As a sales engineer, you need to build strong relationships with clients who have different technical backgrounds. Whether they are experts, novices, or somewhere in between, you need to communicate effectively, understand their needs, and demonstrate your value. Here are some tips on how to do that.
Before you engage with a client, do some research on their technical background. What is their role, industry, and level of expertise? What are their pain points, goals, and expectations? How do they prefer to communicate and learn? By knowing your audience, you can tailor your message, tone, and style to match their needs and preferences. You can also avoid jargon, assumptions, and misunderstandings that might confuse or frustrate them.
It is very important to know your audience not only from a technical background but also from their past work experience. They might be familiar with a competitor's solution so being able to consult them on why your proposed solution would be a better fit for their need is crucial. Never focus on what your solution can do but how your solution can solve their problem. To be able to do that you need to understand their industry, pain points and dynamics and also you should ask many questions on their particular dynamics. Trying to understand their needs and mapping them with your solution capabilities in simple language and customer references will help built trust.
Be real and honest. Talk in concepts and drill down into technology as appropriate and as asked for by the customer. I have never seen a customer enjoy being talked down to by an “expert”.
I've always tried to maintain a diverse background myself. Or at least diverse knowledge of industry protocols, jargon and standards. That way you can at least understand the conversation and potentially speak to their needs.
Understanding the challenge, you should recognize that clients with different technical backgrounds may require more time and support to grasp certain concepts. Be patient, empathetic, and understanding of their learning curve. Offer support and guidance as needed, and be willing to explain things multiple times if necessary. Patience is key.
Early in my sales career, I sold into the local government space. While the agency understood the technology, often we were asked to present it to the 3, 5 or 7 board members of the township, city and/or county. Before presenting, I made sure to understand what they did for a living. This way I could use a car analogy for the gas station owner, woodworking for the woodworker, or whatever they were..accountants, lawyers, school teachers, etc. I believe it always made them more comfortable. Once after an analogy for a home builder, he said" Okay, the house sounds great, but you never said if it comes with a garage or not. What is it missing?"
When explaining your product or solution, use simple and clear language that anyone can understand. Avoid technical terms, acronyms, and abbreviations that might be unfamiliar or ambiguous to your client. Use analogies, examples, and stories to illustrate your points and make them more memorable. Use visuals, such as diagrams, charts, and screenshots, to support your verbal explanations and make them more engaging. And use questions, feedback, and check-ins to make sure your client is following along and has no doubts or concerns.
I strongly advice against using acronyms, and abbreviations especially when presenting to a group as even if the acronyms is not known to anyone in the group chances are that no one will ask you about it thinking that asking about it might make them look stupid in the group. If the group of audience is diverse, from different departments then its best to use examples and stories which could be understood by everyone.
One of the best ways to build trust and credibility with your client is to show, not tell, how your product or solution works and how it can benefit them. Instead of just describing features and functions, use demos, trials, and proofs of concept to let your client see and experience your product or solution in action. Show them how it can solve their specific problems, meet their specific goals, and fit their specific environment. And let them ask questions, give feedback, and interact with your product or solution as much as possible.
Its always best to give customized demos to the customer. Ask about their requirements and pain points before hand and try to show how your solution is going to fulfill their requirement or how it would help with their pain points. If they see the solutions to their problem in the demo you will not need to sell it as the customer would be wanting to buy it.
Another way to build strong relationships with your client is to be a consultant, not a salesperson. That means you are not just trying to sell your product or solution, but you are trying to help your client achieve their desired outcomes. To do that, you need to listen actively, understand deeply, and advise honestly. You need to ask open-ended and probing questions to uncover their needs, challenges, and opportunities. You need to understand their technical and business requirements, constraints, and expectations. And you need to advise them on the best solution for their situation, even if it means recommending something other than your product or solution.
Most customers will kind of make out if you are genuinely trying to help them with their problem or if you are just trying to sell them your product. A relationship cannot be made based on one sale. If you manage to close a sale which did not solve the customer's problem you would loose the customer in the long run for sure. So its best to let the customer know if you do not have the right product or solution for their problem at the present, the customer will appreciate that and will have a stronger and a longer term relationship.
Finally, you need to provide value and support to your client throughout the sales cycle and beyond. You need to deliver on your promises, follow up on your commitments, and exceed their expectations. You need to provide them with relevant and useful information, resources, and tips that can help them make informed decisions and achieve their goals. You need to be responsive, accessible, and proactive in addressing their questions, concerns, and issues. And you need to maintain regular contact, show appreciation, and seek feedback to nurture and strengthen the relationship.
In todays competitive world everyone is looking for best value for money solution. There is a market for products in all price ranges, its because the customer is looking for value of the product. If a customer finds value in a high priced product they do not mind purchasing that too. If you can show your customer how you product can help the customer save 5L Rupees a month, the customer will not hesitate to pay you 50L rupees for the same as they will be able to save that money within 10 months.