected 2020-2030 Numeric Shift | 18,200 increase |
Position trends
According to the firm Transparency Market Research, more companies are upgrading their efficiency across multiple core departments, from sales and marketing to human resources, which means more companies are looking to purchase enterprise software to increase productivity. Also, enterprise software sales professionals should be aware of the growing desire for cloud-based computing solutions. Companies are also looking to increase employees’ mobility as well as remote working capabilities, and are looking for software solutions to help them accomplish those goals.