Looking for ways to fill a unique technical sales job

gismo

gismo

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iGismo
My company is looking for what appears to be a rather unique person to take over our sales operation now that the previous employee has retired and I'm having a hard time finding anyone with a good combination of experience, knowledge, and abilities.

The job consists of recruiting and managing manufacturer's reps who then feed us potential customers for our custom products. Additional duties include following up on leads with customers, developing customer requirements specifications and generating proposals.

Our core business involves the design and manufacturing of custom electronic motor controls for various electric motors ranging from small fractional HP units to motors in the 3-5 HP range with typical annual production volumes in the 200-5000 per year range. We've also developed power converters (e.g. synchronous inverters to feed the output of a wind turbine to the utility power grid) and a few other "controls" that don't have anything to do with motors but our focus is on motor controls. Delivered product prices range from about $20 (high volume stuff) to $5000 (low volume and/or very complex designs).

The ideal person for this position would have a technical background related to electric motors and motor drives plus the skill sets needed to manage an indirect sales force and the ability to communicate effectively with customers and close sales contracts.

I've found candidates with the technical expertise that I don't think could handle the customer and sales rep side and I've found good sales manager types that don't have the background to converse intelligently about our products and capabilities but I can't seem to find someone that can do both.

So I'm wondering how those of you who've had to hire technical sales oriented people found good candidates. We haven't tried using a professional recruiter, mostly because we've been rather disappointed with that avenue in the past when looking for such a unique individual. I'm thinking of posting the job on LinkedIn but I've never used that for this before and have no idea how effective they are (for $300 that's probably worth a try). Any and all ideas are welcome and of course if you happen to know of someone that would be qualified and interested in such a job in the Minneapolis area please let me know.

And to add a little aviation content, this company is very GA friendly since the owner is a longtime pilot and business use of private airplanes is encouraged here.
 
Yeah, that's challenging. Engineers f***ing HATE doing sales.

Coming out of college with my undergraduate degree, a classmate of mine did an on campus interview for Babcock and Wilcox. It was for a technical sales position. He was an ex Navy nuke technician and a now-degreed engineer. He told me that fifteen minutes in to the interview, the lady said "You really don't want this job, do you?"

"No, honestly, I don't."

"You're the tenth person I've interviewed. None of you want to do sales."
 
I am engineer minded and agree, sales would suck I despise selling almost as much as i despise being sold to.
 
We have a small department of service techs that work with customers all the time. They not only do phone support, they also sell repairs, parts, upgrades, and modifications (electrical, electronic, motors, hydraulics). But none of it is cold calls, mostly it's "Yeah, it's been 10 years, you might want to consider upgrading that widget. I can give you a deal on it and we can overhaul that muffler bearing while we are at it." I'm not involved in any hiring searches, and we have a pretty low turnover there, so I don't know how or where they got these guys from. We have an office near Minneapolis, too, but I don't know anyone up there.
 
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It sounds like you need someone like me, who has a technical/engineering/operations background but has spent most of the past 15 years in technical sales roles, though I'm nowhere close to Minneapolis. The skill set is rare because, as has been noted, engineers don't like to sell and sales people typically aren't technical. However, people with the combined skill set are out there.


JKG
 
Try craigslist first - much cheaper than Linkedin or Monster. Another avenue is technical instructors/teachers. They have the technical background and are comfortable dealing with the public.
 
murphey said:
Try craigslist first - much cheaper than Linkedin or Monster. Another avenue is technical instructors/teachers. They have the technical background and are comfortable dealing with the public.
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I looked into Craigslist and just didn't see any support (categorization issues) for posting this kind of job but given the zero cost I might as well give that a try.

Hadn't considered the instructor/teacher pool but would be concerned with the ability to recruit and manage a sales rep force. I'll have to give that some more thought.
 
My recommendation - LinkedIn. Look specifically for the younger generation of potential employees. Due to their upbringing in a high-tech and ever changing environment, these individuals are more likely to fit the technical sales role you are looking to fulfill.

I, only 25 years old, have a very highly technical background and am sales orientated and experienced. Specializing in Aerospace Satellite Communications, M2M communications, data compression and acceleration technologies, Avionics, Aircraft maintenance, Aviation regulations and so on and so forth. Through the past years in the aviation and satellite communications industries, I have learned to not only read engineering diagrams, wiring diagrams, regulatory policies etc. but also be able to utilize them successfully in a sales position. Effectively being able to sell and provide support for high-tech equipment and lead projects that demand a high level of attention to detail. It has also helped immensely with talking / working together with engineers, operations and sales people at many levels, most of which are much more qualified (on paper). Through this experience I have found the younger generations to be more accepting to the type of role you are looking to fulfill.

I side with JGoodish, there are technical sales people out there... Just have to look in the right places. I believe LinkedIn is a good place to start.

What an individual does not know, can be taught. Personality, drive and work ethic are the hard things to find in potential candidates. They gotta have "The Right Stuff".

Good luck!
 
I am in technical industrial sales and have had the same types of issues hiring sales people.

