Software Sales Engineering Requires a Balanced Mix of Skills
Being an effective software sales engineer requires more than just a brilliant technical mind and a firm understanding of your software solution. To be truly great, you have to know how to ask powerful questions, listen to your customer’s needs, and connect the dots between their need and your solution capability. You have to be a few steps ahead of your customer, able to paint the picture of how your solution will get them to where they need to be.
We are focused on working with you to help your Sales Engineering teams make a bigger impact on the bottom line by becoming :
Effective via
Delivering memorable, impactful demos
Efficient via
Developing the SE role within the Sales process
Creating best practices for scaling the team
Ecstatic yes ecstatic
Being in synch with the rest of the sales organization is key. Building a strategic partnership with their sales counterpart will not only support closing the sale but will also create better relationships. They will enjoy and love this very important, amazing and challenging role!
Is Sales Coaching Right for Me/My Team?
Whether you’re a sales engineer or you manage a team of engineers - it’s in your best interest to seek out professional coaching. Sales engineering requires the constant honing of a variety of soft and hard skills - but it’s difficult to make time to hone these skills amidst constant meetings and calls. I can provide you or your sales engineers with the individualized attention and targeted practice needed to stay sharp. I’m CTI-trained on the Co-Active Coaching model, which emphasizes a collaborative, relationship-driven approach to sales coaching that helps my clients find more fulfillment and success in their work.
My coaching services for sales engineers cover all aspects of the SE toolset. Through tailored exercises and work sessions, clients will:
- Learn how to have more insightful discovery conversations
- Develop a method of demo preparation that works with their unique style
- Gain confidence in their demo presentation
- Benefit from work sessions facilitated by Keyuri
- Learn how to develop strong partnerships with their customers
- Become trusted advisors to their customers
Sales Coaching Services Offered
I begin every engagement with a comprehensive assessment of my client’s strengths and opportunities for growth. From there, I’ll work with you to develop a customized coaching plan based on your expressed goals.
As added benefit, I’ll plug you into a rich network of SEs, and will regularly invite you to Atlanta’s best SE meet-ups, with the opportunity to meet inspiring speakers and peers.
Here are some of the services I offer, and what you can expect from each:
Sales Demo Review
Great For:
Sales engineers and sales engineering teams looking for intensive coaching and lasting results
Review Includes:
- Minimum 30-minute discovery session
- A thorough review of 2-3 demos (live or recorded)
- Comprehensive feedback booklet, including quick fixes and skill improvement opportunities
Coaching for Sales Engineers
Sales Coaching Includes:
Going from good to great requires persistence and effort - and without a coach keeping you on track, it’s easy to let improvement efforts give way to meetings and calls. If you’re looking to truly grow as a sales engineer, or you want to see marked improvement on your SE team, this option is right for you.
What is Coaching?
Coaching is the key to getting from good to GREAT and unlocking your winning potential.
Based on what we learn in your discovery session and demo review, we’ll work together to develop a customized coaching plan. Depending on where you’re looking to grow, your customized coaching plan might include any of the following:
- Effective discovery
- Framing technical features as business value
- Organizing an effective SE system
- Demo skills (creating flow, telling a story, time management)
Coaching sessions are usually 1 hour in length. After an initial, longer coaching session, I recommend meeting weekly over a period of 1-3 months to continue honing and growing your skills. This will give you time to experiment with new techniques, receive feedback, and discuss follow-up questions with me.
Sales Engineer Meet-ups
The SE community in Atlanta regularly organizes meet-ups that are open to anybody who would like to get inspired and network with peers. I’m a frequent sponsor and presenter of these meet-ups. For future, present, and graduate students of our coaching program, meet-ups are the perfect opportunity to connect with peers, learn from speakers, and grow in their career.
The next meet-up is: Thursday, April 19, 2018.
Customized Coaching Solutions
If you’re looking for a customized coaching solution to meet your team’s unique needs, let’s talk. Fill out my contact form to start a conversation.
Here are some examples
Demo Assessment
- Conduct discovery session(s)
- Review 2-3 demos (live or recorded)
- Compile feedback
- Assessment will include
- Guidance on quick fixes that can be implemented immediately
- List of suggestions that can be executed over time
Demo Renovation
- Demo Assessment
- Organize and structure demo
- Improve flow of demo via transitions, messaging , storytelling…
- Output: Outline for demo. Outline can be used for 5 min demo, 10 min demo or 60 min demo
Custom Sales Engineering Process Training and Coaching
- Development of SE process within existing sales process
- Includes training around some or all of the following:
- Discovery
- Demo roadmap
- Checklists
- Building strategic partnership with Account Director (Sales rep)
- Online vs onsite demos