How do you balance tech and business in sales engineering?

1 Know your audience

Before you prepare your presentation, demo, or proposal, you need to know who you are talking to. What are their pain points, goals, and expectations? What are their technical and business backgrounds, roles, and decision-making power? How do they prefer to communicate and learn? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your message, language, and style to their needs and interests.

2 Focus on value

Your technical expertise is important, but it is not enough to win the deal. You also need to show how your solution can deliver value to your customers. Value can be measured in different ways, such as saving time, money, or resources, increasing productivity, quality, or security, or solving a specific problem or challenge. You need to align your solution with your customers' value drivers and quantify the benefits and outcomes they can expect.

3 Simplify and clarify

One of the biggest mistakes sales engineers can make is to overwhelm or confuse their customers with too much or too complex information. You need to simplify and clarify your message and avoid jargon, acronyms, or technical details that are not relevant or understandable to your audience. Use analogies, stories, or visuals to explain your solution and how it works. Highlight the key features and benefits that matter most to your customers and address their questions and objections.

4 Collaborate and communicate

Sales engineering is not a solo act. You need to collaborate and communicate with your sales team, your technical team, and your customers. You need to establish trust and rapport with your sales partner and support them throughout the sales cycle. You need to coordinate and consult with your technical team and ensure that your solution is feasible, scalable, and compatible. You need to engage and educate your customers and provide them with the information and guidance they need.

5 Learn and improve

Sales engineering is a dynamic and evolving field that requires constant learning and improvement. You need to keep up with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in your industry and domain. You need to seek feedback from your customers, your sales team, and your managers and use it to enhance your skills and performance. You need to reflect on your successes and failures and identify your strengths and weaknesses.

Sales engineering is a balance between tech and business, but it is also a balance between art and science. You need to combine your technical knowledge and skills with your business acumen and communication skills. You need to be creative and analytical, flexible and structured, confident and humble. By following these tips, you can balance tech and business in sales engineering and achieve your goals.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?