How to Become a Sales Engineer III
<EDIT>
All 3 parts are now part of a single eBook. Click below to download.
How to Become a Sales Engineer - eBook
</EDIT>
In part 2 of How to Become a Sales Engineer we looked at preparing for and getting an interview. If you are reading this and thinking this process is a ton of work, you are right. But take satisfaction in that if you able to get the interview, you’ve already got a very good chance of being hired. Most managers never interview more than 5-6 individuals and many bring in only 2-3. With this small number of competitors plus your level of preparation, you’re assured to be a top contender before you ever walk into their office.
With that, let’s talk about how you nail that interview.
6. The interview
Depending on the position and industry, your interview could go several different ways, but there are common themes specific to the SE role that I will talk about here. Most SE interviews consist of the following:
- Meeting with the SE manager
- Meeting with 1-2 other SEs on the team
- Meeting with the sales manager
- Meeting with your potential sales rep(s)
- Being asked to give a presentation or demonstration (or other thinking on your feet—type task)
The big takeaway from this section is that, like in many things, luck favors the prepared. A quote I always enjoyed from Darren LaCroix (who won the Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking contest) is “I knew I was not the most talented; not the best speaker in the world. But, I thought, I can be the best prepared.” Being better prepared will give you the edge you need simply because most people don’t do it.
Here are things you need to have mastery over. Keep in mind that now you get to focus on a single company.
- The industry in which it operates (includes the competition)
- The company history, business model, and recent performance
- Current events that impact its business
- The products/services it sells
- How this position fits into their sales model
This list is short, but let me stress this point: You need to come across as an industry veteran even if you don’t have the specific experience. This is because you could be very well competing with others that do and will also have this knowledge. This is not the ticket to getting hired, this sacrifice in study is the entry fee.
With all of that said, here are my recommendations to distance yourself from the pack.
Prepare for a presentation/demonstration
When interviewing outside candidates, I always mention that they will be delivering a pitch to me on a specific product of ours and leave it at that, but many SE managers won’t mention that or would be ok with any topic of presentation. The real self starters I have seen pull down our PPT template and product from the web and come prepared to do a full pitch on the spot. Ok, so maybe no one has ever done that to any extreme that I’ve witnessed, but I keep hoping to see it so I can hire them on the spot. If you aren’t asked to prepare a pitch, do so anyway and make sure the interviewer knows you have it ready. I might even go so far as to mention that you understand it is hard to know how someone will perform under pressure and offer to go through your pitch anyway. Just don’t force it on them.
The proposal
In addition to a preso and demo, I also recommend you craft a written proposal based on the company’s product(s) and a case study (maybe even based on your current company). It can be as detailed as your understanding of their products, but you should minimally prepare a few-page report detailing how you would implement its product(s) at a company and the benefits the case study can expect to receive. It not only is a tangible demonstration of your knowledge but more so shows your initiative and willingness to go the extra mile. I kind of liken it to extra credit in school—the teacher will probably only glance at the contents, but you still get the full points just for doing it.
Interviewer questions
Most know to come to an interview prepared to ask a few questions. From what I’ve seen this does most interviewees more harm than good because many questions asked are shallow or publically available. To me that demonstrates poor research skills and even poorer initiative. The type of questions you want to ask take two forms:
- The tough business questions others are afraid to ask
- Targeted questions that steer the conversation to your areas of strength
Asking the tough questions
Conventional wisdom will say to keep the questions mundane so you don’t offend anyone or make the interviewer uncomfortable. The trouble is this sets you up as a less memorable (read: average) candidate. In order for you to make the right career decision you need answers to your tough questions. You also need to stand out. Get everything out on the table in a respectful and positive manner. Example: Bad question – What do you think about Competitor A? Good question – In my research it looks like Competitor A is gaining some market share by pushing feature xyz despite the fact it looks like you have a superior product. What’s the company response been to this?
Targeted questions
Skilled conversationalists use this technique often to steer conversations to their areas of expertise. Recruiters call this the Question-Listen-Respond (QLR) technique. Based on your unique skills and history, prepare a few questions in advance you can use to highlight your strengths. Ask the interviewer an open ended question, listen intently to the response, and then add to that discussion by applying it to your strength. Example: “Product A looks like it would be a good fit for SOX compliance, but I didn’t see a strong marketing push exploiting this. Is this a market you’ve explored in the past?” The interviewer will respond. Then you can add “I agree it’s a bit of an untapped market. I participated on the SOX compliance project with my current employer and we definitely could benefit from a solution like this”.
These are simplistic examples but I’m sure you get the idea. If you’re wondering whether this is ethical or underhanded, my personal take is that you are completely justified in taking this approach. If you think about it, the interviewer (if any good) is certainly trying to steer the conversation and also using verbal techniques to get inside your head. I’m simply advocating turning it into a two-person sport.
Roles
As I mentioned it is likely you will be interviewing with several people, and possibly presenting to a larger group. Here are some tips about speaking with each type of person.
Other SEs
Other SEs on the team are primarily interested in your technical abilities as it relates to your ability to add to the local collective knowledge base. The interview team will also look to SEs to specifically validate your technical abilities since they are really the only ones qualified to do so.
Sales reps
Reps will primarily base their decision on your presence and communication abilities. They would much prefer a great communicator to a great product expert. Plus, they usually assume you’ll be able to learn the technical piece on the job. If they see you nail the presentation, you’re 80% in.
Sales managers
Sales managers will primarily be looking at your ability to function as part of a sales team. Their main focus is team revenue attainment and you need to convince them you can bring value to the sales team. Your understanding of the SE’s role in the sales process is critical as is highlighting experience (or desire of) working with customers.
Astute SE managers understand these relationships and are mindful to only bring in qualified interview candidates since poor ones reflect on them and waste everyone’s time. Expect the manager to prequalify you and make final judgment based on these criteria.
7. Closing and negotiating
After your interview comes the standard fare with thank you notes to everyone you spoke with. I have no specific tips other than just make sure you follow proper etiquette. At this point the manager’s decision is already likely finalized; just don’t blow it.
During one of your interviews or follow up conversations salary expectations were likely discussed. If you get down to the final phase of salary negotiation and/or offer letter, I would feel comfortable with minor negotiation around salary, but unless it is not a competitive offer, I wouldn’t push it. Once you’ve got your foot in the door as an SE in your industry and have proven your abilities; that’s when I would get aggressive.
—
There is no doubt about this being a very lengthy and involved process. And I’ll be the first to admit you can break into this industry simply with a high tech degree or background and a good recruiter. This process is not for those that let luck determine their outcome. While nothing can guarantee success, you’ll find this to easily get you ahead of 90% of your peers and dramatically increases the chance you will not only break into the industry, but will also find a fit with a company that propels your career longer term. I wish you the best of luck with your endeavor. If you have any additional insights, please contact me and I will update accordingly. For me it’s a work in progress.
Related Posts at thesalesengineer.com
Filed under: Career Path
