Mastering the Art of Sales Engineering

Learn from the authors' combined 35 years of field experience along with real-world examples and stories to advance your career in the highly coveted field of sales engineering

Key Features

• Fully comprehend the responsibilities and core skills needed to become a successful sales engineer
• Gain deeper knowledge of sales and see how sales engineering plays a vital role in an organization’s success
• Start or grow your sales engineering career, avoiding pitfalls and focusing on strengths
• Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

Sales engineers often need to balance their technical expertise with the soft skills needed to close deals and build lasting client relationships. This book provides a framework for both senior engineers seeking professional growth and individuals just starting their sales engineering careers.

This book draws from the authors’ extensive experience in this industry and as leaders in top high-tech companies, offering real-world insights and life lessons applicable to this specialized and in-demand industry. You’ll pick up the core disciplines a successful sales engineer should exemplify, along with mastering practical, day-to-day operational aspects. Within these chapters, you will learn the roles and responsibilities of a sales engineer, as well as adjacent roles within a sales team. You’ll also develop the skills needed to navigate complex sales cycles and exceed traditional expectations. This book covers various key aspects of sales engineering, including mastering communication techniques, navigating complex meetings, managing customer expectations, understanding legal matters, and handling administrative tasks.

By the end of this book, you’ll have acquired advanced knowledge to excel as a world-class sales engineer and become a valuable member of your organization’s broader team.

What you will learn

• Familiarize yourself with the different types of organizations employing sales engineers
• Gain insights into the crucial soft skills necessary for effective client interaction
• Discover best practices in working technical demonstrations and proof of concepts from start to finish
• Navigate important decisions related to the role and your work-life balance
• Understand ancillary topics that affect sales engineers, often not discussed openly or directly

Who this book is for

This book is for sales engineers. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your career, it will help you fully understand the dynamics of your role and become a world-class SE sought after by top employers or move into management positions. Use this book as a manual, referring to it whenever you encounter the situations described within.

Table of Contents

1. Types of Organizations That Employ Sales Engineers
2. Typical Sales Roles and Sales Processes
3. The Sales Engineer
4. Types of Sales Engineer Roles
5. General Soft Skills
6. Client-Facing Soft Skills
7. Mastering Yourself and Helping Others
8. Road Warrior Fundamentals
9. Administration
10. Compensation and Legal Considerations for the SE
11. Beyond the SE Role – SE Management

Jeffrey Silver has been involved in the network security industry for over 25 years. After earning his CISSP, he became a founding member and officer of the Delaware ISC2 Chapter. Currently, he serves as an adjunct professor teaching cybersecurity and is passionate about building a culture of mentoring young security professionals in our industry. A strong advocate of building cyber collaboration with law enforcement, Jeff is a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy and a member of InfraGard. He currently lives in Newark, Delaware with his wife and two children and outside of the technology industry is active in his church and local community.

Jason Mar-Tang has been in the IT industry for over 17 years, with over 14 years of cybersecurity sales engineer experience. He earned his CISSP in 2014 and CCSP in 2023. He has spent years engineering different defensive cybersecurity solutions for clients of all verticals. After spending years with blue team defensive technologies, he has shifted to the offensive side of security, now advising attacker-led strategies for clients across the United States and Latin America. Additionally, he has led a team of engineers in North and South America since 2022. He now works strategically with clients and communities as a field CISO, a cyber evangelist; his expertise is noted in publications, podcasts, and presentations across the cybersecurity industry.