Category Archives: Sales Recruiting

Is Recruiting At A Job Fair Worth It?

Job Fairs! As hiring managers, we have all been to them. Sometimes by design, other times by surprise, the conference you paid $2,500 to “Exhibit” at, quickly becomes filled with nothing but job seekers dropping resumes and taking your giveaways. (Yes, I’m looking at you InnoTech). I personally loathe working the booth at a job fair. Maybe it’s just me, but I seem to always attract the theater major who happens to stop by on their way to class, who just thought it would be interesting to learn about my company and high tech while the 1:100 candidate who is actually a fit grabs a flyer and walks away. When I was introduced to Tech Qualled, my perception completely changed on how this SHOULD work.

Tech Qualled Boot Camps

My first introduction to Tech Qualled was when Nick Breedlove, co-founder of Tech Qualled cold called me (very well done by the way). After initial interest was generated, he suggested I attend Boot Camp in Fort Worth. He suggested a half day of my time to come to Fort Worth, TX to watch 16 candidates in Cohort 5 do their final exercises of the 7-week program, or join for the Virtual Boot Camp during Week 6 via Zoom Video Conferencing if I could not travel. These exercises are intensive role plays. I ended up attending week 7 and spending the entire day there, jumping in and out of various rooms (They usually do 2-3 candidates per time across 4 rooms).

This was BRILLIANT!

Immediately my sports brain kicked in, “this is like a sales combine!” Here I am witnessing 16 ALREADY VETTED AND TRAINED job candidates in the BEST role play scenarios I have ever seen delivered by coaches with 20 plus years in the industry. Why would I ever go through the job fairs, resume reviews, or the interview process again? This is how it should be done. I quickly centered in on the candidates that I thought fit my needs base, did on-the-spot interviews, and made offers.

The Art of Trolling

To use another sports analogy, the term trolling is used in fishing. Basically, this is when you are simply moving the boat to another location on the lake and drop a line in the water in the chance you might catch something. At Tech Qualled, we have several partners who we see regularly at Boot Camp. They may not even have open territories, but they join us just to watch for a candidate that is simply too strong of a fit for their company to pass up.

I love this participation for two reasons.

1) They are hiring our Veterans!

2) They add tremendous value to our Cohort speaking with the Veterans, mentoring, and even coaching in some cases in the role plays.

I haven’t attended a job fair in 5 years. Instead, I have been a “troller” and coach at nearly every Boot Camp since Cohort 5. This is actually how I ended up in the long run… joining the amazing Tech Qualled team and leading this mission.

Todd Brown joined the Tech Qualled team from Cima Solutions Group where he was the VP of Sales and Marketing as well as the Co-Founder and CEO of Cowork Suites. He has 25 years of experience in technology sales, marketing, and strategy including positions at IBM in various sales roles including IBM Business Unit Executive for Midmarket West and Global Midmarket Strategy Leader.

Todd originally joined the Tech Qualled team as an advisor and training for the Launchpad Academy. Today, Todd leads the daily operations as CEO.

The Sales Career That Changed My Life: Jake Graves

My Naval Transition:

Everything my family and I had endeavored over the last 8-years was going to come to a screeching halt with my military transition. No more handholding during overseas moves, guaranteed job, and no more financial security. We had no idea what our next chapter in the book-of-life was, but we knew we had to come up with an idea and quickly!

With 6-months until discharge, I was able to secure a position in my hometown that would utilize a similar skillset as what I did in the Navy. I was relieved that financial security was no longer at risk.

This was true until the day a Tech Qualled recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn. The message titled “Seeking Veterans for a World-Class Training Opportunity.” This grabbed my attention until I read the word “sales”. My first thought provoked an image of a car salesperson or the pesky telemarketer who will not stop calling. I was not convinced Tech Qualled was looking for top-tier talent with the word “sales” in their program. I did not want a sales career. Engineering, supply-chain management or information technology was my idea of a world-class training opportunity.

Tech Sales Career…Wait, What?

This pre-defined belief was quickly debunked – a Google search concluded that tech sales are prestigious, not to mention, the pay was much higher than the job I currently had lined-up. I was eager to learn more, and with a quick reply to the LinkedIn message, I had an intro call booked the next day. Following the call, I was hooked and knew without a doubt tech sales was exactly what I was looking for! Meritocracy, high earning potential and a dynamic occupation all describe the IT sales world.

