A sales engineer is a technically savvy person who sells sophisticated technology and scientific goods and services for a company. Their responsibility is to maintain extensive knowledge of the components, features, and workings of the company products.
Sales engineers are responsible for selling complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses. They must have extensive knowledge of the products' parts and functions and understand the scientific processes that make the product work.
Sales engineers work with customers to determine their needs and customize products or services to meet them. They also work with other sales team members to ensure that the product is delivered and installed correctly.
To be successful, sales engineers need to have a deep understanding of the products they are selling and the ability to develop relationships with clients. They must be able to understand the technical aspects of the products or services offered and communicate this information to potential customers. Sales engineers typically work in the sales department of a company and report to the sales manager.
A sales engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of the sales process. They work with customers to understand their needs and develop solutions that meet them. Sales engineers also work with the product development team to ensure that the products they sell can meet the customer's needs. In addition, sales engineers are responsible for training the sales team on the technical aspects of the products they sell.
Incumbents are required to have a combination of technical and sales expertise. Technical expertise helps sales engineers understand the products they will sell. On the other hand, incumbents must also have sales skills and charisma to sell these products. Product knowledge alone is not enough to convince potential clients.
Generally, sales engineers have a degree or diploma in engineering. Experience of at least 3 years in a similar position is also pivotal. Top candidates have several 'years' experience working professionally in sales engineering or technical support. Prior experience is required to ensure that potential candidates understand the different products and services they will be selling. However, some organizations take fresh graduates and train them on the job.
The sales engineer job description highlights the critical responsibilities for this role and the knowledge, Skills, Abilities and other characteristics (KSAOs) required for an individual to perform this job successfully.
Sales Engineer job description: Overall Purpose
The sales engineer is responsible for developing, designing, and negotiating product or service sales that would benefit clients.
Sale Engineer job description: Primary Duties
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- Promotes company products and services by making technical presentations and showcasing how a product would satisfy customer needs.
- Generates business leads by looking for new clients who could benefit from company products.
- Provides technical support and product education to potential clients by conducting trainings.
- Collaborates with sales team to plan, prepare and execute on strategic deals in complex sales cycles by conducting weekly meetings.
- Provides product, service, or equipment technical and engineering information by answering questions and requests.
- Complies with legal requirements by keeping abreast of existing and upcoming legislation and advising the customer on product, service, or equipment adherence to requirements.
- Prepares sales engineering reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing sales information and engineering and application trends.
- Reviews sales process improvements by reviewing past data.
- Facilitates product testing by doing pre-test presentations with the sales team.
- Negotiates tenders and contract terms by corresponding with potential clients.
- Develops and designs custom-made products by coding using different programming languages.
- Ensures that sales targets are met by continuously looking for new clients.
- Provides after-sales support by hosting after-sales meetings with clients.
- Assists in researching and developing new products by actively learning about new industry trends.
- Manages client relationships by visiting clients.
- Conducts proof-of-concept test design and execution by testing products before sales.
Sales Engineer Job Description: Educational Qualifications
This role requires an individual with a technical background in a specific engineering field related to the products on sale or any other industry-related qualification. A background in sales and marketing is also key for potential candidates.
Qualifications
- A degree in related engineering field.
- A diploma or certification in sales and marketing is a requirement.
- A postgraduate qualification in a relevant field is an added advantage.
- Certification/training in business management is an added advantage.
Sales Engineer Job Description: Experience Required
This role requires candidates who have industry experience in product development or design. Prior experience is necessary as it gives candidates a deep understanding of the products. When candidates have a clear understanding of the product they will be able to effectively sell and market them to clients. It is very rare for organizations to take fresh graduates without experience. Some organizations have two-year graduate trainee programs that train fresh graduates to be sales engineers. I've listed some of the qualifications that are required for this position below.
- A minimum of 3 'years' experience in a similar role is mandatory.
- Experience within sales is an added advantage.
- A demonstrated ability to manage senior-level relationships.
- A demonstratable performance track record in design and development is essential.
- A demonstrated ability to gather user requirements and work within a project.
- Knowledge of scientific processes is essential.
- A proven track record of meeting/exceeding targets.
- Experience in presenting and conveying product value to clients
- Experience in selling complex technological products
- Experience in sales or marketing is pivotal
- Previous experience in business-to-business (B2B) sales is an added advantage
- Experience dealing with clients.
- Experience with modern technical selling best practices.
- Experience selling in a competitive environment.
- Experience implementing new or improved trials, demos, and RFP processes.
Sales Engineer Job Description: Other Characteristics required
In addition to the qualifications and experience mentioned above, there are other things to consider in the role of a Sales Engineer.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills are critical
- Negotiation and social problem-solving skills are essential
- Strong data analysis skills.
- An ability to navigate spreadsheets to identify trends, outliers, and correlations in large datasets.
- Problem-solving skills are pivotal.
- Analytical skills are pivotal.
- Marketing and business acumen are important aspects of the job
- Organizational skills for maintaining sales territory are important
- Confidence in persuading clients
- Willingness to travel
Conclusion
The sales engineer job description often requires one to have an in-depth understanding of the company's technical goods and services. Incumbents must be able to transmit this information in a way understandable to non-technical clients. It is important to capture all the important duties and responsibilities when drafting the job description. The qualifications and experience for the position are also pivotal when drafting the job description. It is also important to note that this is a generic job description, you can also draft one that is specific to the kind of products your company offers.