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Succeed as a Sales Engineer

Giulio Cattarin

4.6

Based on 8 ratings

Giulio Cattarin

Are you new to Presales or are you entertaining the idea of becoming a Sales Engineer?

Have you been working in Presales for some time and feel the need to take a new look at your profession?

Then this course is for you.

Incredibly, there are very few resources available to improve and become a successful Sales Engineer.

Are you new to Presales or are you entertaining the idea of becoming a Sales Engineer?

Have you been working in Presales for some time and feel the need to take a new look at your profession?

Then this course is for you.

Incredibly, there are very few resources available to improve and become a successful Sales Engineer.

Sure, the Internet is full of training courses dedicated to sales techniques, and your company can provide you with highly technical materials covering every single feature and function of every product in the portfolio... but finding the right alchemy between sales language and technical expertise is a tough challenge that every Presales professional encounters.

Sales Engineers, especially at the beginning of their career, need to learn how master a range of skills, including soft skills - to win the customer's trust, keep them engaged throughout the meeting and read between the lines - and hard skills, ranging from security aspects to software architecture, from configuration to customisation, from mobile access to administrative tasks.

This course offers a tried and tested framework to help Sales Engineers succeed in their working life. It covers:

The essentials:
- formulating the Problem Statement and Value Proposition
- describing the Main Features of a product
- identifying Key Differentiators and Commoditized Features
Technical aspects:
- Distinguishing between configuration, extensibility and customisation
- Discussing mobile access and security
- Articulating the pros and cons of various software hosting options
Sales skills:
- Gaining the customer's trust and challenge their beliefs
- Understanding buyer personas, qualification frameworks and the sales process
- Illustrating success stories
- Describing licensing models and keep an eye on the competition.
Interacting with Post-sales departments, from technical support to customer success management and the product centre

Learning presentation techniques specifically tailored for Sales Engineers, covering live demonstrations, automated demo platforms, logistics, managing questions and more.

Navigating additional Presales activities, such as RFIs, RFPs, PoCs, PoVs and more.

Presales is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding career paths you can choose in the world of technology and by taking this course you will learn extremely important concepts that will help you succeed in your job.

While I am confident that you will enjoy this course, I offer a 30-day money back guarantee should it not meet your expectations.

Let’s get started.

Disclaimer - The opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of my employer or any other third party.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

Discover what sales engineers / presales consultants do and how to succeed as one!
Learn what to focus on while upskilling on new products
Decode typical sales jargon
Become the customer’s trusted advisor

Bridge the pre-sales with the post-sales worlds
Hone your product presentation skills and beat the competition
Identify opportunities and pitfalls in rfx's, pocs and povs

Discover what sales engineers / presales consultants do and how to succeed as one!
Learn what to focus on while upskilling on new products
Decode typical sales jargon
Become the customer’s trusted advisor
Bridge the pre-sales with the post-sales worlds
Hone your product presentation skills and beat the competition
Identify opportunities and pitfalls in rfx's, pocs and povs

Syllabus

Introduction

Welcome to the course! Let's go over the course mission and structure.

Discover the main entry points into Presales professions

Entry points into Presales professions and the skills required to succeed.

How to survive a 15-minutes conversation with a prospect.

Describe the challenge your product was born to solve.

Convey your product’s business value in a concise and effective way.

Linking functionalities with business outcomes – the Presales way!

How does your product stand out from the crowd? Sales (engineering) at its core

… can’t do without them!

This quiz will help you revise the concepts we encountered in section 3!

Because Sales Engineers are still Engineers!

Because your average Joe doesn't like coding!

When push comes to shove

“Wherever you are, whenever you need it”

Not a battery type, but rather a security framework.

What matters in Presales conversations.

When and why they still matter.

Why SaaS is taking over the software world.

Cup or cone?

Keep future system administrators happy!

This quiz will help you revise the concepts we encountered in section 4!

Playing good cop, bad cop.

Because all business is ultimately personal

Those archetypical customers… you’ll never meet!

How can you tell when it’s time to sell?

Never do without them!

Because “what matters is the journey, not the destination” [fortune cookie].

A call to action for the Sales Engineer!

Hear it straight from the horse's mouth!

