Is it time to reevaluate veteran talent? For decades two parties stood on either side of a chasm staring at one another. On one side, the sales leaders and executives in the burgeoning IT space. This included “old tech” (Cisco, IBM), “new tech” (Google, Twitter), “small tech” (startups) or the vast middle of Value Added Resellers who don’t have household names but command a huge market share of the business-to-business IT industry.

On the other side of the chasm stood elite, transitioning military veterans. The veteran talent with or near a college degree, a hunger for rewarding challenges, possessing excellent communication skills and the grit to survive the rigors of high tech sales. Both recruiters and leadership knew that veterans could be a rich talent pool, but always for “other-than-sales roles” 

Our country is in its tightest labor market in decades, across all industries, but specifically within the innovation economy. In the battle for high potential talent, should thousands of organizations be making blanket assessments that exclude talent without the data to prove it? What if the data actually disproved their judgment?

Three years ago this month, Tech Qualled embarked on a focused mission to change that logic; to bridge that chasm and simultaneously give high tech companies a new type of talent for their revenue-driving roles while opening these rewarding sales roles to a subset of the population with unique and sought-after intangible skills, but who have just “never sold before.” Over one hundred of Tech Qualled’s veteran graduates are in high tech organizations today meeting or exceeding quota, thereby proving that previous sales experience is not a prerequisite for success in complex sales environments. The right intangible attributes plus the right training will bridge that gap.

And three years into this mission, we are excited to have partnered with Koru, the world’s leader in predictive hiring solutions. and creator of the famed “Koru7” skills test which measures for seven critical attributes in high potential talent. Together with Koru, we looked at hundreds of active sellers across high tech, including the most successful Tech Qualled veteran graduates, plus others with traditional career paths. We wanted to compare the attributes of successful sellers industry-wide.

What were the results? There are absolutely overlapping attributes between all successful sellers, but veterans in particular score substantially higher on Ownership, Grit, and Curiosity. Tech Qualled-trained Account Executives scored 10-22% higher than successful non-veteran AE’s in these three skills. Across three of the other four skills (Polish, Teamwork, and Impact) they scored 17-30% higher than the national average.

The conclusions: First, elite veteran intangibles plus the right blend of dynamic training bridges the gap. Second, not only do elite veterans come to IT with the skills universally accepted as necessary to succeed, but they bring greater quantities of those skills than their non-veteran peers!

The competition for talent is of epic proportions, especially in the innovation economy. The results are in and the data is substantial. There should no longer be a conundrum for hiring managers and recruiters around veteran talent, especially when their skills are measurable by Koru and they are vetted and trained through a program as rigorous as Tech Qualled’s.

Sometime toward the end of 2017 when I knew my military career was coming to a close, life was very uncertain. I had been getting advice about making the transition for years, but never really took it seriously. Then all of a sudden, BAM, life happens. I was doing everything in my power to set myself up for success. Like the skies parting and the angels singing, Justin Ossola from Tech Qualled (who I later found out was one of the founders) contacted me via LinkedIn about a possible Account Executive Job and training program.

At the time I had never heard of the program and was extremely cautious about committing myself to anything. Justin explained what being an account executive in the technology industry was. I found that my career experience was uniquely matched with being an account executive. I had spent two years in recruiting, the closest you can get to sales in the military, and I had over eight years of Signal/IT experience. When Justin explained the career field and what it consisted of it was as if he’d just described peanut butter and jelly.

I was hesitant still and unconvinced of the viability of the program. I used the techniques learned while in Army Recruiting to conduct research on anyone and everyone associated with Tech Qualled, and I unexpectedly found that this was a very serious program with some amazing results. Within days I was fully committed to the selection process. It was challenging and required serious effort on my part, but when I received the acceptance phone call I knew my life had changed in a way that I never predicted.

The most challenging part of the training was fully immersing myself in it. Like I said, life was happening and Tech Qualled is very serious about their training. The time requirements were very reasonable to complete the training; however, I knew I was making a complete life change, so I used the resources and tools Tech Qualled provided to fill all of my available time.

