A few years ago, I was placing a candidate for a senior leadership role. On paper, he had everything the CEO was looking for — the right industry, the right track record, and a team he’d built from scratch. He was exactly the kind of candidate you get excited about.
There was one problem. He was never available. Every time we tried to schedule him with the CEO, it became a game of back-and-forth. He didn’t have time when the CEO had time. After the second or third attempt, the CEO moved on. This candidate seemed uninterested, and the company had others to consider.
When I delivered the feedback, the candidate was stunned. He was interested — deeply. He explained that he was engineering his unavailability on purpose. He didn’t want to seem eager. He thought being hard to get would make him look more valuable.
It did the opposite. Don’t let this be you.
I’ve spent 22 years in tech sales recruiting. I’ve interviewed over 12,000 tech sales professionals and met with more than 500 CEOs and Founders of software companies. The market has changed significantly over that time. But people haven’t. The candidates who move to the front of the line aren’t always the most experienced. They’re the ones hiring managers most want to meet.
Here are four insights that will help you become one of them.
The hard-to-get strategy doesn’t work in job searches. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t chase candidates. They have pipelines full of qualified people who respond.
Being available sends a clear signal: you’re a professional who takes opportunities seriously. In tech sales, where responsiveness is a job requirement, it also shows how you’ll show up for customers and colleagues.
Let people know the best way to reach you. When interview times are offered, find a way to make them work. Your availability is already part of your pitch.
Hiring managers are not mind readers. If you’re excited about a role, they need to hear it from you. Many candidates hold back, worried that showing enthusiasm will weaken their negotiating position. But there’s a meaningful difference between desperation and genuine interest, and experienced leaders recognize it.
Send a thank-you email after every interview. Reference something specific from the conversation. Express what excites you about the role and the company. These gestures compound. They make you memorable in a process where most candidates blend in.
The people who reach final rounds are rarely the ones who played it cool. They’re the ones the hiring team wanted to keep talking to.
In tech sales, you already know this principle, so apply it to your job search.
The interview process is not the time to lead with compensation expectations or what the role can do for your career. That conversation comes later, after you’ve demonstrated value.
What CEOs and hiring teams want is the answer to one question: can this person sell? Come prepared with specifics. The deals you’ve closed. The revenue you’ve generated. The buyers you’ve sold to and what the buying process looked like.
Vague answers lose offers, while specific numbers and examples prove you have a track record of driving results.
If you’re in sales leadership, be ready to explain how you’ve developed reps, managed pipeline, and driven results. You’ll need to demonstrate both what you’ve achieved and how you’ve achieved it.
The best candidates I’ve placed didn’t just interview well; they built relationships during the process.
They asked thoughtful questions. They wanted to understand the company’s biggest challenges. They got curious about the people they’d be working with, the culture, and what success in the role looked like.
Every additional conversation should be viewed as a chance to learn whether this is the right move for you, and to show you’re invested in getting it right.
If a company wants to meet with you one more time, lean in. The more you know about your future employer and the challenges ahead, the better your decision and the stronger your first impression on day one.
There will always be a long list of qualified applicants for the best tech sales roles. Compensation is high, the work is visible, and competition is real.
After 22 years and 12,000+ interviews, I’ve seen it come down to something simpler than most candidates expect: the ability to make people want to hire you.
Be available. Show enthusiasm. Lead with what you bring. Invest in the relationship.
The front of the line isn’t reserved for the most experienced candidate. It goes to the one who made it easiest to say yes.
Related Reading: Interviewing with Non-Sales Leadership: Let’s Talk about Selling