Choose wisely and maintain credibility.

I’ll tell you all about it for as little as 10 USD/month.

Payment upfront, no surprises.

... and aligning price with generated value

… and focus on what you do best!

Let the games begin!

This quiz will help you revise the concepts we encountered in section 5!

Those who must keep your promises.

You, the system integration, the customer

How long is a piece of string?

Waterfall vs Agile for newbies

Money makes the world go round

Teaching how to fish.

... for when it needs fixing.

"Please hold while you are connected to the next available agent"

A love (& upselling) story.

Are we there yet?

This quiz will help you revise the concepts we encountered in section 6!

A thorough walkthrough of tools and techniques used in Presales presentations

Do the Last Thing first and go easy with that mouse.

Weaving a story and using pre-canned demos.

When you need speed, predictability and precision (sounds like a shaving product ad!)

When Terminator became a Sales Engineer.

You are the pretty face of your company.

Closing the distance in remote calls.

"Hey John, you are muted again."

“Practice makes perfect” applied to Sales Engineering.

“Great question, let me get back to you” and other Presales classics.

About Truth, Honesty and Money

Who doesn’t love a to-do list?

This quiz will help you revise the concepts we encountered in section 7!

An inexhaustible source of exhaustion for Sales Engineers: RFIs, RFPs & RFQs

A foot in the door

Oh dear, we're not done with acronyms yet!

Beware the disgruntled user!

Why you can’t say “not in my Job Description”

This quiz will help you revise the concepts we encountered in section 8!

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Career center

Learners who complete Succeed as a Sales Engineer will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Sales Engineer

A Sales Engineer acts as the vital technical advisor, bridging customer needs with product solutions and demonstrating tangible value. This course, "Succeed as a Sales Engineer," offers a direct, tested framework for mastering this challenging profession. It specifically helps you blend sales language with technical expertise. You will learn to formulate problem statements, value propositions, and identify key differentiators. Technical aspects like security, software architecture, configuration, and hosting options are covered in detail. The curriculum hones presentation techniques for live demonstrations, teaches gaining customer trust, and understanding buyer personas. Navigating RFIs, RFPs, PoCs, and interacting with post-sales departments, all explicitly taught, directly prepares you to excel in the Sales Engineer role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Engineer

Solutions Architect

A Solutions Architect designs and oversees complex technology solutions, translating business requirements into technical blueprints. This role demands deep technical understanding alongside client-facing skills for effective implementations. This course may be useful for an aspiring Solutions Architect by sharpening their ability to articulate technical value and comprehend customer challenges. It teaches formulating precise problem statements and value propositions, critical for aligning technical designs with business outcomes. The curriculum covers technical aspects like software architecture, configuration, customization, and various hosting options, providing a foundation for robust solution design. Additionally, understanding buyer personas and the broader sales process, including RFIs and RFPs, helps Solutions Architects ensure their solutions are not only technically sound but also strategically aligned with client acquisition, a holistic perspective invaluable in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Solutions Architect

Product Manager

A Product Manager defines a product's strategy, roadmap, and features, driving its success based on market needs. This course may be useful for a Product Manager by providing a deep understanding of product market fit and sales dynamics. It directly enhances skills in formulating problem statements, articulating value propositions, and identifying key differentiators, crucial for effective product positioning. The curriculum covers technical aspects like software architecture, configuration, and customization, helping bridge the gap between technical teams and market demands. Learning about buyer personas, sales processes, competitive analysis, and licensing models directly informs product strategy. Understanding post-sales interactions, as taught here, also provides an invaluable perspective on the overall product lifecycle and business viability, essential for a successful Product Manager.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Product Marketing Manager

A Product Marketing Manager crafts compelling product narratives, positioning, and messaging to drive market adoption and sales. This course may be useful for a Product Marketing Manager seeking to bridge the gap between product capabilities and market needs. It directly hones skills in formulating problem statements, articulating strong value propositions, and identifying key differentiators and commoditized features, which are central to effective marketing collateral. The curriculum teaches understanding buyer personas, qualification frameworks, and the sales process, providing invaluable insights into how to best support sales teams. Analyzing competition and understanding licensing models, also covered, offers critical intelligence for strategic positioning. This comprehensive understanding of product-market interaction is essential for a successful Product Marketing Manager.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Marketing Manager

