Why is there no section on this forum for sales engineering? 11

[HydroScope]

Hi There,

I have fairly recently become a sales engineer, for a industrial automation company. having sucessfully found this website usefull for technical issues in the past. I thought I would come back for some so called side issues as an engineer in my case "selling" as a profession. The products that my company deal with are the usual, servo/stepper motors, screw jacks, linear motors, through to linear bearing, worm drive slew rings. We have a broad range of clients from the defence force, mining, aerospace, theatre and factory automation. Obviously we make our money from advising our clients on our products. Before I became a sales engineer I had no experience and no "sales training" now my company would like me to get involved with some sales training. Assuming there are many sales engineers on this forum, I would like to ask two questions? 1) Is sales engineering not seen as a branch of engineering and hence does not exsist as a branch on this forum 2) Do you know of any usefull sales training that a sales engineer can make use of? as the boss needs an answer soon on a training course I would like to do. ;O) I'm struggling to find a course because I don't understand the so called skills I need apart from the obvious "knowing our product range very well". Thanks in advance for your help ;o)

 

[JavaJim]

You shouldn't be embarrassed to be in a sales role if you are an engineer. If your discipline was mechanical engineering before you took the sales job, you are still a mechanical engineer. The main difference is that your job responsibilities changed from product development or design engineering to sales. I know a lot of good engineers who have done this.

If I were you, my business card would say "Mechanical Engineer", not "Sales Engineer". You might want to use a subtitle of "Customer Applications" or "Sales Department". You are a degreed and experienced mechanical engineer who has decided to pursue a sales career. Many times, the sales staff has greater earning potential than the engineering staff because engineers work on a salaried basis whereas the sales staff can earn salary plus commissions.

 

[HDS]

Be careful of titles and think of the future. It might be easier to return to real engineering if you have a applications engineering title instead of a sales engineering title. The earlier posts show the reaction a resume for a sales engineer would get from most decision makers.

Good luck,

Does the boss also want you to take training in other sales skills like golf, drinking, travel, and fine dinning?

really, be thankful they do want you to get training.

 

[HydroScope]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all your input, I'm glad to say I'm obviously not that annoying Salesmen some of you have described. Since my last post I have been out on the road visiting customers whom where very receptive and appreiciative of my visit. I either sat down and had 30min convo's over their needs or my customer demonstrated there OEM product to me and described what improvements they where looking for.

since my last post i have also completed my sales training in the form a 3 day intensive course with AIM (Australian Institute of Management). I must admit it reminded me of studing english at high school, which incidently was the whole reason i started my direction toward engineering becuase I hate role playing and comprehension skills!! just give me fact and figures and leave me alone. I'll make my own judgement!! dont get me wrong I love meeting people particularly when they are in control of something I admire. But I dont just admire the obvious stuff like one of our client whom was in charge with the refurbishment of the deep space radio telescope largest in the southern hemisphere!! (we serviced the screw jacks at the very top for him ;o) it was great to go out and see it). but the guy down the road explaining to me how he managened to overcome the issues of manufacture his muesli bars, and what our company can do for him.

Yeah I think the advise to remove sales engineer and come up with applications engineering would be good that is what I feel my job is.

I'm glad to say the my company has now asked me to take a higher technical role on the power transmission side of things. So I think application engineer is definelty in my site ;O)

. . . . rbulsara to the comment . . . .

I can tell you one thing, you would not be visiting my office too many time, if you keep telling me how to save money on my specs. What I want is to meet my specs and let the Owner/User tell me that he cannot afford it.

. . . . . . .

I can tell one thing too, you clientelle doesn't include any government funded departments whom aim for things that simply don't exsist in the market place, which is fine how else to do we move forward? but the only people who can make money out of this senario are the ones who are prepared to hang around and explain what is really possible for what price!! and take the baby steps involve hand in hand with the other contracts in getting there.

 

[uGlay]

congratulations on the promotion. It also makes me glad to see users on this forum like yourself that keep composure even when challenged from multiple angles.

Best of luck in all you do my fair-footed friend.

Regards,

uGLay.

SW2008 Office Pro SP4.0
Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
2.2GHz, 2.00GB RAM
QuadroFX 3700
SpacePilot