Tough Conversations in Technical Sales

There are plenty of tough conversations in technical sales & sales engineering.  The most successful professionals in these fields have learned how to navigate these potentially difficult discussions.  These scenarios are often with your client or prospect, but they can also be internal with your coworkers.

Sales engineers offer and sell COMPLEX and COMPLICATED systems/products/solutions; by its very nature it is pretty obvious that no deal and no client is a true “slam dunk”.  There likely will be some miscommunications and some other bumps along the road.

Over the (many) years I’ve learned a few tips, often via trial-and-error.  The following are some that may be especially helpful for those out there with less than 5-6 years of SE experience:

• Stay calm; pause before speaking.  Don’t be in a rush to blurt out something.  It is OK for there to be a few seconds of silence within a business meeting.  One of the main goals of staying calm is to try to avoid reacting in an emotional or defensive manner.
• It is OK to NOT know everything.  You want to know “everything”, but you really can’t.  Even professional SEs with 12-15 years of experience don’t know everything.  We don’t know every aspect or glitch of our own products, in some cases.  We certainly don’t know everything about our prospect or client’s business or their protocols or their specifications.  Accept deep down that you don’t and won’t know everything at all times.
• Most people will respect and accept if you say you will get back to them promptly with an answer.  Promptly generally means at the end of that business day, or on the next day.  If tomorrow comes and you still don’t really have the answer they are seeking you need to contact them directly and tell them you are working on it but you might need another day or 2.
• Know that sometimes there is no good answer; no answer that will appease your client.  Sometimes the client is asking for your product/ your software to do X, Y, and Z- and you know for a fact that your solution cannot do that.  Yes, we are in “sales”, but be careful about promising or insinuating that your product can likely do X, Y, and Z.  Being honest is an important trait, and just because you gave them an answer they did not love it does not mean that the business relationship is over.
• Consider that having difficult conversations or situations is almost like a badge of honor.  Who has difficult conversations where they have to solve or address something very complicated or uncomfortable?  What about the President of the United States?  How about a Chief Surgeon at a hospital?  What about the CEO of your own company?  Your job as a sales engineer is important– that is why you are sometimes thrust in the middle of difficult circumstances.  Maybe consider that something to be proud of.
• Lastly, even if it doesn’t go great, it is not the end of the world (for you) to have to engage in a difficult conversation.  Consider it a learning experience.  Remember that it is a job, and yes it is a career too- but it is not life and death.  Remember too, even if there is some blame to fall on you, that generally you are working as part of a team.  If something really blows up, it is unlikely that everyone else did a 100% fantastic job and you blew it all on your own- for everyone.  You don’t want to be blaming other people, but also keep things in some true perspective.

In most deals and relationships within B2B sales there will be a consistent risk of difficult conversations and scenarios.  A sales engineer has to learn how to get through them, how to learn from them, and how to just move on sometimes.  And remember that experience does matter; the way you might react or act at 26 will likely be different if you are 42.  It is all a journey.

This article was written by NAASE Vice-president Ken Lambert.