Value Consultant

A Value Consultant helps clients quantify the business impact and return on investment of technology solutions, building compelling financial cases. This course may be useful for a Value Consultant by systematically teaching how to articulate and measure business value. It directly focuses on formulating problem statements and comprehensive value propositions, which are the cornerstone of any value assessment. The curriculum's emphasis on linking functionalities with business outcomes, identifying key differentiators, and understanding licensing models provides essential tools for building robust financial justifications. Furthermore, insights into the sales process, competitive analysis, and buyer personas, as covered, enable a Value Consultant to tailor their financial narratives to resonate most powerfully with diverse stakeholders and solidify the business case for technology adoption.

See salaries and explore the career path for Value Consultant

Customer Success Manager

A Customer Success Manager ensures clients achieve maximum value from products, fostering long-term relationships and driving retention and growth. This course may be useful for a Customer Success Manager by providing a comprehensive understanding of initial sales promises and technical foundations. It delves into articulating value propositions and understanding key differentiators, which helps in reinforcing product benefits post-sale. The curriculum's focus on technical aspects such as software architecture, configuration, and mobile access helps a Customer Success Manager troubleshoot or guide clients on technical usage. Furthermore, understanding buyer personas, the sales process, and how to bridge pre-sales with post-sales worlds, as explicitly covered, is vital for aligning customer expectations with delivered solutions and ensuring client satisfaction into the future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Customer Success Manager

Technical Account Manager

A Technical Account Manager builds and maintains strong technical relationships with key clients, ensuring their ongoing success and identifying future opportunities. This course may be useful for a Technical Account Manager by equipping them with a robust framework for managing technical client interactions. It helps in formulating problem statements and value propositions, crucial for articulating solutions to evolving customer needs. The curriculum’s detailed exploration of technical aspects, including security, software architecture, configuration, and hosting options, provides the deep product knowledge necessary for trusted advisory. Furthermore, understanding buyer personas, the sales process, handling RFIs/RFPs, and bridging pre-sales with post-sales worlds, as taught, offers a holistic view of the customer journey, essential for proactive client management and identifying upsell/cross-sell opportunities as a Technical Account Manager.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Account Manager

Implementation Consultant

An Implementation Consultant deploys and configures software solutions for clients, ensuring they meet specific business requirements and deliver promised value. This course may be useful for an aspiring Implementation Consultant by providing a foundation in understanding customer needs and how solutions translate from sales to delivery. It helps in articulating value propositions and understanding key differentiators, which is vital for aligning implementation work with client expectations. The curriculum's focus on technical aspects like configuration, customization, software architecture, and hosting options directly prepares you for the hands-on technical challenges of this role. Furthermore, understanding the sales process, bridging pre-sales with post-sales worlds, and interacting with technical support and customer success teams, as taught, ensures a comprehensive approach to successful project delivery as an Implementation Consultant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Implementation Consultant

Enterprise Architect

An Enterprise Architect designs and manages an organization's overall IT infrastructure and systems, ensuring alignment with business strategy. This role typically requires an advanced degree. This course may be useful for an aspiring Enterprise Architect by providing a nuanced understanding of product capabilities and market dynamics. It teaches formulating problem statements and value propositions, essential for aligning technology solutions with strategic business goals. The curriculum’s deep dive into technical aspects like software architecture, security frameworks, and hosting options provides critical insights for designing robust and scalable enterprise systems. Furthermore, understanding sales processes, buyer personas, and navigating complex presales activities like RFIs/RFPs, as taught in this course, helps an Enterprise Architect evaluate vendor offerings and ensure proposed solutions meet both technical and business requirements effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Enterprise Architect

Product Owner

A Product Owner defines user stories and prioritizes the backlog for agile development teams, ensuring the product delivers maximum business value. This course may be useful for a Product Owner by emphasizing the market perspective and value articulation. It helps in formulating problem statements and compelling value propositions, which are critical for prioritizing features that genuinely address user needs. Understanding key differentiators and the competitive landscape, as covered, informs strategic backlog decisions. Furthermore, the curriculum's insights into technical aspects like software architecture, configuration, and extensibility provide a deeper understanding of implementation considerations. Learning about buyer personas and bridging pre-sales with post-sales worlds, as taught, ensures a Product Owner focuses on what truly matters to customers and aligns development with business outcomes, making the product more successful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Owner

