How to Get a Tech Sales Job in the UK With No Experience

Tech sales — selling software and technology services — is one of the few UK careers where you can realistically reach a strong income within a couple of years, without a degree, and without prior industry experience. Companies hire for aptitude and train the rest. Here's how the route in works.

What entry-level tech sales actually looks like

Almost everyone starts as an SDR (Sales Development Representative) or BDR (Business Development Representative). The job: finding and qualifying potential customers through calls, emails and LinkedIn, then booking meetings for senior salespeople. It's structured, measurable work — and it's the proving ground the whole industry uses.

The skills that get you hired

Resilience and consistency (prospecting involves rejection daily), written communication (cold emails that get replies), verbal confidence (discovery calls and objection handling), and basic commercial curiosity — the ability to understand a business problem and connect it to a product. None of these require a technical background. Career changers from hospitality, retail, recruitment and fitness routinely outperform graduates because they've dealt with real customers.

Do you need a degree?

No. UK tech sales hiring has moved decisively toward skills-based hiring. What replaces the degree is evidence: a well-run mock discovery call, a portfolio of written outreach, familiarity with the modern sales stack (CRM, sequencing tools), and a credible story about why you're moving into sales.

Realistic earnings and progression

Entry-level SDR packages in the UK typically combine a base salary with commission (OTE — on-target earnings). Progression is fast for performers: SDR to Account Executive within 18 to 30 months is a normal path, and earnings scale sharply at each step.

How training changes the equation

You can self-teach sales, but structured training compresses the timeline and — more importantly — gets you past the first hiring filter. A programme that teaches modern prospecting, discovery and closing, run by people who operate live sales teams, produces candidates who interview like they've already done the job. That's the model Sloane Academy uses: sales training built from live commercial work, with career support and placement assistance included. Learn more at sloaneacademy.co.uk.