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4/1/1: 4 Random Thoughts from me, 1 tools to help Sales Engineers, 1 quote for motivation
4/1/1 There Is More to a High Tech Role Than a Stock Job Description
- April 22, 2022
By Ramzi Marjaba
4/1/1 Weekly
4 Random Thoughts, 1 Tool, and 1 Quote
We are in a complex world where someone says I’m a Sales Engineer and that could mean a million different things. And this week I talked to Michael Slater, the former Head of Sales Engineering, now the head of all Sales at Sherweb. Sherweb is a channel for smaller channels, and it was fascinating talking about that aspect of how that works. All this lead me to start thinking back about how I used to deal with my channel partners.
Check out the interview with Michael here.
One of the many things we have to overcome as Sales Engineers is our own personality. Last week I talked about how being an introvert has hurt my career. This week I talk about how I’ve overcome my “limitations” and used them as strengths:
Let’s get into the 4/1/1 based on these topics.
4 Random Thoughts From Me:
1- We cannot assume what someone else’s job is, especially if they are not part of our organization. We don’t know what their job description is, how they are managed, and how they are incentivized to do the job.
2- Introverts and extroverts have their challenges and their strengths. The most effective way to excel at our job is to lean on our strengths vs trying to work on our weaknesses. If someone does not enjoy being in big groups, there is no amount of work that will change that. It might be made more bearable, but it will still be unenjoyable. Whereas they would be happy working on improving their strengths.
3- I get questions about which company is better to be an SE in. The answer is always it depends on what you enjoy doing. If you work as an SE in an incumbent, much of the work ends up being customer relations. Startups, you might be building the process and on demos all the time. Mid-Market SE, demo all day. So the answer is the best company for you is dependent on what you want to do. Also, since companies grow, the role of the SE might change from year to year. So it might be good for you one year, it’s not so good the other.
4- The best way to figure out if a company might be a good fit for you, then my advice is to talk to people who work there who’d be honest with you. In an interview process, the same way an individual shows themselves in the best light, so does every person interviewing you from the employer. So if you have questions, find someone else. Better yet, someone who left the company and has nothing to win or lose if you get the job.
1 Tool:
The 4th edition of John Care’s Mastering Technical Sales is available for pre-orders. This book, any edition of it, is a must-read for Sales Engineer.
Mastering Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer’s Handbook, Fourth Edition
1 Quote:
“There is no one way to be a sales engineer until there is only one way to be a customer” – Kyle Macarthur
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