Comments on: Engineers make awful sales people http://mavericktester.com/engineers-make-awful-sales-people The startup's software tester Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:37:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Tanmay Vora http://mavericktester.com/engineers-make-awful-sales-people#comment-519 Tanmay Vora Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:40:09 +0000 http://www.blog.testingtimes.com.au/?p=35#comment-519 Anne, You touch upon a very interesting point - the mindsets required for selling and engineering are very different. As technologists - we are good at dealing with things we have full clarity on. E.g. A developer does very good when clear requirement specs are given. As sales profile - one has to be good at dealing with uncertainties. Sales is heavily dependent on situations that are outside one's control (most of the times). Sales is more exploratory. Transition from engineering to sales is possible - and engineers who know how to sell stand maximum chance of success. As Tom Peters says: "Everyone lives by selling something" and hence having a basic knowhow on "how to sell" is very important for one's success - even as a technologist. My 2 cents! Anne,

You touch upon a very interesting point – the mindsets required for selling and engineering are very different.

As technologists – we are good at dealing with things we have full clarity on. E.g. A developer does very good when clear requirement specs are given.

As sales profile – one has to be good at dealing with uncertainties. Sales is heavily dependent on situations that are outside one’s control (most of the times). Sales is more exploratory.

Transition from engineering to sales is possible – and engineers who know how to sell stand maximum chance of success.

As Tom Peters says: “Everyone lives by selling something” and hence having a basic knowhow on “how to sell” is very important for one’s success – even as a technologist.

My 2 cents!

]]> By: Jon Harrop http://mavericktester.com/engineers-make-awful-sales-people#comment-508 Jon Harrop Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:03:34 +0000 http://www.blog.testingtimes.com.au/?p=35#comment-508 You can easily tell whether or not an engineer will be immediately good at sales: just ask if they resent the fact that sales jobs are higher paid than engineering jobs. If they say yes then they do not understand why and, consequently, will not know what customers want to hear. Most engineers are not good at generic sales but many can retrain. You can easily tell whether or not an engineer will be immediately good at sales: just ask if they resent the fact that sales jobs are higher paid than engineering jobs. If they say yes then they do not understand why and, consequently, will not know what customers want to hear.

Most engineers are not good at generic sales but many can retrain.

]]> By: Jim Davis http://mavericktester.com/engineers-make-awful-sales-people#comment-506 Jim Davis Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:31:48 +0000 http://www.blog.testingtimes.com.au/?p=35#comment-506 I am in the same boat of sorts. Having a few independent projects that I needs sales for, I am finding it hard to define sales strategies and techniques, even though I know the software inside and out, it makes for a hard sell to potential clients because I am naturally a sales person. Figure I will pick up a Dummies book on sales and marketing and see if that helps. I am in the same boat of sorts. Having a few independent projects that I needs sales for, I am finding it hard to define sales strategies and techniques, even though I know the software inside and out, it makes for a hard sell to potential clients because I am naturally a sales person. Figure I will pick up a Dummies book on sales and marketing and see if that helps.

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