When you think of engineering, you probably think of a man with a large calculator in a button up stuck behind a desk doing math problems all day. Although the nerdy and awkward engineering stereotype might have some truth to it, what about the engineers that have a desire to engage with people? And on the opposite side, how could a typical sales person with a business background properly communicate with a manufacturing company without a technical background?
Sales engineering has become increasing more popular in recent years. A charismatic sales personality is just as critical as a technical background. Elasticity is a necessary component of a thriving business and engineering is a great example of that. “Forward Deployed Engineers” are engineers that are bridging the gap between product and customer needs. Manufacturing companies hiring sales engineers to discuss the product with the customer at a technical level can allow companies the necessary insight to maintain their elasticity.
Alex Isidro explains in his YouTube video, “What is Sales Engineering? | How to be a Sales Engineer | What is Sales Engineer?” that there are five main qualities that a sales engineer should have. The first is being adaptable, this ties right into the importance of elasticity. A sales person needs to be adaptable to the needs of the customer, but a sales engineer needs to use any changes in the customer needs as a basis for promoting an elastic company. The next is being a problem solver. A business environment is tumultuous and problems arise unexpectedly, so if you have the technical understanding and the creative mindset, you’re more than prepared to solve any problem that comes your way. The third is having people skills. A sales person should be trustworthy, charismatic, authentic – especially when selling equipment that affects people’s lives. The last two are having technical and sales knowledge. For a sales experience to be successful, you should feel comfortable and confident in the purchase- this comes from having knowledge in both good sales and the technical purpose behind your product.
Sales engineering is proving companies with a direct line to their customer and promotes elasticity within a company. Sales people and engineers are both problem solvers, so sales engineering encompasses the qualities of both roles in one.
BoweryJE22
It’s true that in order to be a good salesman, you need to have excellent technical knowledge of the product or service you are selling. I like how you mentioned that sales engineering provides a direct line to customers from a company, effectively cutting out the middleman and making a business more efficient and flexible. Good blog post!