I performed well during the selection process and the day finally came – I received the call from TQ’s CEO, Nick Breedlove, who was excited to announce I was selected as a participant for Cohort 11! I was ecstatic! Following the conversation with Nick, I quickly made a call to my wife to tell her the plans have changed – I was pursuing a sales career after all!

The Training:

The Launchpad Academy training was much more than what I expected. Not only was I obtaining valuable soft-skills, but they were also teaching me technical skills around data center, networking, IoT, cloud and more. I spent 20-30 hours per week working on homework, creating pitch videos and participating in live role-plays. This was an experience I had not envisioned when I initially joined the program. During the final week of training, the in-person boot camp takes place in Fort Worth, Texas. While there, I was introduced to Fortune 100 executives who participated in the live role-plays and stretched me far outside my comfort zone.

The Placement Process:

Upon graduation of the program, the final step was placement. I had my eye on a few different organizations, but one company stood out – Tektronix. Throughout my time in the Navy, I had the opportunity to use their products and I was a fan of the company’s long, rich history. Fortunately, Tektronix had multiple decision makers at the boot camp, thus expediting the interview process. Within one week of graduation, I had a trip to Tektronix HQ booked which ultimately led to being offered a position.

Life as an Account Manager:

In my current role with Tektronix, I have the opportunity to work with the brightest engineers in the most innovative region in the world – Silicon Valley. Without the training and opportunities that Tech Qualled provided, I would be in my hometown working an unsatisfying 8-5 job with minimal financial security.

To all veterans considering Tech Qualled – if you are looking for a highly rewarding career with endless opportunities, Tech Qualled is the gateway!

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Jake Graves lives in Santa Clara, CA with his wife and two children. A graduate of Launchpad Academy’s Cohort 11, he now works at Tektronix as an Account Manager for the SW Bay area. When he is not working, you can find Jake on the golf course, fishing, or having game nights with his family.

From Cisco to Dunn Growth, Sales Leader joins Tech Qualled to provide Technology Solutions.

With over 35 years in technology solutions, company leadership, revenue production, investing, board service, and high profile consulting, Bob Dunn, CEO and Founder of Dunn Growth Experts joins forces with Tech Qualled to offer expert training and advice to candidates in the Launchpad Academy:

In 2015, I watched with interest as Jim Sherriff, former Cisco executive, and colleague, founded Tech Qualled, an organization with the worthy mission and intended purpose of recruiting and training elite veterans for a career in IT sales.

What Tech Qualled has accomplished over the last 4 years is revolutionary and here’s why:

Technology sales are among one of the most rewarding professions but also one of the most demanding requiring a broad range of skills, knowledge, and character attributes. Individuals in these positions will be challenged to learn and master complex products and technologies in an ever-changing marketplace. As many in the sales industry have begun to discover, the skills required for an Account Executive in the high-tech sales align perfectly with veterans who have proven leadership skills, adaptability, and a performance-oriented work ethic.

The Technology Solution:

Tech Qualled has mastered recruiting elite veterans with the intangibles to make them successful in sales and a 7-week training that allows them to outpace their peers when placed into these roles. With over an 80% success rate, it is clear that these veterans are positioned for long-term success within the industry.

Veterans face many challenges as they make the transition to civilian life, not the least of which is choosing a profession, getting a job, and supporting themselves and their families. The opportunity they have with Tech Qualled to break into such a profitable career with no post-military experience is really incredible. They served their country so all Americans have the good fortune to live and work in our great country. Contributing in some small way to their successful transition is the least we can do.

I’ve always wanted to help veterans and Tech Qualled finally provided the avenue, connection, and the platform to do so. Over the past couple of years, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the TQ team and sharing what I learned during my career. The opportunity I have to help provide outstanding sales training by interacting directly with the veterans and early in career professionals is a distinct pleasure.

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Today, Bob Dunn is the father of two college student daughters, serves as the Chief Revenue Officer at InteliChart, invests and advises with a number of technology growth companies, and leads Dunn Growth Experts.

As CEO and founder of Dunn Growth Experts, Bob distilled his knowledge into the DGE Revenue Supply Chain™, a complete systematic end-to-end approach to generating revenue growth and creating enterprise value. Organizations that have applied the DGE Revenue Supply Chain™ have had proven results, earning multi-million dollar returns by structuring their business in and across the five DGE Revenue Growth Pillars: Corporate Strategy, Product/Solution, Marketing, Sales & Channels, and Customer Success.

