Are you an aspiring Sales Engineer (SE)?

This blog is about a specific job profile –the Sales Engineers; widely known as the Presales. Regardless of the Line of Business or the domain, individuals who fall under the “Presales” bracket are the people who closely work with the Sales teams to procure business deals by technically convincing the prospects on how the product/service/solution will suit their needs. A decade ago, like a blessing in disguise, I was asked to undertake Presales during my second job. That was probably the first time that I had even heard that term. I took that challenge up without even knowing what the future would be like. Ever since then, although I have made few career switches, I never had a doubt whether “presales” is what I wanted to do and I strongly believe that it is one of the best jobs that suits my strengths.

Now, let me come to the reason as to why I am writing this blog. Being in the presales domain, I get to interact with a lot of potential presales candidates very often. Most of whom I have met are those who have been taking their maiden steps in to this niche. One thing that I have noticed among this group of professionals is the fact that the definition of “presales role” is quite vague for each of them. That is primarily because the respective organizations in which they work would have a different definition for the same role. So this blog is an attempt to define the top 10 attributes I have seen in exceptional presales professionals. If you are an aspiring Sales Engineer aka SE , here you go .

1. Trusted Advisor: Most of the clients trust the SEs; they are seen as trusted advisors. Never break that trust shown in you. Be honest without exposing all your flaws – (find the right balance), but never ever tell lies to a client/prospect. Always keep the clients’ interests in mind and keep long term relationships in mind, not the immediate gains.
2. Business Oriented: Every SE should be able to speak the business language. Don’t focus on features; instead focus on how your service/product/solution is going to solve the business challenges. Before you start explaining the product/service/solution to your prospects, ask yourself about how this is going to add value to the business. This ability would develop as you progress in your career, meeting more business executives. Be prepared and embrace this change.
3. Communication Skills: SEs should have the natural ability to connect with people. Within the first few minutes in a meeting, you should have the ability to judge the situation and get into the groove. Knowledge is important, but what is more important is the ability to explain that in simple terms. Practice that.
4. Sales Acumen: Every SE should be comfortable with numbers. They should know the basics of sales and understand and differentiate the terms such as revenue, gross profit, net profit, margins etc. SEs should have a good view of the commercial equations in a deal. Most of the presales professionals come from a hard-core technical background; hence this sales acumen needs to be developed consciously.
5. Excellent understanding of your “Product/Service/solution” : A SE should have a thorough grip on the technical elements of your offering . In the modern era where the clients or prospects have easy access to abundant information, one needs to be quite technical to add value to conversations. Clients respect that. Each SE role would demand a different level of technical depth – understand that and act accordingly.
6. Adaptability : A SE should have the ability to work in dynamic environments (lots of change): He/She should be flexible in the working style – be it the flexible working hours, be it the kind of people you work with, be it the travel schedule, be it the pressure of submissions and so on. When you transition from a ‘Post Sales’ role to a ‘Pre Sales’ role, one vital fact to not forget is that the clients would wait for a post sales person as they have made the decision to work with you, no matter what. However, clients need not wait for an SE; they are yet to decide and their options are open. One another important factor to keep in mind is the rapport with the Sellers. That is extremely important for the SE in case of necessary adjustments that need to be accommodated appropriate to the working style of the seller. Once you build that rapport, silence speaks in meetings. Small gestures can communicate and you will experience the true essence of teamwork.
7. Documentation Skills: Many a times when I ask candidates about the primary responsibilities of a Sales Engineer, they list down all fancy tasks barring “documentation”. We need to understand that every SE will definitely spend a considerable amount of time preparing documents – responding to RFPs, preparing proposals, compliance matrix, architecture diagrams and what not. Documentation is not particularly interesting, but is a very important skill to have.
8. Outlook towards sales function: I have heard few SEs make statements such as “I am not a sales person, I am really technical” Without exception, from the tone of the dialogue, it is evident that they consider sales to be a “not so proud” job. If you think you are one such Presales professional, please change this attitude immediately. Presales is very much a part of “sales” and you must respect sales function and must be proud to say – “I am a sales professional”. If you think otherwise, Presales is not your career.
9. Public Speaking Skills: SEs will have to do lots of presentations. When it comes to presenting in front of a large audience, lot of people struggle. If you think you are afraid of addressing large audience, please develop your public speaking skills. Never miss an opportunity to practice that skill. Tip: Read “Stand and Deliver” by Dale Carnegie.
10. Learning: This list is in no particular order and hence never underestimate the last point – Learning. As the expectations are always high, SEs should be extremely confident in their offering and the domain. They should know the product/solution/service in detail. Keep learning about the trends in the industry and keep an eye on the competition. Learning never stops for an SE.

If you are an aspiring Sales Engineer, I strongly believe that you should analyze the above attributes and compare with your strengths and see the areas that require additional effort.

If you would like to discuss more on this, please feel free to get in touch.

All the best.