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When delivering advanced IT solutions, the pre-sales process is a key element of success. Sales department heads of IT/Telecom companies are increasingly hiring skilled employees who can combine technical and sales skills.
From the recurring study by Antal International – Antal Global Snapshot – it appears that since 2010, the demand for specialists in the IT sector has been steadily increasing. Among the sought-after employees, a significant portion are pre-sales specialists. The average basic salary for Pre-Sales positions ranges between PLN 6000 and PLN 20,000 gross per month. It all depends on the length of service, with the most sought-after specialists being those with at least 3 years of experience, substantive skills, and sales successes. A technical sales support specialist can expect significantly higher remuneration from the manufacturer – between PLN 10,000 and PLN 20,000 gross per month.
Sales Department Salaries
The highest demand for such candidates is in companies implementing long-term IT or telecommunications projects. Among Antal International's clients, the most common needs are in the following specializations:
- Business applications – ERP, SCM, BI, BPM, work flow, ECM
- IT infrastructure – server specialists (rack, blade) and storage (backup and archiving), network technologies (LAN, SAN, WAN)
- Telecommunication infrastructure
- Applications like contact centers and unified communications
- IP solutions
Despite the varied nomenclature of the described position (e.g., Sales Engineer), its role in long-term sales projects is key. A critical element of the acquisition process is the quality of services and the skillful translation of system functionalities into the language of business benefits. That's why employers in the IT/Telecom sector select their technical sales support specialists very carefully. Sometimes, when setting specific sales targets, they link Account Managers and Pre-Sales teams, which is motivating for both parties.**
The growing role of sales support in the IT/Telco sector
Working daily with many companies and specialists in the field of sales support in IT/Telco, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the depths of this specific world. What struck me was the fact that companies focus heavily on the technical background of candidates during the recruitment process. I noticed that the requirements set for employees are not only related to their specific experience but above all to their deep technical background. This means that the ideal candidate is someone who started their professional career in IT/Telecom, often in basic positions such as programmer, implementer, or system engineer. These early career stages provide them with solid technical foundations, invaluable in later sales and support stages.
However, while technical skills are essential, personal predispositions are equally important. In today's sales world, communication is key. A person working in sales support must not only understand complex technical concepts but also be able to convey them in a way that is understandable to clients, often without deep technical knowledge. The ability to communicate freely and present is crucial. From my experience, even backoffice employees, who traditionally deal more with the company's internal aspects, are now increasingly moving to the front, engaging directly in sales processes.
Optimazing Recruitment
Highly qualified Pre-Sales specialists are increasingly rare, and market needs are still growing. Therefore, the best employers tempt with higher salaries, attractive career paths, and international product training.
The best way to reach effective sales engineers is to commission their search to an IT recruitment consultant, who has specialist knowledge of such positions. With an extensive network of contacts and access to industry recommendations, the recruiter can quickly reach such a niche group of candidates. And it is this industry knowledge in the IT/Telecom area that is crucial, as it undoubtedly is the best tool for substantive verification of candidates and selecting people with the right personality profile. Such methods optimize the recruitment process and at the same time minimize the risk of lost benefits with prolonged searches by internal HR departments.
If you are interested in further information on the labor market in the IT/Telecom sector or cooperation in the implementation of recruitment projects in this area for specialist and middle and higher managerial positions, please contact:
Konrad Witek
Senior Consultant
IT/Telecom
Tel: +48 22 48 35 000
Fax: +48 22 48 35 001
E-mail: kwitek@antal.com
Antal International Sp. z o.o.
Stratos Office Centre,
Ks. Skorupki Street 5
00-546 Warsaw, Poland
Web: www.antal.pl
Antal International on goldenline.pl
The author specializes in recruitment in the IT/Telecom sector in the areas of sales and sales support. He has three years of commercial experience in advanced IT solutions: ERP, CRM, BI, SFA systems.