Hiring Veterans with the “Grit, No Quit” Attitude.

Hiring Veterans was never something I thought I would be doing. I have come to realize that Veterans have the determination, commitment, and drive to get the job done every time.

My Story

I was born an Army Brat. As a matter of fact, when I was born, the doctor put one of those “property of the US Army” t-shirts on me. My grandmother was irate and she made it a point to tell the Doctor that I was not the property of the U.S. Army! Little did she know that in a small way I actually was and wear it proudly to this day…

Fast-forward a few years…. after graduating from college, I landed my first job at a local express catering company and continued to hold various roles in operations until August 2007 when I was laid off by my family business. I ended up speaking with a recruiter who told me about a “cool company” where you could bring dogs to work, there was a beer cart every Friday and it had a very fun culture. I had no clue what tech sales meant and had zero sales experience, but how hard could it be with dogs and beer around?

A few interviews later this organization took a chance on me. Because of that, for the last 11 years, I have built a high tech sales career at Softchoice in various roles, and I could not be happier.

Hiring Veterans:

One of the unique things about Softchoice is that they partner with Tech Qualled to hire qualified, veteran talent. TQ graduates fit well into our corporate culture and have industry and tech knowledge from the get-go. They hit the ground running with minimal direction and become a producer for our organization rapidly. These Veterans are used to tough times and know they can climb out because they already have that grit and determination engrained in them. Most veterans have been in some of the harshest conditions and under extreme pressure in the military. Compared to that, Sales is easy even when it is bad.

I never had the opportunity to “pay back” my pops or the military for making me the man I am today, nor did it ever dawn on me that I could, until the opportunity to work directly with some of TQ’s veterans came along. I now participate in roleplays as a coach to offer up my guidance and support, while at the same time have the opportunity to see and recruit veteran talent for Softchoice.

I am giving back to something that has given me so much. At the same time, I’ve had the opportunity to see Tech Qualled graduates exemplify military ethos. They understand that it’s not just about their individual success and goals, but their team and corporation. They truly care about helping their teammates be successful and are willing to help support their colleagues for the greater good which ultimately creates a far more reaching impact within the company.

Truly, I cannot wait to get more Tech Qualled folks into our organization!

James lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife and two boys. He is a Field Sales Mentor and Development Coach at Softchoice, Inc, and continues to mentor Tech Qualled Graduates in the Launchpad Academy. In his spare time, you can find James at MKG teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other martial arts.

Recommendations for Candidates Entering TQ or the High Tech Sales Industry:

I know it’s tough, but it’s not always about the salary and commission. Believe me, I have had some opportunities to make a lot more money but they were not the right fit for me because they lacked things like training, good culture, and reputation within the industry.

The next move you make is not your next job, it’s your next career. In my opinion, you don’t want to jump from partner to partner, vendor to vendor because eventually you won’t be hirable and each time you move you take one more step back from it being a career. All you have to do is look at me for that example…I came into Softchoice with no tech sales background, worked my way up from Inside sales, to Field sales and now as a mentor/development coach. If the future me went back in time and talked to the me who showed up at Softchoice that first day and said “in 10 years you will be coaching and mentoring field reps,” the past me would have probably told the future me you are CRAZY and that will never happen.

Find a great company, stick with it, and be great at what you do. Have grit, determination, and self-discipline. Be coachable, a continuous learner, and know the difference between being ambitious vs commitment. Finally, set daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. Do these things, and you will see enormous success.

The biggest thing I want our recruits to know is that a career in tech sales is tough! Those who haven’t been in sales don’t know how hard it actually is. You have some good days, but man is there a lot of bad days, months and years. (If you are successful your entire sales career I would like to know your secret sauce!) However, if you can get past each hurdle, every time they come up, it is one of the most rewarding careers out there.

Recommendations for Potential Clients Hiring TQ Graduates:

What I hear the most, even within Softchoice, is that the TQ grads are sometimes too green, and that can’t be denied- they don’t have enough sales experience. However, what I always challenge is the fact that I can teach/coach sales to anyone. When you break it down, it’s a really easy thing to learn, but what I can’t teach or at times is very difficult for reps to learn is the discipline, the grit, that “no quit” attitude and how to be a team player. Give me the latter vs someone that has been in sales for a few years any day.
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For more information on the Launchpad Academy or Hiring Tech Qualled graduates, reach out to us HERE.