A few thoughts:

-Your best candidates are most likely employed.
-What sales people do you work with that you think could do the job, maybe talk to purchasing/engineering?
-I would look at my competitors and see if there is a potential fit for your team.
-Ex military typically do well in technical sales positions depending on what they did for Uncle Sam. A lot of them have the technical side, people skills, ambition , and determination. Looking at a spreadsheet doing touch and go's will come with time. It would take some time to get them to manage a rep force but it may be a good idea to bring up an entry level inside or regional sales person so you have someone to promote the next go around.

As I am writing this I thought of a potential candidate for you but he lives in Chicago. Any chance of work from home or commuting a few days a week?
 
gismo said:
I looked into Craigslist and just didn't see any support (categorization issues) for posting this kind of job but given the zero cost I might as well give that a try.

Hadn't considered the instructor/teacher pool but would be concerned with the ability to recruit and manage a sales rep force. I'll have to give that some more thought.
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Lance, have you considered recruiting either from your customer base or, better , the rep organizations you already engage?
 
USAF JD said:
I am in technical industrial sales and have had the same types of issues hiring sales people.

A few thoughts:

-Your best candidates are most likely employed.
-What sales people do you work with that you think could do the job, maybe talk to purchasing/engineering?
-I would look at my competitors and see if there is a potential fit for your team.
-Ex military typically do well in technical sales positions depending on what they did for Uncle Sam. A lot of them have the technical side, people skills, ambition , and determination. Looking at a spreadsheet doing touch and go's will come with time. It would take some time to get them to manage a rep force but it may be a good idea to bring up an entry level inside or regional sales person so you have someone to promote the next go around.

As I am writing this I thought of a potential candidate for you but he lives in Chicago. Any chance of work from home or commuting a few days a week?
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I'd be careful about recruiting from a competitor; invites lawsuits if the person is really good (which is why you hired him/her in the first place).
 
I'm an engineer and would love to do sales, if only I had the people skills to do it.

Sadly, when I was a cub scout my pack had us going door to door selling light bulbs. That was about 50 years ago, and I'm still traumatized by the experience.

Reading 'Death of a Salesman' in high school didn't help either.
 
My first technical sales job was basically "here are catalogs full of hardware made in taiwan, here is a phone, find phone numbers on the internet and call people and say whatever the hell you need to say to sell this **** you can't even see, also claim that we manufacture all of it locally. you don't get any of our inbound leads and you don't get any of our existing clients, you also don't get commission, best of luck!"

Somehow I was able to get some dollars rolling in. I asked about commission, was given it, but my base salary was chopped to where I made the same money. Oh well, I learned a lot quickly, and it lead to greater opportunities.
 
JimNtexas said:
I'm an engineer and would love to do sales, if only I had the people skills to do it.

Sadly, when I was a cub scout my pack had us going door to door selling light bulbs. That was about 50 years ago, and I'm still traumatized by the experience.

Reading 'Death of a Salesman' in high school didn't help either.
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Do you have a burning desire to be well-liked?
 
Sales (get someone who doesn't know they need your product to buy it) sucks. But I think if I absolutely -had- to, I could be a technical sales rep or something. You've already made the decision to buy, you came to me to help you figure out what you needed. Sure. I could do that. But it's a totally different situation. I'm not trying to persuade you to do anything. Just using my knowledge and experience to help you make a good choice.

Unfortunately, most sales jobs are the former, right?
 
You probably need to split the job. Hire an SE (s/he is not going to be a hunter) and a sales manager.
 
John221us said:
You probably need to split the job. Hire an SE (s/he is not going to be a hunter) and a sales manager.
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I wish I had the budget for that. The person who retired from this position was doing a credible job handling both sides but his three predecessors didn't.
 
Just curious, why do engineers dislike sales ? I have some personal opinions as why, but wanted to get some feedback first.
 
B350ATP said:
Just curious, why do engineers dislike sales ? I have some personal opinions as why, but wanted to get some feedback first.
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It is a personality type thing. The best sales people and managers are typically A type personalities with little attention for details (just make it happen, don't tell me how the clock is built). Obviously the best engineers are detail oriented and have a tendency to be able to hyper focus and tune people out. They tend to be driven by successful and predictable results and cold calling and dealing with constant rejection doesn't suit that personality.

To the OP, maybe you can get creative and redefine several positions within the organization. Perhaps the SE role would not be full time and could even be split between several people. In our organization, sales people are strictly hunters looking for net new business. They know the buzzwords, but always bring an SE to a sales call, unless it is just a meet and greet.
 
As a former regional sales manager in a technical field, I would try Linked In first. There are a number of groups there who may be close enough to your field that would be willing to post for you. You will also get recruiters who will contact you to see if they can "help". Some of their fees can be pretty hefty.

Have you considered an onboarding program to help get a sales person up to speed on your products? There are many qualified sales people in adjoining industries who may, with proper product training, be able to sell your product.

As well, I have had good success with college intern programs that allow them to work in the company during their breaks, summers to do various functions. Some are assigned to work with sales. The best ones we contact after graduation if we have openings.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
jesse said:
My first technical sales job was basically "here are catalogs full of hardware made in taiwan, here is a phone, find phone numbers on the internet and call people and say whatever the hell you need to say to sell this **** you can't even see, also claim that we manufacture all of it locally. you don't get any of our inbound leads and you don't get any of our existing clients, you also don't get commission, best of luck!"

