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Sales Engineer

​A sales engineer can be a great role for you if you enjoy working with people and want to take control over how much you earn. Pursuing a career in sales engineering can enable you to work for a company that develops modern IT or technological solutions. Understanding what this role entails is a great way to prepare for applying for a job in this area of sales. In this article, we answer, 'What does a sales engineer do?', explore their skills, discuss ways to find a sales engineering job and show you how much sales engineers earn.

What does a sales engineer do?

Learning the answer to, 'What does a sales engineer do?' is helpful when you're thinking about working in a sales-related role at a tech or IT company. Sales engineers use their persuasion and sales skills to sell scientific and tech goods, including products and services, to businesses. It's an interesting career in sales, as businesses look for advanced solutions for their manufacturing, production or operational processes.

Sales engineers usually split their work time between working in the office and attending meetings at the clients' sites. Most commonly, they work for manufacturing and development companies. Representatives who work for large international companies often have opportunities to travel and work abroad. As a sales engineer, you'd be responsible for the following duties:

preparing and delivering technical presentations to business clients

searching for new clients who might benefit from the company's products

collaborating with customers and engineers to determine technical needs

identifying clients' system and equipment requirements

arranging and conducting product training

working with other sales representatives to provide high-quality sales support

securing and renewing orders

arranging product and service deliveries

building and maintaining business relationships with key clients

recommending updates and upselling products to existing customers

researching industry trends and proposing new products and solutions

meeting monthly, quarterly and annual sales targets

analysing results and preparing sales reports

attending trade shows, conferences and other industry events

Related: What is technology sales? (With duties, salary and skills)