The technology sector is among the pillars of our global economy today, and in some regions like the Asia-Pacific, it is the primary driver of business growth. There is so much banking on this sector, and almost every other industry is affected when something goes awry in this key business area.

In the technology industry, there is particular emphasis on sales and marketing. This is because the products released in the technology industry have a very short lifespan, therefore there is only a short window of time to sell them in, and for this reason competition is particularly intense. The way that sales and marketing staff in the technology industry are coached is different to any other industry as the way the products must be sold is different.

One example is the life of the products being quite short. In fact, saying that the shelf life is short is not right " we really dont know the life cycle of the product. There could be a competing product coming up tomorrow which totally makes this obsolete; or there could be a long life for this new innovation. We really dont know!

Another factor is the absence of physical boundaries. For normal sales, demographics play a vital role, and there are sales coaches who specialize in one area. But with technology, there are hardly any borders! Software invented in the USA could be being used in China within the hour!

Sales and marketing coaches in the technology sector (the good ones at least) will have had a successful career in the industry themselves and then moved on to coaching. However since skills and knowledge in the technology industry become obsolete very quickly, it is essential that the sales and marketing coach you choose is constantly keep him/herself up to date with all of the changes in the industry. If you can find someone like that, make sure you get them on a long term contract because they will be in high demand.