Somehow I was able to get some dollars rolling in. I asked about commission, was given it, but my base salary was chopped to where I made the same money. Oh well, I learned a lot quickly, and it lead to greater opportunities.
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And they sent me sales emails for five years after you left!
 
Most companies don't want to pay what a technical salesperson is worth(as set by the labor market.)
 
My father was an engineer who became a sales manager and truly liked his job. Claimed he never wanted to retire. But then the product he was selling was pretty specialized (industrial washers) and he was not selling to the general public.
 
B350ATP said:
Just curious, why do engineers dislike sales ? I have some personal opinions as why, but wanted to get some feedback first.
Click to expand...

I'd say sales can be unpleasant because even if you are "successful" at it, you still have to deal with a large proportion of rejection.

I has a sales engineering/inside sales position as my first FT job out of undergrad engineering. Left that after about 2+ years to pursue a patent career track that I'm still in 15 years later.
 
Thank you for the responses everyone, to my question
 
B350ATP said:
Just curious, why do engineers dislike sales ? I have some personal opinions as why, but wanted to get some feedback first.
Click to expand...

John221us said:
It is a personality type thing. The best sales people and managers are typically A type personalities with little attention for details (just make it happen, don't tell me how the clock is built). Obviously the best engineers are detail oriented and have a tendency to be able to hyper focus and tune people out. They tend to be driven by successful and predictable results and cold calling and dealing with constant rejection doesn't suit that personality.

To the OP, maybe you can get creative and redefine several positions within the organization. Perhaps the SE role would not be full time and could even be split between several people. In our organization, sales people are strictly hunters looking for net new business. They know the buzzwords, but always bring an SE to a sales call, unless it is just a meet and greet.
Click to expand...


I think that to a large extent, engineers view sales as a menial support function, maybe one notch at most above front office secretary and admin staff, even though in reality the sales people often make more than they do. Sort of a caste thing, even though they may well otherwise have the personality and people skills that is required to do sales successfully.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I think that to a large extent, engineers view sales as a menial support function, maybe one notch at most above front office secretary and admin staff, even though in reality the sales people often make more than they do. Sort of a caste thing, even though they may well otherwise have the personality and people skills that is required to do sales successfully.
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Depends on the engineer and the field, I think. I sell stuff for factory automation. Some engineers I run into are like that, but most are not if you know your stuff and are considered a valuable technical resource.
 
Someone else mentioned this, but does the field of Mfr Reps know you are looking? Can the departing guy make any recommendations.
 
Depends on the type of sales. I know a lot of really good engineers that enjoy being in the applications side of things. They don't call you, you call them. You ask them what it would take to do xxx, they figure it out and call back. They also provide technical support and engineering for you to get your xxx project working.
 
Everskyward said:
My father was an engineer who became a sales manager and truly liked his job. Claimed he never wanted to retire. But then the product he was selling was pretty specialized (industrial washers) and he was not selling to the general public.
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OTH My Dad was also an engineer who was "promoted" to a sales position. He hated it.
Shortly thereafter the company offered him an early full retirement at age 45. He snapped it up and hasn't looked back.
 
My late father both could have done that role and also worked with tons of people doing it. I don't think the dual skillset is impossible to find. In his case he was Navy-trained on various electronics disciplines and sold bulk electronics components to folks like the original post for most of his career but was also on the other side of the fence maintaining and fixing stuff for Honeywell early on.

One thing I noted however, that sales role looks like outside sales and usually there's a buffer of outside sales folks in front of someone talented who's handling large quantity inside sales. The mindset is completely different. The inside sales folks are usually building long-term relationships.

They also tended to help find each other jobs, etc. It's a large group but a tad cliquish at higher levels of pay. But they know what they're doing.

He retired as a sales director after the seventh year of his VP claiming at the yearly sales kickoff that they were once again shooting for higher than the 80% market share they already had. Without lowering prices. They just couldn't get it through their heads that 80% is better than almost every company in an entire industry and you're not going to get the other 20% for all sorts of reasons.
 
gismo said:
My company is looking for what appears to be a rather unique person to take over our sales operation ... I'm having a hard time finding anyone with a good combination of experience, knowledge, and abilities.
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Are you using a college degree as a hard criterion for screening?

One of the best sales guys I ever had working for me was non-degreed and also one of the smartest employees I ever had. Just for the fun of it he had memorized the value of pi to like 50 decimal places!

Anyway, the story was that life had dealt him a bad hand. He didn't pick good parents and, among other things that meant that his education wasn't very good. He then went into the military. When he got out and needed to make a living, he drifted into sales because that offered the best opportunity for a really smart but uncredentialed guy to make good money. There are guys like him out there.

So ... the punch line is that I'd suggest you open up your recruiting (if it is not already open) to non-degreed people who have fairly strong resumes. You might find the kind of gem that I did. Maybe a nondegreed sales support manager now working for a motor company or an electronics company?
 
Good advice, Airdale
 
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