Tech Sales and the Growth of EdTech

Tech sales and the growth of EdTech

If there’s one sector that has shaken up the world of sales in recent years, it’s technology. From AI to the rise of Fintech, technology has become one of the most important considerations for all businesses.

Tech doesn’t stand still either. While Fintech has been the jewel in the sector’s crown for a couple of years, there are always fresh disruptors waiting in the wings to create new tech sales jobs. This has been seen in recent times with the emergence of EdTech, or education technology.

In this blog, discover more about the emerging world of EdTech and what to expect from roles in the growing industry with Pareto.

What is EdTech?

EdTech stands for education technology, which applies to any form of technologically enhanced learning. The aim of EdTech is relatively simple – to improve and enhance education processes to boost performance. It includes, among others:

• Software designed to target specific student needs
• Time saving systems for teachers
• The use of tablets and computers in the classroom
• Remotely delivered training courses

EdTech is one of the fastest growing industries around. In 2015, research shows the sector was worth £45 billion globally[1]. However, the rate of growth in EdTech since means it’s being predicted to reach a global value of £128 billion by 2020 as the digital transformation continues, presenting huge opportunities for tech sales companies.

EdTech in sales training

When we talk about EdTech, it’s easy to think of applications in school and universities. But it has a vital role to play beyond that, even becoming a significant part of training successful salespeople.

At Pareto, we recognised the need for EdTech in our own sales training courses, which is why our Digital Learning solutions put technology at the forefront.

The new generation is tech savvy and used to turning to their phones and laptops for information, so we’ve adapted our training to meet their needs, bringing over 20 years of experience in training salespeople to digital formats.

Combine the traditions of classroom teaching with the modernity of digital training to give your staff a blended learning solution that helps them:

• Retain information through practice and repetition, thanks to ongoing access to digital training materials
• Optimise their learning with bite-size online courses and exercises that allow people to get a deeper understanding at a time that works for them
• Integrate their skills easily into their everyday tasks through applying their learnings to the real world.

Transform your team with blended learning from Pareto. Discover how classroom teaching combined with rounded, usable learnings on digital EdTech platforms can help your sales staff reach their maximum potential, whether they’re new graduates or managers brushing up on their leadership skills.

The rise of EdTech

Like most technologies, EdTech emerged after educators noticed a gap between the current education system and a new generation of learners.

Generation Z (and the even newer Generation Alpha) have grown up with technology at their fingertips. However, once they step into a classroom, outdated processes can make them feel detached and disengaged.

Luckily, many schools are beginning to invest in EdTech, with a reported £900m spent on this sector every year[2].

This is forecast to grow by 7% annually.

Of course, EdTech isn’t just beneficial to Gen Z and Alpha. It goes both ways, with members of these demographics often making the best tech salespeople, thanks to having grown up with technology.

Future of EdTech

The UK is already home to over 1,200 EdTech companies[3], with predictions for this number to grow by 29% annually in coming years[4]. However, it is far from a crowded market.

Even as EdTech grows, there are still huge investment and growth opportunities within the sector.

The future of EdTech is promising. We can expect to see new start-up EdTech businesses, as well as established sales companies, making their mark on the sector in the coming years.

Recruit for EdTech sales jobs now and get ahead of the competition, leading the way for the future of sales technology.

Key skills for EdTech sales jobs

Many of the desirable skills for EdTech jobs overlap with general sales experience. There are some specific abilities to look out for, though, including:

• Clarity – Most head teachers, university leaders and education boards won’t be tech experts. EdTech salespeople need more than just good product or service knowledge. They should be able to grasp the benefits and features of the product or service and be able to convey these to the customer in a language they understand.
• Empathy – A good EdTech salesperson should find a way to connect to the customer by understanding their specific needs and explaining how their product or service can add value to this.
• Adaptability – EdTech covers a diverse range of technologies and audiences. A good salesperson needs to be able to quickly adapt to change the way they sell a product or service for that market. It could be selling a product designed for enhancing the knowledge of four-year-olds for use in a nursery one day, then sophisticated software aimed for use in a university the next.
• Perceptibility – Like most tech sectors, EdTech is constantly evolving. A salesperson in this role should accurately forecast and research these opportunities to stay ahead of any competition and better serve their clientele.

Desirable experience for EdTech sales jobs

On top of the desired skillset, pay close attention to a candidate’s previous experience. EdTech covers a broad market and encompasses several sectors, including:

• IT and technology 
• Education
• Sales

Therefore, many companies looking to hire for EdTech sales jobs may look for experience in one of the above in a job application. More senior roles may also require specialised knowledge in areas such as SaaS. 

EdTech is a new and exciting endeavour predicted to grow exponentially in the near future. Don’t miss an opportunity to find success in this sector with IT and Technical recruitment from Pareto.