What’s the difference between a tech salesperson and a real estate salesperson?
What’s the difference between a go-getter (hunter) and a farmer?
This video dives into what’s missing in the DNA of many tech sales teams, especially compared to real estate sales. Here’s the core message:
Tech Sales Traits: Technology sales reps often share a strong digital or analytical trait—they focus on features and data, which works well with technical buyers like CTOs or IT managers. However, this approach can cause delays when dealing with executives who think strategically, leading to stalled or vanished deals.
Real Estate Drive: Real estate sales, on the other hand, operate on a commission-only basis with no safety net, so the urgency to close deals is high. The structure naturally pushes agents to perform at their best, whereas tech sales, with its strong base salary, doesn’t inherently drive reps to close every deal with the same urgency.
Performance Gaps: Across tech teams, only a few reps deliver big wins while others settle into comfort zones. In real estate, this 80/20 dynamic is sharper, as the top 20% of agents bring in 80% of the revenue. This comparison highlights the value of identifying “dealmakers” in tech sales who excel in opening conversations, managing strategic discussions, driving deals forward, and have high EQ. Importantly, they can regulate their emotions when things are challenging.
Actionable Insight: In a profiling study, 11 tech reps were reviewed, and only one individual scored low on digital traits yet significantly outperformed the others, closing 30% more deals. This success points to qualities like emotional intelligence and resilience that can keep deals in motion, even though lengthy decision cycles.
The Takeaway: For a breakthrough in building a high-performing tech sales team, consider adjusting your hiring and training strategies to focus on emotional awareness, urgency, and deal-making skills.