You may recall reading a previous blog post related to why and how enterprise technology companies are hiring more inside sale people.

This trend only seems to deepen, particularly with infrastructure technologies.  Current day examples include:

1) Database technology

2) Security technology

3) Privilege management technology

Field Sales exceptions include consulting services sales positions, such as solutions for the utility smart grid initiative,  and for Cloud Application Development. 

Companies that value the NY market, have deals that exceed $100k, and are selling new technologies, always seem to value “feet on the street” and want field sales people.  Application Performance/User Experience Management … Continue Reading

 This representative list of recent Xtra Effort client hires includes: 

1) Candidate’s motivation for changing jobs

 2) Hiring location

3) The role

4) Compensation, including On Target Earnings

5) Miscellaneous (most often $ quota)

6) The Technology or Service offering

We hope the information helps support your 2012 planning process.

Xtra Effort’s observations:

• Change in compensation structure, culture, or executive team (most often related to acquisition, but not always) were the top reasons for change
• More technology … Continue Reading
  

THE MODERN DAY ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE SALES CAREER

 Years ago, enterprise sales jobs often started in one of three ways (with plenty of exceptions)

 1) A college graduate with a business degree would join a large information technology company such as Computer Associates, IBM, Burroughs, or NCR. Many of these companies and Software sales jobs started in Massachusetts, with such companies as Prime Computer, Data General, Digital Equipment Corp, and ComputerVision.   This fresh college grad’s first software  sales job would include … Continue Reading

Sales Engineers are in great demand because have developed both technical acumen and communication skills. The more current a Sales Engineer’s technology skill sets, the greater the demand for his candidacy. Earnings potential is driven by the candidate’s sales and business acumen and business acumen, but you first must ante up with the technology and communication skills.

Sales Engineers careers had stereotypically been associated with a utility role, often only performing demonstrations and answering technical questions. Now Sales Engineer careers often include more ownership of the prospect relationship and sales cycle.

Today’s PreSales Engineers more often are considered partners to the sales … Continue Reading

Xtra Effort’s client develops and sells bank fraud prevention software.
They needed a Senior Field Sales Engineering executive in the Southeast with experience selling bank security services or technology.
David introduced Xtra Effort to a candidate with years of experience at Fiserv. Perfect fit!
Thank you David.
Mark

Xtra Effort’s client is leader in the Platform As A Service  (PaaS) segment, and needed to hire a proven Sales Person with SOA, virtualization, or software development skills.

John Hopkins referred us a terrific candidate, and all parties are pleased with the results.

Thank you John! Enjoy the certificate. Just in time for the holiday season.

Xtra Effort received feedback that people refer us  because of work quality and integrity.

We ALSO learned that a $500 Amazon.com electronic gift card may increase the volume of referrals. So we created the program and have done our best to hype it via our web site, blog postings, word of mouth, and email signatures.

The referrals have started to increase. Thank you.  In fact, D. Barney, a top Sales executive. referred another ‘A’ player.  Xtra Effort’s client hired him, and most importantly, the candidate and client are satisfied with the outome.  D. Barney is also thrilled, he is now clicking his way through a $500 Amazon shopping … Continue Reading

It seems like only months ago when employers lacked the ability to commit to open head count. Candidates were tortured with employer indecision, cancelled requirements, and prolonged evaluation processes.

As recruiters, we coached candidates to not emotionally commit to one employer until they successfully completed their first day of employment. We walked on egg shells, dreading the “the requirement has been put on hold” email.

The tide has changed in the past twelve months, with employers not having enough headcount to meet growth objections or implement their backlog of orders.

Our favorite candidates are being courted by several companies. 

Hiring managers should always be interviewing and … Continue Reading

Who would ever think you need a marketing department to give away merchandise?

 Xtra Effort could not reach 100 Facebook fans to give away an Ipad. We ran out of steam at about 50.

  It seems like everyone is trying to give away iPads.  

 So Xtra Effort is raising the stakes! At least in terms of imagination.

  XTRA EFFORT SIMPLY WANTS TO YOU CLICK

 Here is the bribe: the first 100 people to click it and refer a Sales, Sales Engineering, or Technical Consultant professional from the … Continue Reading

Below you will see a reader’s response to Xtra Effort’s recent email about 2010 hiring trends among enterprise technology companies.

What are your thoughts?

Mark

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Randy, thank you for the note. This is a consistently observed theme among new venture backed or earlier stage technology companies, with many exceptions.   Over 60% of Xtra Effort’s 20,000+ candidate pool has more than 8 years experience, and we certainly don’t want to alienate them. However, we are simply sharing an observation we have made.  We also find this observation to be troubling, because Xtra Effort would benefit without this unwritten hiring condition. However, we found the … Continue Reading