Starting a Career in Tech Sales with a B.S. in Biology
After college, figuring out what you want to do and where you want to be is the hard part. For three and a half years of my college experience I felt lost and confused. I was never truly confident in the choices that I made regarding my career path. I had to figure out what I liked and didn’t like to make the decision that led me to my current career in tech sales. Sometimes the career that aligns with your interests is not a direct path from your college major to the professional world and my path is indicative of that.
My Major Didn’t Dictate My Career Opportunities
My first semester of college, I was a math major with the goal of becoming a math teacher because I enjoyed explaining what seemed like impossible concepts to comprehend. After reevaluating, I switched majors to be more lined up with Health Services and just two semesters later, switched to biology, again aiming for a teaching position in biology. As I continued my studies taking different Biology courses, I began to learn more and more about myself. I loved lab courses – sitting in front of hours of research, pages full of data, and multiple peer-reviewed articles was exciting to me. However, I also learned that I was most productive and successful when I had the support of others and did not want to work behind a screen for my entire career. I grew a passion for the technological aspect of biological research including the collection, analysis, and visualization of experimental results – bioinformatics.
As I browsed through the different companies and positions at the spring career fair, I found myself most intrigued by the Sales Development Representative roles. It had everything I found a passion for – interacting and collaborating with other motivated individuals, working in a fast-paced environment, and understanding and communicating high-tech solutions. After speaking with a few different tech companies at the Spring Career Fair, I wanted to start my career somewhere I least expected – tech sales.
Trusting Myself
For a while, I second guessed if I could be successful in the tech sales world. I kept thinking to myself,
“What if I fall flat on my face and this isn’t the right job for me?”
But that’s just the thing, I had to take everything I had ever learned and use it to my advantage to become successful. My biggest concerns starting a career in tech sales were that I don’t know much about technology and business, I’ve never made a single cold call, and I did not know the right way to be professionally persuasive.
Finding the Connection
Quickly, I realized there is a lot of overlap between biology and tech sales. When diving into this new area, I was nervous whether my skills would overlap and how my biology, math, and health science background would apply to this new career.
Learning Quickly
First, I learned how to use my research skills picked up in my biology classes to build tech product knowledge. I read every white paper, researched every buzzword, and took detailed notes during every meeting I attended. I absorbed every piece of information that I could to be able to have meaningful conversations with experienced IT Professionals. At first, it was quite daunting as technical buzzwords and acronyms seemed completely foreign to me. By pushing forward, I found myself becoming somewhat of an expert on my product, having the ability to speak in an entirely new language.
Finding My Motivation
Secondly, I used the drive of wanting to not work from behind a screen for my entire career as a way to make cold outreach less intimidating. I knew it was part of the role and I needed a way to feel comfortable reaching out to decision makers over the phone. I embraced every conversation held over the phone, even if it was just 30 seconds long. I took advantage of speaking with other high-tech professionals and changed my perspective on cold outreach as a way of making connections and collecting more information rather than selling.
Making Things My Own
Lastly, I used my love of making abstract concepts understandable to help me explain my tech product in terms prospects would be interested in.
“I did not know how to talk like a ‘salesperson,’ but as I gained more experience in the tech industry, I realized that it was not about playing the part of a salesperson, but it was more about gaining confidence and composure.”
Going into a cold call with the mindset of trying to sell something did not get me far. As I grew more and more confident in the way I could communicate a solution, it became easier to get what I wanted out of a conversation with a prospect.
Success in Unexpected Places
Thankfully, I found success in the place I least expected – tech sales. I combined my research and informatics skills from my biology background with my passion to work with and around people. In addition, I quickly learned how to apply all my past experiences to become the best salesperson. There isn’t just one obvious path to success in tech sales, sometimes you need to use your unique background to your advantage and set yourself apart.
If you’re looking to launch a professional sales career right now, we’re hiring new SDRs from coast-to-coast!
