Selling To Non-IT Executives

Non-IT executives are typically looking for a business case to be made as to why a cloud-based service is going to reduce costs, generate revenue or support a strategic project, according to CompTIA.

However, many transactional-selling reps aren't adept at services sales, causing channel firms to rethink the makeup of their sales teams.

Two-thirds of channel firms hired sales reps from outside the IT industry in the last year, CompTIA found, as a technology background becomes less important to sales success.

Non-IT sales reps also often have knowledge of a particular vertical, which CompTIA said can be useful to a channel firm looking to expand its customer portfolio.