How can Pre-sales Engineer Generate Business?

[Bernard74]

Hi all

As a Pre-sales / Solution "Engineer", besides being reactive to requests from sales staff how can I be "Pro-Active" and generate business without knocking on clients doors?

In the end are we/I just a tool for the Sales Reps?......

Look forward to your comments.

Bernie.

 

[chiph]

Conceptually, it's easy:
1) Find out what customers want.
2) Determine if you can sell it to them at a reasonable profit.

In practice, both have their difficulties. For #1, you need to figure out what the customer *really* needs (which is not always the same as what they say they need). For #2, you need to know your internal costs, which unless you're a manager, you probably don't know.

I would just keep my eyes open for an opportunity, and if you spot a good one, make a suggestion to the boss.

Chip H.


____________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please read FAQ222-2244 first

 

[SQLSister]

If you have a particular network solution that seems as if many customers might be interested in but don't know about it (voice over IP telephony as an example), you could put together some literature on it and sell the idea of doing some direct advertising to your existing customers inthe form of a seminar or mailing. You might also consider suggesting some ideas for an advertising campaign to the general public.

Another fun thing to do is create a web site that provides additional servces to some important customers. For instance, we have a web site that our largest customer can go to and pull down the technical documents for the systems we install for them. It helps their on-site technicians do initial troubleshooting (we wroite a troubleshooting list for thsis site) and gives them the part numbers to order if they need parts from us and we are not bothered with sservcie calls unless there is truly something wrong. They especailly like that we created this resource just for them and worked with them directly to determine what information it would have. And the site is very simple, so it took less than week to develop and almost no maintenance.


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[willir]

Bernie

To added to the great comments above...
- Know the business you server
- Know your product
- Know how your products makes / saves money
- Know your competitors
- Be energetic, attentitive and helpful when working with customers -- Listen to their needs and be responsive.

Are you a tool? Depends on the culture of the company you work for...
- The Sales Rep is key to your business - they make the money ... and they are usually paid well for good performance.
- You are there for "support". It sucks that you may not get credit for exceptional performance ... but then you can always decide to become a Sales Rep.
- Good technical support may be a key point to clinching the "sale".
- Good technical support should be / usually is recognized.

Having said all that, companies look at "support" as a cost of doing business where they are always looking for ways of reducing costs. (Outsourcing, Offshore, etc)

You "sound" a little disappointed with your current position. Do you have career plans?

 

[Bernard74]

Willir

I hear what you are saying and believe I have most of the tools/knowledge to do the job (been doing it for 3years, 7 other year on the technical side..)
I have many good idea's along with my other Pre-sales engineers but it seems that most Sale-reps are stuck in their "Box moving" mentality, maybe it is because the do not know the products they are selling very well? ....That’s where I come in...but. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

I have only recently started a new job after resigning from another company after a long stay because I needed to be "re-motivate". Maybe I need time to ground myself in my new work place and develop the relationships a little more.

Bernie

 

[chiph]

Bernard74 -

Are your customers primarily technical? Or are they end-users?

The difference will be in how you can (hopefully!) solve their problems. The technical people will be interested in your making their jobs easier (and a "wow, that's cool!" factor doesn't hurt). The end-users will be interested in solving a business need, and not so much interested in the geekiness of any solution.

Chip H.


____________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please read FAQ222-2244 first

 

[SQLSister]

You have ideas and people don't seem to want to implement them. Perhaps it is how you suggest them that is the problem.

A very wise man once told me a secret when I was in my twenties that has served me well through the years. I pass it on to you. If you want a manager (or Salesman) to make a decision, make it easy for him to do so. No one wants to implement an idea that means they will have to to do more work. So if you have a suggestion or a solution to a problem, go to them with everything done that needs to be done in order to implement it. If all he has to so is sign off on it, it is much more likely that he will will approve it. You want him to do a mailing to the customers on a system that you think they would like - then go to him with the mailing written instead of suggesting that he write one.

If the idea is too big to be completely done beforehand, do all the planning before you go. Have a the list of tasks and who you would suggest do each one and still do some kind of prototype (Doesn't have to work just be something they can look at) so they can see what you are talking about. Do some research on the products incvolved and bring that with you. Make sure you volunteer for a good part of the work. Again have this written up in a document that he can use to initiate the project.

This works for getting stuff for your office too. People used to ask me why I had stuff that they had been requesting for years and I would reply, "I ordered it." They would answer that they too had asked for it. The difference was that I filled out the purchase request form and gave it to the manager and they just asked for it - expecting him to do the purchase request. If you are a manager and you are busy which action are you going to take - sign a form or fill one out?


Questions about posting. See faq183-874