I went through the program between March and June of 2018, and I had never met or even heard of any of the members of my cohort. During those few weeks, I’ve made life-long friends and have an open line of communication to anyone in the cohort. In fact, I’ve reached out to multiple other cohort members and they’ve all been like an open book. This is definitely one of the most beneficial aspects of going through Tech Qualled, I was never alone in my journey into an account executive job.

Finally, as the training ends and life started to hit (I just started terminal leave), the big question was what’s next? There were multiple opportunities and lots of concerns about “fit”. Every person at Tech Qualled would hear my concerns and answer my questions. I felt embarrassed by my lack of knowledge/experience, but they really carried me through.

Overall, my transition from the military was incredibly smooth. Except for CIF (central issuing facility/ where you turn your equipment in). I left the Army knowing I had a new career ahead of me and that the team at Tech Qualled genuinely were going to work their hardest to see me be successful. It was an absolute blessing and miracle that I was afforded the opportunity to go through the Tech Qualled program, and get an Account Executive job.

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Erik McAndrews is a former Army Officer and Tech Qualled graduate. He is now in an Account Manager role at Splendid Technology Services and is based out of San Antonio, TX.

Chris Yenias is a former Naval Aviator and Tech Qualled graduate of the Launchpad Academy. He is now in a Territory Account Executive role at Winthrop Resources and is based out of Los Angeles, CA.

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FORT WORTH, TX AND MINNETONKA, MN – (July 2, 2018) – Tech Qualled, a U.S. military veteran training organization, and Winthrop Resources Corporation (Winthrop), a division of TCF Bank and an indirect subsidiary of TCF Financial Corporation (TCF) (NYSE: TCF), today announced an ongoing partnership to help veterans secure jobs at the technology company via Launchpad Academy.

Tech Qualled was started in 2015 to teach veterans the skills they need to assimilate back into the workforce in an industry that can have a high barrier of entry due to lack of experience or training. The original premise was that military veterans with exceptional leadership ability and innate soft skills are uniquely prepared for careers in high tech sales. The technology space must frequently address high attrition and turnover costs – especially in sales roles. Tech Qualled is focused on creating a talent and training platform that identifies “high EQ and IQ” veterans and puts them through a comprehensive training program to develop the skillset required to sell high-tech products and services.

“The leadership team at Winthrop understands the benefits of hiring former service members and are committed to ensuring their success,” said Nick Breedlove, co-founder and CEO of Tech Qualled. “Conversely, military veterans see opportunities that await them in the technology industry, especially in the tech finance space. Tech Qualled sales training imbues our candidates with a desire to outwork and outlearn the competition and the result is a new generation of hyper-trained, sales professionals hungry to make an impact at organizations like Winthrop.”

“Winthrop recognized the unique characteristics that military veterans bring to a sales organization and has thus, made it a priority to bring them onboard,” says Chris Yenias, a former Naval Officer and graduate of Tech Qualled’s Launchpad Academy who is now a Territory Manager at Winthrop. “These traits are tenacity, grit, teamwork, and goal-orientation. Having these will provide a great foundation for anyone looking to get into technology financing which can be a very long sales cycle.”

Brian Slipka, head of sales for Winthrop added: “Winthrop and TCF have long relied on the strong leadership characteristics that are fundamental to military experience. The Tech Qualled platform helps us accelerate our development and training efforts with people who have demonstrated what it takes to succeed. This is a win/win for both of our organizations.”

Tech Qualled’s Launchpad Academy curriculum is specifically focused on teaching veterans industry-relevant concepts such as data center solutions, basic networking, cloud computing, software applications, and hands-on sales training, effectively equipping them with marketable skills for employment. To date, Tech Qualled has successfully trained more than 140 veterans and helped launch them into careers in the technology industry.

