What’s in a title you may ask, a great deal when it comes
to the ability of a successful Sales Engineer.
We have frequent discussions with Managing Directors,
Operations Managers and Product Managers all regarding the same issue ‘are they
a sales person, a technical consultant or possibly both?’
If we consider a company selling a technically complex
piece of capital machinery to a specific industry where the sales process could
possibly take up to 12 months do we need an ‘off-the shelf’ sales person?
Enquiry:
An initial consultation request from a ‘warm lead’ comes
in involving a technical presentation, benefits and ROI for the equipment. The SALES Engineer is primed and dragging
out a System Engineer they head to the meeting to make sure the customer is
brought on. During the meeting the note book fills with questions needed to be
chased up at a later date but will this lose the sale?
By taking two members out on the visit we invest heavily
in the meeting but has this secured the sale and given the potential customer
the reassurance in the service?
A Game of Two
Halves:
When looking at the ability of a Sales ENGINEER we may not need to send out
the System Engineer as all angles could be covered but would they have the
commercial sense to secure the sale?
So the outcome is that we need a combination of SALES ENGINEER!
To find a ‘great’ technical sales person we should
consider the following:
Review the academic experience and the
complexities of any study taken in the past
Previous projects dealt with and the length of
time they were responsible for this
Recent ‘wins’ and who was involved (a clear indicator
on sales ability)
If dealing with a Product Manager did they have
a clear understanding of possibilities and limitations?
The support they have had in the past from
technical teams
Another common comment is that ‘over promise and under
deliver’ can occur when under pressure to secure the sale. Transparency is
essential when committing to the pitch, simple comments like ‘if we need it to
do this’ or ‘can it be installed by’ should happily and confidently be answered
with specific solutions.
With so many factors to consider from an employer
perspective it is essential that any relevant background should contain a clear
and accountable report of ability. Previous employers will play a part where
relevance to product or service is considered but looking for ability is
essential to gaining the right vessel for future development.
Written by Stephen Minney
Lead Consultant within Automation and Process Control at Aaron Wallis
After spending 8 years in the Army he joined the technical division of Aaron Wallis
