Are technical engineers your unsung sales heroes?

If your proposition requires the support of technical engineers, I’ll bet that the value this role plays in your sales process is hugely undervalued (because it usually is). Though please tell me I’m wrong!

So where does their value come from, both in new business opportunities and within enterprise lead generation? Well because:

• They can understand the technical perspective, it’s likely they can identify a better fit from your range of technical-sets, to your prospects actual problem state. They may identify a better solution fit than your seller can.

• The advice they give to your prospect is credence / credibility led, because they are not perceived as part of your sales channel so the recommendations they make are supported by their technical authority.

• They are better positioned and qualified to unpick the implementation roadmap, if they are aware they should be doing this (and actually know how to).

Returning to my bet that their contribution is undervalued. Ask yourself:

• Are your technical engineers involved in the regular sales meetings / sales briefings that your front-line sellers are part of?

• Are you actively investing in developing their consultative selling skills so they fully understand how they can fully contribute to the delivery of your sales plans?

• Do they receive due credit / feedback on their contribution?

Often technical roles actively do not want to be part of the sales endeavour (a belief set that actually underpins their value to it) though that is not a reason to exclude them from the learning. Because unless you actively draw them in, and fully include them in your sales effort, they will remain your unsung heroes, and you will miss the chance of benefiting from the significant contribution they can make.

Up, up, and away…