The Tech Qualled program has achieved an 80 percent success rate of graduates meeting expectations in their first full year after being hired. “The success rate of our candidates is largely attributed to our sales training. We focus on teaching the foundational building blocks that all early-in-career sellers need to have,” said Justin Ossola, co-founder and President of Tech Qualled. “Our training is proven to produce sales reps that stay in their jobs longer, have a shorter ramp time, and ultimately produce above-average results; and that is something we are incredibly proud of.”

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About Tech Qualled

Tech Qualled is an innovative training company that focuses on preparing early-in-career professionals for careers in high tech sales through the Launchpad Academy. For more information on Tech Qualled, visit www.staging.techqualled.flywheelsites.com.  Follow Tech Qualled on Twitter @TQualled.

About TCF

TCF is a Wayzata, Minnesota-based national bank holding company. As of March 31, 2018, TCF had $23.4 billion in total assets and 318 bank branches in Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin, Arizona and South Dakota providing retail and commercial banking services. TCF, through its subsidiaries, also conducts commercial leasing and equipment finance business in all 50 states and commercial inventory finance business in all 50 states and Canada. For more information about TCF, please visit http://ir.tcfbank.com.

About Winthrop

Winthrop Resources Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TCF Bank and provides financial solutions that make how you pay for and use technology a competitive differentiator for your business.  Founded in 1982 and one of the largest bank-owned technology finance companies in the U.S., Winthrop serves a growing client base across all industries with custom-crafted lease, utility and as-a-service financial offerings leveraging award-winning client care processes and lifecycle management capabilities.

I never imagined in a million years that I would choose sales as a profession. Without Tech Qualled, my newly found passion for technology sales would never have been realized the same way. For that, I am forever grateful.

In 2015, we welcomed our beautiful daughter into this world. I knew my priorities would no longer be the same. After many late night conversations with my supportive husband, I knew that I needed to transition out of the Army for my family. It was not an easy decision.

Transitioning was nothing like what I had initially expected. I thought I was doing everything right. I went to one of the top business schools to get my MBA and was accepted into two elite military programs with two Fortune 100 companies, but I still felt lost. I had lost a sense of purpose. I was no longer part of a team like the teams in the Army. I focused so much on “winning” in terms of getting into great programs, but I never once asked myself if they were the right fit. In the military, we often have little influence on job choices. Due to our competitive nature, we want to be the “best” even when the “best “might not bring us the most joy. Through my research and my recent corporate experience, I knew I wanted to get into sales, but was faced with the challenge of getting hired into sales with no previous experience.

A year ago, a former Tech Qualled graduate told me about the program that trains transitioning veterans in high technology sales. I thought it was too good to be true. I was afraid that my introverted nature would make me a bad fit. I was also somewhat unsure due to my lack of knowledge and background in technology.

Maybe it was out of desperation, one day I took the courage to reach out to Justin Ossola. I bombarded him with questions. He was so patient, professional, and passionate. I applied to the program as soon as I got off the phone with him. The interview process was very thorough. It delved deeper than standard behavioral interviewing. In the end, I was beyond excited to hear the good news that I was accepted.

During the 7-week training, I was very impressed with the TQ team’s commitment to helping us and I was blown away by the work ethic of my peers. In 7 weeks, I learned more applicable skills than in my MBA program. The training was also more challenging than I had initially anticipated, which also made the whole experience so much more rewarding. Every week I was pushed out of my comfort zone by the instructors and my peers. The lessons learned and the advice I received will be invaluable for the rest of my life. The entire experience was truly life changing.

Today, I work at an IT reseller in Texas and I truly love my job in technology sales. I have an amazing boss who’s a great mentor and I am part of a great team again. The best part is, our job is to help solve problems for our clients. I feel like I am serving again, in a different way, and I have regained a sense of purpose.

If I may offer any advice, ask yourself and your family what success looks like, a 6 (or 7) figure paying job? Good work and life balance? Should you capitalize on your strengths or follow your passion or both? Finding the right fit is so important.

If you enjoy problem-solving, especially in helping businesses solve their most complex problems with technology, then you should absolutely explore Tech Qualled’s technology sales program. You will never find a better team who cares as much and supports you, your family, your transition and your career growth. Tech Qualled truly changed my life.

