The Different Titles For A Sales Engineer

A Sales Engineer is often an overlooked yet integral part of the sales process. As you move up in your sales career, you'll be able to use your technical knowledge to focus on a smaller area of responsibility. However, there are some requirements and responsibilities you'll need to know about first.

The only way to ensure Career Success in sales is to know about all the different Sales Engineer titles and responsibilities. Here’s everything you need to know about becoming a Sales Engineer:

What is a Sales Engineer?

A Sales Engineer is an individual who helps sells complex scientific and technological products or services and normally has extensive knowledge of the different scientific and technical processes that make these products or services function. For example, a Sales Engineer might help make sales presentations, educate the customer on the features of their product, provide demonstrations of their technology, and so on.

Sales Engineers can be either full-time employees or independent contractors, and they typically:

• Have a background in engineering, business, or computer science.
• Are required to have a bachelor’s degree in one of these fields and at least five years of experience in their field.
• Must also have strong communication skills, as they will be working with many different types of people on a daily basis.
• Have a thorough knowledge of the technicalities of the products or services their companies are offering.

What does a sales engineer do?

Sales Engineers work closely with Engineers, Designers, Product Managers, Marketing Managers, and other stakeholders to ensure that their products meet customer specifications. Their responsibilities include:

Preparing technical presentations

Sales Engineers are the ones who are in charge of showing customers what the company has to offer. To achieve this, they will create a presentation that explains how the product or service works, what it does, and how it can benefit customers.

This presentation would also include any features that make this company’s service different from others in its field. It also normally touches on how the product being sold will interact with other tools the companies has in it's tech stack.

Assist in product development

They research and identify customer needs, passing this information along to the product development team. They also assist in product development by modifying the products to meet those needs.

Being on the front line of a product demo at times, Sales Engineers are in a unique position to get critical product development feedback right from the mouths of prospects themselves.

Provide support to the sales team

Sales Engineers collaborate with sales teams regularly and provide feedback and assit them in demos or with technical questions. They work closely with the sales team and help them by providing valuable insights, ideas, and strategies that might not have been considered.

The main objective of a Sales Engineer is to help improve the quality of leads generated by the sales team, and ensure there is solid technial alignment as the deal approaches close and implementation.

What are the different titles for a Sales Engineer?

When you choose to go down the Sales Engineering road, you might come across plenty of Sales Engineer titles. Sales Engineers may be called upon to do anything from provide training sessions on new products or services to design new processes for the company’s clients.

Here are the seven most popular titles for a Sales Engineer:

1. Pre-Sales Engineer

Pre-sales engineers help Account Managers and Account Executives sell their products by solving customers' problems and understanding their needs. They are more than just technical specialists, as they are also trained to listen, understand, and empathize with customers.

The job description of a Pre-Sales Engineer is very broad, and their duties may change depending on the type of company they work for. Some companies have a team of pre-sales engineers that focus on different areas like business development, sales support, technology research, and more. As a Pre-Sales Engineer, it would be your job to:

• Tell people about the product or service that is being sold.
• Manage of customer expectations.
• Estimate the delivery timeframes and any other relevant information.
• Assist account managers in selling their products and help customers in finding solutions to their issues while understanding what they need to purchase.
• Give the customer-facing team the technical knowledge they need to grasp their customers’ needs.
• Work with their marketing team to understand the competition and create a strategy for each competitor.
• Also potentially manage the development of various products like software or hardware.

2. Post-Sales Engineer

The job of a Post-Sales Engineer begins after a sale is complete. Their primary role is to help customers get the most out of the product or service and to ensure that they are pleased with their purchase.

For instance, a Post-Sales Engineer might help a customer set up and use their home security system. Or they might recommend a new service or product for the customer to purchase and get even more use out of the first one.

• A Post-Sales Engineer oversees the installation and maintenance of a product after it has been sold.
• They manage and maintain customer relationships, aiding them with troubleshooting and resolving issues.
• Post-Sales Engineers ensure that customer feedback is addressed in a timely manner.
• They create documentation and tutorials to help customers use the product more effectively
• They also provide technical support to customers who require help using the product.

To become a Post-Sales Engineer, you must usually have a degree in engineering, computer science, or any related technical field.

