IT sales professional : Training

Most training is on the job and will vary depending on the size of the company. Traditional graduate recruiters usually arrange a set induction period, which may focus on the aims of the business, individual training objectives, shadowing senior members, mentoring and external courses. The development of extensive communication skills is encouraged and marketing training may also be provided by way of short courses.

If you work for a smaller organisation, training is likely to be intensive and in-house, aimed at giving you comprehensive technical knowledge of your employer's products. You may also be expected to shadow a senior sales professional, quickly moving into your sales role and taking immediate responsibility for key clients.

Although most training offered is in-house and tailored to a company's own products and client group, it may be possible to receive external training and qualifications via the BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) . A database of training courses in the UK is available from e-skills UK - The Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology . These are independent courses, and course fees vary between providers.

There will be many opportunities to attend conferences and industry events which will aid in your learning and help to develop your product and industry knowledge. Some IT companies such as Microsoft offer sales workshops and e-learning courses.

Training within the IT sales professional’s role is often focused on continual learning and maintaining a good working knowledge of products and services in a fast-moving and evolving industry. This means keeping up to date with industry trends and having a continuous awareness of competitors’ strengths and weaknesses to stay ahead of them.