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Leah Naish is an Army veteran and Tech Qualled Cohort 11 graduate. She is now in an Outside Sales Account Executive role at Sigma Solutions and is based out of Houston, TX.

I first heard about Tech Qualled about six months before I was planning on going through my military retirement. The plan to separate was hatched about two years before that, but I didn’t have much luck finding a job that fits with my unique background. Some of my friends who separated had jobs lined up that corresponded to a degree they received or working for the government in a job that corresponded to the work they did in the military. However, like many other jobs in the military, I really didn’t have a “pipeline” I could get into post-military. I had to get creative, and Tech Qualled found me at the perfect time.

Tech Qualled reached out to me via Linkedin. At the time, I hadn’t considered going into sales at all. In fact, I really didn’t know much about sales. After my first conversation, I went on a sales research blitz and found out all I could. Right from the get-go, I loved everything I read and heard about it. I knew from that point on, sales were where I wanted to be, where I belonged. I also knew from conversations I had with graduates I found on Linkedin that Tech Qualled’s training program was not only legitimate but that it set the bar for the sales industry. Thankfully, I was accepted into Tech Qualled’s training program right before my military retirement. I found the selection process very educational, and it helped set my frame of mind going into the training that followed.

The training itself was much more difficult than I expected. That being said, I absolutely loved it. I’m not a big fan of abstract concepts, I want to learn things I can use, and I feel the Tech Qualled curriculum is designed to be this way. I thought the final week, named “Sales Boot Camp”, was aptly named. It reminded me of Officer Training School, because there is a lot of information to learn and things to do and not much time to do it in. In a way, it felt like an appropriate transition from the military, as the military trains you to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.

One of the best parts of the training that I didn’t expect going in was how much I connected to my fellow cohort members. Everyone is going through a difficult time together, many of us took a huge chance leaving the military and going into a career we didn’t know much about. All of us go through the discomfort of the first few role-play sessions, and we see each other develop. We all meet up in Fort Worth and go through Boot Camp together, another tough test, and feel the euphoria of graduation together. Those experiences bond people for life.

Now that I’m on the other side, I am so lucky I found Tech Qualled before my military retirement, or more appropriately, that TechQualled found me. If you are a transitioning veteran and are on the journey I just went through, look into sales! If you need someone to talk to about sales, Tech Qualled, or just transitioning, find me on Linkedin, I would be happy to talk to you!

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Frank is an Air Force veteran and Tech Qualled Cohort 11 graduate. He is now in an Outside Sales Account Executive role at Softchoice; a leading IT solutions provider.

Demarcus Gilliard is a former Captian and Communications Officer with the U.S. Marine Corp and Tech Qualled graduate of the Launchpad Academy. He is now in a Territory Account Executive role at Check Point Software Technologies and is based out of Los Angeles, CA.

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“My job in the military was to set up communications networks for the units we were attached to in order to communicate via voice, video, data, and radio. As time went on, it was time to decide what I wanted to do. I didn’t really have a plan, I just knew I wanted to keep challenging myself.

A career in high tech sales was the way that I wanted to go because I could not only work hard but get paid for it. I was doing some networking on my own as I was deciding what I wanted to do, and I came across a friend of mine who gave me a tip about Tech Qualled. So I did some researched, explored their website and it really spoke to me. There were a lot of my skills that were transferable. With the cohort situation of veterans from all over the country, it was a bond and something we really relied on each other through the process.

When I got out of the military I was stationed in San Diego at the recruitment depot. Fortunately, when I started Tech Qualled, I was able to land a job in Orange County, CA with Check Point Software Technologies. 

I am a merit guy, I want to work hard, and get paid for it. And there is something so rewarding about putting the work to the grindstone and getting something in return.  Tech Qualled absolutely changed my life. It was literally the point where I was at. I needed TQ and it got me to the place I am now, and I’ve never been happier as far as a career is concerned. With TQ I gained the confidence to say I am qualified for this role. Tech Qualled had the contacts, the network to allow me to apply to many different companies.