3. Channel Sales Engineer

A person in this role is a technical person who is responsible for the sales of products and services to partners, resellers, and distributors. They work with the channel partners to ensure that they have the right product, pricing, and marketing materials to make a sale.

Channel Sales Engineers are often technical people with an understanding of both business and technology. They need to be able to communicate effectively with both technical people and business professionals. The ability to understand the needs of their channel partners, as well as their customers, so they can provide them with what they want, is also a must.

The Channel Sales Engineer has the following key responsibilities:

• Developing a sales strategy to increase sales within an assigned territory. This includes identifying potential customers, determining how to reach them, and understanding their needs.
• To be proactive about networking with other people to generate leads and find new opportunities for the company. They will attend trade shows, conferences, seminars, or other events where they can meet potential buyers or partners.
• Involve with marketing of company's products through various channels such as social media or email campaigns.
• Reporting back on their progress by submitting periodic reports on their sales and marketing activities.

4. Sales Operations Engineer

A Sales Operations Engineer helps their company manage their sales processes and operations. It’s their job to make sure that the process of sales is running smoothly by designing and implementing strategies to improve the efficiency of a company's sales process.

• A Sales Operations Engineer is responsible for a myriad of tasks that include managing the pipeline, ensuring that all sales targets are, making sure that the company has the right number of salespeople.
• The person in this position is also responsible for developing and executing strategies to increase sales and revenue. They have to ensure that the sales team follows up with potential clients and closes deals.
• Another responsibility of a Sales Operations Engineer is to make sure that they are always aware of any new trends in the industry or changes in legislation.

5. Solutions Engineer

Someone with this title helps companies find the right technology solutions to their problems. They are usually found at large companies, and they take on a variety of roles.

• Typically, they will focus on a specific industry or vertical, such as healthcare or finance.
• They can also work with a company’s IT department to help them with projects and implementations.
• Some Solutions Engineers may also work with vendors to help them understand how their products can be integrated into the company’s systems.
• A Solution Engineer can also act as an account manager for the company’s IT department. They will work closely with other departments in order to understand what needs there are for different technologies and identify potential vendors that could meet those needs.

6. Applications Engineer

An Applications Engineer is a sales specialist with technical knowledge and expertise. They work with clients to design, install, and maintain computer systems.

• Applications Engineers are proficient in software development, hardware installation, and maintenance, as well as the business and technical aspects of the data center.
• They are experts in specific applications, such as Oracle or SAP. They may also be responsible for developing new applications and supporting existing ones.
• In some cases, they may work on a sales team that provides customer support for an application or set of applications.

An Applications Engineer's responsibilities are somewhat similar to those of a Pre-Sales engineer. Even though these two jobs are not exactly the same, they do share some similarities. Both roles require strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and both strive to provide solutions to any issues their customers may have.

7. Field Engineer

A Field Engineer is to a post-sales engineer what an applications engineer is to a pre-sales engineer. Field Engineers work with clients to collect data, figure out what's wrong with equipment and fix it. They also train and help clients with technical issues.

• A Field Engineer in sales is the one who visits a customer and learns about the client’s needs.
• They install, repair and service equipment in the field, and are responsible for all aspects of the installation process, from design to installation.
• In some companies, they also take up the responsibility of calling on customers to provide support and to collect feedback about their experience with the company.
• Field Engineers may also work for engineering firms that specialize in providing consulting services to manufacturers on equipment design and installation procedures.

Field Engineers are usually employed by manufacturers or distributors of machinery. They usually have a technical education after high school in mechanical or electrical engineering, or they may be self-taught technicians who have worked on equipment in the field for a long time.

Uvaro and you!

These are some of the most common Sales Engineer titles. Hopefully, you have a much better understanding of what each role entails. Now, it’s time to choose the perfect one!

While Uvaro might not be able to prepare you directly for a role in Sales Engineering with a dedicated Course or Workshop. We do know a thing or two about teaching the tech sales foundations that will allow you to THRIVE in a sales engineering role.

Taking a look at our Career Success Catalog to learn more about our approach to education. And see how our network of mentors, instructors, and community members can help your professional development today!