Solutions Engineering: 7 Tips to go from Good to Great!

I've had the privilege of leading our Solutions Engineering organization at DroneDeploy since 2018. Over that period I've spent a lot of time researching what it takes to be an effective Solutions Engineer (SE), sometimes also refereed to as Sales Engineer, but also what it takes to grow a successful Solutions engineering organization. I've read numerous books on effective Solutions engineering, interviewed other Solutions engineering leaders to understand how they've established and grown their organizations, and I've spent time learning what it takes for their Solutions engineers to be successful within their companies.

Solutions Engineering (also sometimes referred to as Sales Engineering, Solutions Consulting, or Sales Consulting) as a role is still a new position in many companies. Its need has been driven by the growth of Enterprise SAAS companies over the past decade, requiring organizations to be knowledgeable about the industries their customers represent while navigating the complexities and intricacies of their own products. Add to that a changing regulatory environment and a fast-changing product, and it becomes increasingly unmanageable as a company grows its customer base. That's where Sales Engineers fit in.

If you're looking to uplevel your SE game, or are considering a transition into Sales Engineering, here are 7 tips to becoming a successful SE.

1. They are effective storytellers, guiding clients on a journey while describing the customer's challenges and aligning their product as the solution. Selling the product isn't about showing clients every piece of functionality and every service that your company provides, it's about painting a story, where they are the main protagonist. This means they need to understand the technical requirements of the customer but are primarily consultative in their roles. They don't need to know the answer to every question, but by being inquisitive, they can identify pain points, and tell a story.
2. They are experts in their own domains, following industry trends, and sharing knowledge and feedback with the sales teams, helping them drive deals forward. At DroneDeploy, we service clients across different industries. Our SEs are experts in their own fields, allowing them to share their knowledge within the company and serve as trusted subject matter experts with our clients.
3. They tailor unique, custom presentations for every customer. They understand that every client is different, even if their use cases are similar to other clients they've worked with previously. They have their own wants and needs. An effective SE can distinguish between them, understand what motivates them, and deliver a presentation the resonates with the client.
4. They develop strong relationships with partner teams including product, engineering, and marketing. An effective SE serves as the bridge between the product and sales organizations. It requires them to understand their organization's dynamics, who's responsible for what, and who to leverage within their company to move deals along quickly.
5. They develop even stronger relationships with their sales teams, establishing consistent communication to ensure alignment on open opportunities. The AE and SE are like a sniper spotter team. Sure the sniper can identify the target, humidity levels, wind speeds, and distance to target on their own, but they'll likely miss their target. By offloading that work to the spotter, the sniper can focus on what they do best, hitting their target. The same applies to AEs and SEs. An effective SE understands the needs of the AE to ensure deals move quickly and efficiently.
6. They are excellent at managing their time to optimize effectiveness for each opportunity. At a fast-growing company like DroneDeploy, there is always a need for SE assistance on opportunities. A great SE needs to be able to identify the strong opportunities, understand time commitment to ensure a successful deal, and manages their time to ensure deals move smoothly, without overcommitting.
7. They can identify risks early within the opportunity. Identifying an at-risk opportunity is just as important as identifying strong opportunities. A great SE can identify risks for the opportunity early during the sales process, whether that's a lack of functionality, misalignment with the clients' expectations, the timeline for adoption, or even budget. By identifying risk early, they ensure that their AE's are aware of the risk, and can plan their quarter accordingly.

Interested in a career in Solutions Engineering, or looking to switch from your current role? At DroneDeploy, we're actively hiring for Solutions Engineers to join our fast-growing team. To get started, shoot me a message and tell me why you're interested in the role.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jay Mulakala?currently leads the Solutions Engineering team at DroneDeploy, a fast-growing startup working to make drone data accessible to anyone, anywhere. Prior to joining DroneDeploy, Jay has worked in a variety of roles across product, user experience, engineering, and marketing. Jay was the Product Manager at?Kespry, working to help build the next generation of cloud applications within Aggregates and Mining, Construction, and Insurance. Jay has also co-founded?FreeSkies, a Bay-area drone startup that revolutionized consumer drones for use in professional photography and videography.