The training is so relevant to what you actually do out in the real world. For that with the owners, the curriculum, the comradery of the group; it is effective, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Usability testing is the best way to gain a better understanding of how your learners (also known as “users”) interact with your virtual sales training course materials. During, testing users are asked to complete simple tasks while being observed and often recorded. User testing can be done in-person or remotely, and when well designed, it will provide you with some great benefits.

When you make usability testing part of your e-learning or virtual sales training development process, you will be able to:

Save money.

Development costs can add up quickly and when you can see how your users are interacting with your content, you can ward off potential mistakes. For example, you can remove items that they do not care about, and you can fix areas that confuse them, such as navigation issues and other functionality issues that may frustrate them. Understanding what the user experiences allows you to focus on development time and money on what is most important to them, and will improve your learner motivation and program efficiency.

See where your learners get stuck in the Virtual Sales Training

When a button, link, or any other interaction item fails to work properly, it can frustrate the user. Vague instructions can also create problems. You may think you have accounted for all the possible issues, and you may think you know exactly how the user will interact with your content, but chances are you have made some mistakes and the user will find them. Usability testing will help highlight what you have missed and allow you to fix issues before they become a major problem, and impact learning outcomes.

Get an unbiased perspective.

It’s hard to take a step back and view things with fresh eyes, especially after we have spent so much time working on a building out content and assessments. Even our own teams will harbor certain biases when reviewing, performing quality control checks and testing course modules. But we have to keep in mind who we are creating for, and we have to be able to view things through the user’s eyes in order to create anything of value. Usability testing allows you to see what the user sees and experiences, so you can make your e-learning course better.

Improve user experience and increase learning outcomes.

The goal is to engage the user, provide them with the material they need to learn, and ensure they complete the lesson. You may have great intentions but if you are not providing value and making it easy for the user to access and interact with the content, then all your hard work is for nothing. Usability testing can help you see barriers to success such as poor navigation, improper branching, interaction issues, unclear content, etc. so you can fix them and make the user experience as easy as possible for them. It is also important to make sure you are testing on multiple devices, and that you get a proper user sample to ensure you are not missing anything.

Lower support costs.

When you provide the user with the ability to self-solve problems during the lesson, you can lower your support costs and decrease learner frustration. Review your most frequently asked questions and most frequently encountered support requests. Fix them immediately so they are no longer support issues, and make sure you have resources or a knowledge base that the user can access anytime throughout the module to help get quick answers to potential questions. Make sure the information is always up to date and easy to find.

Keep in mind, building a virtual sales training course right the first time, can save you significant time and money in the long run. Not to mention help ensure better learner engagement, motivation, and outcomes. Usability testing does not have to be complicated, and it should be a standard part of your e-learning development process. Remember to test often, and make sure you are delivering the best user experience possible.

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Tina Indalecio is the Director of Learning & Development at Tech Qualled and has over 25 years of combined education, design, business operations, sales, and marketing experience. She has developed and delivered educational courses for K-12, higher education and adult learners. In addition, she has been an Adjunct Faculty member at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) and a guest lecturer/speaker at The Art Institute and UCSD Extension. She has taught marketing, communications, business, and creative design courses, as well as assisted students with portfolio development and reviews.

Five months ago, I was contacted by a recruiter from Tech Qualled asking me if I was interested in a career in the technology sales industry. Not knowing anything about sales, the technology sector, or what Tech Qualled was, I listened to the recruiter’s pitch with an open mind. My transition out of the Army in 2012 hadn’t gone as expected and I was looking for a career change. After 4+ years in health insurance collections, it wasn’t bringing me the fulfillment I needed on a daily basis.

I completed a thorough application and interview process with Tech Qualled of which only 15% of applicants are accepted; after that, I didn’t think about the training program much further. I continued my daily routine as a “corporate zombie” until I quit my job in December of 2017. I was going to dedicate time to really focusing on what I wanted to do for a career and not just a job. With two days left at my old job, I received the call. Jim Sheriff (Co-Founder and former CEO of Tech Qualled) informed me I was selected for the program. I flew out of my seat and started jumping up and down! I had no idea what I was going to do once my job ended and was grateful to have a direction and purpose in my career. I didn’t really think much of what was to come. I was just happy that I would not (hopefully) be unemployed for long.

