Common mistakes Sales Engineers make - unknowingly.

As a sales engineer, it's easy to fall into the trap of solely focusing on technology and engineering, without realising that we are ultimately in sales. This can lead to several mistakes that we may not even be aware of. In this post, I will highlight some common mistakes that sales engineers make and how to avoid them.

Failure to understand the role.

One of the biggest mistakes is viewing ourselves solely as technologists and engineers, without realising that we are ultimately in sales. Sales engineering requires both technical expertise and sales/business acumen. It's important to understand that our role is to sell, not just to educate on technical matters.

Focusing on the wrong thing.

We often focus too much on the products and their features, and not on the and customers. It's important to focus on the customer's objectives and requirements during the sales process. This means actively listening to the customer with the aim of understanding their perspective, rather than just trying to push the adoption of our products. Additionally, while showcasing our solutions, we need to lead with the story behind the product instead of the product. We should focus on how it can help solve the customer's problems/pain points. This requires understanding the customer's needs and positioning the product as a solution to those needs.

Approaching presales as a technical training.

Coming from an academic background as a lecturer, I have fallen victim to this countless times. Presales is not intended to teach the customer about the technology, but to showcase the product and its features in a way that resonates with the customer's needs. We should avoid overwhelming the customer with technical details and jargon. Using language that is easy for the customer to understand is recommended.

Using a blanket approach for all our customers.

Sales engineers often make the mistake of using a canned demo or presentation for all customers, rather than tailoring their approach to each customer's unique needs. This can come across as disingenuous and can turn customers off. It's like applying for multiple jobs using the same resume-this reduces the chances of getting a call back. Thus, we should tailor each demo to the specific customer. Take it a step further by including something about the customer in the demo, e.g. their individual names or the company name. It will make them feel appreciated.

Over building the demo and overlooking a run through.

It's easy to get caught in the weeds of technology and forget the basics. Do not show unnecessary content and capabilities during the demo. Focus on what applies to the customer requirements at that specific moment. Based on your audience, you will make a judgement on whether to dive deep or keep it simple.

Before demo time, double-check that everything works properly before presenting to the customer. Overlooking details, such as language settings, can lead to embarrassing mistakes that can damage the customer's perception of us.

Finally, not learning from our mistakes.

One of the most important things sales engineers can do is to learn from their mistakes. This means being sincere with ourselves and reviewing everything that went wrong in a customer meeting, then working on improving it for the next one. It's important to be open to feedback and continually improve our approach to sales.

In conclusion, sales engineering requires both technical expertise and sales acumen. By avoiding common mistakes such as solely focusing on technology and engineering, focusing on the wrong thing, diving too deep into the customer's problems at the start, and using a blanket approach for all customers, sales engineers can become more effective in their role. By continuously learning from our mistakes and focusing on the customer's needs, we can improve our approach to sales engineering.

Notes

• I’m not an expert on this stuff. I’m just sharing what I have experienced in my journey so far, so this is a work in progress.

• This should be obvious to sales engineers, but this is my opinion of what should be top of mind.

• Reference: @chriswhite-The six habits of an effective sales engineer - free on kindle unlimited, for those who would like to read further.