Business Development Representative

A Business Development Representative identifies and qualifies potential leads, initiating the sales process for complex products and services. This course may be useful for a Business Development Representative by decoding typical sales jargon and providing a framework for effective initial engagement. It directly teaches how to formulate compelling problem statements and value propositions, crucial for captivating prospects quickly. Understanding buyer personas and qualification frameworks, as covered in the course, significantly enhances the ability to identify high-potential leads and tailor initial outreach. Furthermore, gaining insight into competitive analysis and the overall sales process allows a Business Development Representative to position discussions effectively and prepare prospects for subsequent stages. This strategic understanding helps to create a robust pipeline and initiate successful client relationships.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Development Representative

Technical Trainer

A Technical Trainer develops and delivers educational programs on technical products for internal teams or external customers. This course may be useful for a Technical Trainer by honing the unique blend of technical understanding and engaging presentation skills required for this role. It directly teaches effective presentation techniques specifically tailored for technical content, including live demonstrations, managing questions, and logistics. The curriculum empowers you to articulate product features, discuss differentiation, and explain technical aspects like security, software architecture, and configuration with clarity. Furthermore, understanding typical sales jargon, buyer personas, and linking functionalities with business outcomes, as covered in this course, helps a Technical Trainer contextualize technical information, making it more relevant and impactful for diverse audiences.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Trainer

Management Consultant Technology Focus

A Management Consultant with a technology focus advises organizations on strategic IT initiatives, process improvements, and digital transformation. This role typically requires an advanced degree. This course may be useful for such a consultant by enhancing their ability to analyze technology solutions from both a business and technical perspective. It offers a framework for formulating problem statements and value propositions, crucial for identifying client needs and proposing impactful solutions. The curriculum's detailed exploration of technical aspects like software architecture, security, and hosting options provides a basis for evaluating client environments and vendor offerings. Furthermore, understanding sales processes, competitive analysis, and bridging pre-sales with post-sales worlds, as covered, helps a Management Consultant develop holistic recommendations and anticipate implementation challenges effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant Technology Focus

Technical Sales Representative

A Technical Sales Representative sells complex technical products or services, often requiring in-depth product knowledge to address customer inquiries and demonstrate solutions. This course may be useful for a Technical Sales Representative by providing a robust framework for combining sales language with technical expertise. It directly hones skills in formulating compelling problem statements, articulating value propositions, and identifying key differentiators, all crucial for driving sales conversations. The curriculum covers technical aspects like software architecture, configuration, and security, enabling confident discussions about product specifics. Furthermore, mastering sales skills such as gaining customer trust, understanding buyer personas, and successfully navigating the sales process, as taught, helps a Technical Sales Representative effectively engage prospects, overcome objections, and close deals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Sales Representative

Partner Alliance Manager

A Partner Alliance Manager develops and nurtures strategic relationships with technology partners to drive joint sales and market expansion. This course may be useful for a Partner Alliance Manager by providing a comprehensive understanding of how to articulate joint value and navigate complex sales ecosystems. It teaches formulating problem statements and value propositions, essential for defining synergistic partner offerings. The curriculum's focus on identifying key differentiators and analyzing competition helps in positioning partner solutions effectively. Furthermore, understanding buyer personas, the sales process, and licensing models, as covered in the course, allows a Partner Alliance Manager to develop effective go-to-market strategies and sales enablement for partners. This holistic view of the sales lifecycle is critical for successful partner engagement and growth in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Partner Alliance Manager

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Succeed as a Sales Engineer.

Value Proposition Design

Save

Highly practical guide that introduces the Value Proposition Canvas, a tool to design, test, and manage value propositions. It is an essential companion to 'Business Model Generation' and is useful for anyone looking to understand the patterns of great value propositions and avoid common pitfalls. This book is commonly used by both students and professionals.

Succeed as a Sales Engineer

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Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reading list

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