During the seven weeks of training that Tech Qualled calls the Launchpad Academy, its flagship training program, it became apparent what an opportunity and gift this training was. I learned about the sales process, common technical terms, and products, current industry trends and insights, etc. The program fosters a spirit of cooperation amongst its alumni (similar to the same comradery experienced in the service). Fellow veterans who graduated from the program graciously took time out of their busy schedules to help mentor and guide me. I sharpened my industry knowledge and sales skills taking advantage of every opportunity the program presented. As a result, I’ve recently been hired as a Regional Vice President with nCino Inc., the leader in cloud-based operating solutions for the financial services industry.

I wouldn’t have been able to successfully transition to technology sales without the superb guidance and coaching of the Tech Qualled team!

Transitioning from the military is one of the most difficult things I’ve done, and I’ve put myself through some grueling crucibles. From the time I was six years old, I’d always known exactly what I wanted and how I was going to achieve my goals. I wanted to be an infantry officer, lead soldiers in combat, and ultimately become a Special Forces team leader. Admittingly, I never thought beyond that. Eight years of service, an extended stay at Army Ranger School, Special Forces training, and three deployments later I’d already accomplished everything I’d set out to do. Now what? I’m only 30 years old.

Recruiting agencies wanted to place me in an operations or project manager position because it’s a very smooth transition due to my leadership background. I’d already excelled doing that so why would I want to take a pay cut to do it at a lower level? As a Special Forces officer, my job was to connect with people, demonstrate value, solve problems and deliver for stakeholders and set the conditions for those around me to be successful.  I’ve always considered myself a servant leader and treated my soldiers as if they were customers. I wanted them to be successful while having an enjoyable experience. Additionally, I’m competitive, goal-oriented, and want to be rewarded for my performance. A future career in sales was an obvious path for me based on what I love to do and because I’d be able to leverage my greatest attributes.

Due to family reasons, I took a comfortable job in the Oil & Gas industry which helped transitioning veterans acquire skills to become future leaders of the company. It only took about six weeks of sitting in a cubicle to know that this wasn’t my future. I knew it wasn’t for me, but once again, family reasons. Exactly one year prior I was working alone in an African country executing my own plan, holding myself accountable, responsible for my own actions, and I had only myself to blame if I didn’t deliver. About ten people knew who I was, where I was, and what I was doing, but I knew I was going to crush the task at hand.

I’ve always known what I wanted, and at that moment sitting in the cubicle, I wanted an immediate change. After looking at sales openings I realized that almost every job required up to 10 years of experience, and then I remembered Tech Qualled had reached out to me nine months prior, but I just didn’t know what they were selling at the time. After consulting with several colleagues who had graduated from the program, I contacted Justin Ossola and immediately started the application process.

The program exceeded my expectations. You will learn the sales process, know enough about the IT industry to be dangerous and you will get an incredibly rewarding job. Additionally, you will be confident, competent, and eager to compete immediately upon graduation. The staff is incredibly passionate about your success, and you will never find a transition agency more invested in your success than Tech Qualled. They took a chance on me since I was restricted to Houston, and they delivered.  I landed a dream job just three weeks upon graduation, a Global Account Manager position with Checkpoint Software Technologies.

With this role, I’ll have the fast-paced, stressful, and financially rewarding lifestyle that I need. If you are self-motivated, goal-oriented, love interacting with others, and want to earn what you deserve then I’d insist you look into what Tech Qualled has to offer. I completed Tech Qualled while working full-time, earning my MBA on the weekends and all while taking care of two toddlers because I knew it would be worth it; I couldn’t have been more right. Completing Tech Qualled was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made; I frequently recommend it to almost every veteran who reaches out to me that I believe could thrive in tech sales.