How can medical sales and Sales Engineering teams work together more effectively?

1 Understand your roles and goals

The first step to working effectively with your medical sales team is to understand your respective roles and goals. As an SE, your main role is to provide technical expertise, demonstrate product value, and address customer questions and objections. Your medical sales partner, on the other hand, is responsible for building relationships, identifying opportunities, and closing deals. Your shared goal is to win the customer's trust and satisfaction, and ultimately, their business. Therefore, you need to align your strategies, expectations, and messages, and support each other throughout the sales cycle.

3 Coordinate your demo and presentation

One of the most critical moments in the sales process is when you demonstrate and present your product to the customer. This is where you need to coordinate your demo and presentation with your medical sales partner, and showcase your product's value proposition, features, and benefits. You should tailor your demo and presentation to the customer's specific needs, goals, and challenges, and use relevant examples, stories, and data. You should also anticipate and prepare for common questions and objections, and practice your delivery and timing. Finally, you should collaborate with your medical sales partner to create a smooth transition between the demo and the presentation, and between the presentation and the next steps.

4 Leverage your strengths and skills

Another way to work effectively with your medical sales team is to leverage your strengths and skills. As an SE, you have a unique set of technical skills, knowledge, and experience that can add value to the sales process. You can use your skills to educate, inform, and persuade the customer, and to differentiate your product from the competition. You can also use your skills to troubleshoot issues, provide solutions, and ensure customer satisfaction. At the same time, you should respect and appreciate the strengths and skills of your medical sales partner, such as their rapport-building, negotiation, and closing abilities. You should also learn from each other, and share best practices and tips.

5 Address challenges and conflicts

Working with your medical sales team can also present some challenges and conflicts, such as misalignment, misunderstanding, or mismatch. For example, you may have different opinions on how to approach a customer, how to handle an objection, or how to close a deal. You may also have different personalities, styles, or preferences, which can cause friction or tension. To address these challenges and conflicts, you need to be respectful, professional, and constructive. You should avoid blaming, criticizing, or undermining each other, and instead focus on finding common ground, resolving issues, and improving outcomes. You should also seek feedback, listen actively, and apologize when needed.

Working effectively with your medical sales team can help you achieve better results, increase customer satisfaction, and enhance your professional growth. By following these tips, you can build a strong and successful partnership with your medical sales colleagues, and deliver value to your customers and your organization.