What does an SDR do?
An SDR, short for sales development rep, starts sales conversations.
New to the channel?
Start here.
The channel is how a lot of tech gets sold. Tech companies team up with partners like distributors, technology advisor firms and MSPs, and the partners sell to businesses. It is packed with great first jobs that most people have never heard of.
So we wrote the guides we wish we had. Each one covers what you do all week, what it pays and how to get hired. Plain words, and we explain the jargon.
How the channel works
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Tech companies (also called suppliers)
Make the product, like phone systems, internet or security. They team up with partners to sell it.
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Distributors and TSDs
Connect tech companies with partners, and handle the contracts, quotes and commissions in between.
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Partners (technology advisor firms and MSPs)
Advise businesses on what to buy, sell it to them, and often run it for them.
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Businesses
Buy the tech and get help from the partner they trust.
Never worked in tech? Start with the SDR guide. It is one of the most common first jobs in tech sales.
What does a Channel Account Manager do?
A Channel Account Manager works at a tech company and grows sales through partners instead of selling to every customer directly.
What does a Partner Marketing Coordinator do?
A Partner Marketing Coordinator helps a tech company market its products through partners.
What does a Partner Ops Analyst do?
A partner operations analyst keeps the back office of a partner program running.
What is it like to work at a technology advisor firm?
A technology advisor firm helps businesses choose phone, internet, cloud and security services. The staff keep that work moving.
What does a Channel Sales Engineer do?
A channel sales engineer is the technical expert who helps a supplier's partners sell its products.
What does an MSP Account Manager do?
An MSP account manager works at a tech company that sells through managed service providers (MSPs).
What does a TSD channel manager do?
A TSD channel manager works for a supplier. The job is to grow sales through technology services distributors (TSDs) and the technology advisors who work with them.
What does an Alliance Manager do?
An alliance manager looks after the tie between your company and a few large partners.
Articles
What is OTE? How pay works in your first sales job
OTE stands for on-target earnings. It is your base pay plus the commission or bonus the employer expects you to earn if you hit your target.
How to get your first job in the channel
On ChannelCareers, most entry-level jobs are sales development jobs at suppliers. You call and email people who might buy, and you set up meetings for senior sellers.
Entry-level channel sales interview questions
Entry-level sales interviews test four things: why you want sales, how you handle a no, how well you researched the company and how you do in a live role play.
More guides are on the way
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