Sales Engineers

[eliou]

Hey guys,

I am looking to find a new job in the next couple of months and need some advice. One of the positions which I am looking at is with a HVAC equiptment sales company. From what I have heard (one of my friends had an intern position there before) the engineers there make very good money due to the commission. The questions I have are the following:

1) What's the differences between a sales engineer and a salesman?

2) Is it hard to get out of the sales field and find another type of engineering job 10 years down the road due to the lack of technical knowledge you would gain as a sales engineer?

3) My friend claims that sales engineers (the hard working ones) there were making around 500k in a good year and around 200k in a normal year, anyone know if this seems reasonable? I find it to be ridiculously high.

Thanks!

 

[vc66]

1. Nothing. ABSOLUTELY, nothing.

2. I would venture to say yes, unless you proved to be proficient in the field that you wish to go into, 10 years down the road. This also depends on the level of technical training you receive as a salesman--err, uh, sales ENGINEER.

3. I could see those figures as being reasonable, depending on the commission involved.

V

 

[zdas04]

I think #2 is industry dependent. In Oil & Gas, the producers regularly raid the sales engineers at Halliburton, Schulmberger, etc. But, if you don't want to change companies I'd say it is nearly impossible to move out of sales.

David

 

[mechengdude]

1. Depends on the individual and the company. All and all I wouldn't worry about the title as has been eluded to in other posts on this forum.
2. I can't answer that question with any specifc experience I have but would agree that it might be somewhat difficult to get back into "real" engineering although I wouldn't let that stop me unless I was a real tech. hound.
3. If you have any sales engineering jobs available that make between 200 - 500K U.S. dollars please post a link so I can apply.

 

[Zogzog]

What if you are a seasoned engineer that is now a salesman? Would that make you a "Sales Engineer"?

 

[ChrisAust]

Or a 'sold out' engineer? ;-)

(sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[Gymmeh]

Do you want to be an engineer? or a sales person?

Once you get into sales... unless it is with hopes of moving into another Engineer position in the company... it may not be a wise move.

I personally would be very insulted if my boss gave me a sales engineer title.

 

[SomptingGuy]

We have employees who could be called "sales engineers". They visit our clients on a regular basis; they offer extensive support; they know LOADS about the product and its applications. They could almost certainly do many customers' jobs as well as the customers could ... and are often asked to do so. Maybe it's just an engineering software thing?

So, in the context of our business:

#1 A salesman sells anything. A sales engineer sells things he have deep knowledge in and can use the products as competently as a seasoned customer.

#2 Unusual, but not impossible. Many sales engineers move the other way. They get bored of the office and want to share their knowledge with customers.

#3 If anyone waved those sorts of numbers we'd lose them all!

- Steve

 

[csd72]

ChrisAust,

Id sell out for those incomes - any room for a structural engineer to do that sort of work?

 

[ChrisAust]

I'm just wondering what a structural sales engineer might sell.. Brooklyn Bridges?

Seriously though, I'd rather buy a roof truss from a guy that knew how to design one than from someone who could (maybe) just read the catalogue.

 

[vc66]

In my business, we sell $3-6,000,000 machines... The "Sales engineers" get a 2.5% cut...

I'd say that they make $500k a year, easy...

V

 

[monkeydog]

$500K a year!
That's a lot of lobster dinners for your client.

 

[KENAT]

vc66, given the car I saw him driving I'm not sure our sales guys make that at our site! Then again I think our tools go for less than $2,000,000 most of the time.

That money's got to be tempting. If you're willing to sell your soul go for it;-).

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[IRstuff]

Hypothetically, a "sales engineer" is supposed to have some level of technical knowledge of the product and its applications, while a salesman responds with, "I'll have to get a sales engineer to discuss that with you."

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[ChrisAust]

How compatible are sales/marketing techniques with engineering ethics? It could get a bit murky.

 

[TPL]

In my business, we sell $3-6,000,000 machines... The "Sales engineers" get a 2.5% cut...

I would be interested in knowing how many machines you sell each year? How many sales engineers does it take to sell one machines and how is that 2.5% divided up between them?

What sort of remuneration is given to 'Sales Engineers' who don't manage to sell a $multi-million machine - there must be periods when a lot of time and effort is given to preparing the sale - so the payback is good, but what about the period in-between sales?

 

[TenPenny]

A good 'sales engineer' knows more about the technical aspects of the product than the engineers who are specing and buying it. A good sales engineer is part of the selection/design/implementation process of the job, and in order to be effective has to know not only the technical aspects of the equipment he is selling, but also technical aspects of the customer's application.

Good sales engineers are, of course, rare. I have known several that have moved into consulting engineering firms, and their experience is that they know more about equipment selection and application than anybody at the consulting firms.

It wouldn't surprise me that there would be a FEW in the 500k range, but that would be market and geographically specific.

The biggest thing that sales engineers face is the lack of respect by consultants, who bill their clients at full rates, only to turn around and ask their favorite sales engineer to get the information for free.

 

[NCDesign]

Having started my career as a sales engineer I can tell you that it doesn't lock you into anything. Don't believe the hype about the $$$ though. It depends heavily on your market and what you are selling. The other big thing is longevity. The salesmen making that kind of dough for the most part have been doing it for a long time and as others have said know their clients job better than their client does.
You won't pop out on the streets and make a ton of cash. Your client list will be bottom of the barrel and you will have to work your butt off to turn those clients around.
If your goal is strict engineering, consulting or otherwise, try and get a job their first. If you can't land that job a sales position is a great way to get in the door. If you are good you will be constantly working with your clients, they will know you are good, and you will know when they need/want to hire someone. If your making great money at sales you stick with it. If not, presto you transition from the sales force to the engineering force.

 

[SomptingGuy]

I had to ask a sales engineer to leave once. He clearly did not know how to operate the (very expensive) bit of test kit he was trying to demo.

"hmm, that looks like it goes in there". Scratches head, looks in the getting started manual. Can't turn it on. Can't answer any questions.

- Steve

 

[vc66]

In my division there are really only a few sales engineers... maybe 5, and we sell, in a good quarter, 2-4 machines. The business is, however, very cyclic, so I'm not sure that they make that money all the time.

V