Job profile
Sales engineer (m/f/d)
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Sales engineers: experts when it comes to marketing technical products
Sales engineers are subject-matter experts and sales talents with good communication skills. They market high-end technologies and convince customers with their technical know-how and their high level of empathy. As an interface between business partners and their own company, they offer practical solutions which are beneficial to both sides.
Which opportunities do sales engineers have on the labour market?
Even in non-English-speaking countries, jobs for sales engineers are often advertised using English titles such as “Sales Engineer” or “Technical Sales Manager”, which demonstrates the international orientation of this profession. Sales engineers have excellent career opportunities and the demand for their expertise grows with the further development of complex technologies. There are numerous fields of application for sales engineers in many different industries, such as medical engineering, telecommunications, electrical engineering, software development or mechanical engineering.
What are the tasks and responsibilities of sales engineers?
Sales engineers sell complex technologies or technical services. Especially new developments require explanation to potential business partners. A core competence in sales engineering is the presentation of the product's function and design in a comprehensible manner. Regardless of whether they talk to technicians or managing directors: they only arouse the interest of their respective contact person if their arguments are easily comprehensible.
- Product planning and development
- Product management
- Market and competition analysis
- Development of marketing measures
- Acquisition of new customers
- Preparation of offers and order processing
- Customer consulting and service (pre-sales, after-sales and customer relationship management)
- Sales controlling
Which hard skills and soft skills should sales engineers have?
Sales engineers need to have technical, business and sales expertise. An academic degree in industrial engineering or in an engineering-related field is required to start a career as a sales engineer. An additional qualification can be obtained if the fields of technology and sales are combined in the course of studies, as is the case in international sales & purchasing in engineering, sales engineering and product management or industrial engineering with focus on mechanical engineering and technical sales.
- Sound knowledge of complex technologies
- Business expertise
- Knowledge of sales strategies
- Experienced in the optimisation of sales processes
- Well-versed in the conduct of negotiations
- Foreign language skills
- Good communication skills
- Self-confidence
- Sales talent
- Good negotiation skills
- Team spirit
- Willingness to travel
- Good organisational skills
What is the average salary of sales engineers?
The average monthly starting salary of sales engineers amounts to between EUR 3,500 and EUR 4,000 gross and can rise up to EUR 5,380 with increasing professional experience. The salary consists of fixed monthly payments and a variable portion for contract conclusions. It depends on the age and experience of the sales engineers, the amount of the variable portion and the type and size of the company. In successful companies, sales engineers with long-term professional experience and a large customer base may receive a monthly gross salary of EUR 8,000.