Every sales team has a member with a role in it. From the sales leader who ensures that the team runs smoothly and gives out orders. The salespeople themselves are the ones doing the actual selling either by phone or in person. But, what about the sales engineer?
Perhaps that does not get mentioned much, but it is a high-level position that is quite important to the sales team. While most sales reps are able to have the basic knowledge of their product or service, the sales engineer, has the job of ensuring the selling of advanced technical products or creating the materials for sale. This job requires more than just droning on about the specs of the product.
This article is to help you understand what a sales engineer is and their importance to the sales team. Let’s get started!
The Occupation of the Sales Engineer
The Bureau of Labor Statistics published that there are just under 64,000 sales engineers in the United States. Their job growth is expected to increase by 8% up to 2030. Most of these sales engineers have a Bachelor’s degree. They earn an average salary of $108,830 a year.
They are to sell complex tech and machinery to clients. Also, they often have to work irregular hours to meet deadlines and demands.
The Skills of the Sales Engineer
A sales engineer needs many skills for them to have such a position. Much of what they know should be in understanding technology. Some may have a degree in engineering or computer science. But, the sales engineer is still a salesmen, thus, they also need to know social skills for when they sell to clients.
It is important to have the right balance between the social skills and technical skills. Below are some of the skills a sales engineer should have in the work place:
- Technical Skills
- Customer Service Skills
- Soft Skills
- Ability to work with a team
- Interpersonal Skills
- Problem-Solving
- Having knowledge of sales
- Turn complicated info into easy-to-read material
There are of course many other skills to know. In fact, the other skills will be useful in the job as well and can make you improve your job output.
The Need for the Sales Engineer
As we advance society for the foreseeable future, businesses always need to be on top of their game when there are changes in communication and technology. That’s where sales engineers come in.
They often work on requests for proposals or RFP. These documents give assistance with solutions to problems and how the product or service works. The sales engineer is very much the IT worker of the sales team.
They can also serve as a tech advisor and assist in managing clients for their technical needs and maintaining relationships. Below are some of the positives of having one on your team.
Fast and Easy Access to Someone that has Product Knowledge
Rather than annoy the engineers or just try to learn it yourself, the sales engineer can be your ticket to success. Having one of these people on your team can help you with all the technical problems that you have.
Sales Team gets more Training
As stated above, the sales engineer should have the right mix of knowledge for both social skills and technical skills. Because of having that combo, they can also help improve training by explaining more about the product and its aspects.
They Give Crystal Clear Presumptions about Products
Every customer wants all of their needs met and will be satisfied when it is done. Of course, they get even happier if it goes over their expectations. A sales engineer can provide that sort of expectation by explaining everything about the product, how it works, and everything that is needed to know about it.
Creates Better Business Plans
A sales engineer helps clients ensure that customers have a plan for success and that everything they want is to be met.
A Smooth Transition from Worker to Customer
Another important role that a sales engineer has is the ability to help customers understand the technical aspects and then send them back home. A sales engineer wants to make sure that the customer understands the workings of the products and ensures a smooth transition from the business to wherever the product is going.
Conclusion
The sales engineer is a vital role. They get paid well for irregular hours working on the selling of machines and tech that are often too advanced for most people.
They need to have a perfect blend of skills to assist both the sales team and the customer. These engineers save the hassle and trouble of understanding all of the tech lingo and write all of the solutions and guidelines for each product.
Quite the amazing role for the sales team. Can you handle it?
