Sales Techniques Sure to Succeed with Technology Professionals

It takes a special breed of person to be a salesman at the best of times, but when it comes to selling high tech products to technology professionals it’s like living in a whole other universe. Not only do you need to be able to determine what the prospective buyer is looking for in order to pitch the benefits of your product but you need to understand your product in the first place.

Selling is all about engaging your audience, which is hard to do if you haven’t the first clue as to exactly what a high tech product is capable of (not being a techie!) and how to do more than pitch benefits the manufacturer lists as key selling points.

Techies are prone to asking questions. After all, that’s what they do in the realm of science – ask questions! If you are a marketer looking to sell to technology professionals, here are some suggestions on how to succeed in selling to this highly inquisitive and knowledgeable group.

1. Fear Not – Techies Are People Too

Unless you are an in-house sales rep for a high tech company, chances are you know little about the workings of the product or service you are promoting. Dealing with techies is not always easy because they tend to speak a different language and are prone to asking questions that are hard to answer outside the scientific realm.

The first rule of thumb when selling to a techie is to get it in your head that they are people too. From there, you can learn to converse with them as you would any other prospective buyer. Just because they speak a different language doesn’t make them any less human!

2. Learn the Language – Techie for Dummies

If you have any hope of succeeding in a high tech world, it will behove you to learn to speak techie – at least as far as the products you are promoting goes. As a sales person it is your responsibility to give your client 100% of your effort to make that sale, after all, that’s why they hired you in the first place!

Before hitting live events as a direct marketer or setting up an e-commerce website, learn as much as you can about the product/s you are promoting, what makes them work and how they can benefit the end user. You don’t need an engineering degree to sell to techies, but learning the language will help both now and in the future. It might also be necessary to get an overall picture of the latest technological developments in the industry. On this front, reading up informational resources or listening to Tech Podcasts on a regular basis could help you stay updated on all things tech, which could in turn help you better connect with the customers. Remember, we are living in a digital age so it’s either learn the language or get left behind.

3. Pull Out All the Stops When Marketing

When it comes to technology it is good to bear in mind that techies are infatuated with developing products that go beyond what has been invented in previous generations. You will often hear techies talk about all the ‘bells and whistles’ of their products and it seems as though this would be a key selling point when marketing to a technology professional.

Online marketing might include a video presentation whilst direct marketing to a high tech audience would need to capture their interest with unique visual aids. Many direct marketers have found that having bespoke exhibition stands designed to capture the essence of their products is the best way to engage a high tech audience.

It may be difficult to converse with a techie but a stand like those designed by the Finesse Group can put the spotlight on a revolutionary high tech product with visuals such as lighting and sound effects built into the design. This is sure to draw attention to your display.

Finally, just make sure that you can demonstrate the benefits of your product before bringing it to market. Techies will want to know exactly what your high tech product does and how it can benefit them within their niche. Learn all that you can about each and every product so you can speak intelligently.

A techie is sure to spot someone speaking from a pitch sheet and that’s something you want to avoid at all costs. Put your products in the spotlight but by all means understand what they can do. You will never need to fear techies ever again. They are people too – now get out there and sell to them!