At Manchester Digital, we regularly shine a light on our members to understand more about their roles and their work within Greater Manchester’s digital and technology community. This week, we’re speaking with William Howard, Sales Manager at HPE, to discuss what a career in tech sales really looks like.
When people hear “technology sales”, they often picture cold calls and quotas. What does the reality at HPE actually look like?
While sales will always involve targets and proactive outreach, the experience at HPE is very different from the traditional image many people have. Rather than focusing on pushy tactics or hard selling, our approach is centred around building long‑term, strategic partnerships with customers.
At HPE, successful salespeople spend their time understanding a customer’s digital transformation goals, challenges, and ambitions. The real skill lies in being able to listen, learn how their business operates, and propose solutions that genuinely add value. It’s about problem‑solving, not pressure.
For early‑career talent, this means sales at HPE is an opportunity to become a trusted advisor—someone who helps customers innovate and grow. That ability to guide a customer toward meaningful outcomes is what truly defines an outstanding sales professional here.
Why do you think tech sales is one of the most exciting - and perhaps underrated - career paths for graduates right now?
Tech sales is an incredibly exciting and often overlooked career path for graduates because it offers rapid exposure to cutting‑edge technologies, direct engagement with C‑level decision‑makers, and one of the fastest routes to developing commercial, strategic, and communication skills. Few roles allow you to be so close to innovations that are reshaping how people live and work, such as AI. On top of that, tech sales is one of the highest‑earning career paths in the UK, with many sales professionals achieving top‑tier compensation early in their careers. It’s a rare combination: the chance to influence the adoption of transformative technology while building a financially rewarding and accelerated career trajectory.
What kind of person thrives in a sales role at HPE? Is it all about confidence, or are there other traits that matter more?
At HPE, the people who thrive in sales aren’t just confident — they’re curious, driven, and genuinely excited about helping customers solve real business challenges. Confidence helps, but what matters far more is having a growth mindset, being eager to learn, and having the resilience to navigate fast‑paced, high‑impact work.
Early‑career talent who excel here are natural problem‑solvers who enjoy collaborating, asking great questions, and building trusted relationships. They’re motivated by technology’s potential to shape the future and want to be part of guiding customers through that transformation. If you’re proactive, adaptable, and passionate about making a meaningful impact early in your career, HPE is the kind of place where you can truly accelerate your development and succeed.
Not everyone studying at university comes from a technical background. How accessible is a career in tech sales for non-technical graduates?
A career in tech sales is extremely accessible for graduates from non‑technical backgrounds. When I joined HPE, I knew nothing about, storage, or networking and that’s completely normal. You don’t need to be a technical expert to succeed here. HPE provides comprehensive training from day one, but more importantly, the role is centred on understanding customer needs and the outcomes they want to achieve, rather than diving deep into technical engineering. If you’re curious, eager to learn, and comfortable having strategic conversations, you’ll quickly find your footing. The technical knowledge comes with time, but the ability to listen, problem‑solve, and build relationships is what truly drives success.
What does the first year at HPE typically look like for a graduate joining the sales team?
The first year at HPE is all about community, development, and building a strong foundation for your career. Graduates join a supportive network of peers, mentors, and leaders who are invested in helping you succeed.
You’ll take part in structured training programmes that build your technical understanding, sales skills, and business acumen, all while working closely with your team to apply what you learn in real customer scenarios.
Collaboration is a huge part of the culture - you’re never on your own, and there’s always someone ready to guide, coach, or brainstorm with you. It’s a year of accelerated growth, hands‑on experience, and becoming part of a high‑performing team that genuinely wants to see you thrive.
How do you help early-career professionals build credibility with clients and develop long-term commercial skills?
We help early‑career professionals build credibility with clients and strong long‑term commercial skills by giving them early exposure to real customers, real products, and real technical challenges.
From day one, they’re involved in discovery sessions, solution demos, and product discussions so they understand how technology creates value in practice. This is supported by structured mentorship from senior sales people, people leaders, and presales who coach them on translating technical detail into customer‑focused insight and navigating complex client environments. We pair this with targeted commercial training across value‑based selling, MEDDIC, and sales fundamentals, ensuring they develop both sales acumen and commercial awareness.
The result is a generation of early‑career professionals who are not only credible but also commercially sharp, confident with clients, and ready to grow into future leaders in the technology sector.
Can you share an example of how someone has progressed within HPE after starting in a graduate sales role?
One of the best examples I can share is actually my own journey. I started at HPE back in 2018 as an intern in the Strategy & Planning team down in Bracknell. Like many people early in their career, I wasn’t completely sure what direction I wanted to take, but HPE gave me the chance to explore. During my internship, I joined the Sales Readiness Program, which was my first real introduction to the world of technology sales and I absolutely loved it.
Thanks to that experience, I was offered a role as a Digital Sales Account Manager in Manchester. Those first few years were incredibly valuable; I had the chance to work with a huge variety of customers across different industries, learning how technology can genuinely solve real business challenges. It helped me build confidence, resilience, and a real passion for working directly with customers.
From there, I took a big step forward into our Field Sales team, where I led the relationship with a major global hedge fund. It was an exciting shift, suddenly I was working on high‑performance computing and AI projects that were pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. It was challenging, but it was also the kind of opportunity that makes you realise how fast you can grow here.
Most recently, I moved into a leadership role as a Sales Manager, where I now have the privilege of leading a team of 12 talented sales professionals in our commercial business. Supporting their development has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career so far.
Looking back, what stands out the most is how supportive HPE has been at every stage. The culture here really encourages curiosity, growth, and taking that next step when you’re ready. If you’re early in your career and looking for a place where you can learn, progress, and be trusted with real responsibility, HPE is genuinely that kind of environment.
If you had one message for graduates who’ve never considered sales before, what would it be - and why should they look at HPE?
Sales and HPE can genuinely change your life, I would encourage everyone to at least find out more information about what a tech sales career looks like and see if it’s a fit for them.
Thank you William!
To find out more about careers at HPE, click here.
