How to Become THE Go-To SE
Every SE organization has them. The “go-to” SEs are the ones you turn to when you absolutely need something to go well. I’m certain you can think of several off the top of your head. If you want to be considered as one of them, these are the steps you need to follow.
Choose your niche
THE expert denotes a singular entity. This is true, but only as it pertains to a specific subject (see Ch 17). The go-to SE for one product is almost certainly not the same for a separate product. Or there can be different go-to’s for different parts of the technical sales cycle (e.g. presenting versus proof of concepts).
Find one particular subset of study within your organization where you are uniquely qualified to be the best in the world at something. Like any company competing in a free market, if your niche is too big you can be out-niched, if too small you risk not having the requisite demand.
Become the expert
Expert and go-to status are not the same. You need to have sufficient knowledge before you’re given the chance to leverage it.
In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell makes a case for a 10,000 hour practice requirement before someone can be considered a top expert. For broad topics I can definitely agree, but regardless of the time requirement, the key takeaway is that you need to outpractice everyone around you. Expertise is not simply a bestowed genetic legacy!
This means you need to immerse yourself in your niche, reading every book, subscribing to every website, blog, and relevant news outlet. It means you need to actively seek out and connect with other experts pertaining to your niche inside and outside your company.
Even if you haven’t written the book on the subject, you need to be able to if someone asked.
Become the go-to
Thankfully if you’ve reached this phase the difficult part is behind you. Luck is 9/10ths preparation. And if have truly put in the sacrifice to master your subject, SEs and reps will find you with amazing speed and precision.
But, in the tradition of The Sales Engineer, we don’t leave ANYTHING to chance. Here is how you can accelerate your mind share in the sales community.
- Seek opportunities to help - If you had to remember one this is it. Just like becoming the expert, becoming THE go-to means people can, well, actually feel like they can engage you. So prime the pump for them. Monitor your company bulletin boards religiously for topics meeting your niche. Do the research on their behalf even if you don’t know the answer. Get in touch with Marketing and see if you speak or attend specific events as an expert. Offer to do lunch and learn presentations to your local sales/SE team. This list is only limited by your creativity.
- Broaden your exposure - Don’t limit yourself to internal advertising. Seek out industry associations to get involved with. Though it may not seem important initially, the difference in being perceived as an industry expert is more directly tied to your external credentials than your internal ones.
- Advance your niche - The real experts contribute toward the body of knowledge on their subject. Start a blog, write whitepapers, perform original research, etc. This can be very time consuming but also extraordinarily rewarding.
Despite what you may hear, there is such a thing as job security. It just doesn’t come from a company. In lean times, the truly helpful and knowledgeable will always have positions.
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Filed under: Career Path, Growth, Marketing, Strategy
