Want your Contech hires to ramp faster?

Let's be honest, ask any sales leader and they'd probably say that in an ideal world their newest hire would've made their first deal, well, yesterday.

We hear the words 'time to ramp' all the time in the Contech industry, particularly when we're talking to companies about building their sales team. It's an industry where every minute counts, so making sure new hires are up to speed and ready to close their first deal is a key priority for hiring managers when they're looking to grow. After all, a faster time to ramp means quicker ROI on hiring, better predictability in revenue forecasting, and ultimately the thing that everyone's looking for - competitive advantage. 

The other thing we hear all the time is the debate about whether hiring people who are already in the Contech space or have previous experience in the sector is the best way to reduce ramp times. 

So what do we think? Well, whilst you can bag yourselves a great sales person from a variety of backgrounds, we do think there are some real advantages for looking in-industry first when it comes to shortening the learning curve and getting your hires to ramp faster. Here's why.

Construction professionals talk the language of customers

We've found that candidates with Contech experience quite simply understand the nuance of the industry better. They're able to understand the pain-points of prospective customers first-hand from learned experiences, and are often able to build credibility faster as they can talk the same language. It's easy to overlook how important this is, but in the Contech industry in particular this can often be the difference between a prospective customer 'connecting' with a sales rep or not. Scepticism around 'outsiders' can be a real thing.

Speaking the language of the customers also means that they can frame the product they're selling in real-world construction terms and translate the features into outcomes and benefits that would matter to someone on-site.

They get to grips quicker

The Contech space can be quite unique when it comes to culture, lingo and legislation. Candidates who have experience working in the sector are likely to require less time spent on training due to the domain knowledge they bring with them.

Contech tools are often designed around nuanced, specific issues that impact the construction industry. Because of this, someone who has worked in the field or has an existing background in Contech is likely to be able to grasp the value of the product faster, as well being able to identify real-world use cases when talking to prospective customers.

They can be better objection handlers, because they understand the objections

Having a knowledge of the construction industry often helps sales reps anticipate objections (they've likely heard them before, on-site) and counter them with those real-world, practical examples. 

Resistance to change is common in the construction industry, so having someone who can empathise with this but provide practical reasons to overcome it can be a powerful combination. And one that goes a decent way towards successfully handling objections!

Let the stats do the talking...

Over the years of recruiting in the Contech space, we've really noticed how successful sales people with a construction background go on to be. And don't just take our word for it. The stats back it up; we've had candidates with construction experience close their first deal in as little as 4 days and on average we've found that candidates from industry take around 40% less time to ramp than those without construction experience.

Looking to hire someone with construction experience into your Contech sales team?

You can find even more insight in our Contech Salary Report 2025, or get in touch with me on joe.coleman@fmctalent.com to have a confidential, commitment-free chat about how we could help you grow your team this year and beyond.