Sales Engineers
Overview
SaveJob Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Sell business goods or services, the selling of which requires a technical background equivalent to a baccalaureate degree in engineering.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $184K |
| Median: | $108K |
| Low: | $60K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Sell products requiring extensive technical expertise and support for installation and use, such as material handling equipment, numerical-control machinery, or computer systems.
- Develop, present, or respond to proposals for specific customer requirements, including request for proposal responses and industry-specific solutions.
- Collaborate with sales teams to understand customer requirements, to promote the sale of company products, and to provide sales support.
- Create sales or service contracts for products or services.
- Visit prospective buyers at commercial, industrial, or other establishments to show samples or catalogs, and to inform them about product pricing, availability, and advantages.
- Identify resale opportunities and support them to achieve sales plans.
- Keep informed on industry news and trends, products, services, competitors, relevant information about legacy, existing, and emerging technologies, and the latest product-line developments.
- Confer with customers and engineers to assess equipment needs and to determine system requirements.
- Plan and modify product configurations to meet customer needs.
- Document account activities, generate reports, and keep records of business transactions with customers and suppliers.
- Maintain sales forecasting reports.
- Prepare and deliver technical presentations that explain products or services to customers and prospective customers.
- Recommend improved materials or machinery to customers, documenting how such changes will lower costs or increase production.
- Research and identify potential customers for products or services.
- Secure and renew orders and arrange delivery.
- Develop sales plans to introduce products in new markets.
- Attend trade shows and seminars to promote products or to learn about industry developments.
- Provide information needed for the development of custom-made machinery.
- Provide technical and non-technical support and services to clients or other staff members regarding the use, operation, and maintenance of equipment.
- Diagnose problems with installed equipment.
- Attend company training seminars to become familiar with product lines.
- Arrange for demonstrations or trial installations of equipment.
- Write technical documentation for products.
- Train team members in the customer applications of technologies.
- Report to supervisors about prospective firms' credit ratings.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
91%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sales and Marketing
87%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Engineering and Technology
86%
Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
English Language
86%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Mathematics
76%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management
74%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Design
68%
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Administrative
65%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Mechanical
60%
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Computers and Electronics
59%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Top 10 Skills
Persuasion
83%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Speaking
83%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
80%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
80%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making
80%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension
80%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness
80%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Complex Problem Solving
78%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Negotiation
78%
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Active Learning
75%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Expression
83%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity
83%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Deductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech Recognition
80%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
78%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Information Ordering
75%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Problem Sensitivity
75%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Top 10 Work Activities
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
89%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Getting Information
88%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Selling or Influencing Others
87%
Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
85%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Working with Computers
84%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
82%
Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
80%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
80%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Thinking Creatively
79%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
78%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Detailed Work Activities
- Develop proposals for current or prospective customers.
- Share sales-related or market information with colleagues.
- Prepare sales or other contracts.
- Demonstrate products to consumers.
- Contact current or potential customers to promote products or services.
- Monitor market conditions or trends.
- Identify potential customers.
- Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.
- Discuss design or technical features of products or services with technical personnel.
- Implement design or process improvements.
- Develop content for sales presentations or other materials.
- Explain technical product or service information to customers.
- Deliver promotional presentations to current or prospective customers.
- Explain financial information to customers.
- Recommend products or services to customers.
- Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets.
- Maintain records of sales or other business transactions.
- Sell products or services.
- Arrange delivery of goods or services.
- Develop marketing plans or strategies.
- Attend events to develop professional knowledge.
- Train sales personnel.
- Advise customers on the use of products or services.
- Troubleshoot equipment or systems operation problems.
- Prepare technical or operational reports.
Education
Interests
Enterprising
83%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Conventional
65%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Investigative
53%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Realistic
46%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Social
41%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Artistic
26%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Work Values
Achievement
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Independence
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.