What Is The Role Of a Sales Engineer In a SaaS Company

If you are familiar with the SaaS environment, you probably know that there is a great difference between a client signing up for your services and someone who is completely happy to utilize the software.

For companies willing the customers to continue using their solution, you have to help them realize its value while they make the most of it.

A sales representative may help sell the SaaS, but it’s the role of a sales engineer to encourage an efficient integration with the client’s ongoing usage.

What Is A Sales Engineer?

A sales engineer works in the field of SaaS. He or she comes with a deep knowledge of the platform and the way it integrates into existing systems. These sales experts are sometimes referred to as solution engineers who sell the solution and also monitor its successful implementation.

The solution offered by a reputed SaaS service may take care of all the existing pain points. With that being said, every client is likely to have a unique technology stack. Along with a highly individualistic software portfolio that needs to be accounted for while integrating the system with your product.

What Are The Responsibilities Of A Sales Engineer?

The role of a sales engineer exists in a variety of industries. But in the domain of software, these professionals are mostly regarded as engineers with engaging business knowledge and flawless communication skills.

This means a sales engineer not only needs to have a deep technical understanding of what they are representing but also a firm ability to perceive the clients’ constraints.

Fundamentally, a sales engineer is required to perform the AID task, meaning advice, instruction, and development.

1. Advice

Sales engineers are required to maintain some degree of technical proficiency in the systems they work with. Also, they have a deep insight into the industry trajectory and the current trends of the market.

2. Instruction

A significant part of any sales engineering lies in offering education and enablement. Therefore, a sales engineer needs to be efficient in operating, deploying, and integrating the solutions.

The sales engineer also needs to demonstrate the feature functionality for internal as well as external audiences.

Sometimes, it’s seen that the sales engineer presents demonstrations and workshops to necessitate technical acumen. Needless to say, they also have to work with other important stakeholders such as the renewal and support team.

3. Development

Sales engineers need to play a multifaceted development responsibility. It may involve developing solutions, prototypes, and most importantly, developing products.

Sometimes, solution development also includes taking part in whiteboard sessions. These are engagements in which the sales engineer shows the sketches on the whiteboard for conveying a reference picture for the target audience.

What Skills Are Needed As A Sales Engineer?

Some recruitment experts state that ‘product specialist’ is a better and more apt description of the role of a sales engineer in a SaaS company. Apart from explaining technical concepts, they must also have proper knowledge about the business case of the different products, the ROI and usage, the competitive landscape, and a lot more.

Before you aspire to become a sales engineer in any reputed SaaS company, it’s important to understand these skills expected from you. The modern sales engineer is mostly less of an engineer and more of a specialist in the product. Here are some key aspects of being a reliable sales engineer.

1. Ability To Convince The Technical Target Audience

The company’s prospective and existing clients will want to communicate with a technical peer. It’s obvious that the role of a sales engineer is to boost the credibility of the product while surging the sales cycle. This is true even when the line of products is simple with a minimal level of complexity.

2. Being Aware Of The Products With High Complexity

In case the product comes with a learning curve or calls for a proper setup and onboarding, a sales engineer plays a critical role. You have to be equipped with a deep insight into the business requirements.

It’s important to mention that you cannot go overboard in promising anything that the product won’t be able to fulfill. Rather you should help in getting the prospect prepared to adopt and utilize the product to the best of its ability.

3. Navigating The Critical Discussion

If the product involves integration into various parts of the client’s tech stack, then a sales engineer has to take an active part in explaining all the crucial aspects. This way, all the stakeholders remain informed and prepared to complete the integrations seamlessly.

What Does A SaaS Sales Engineer Make?

The average SaaS sales engineer salary in the USA is currently around $102,667 per year. For entry-level positions, you can expect your salary to be around $80,000 per year and if you are highly skilled and experienced, your salary might rise up to $151,300 per year.

But sales engineers are required to be trusted technical advisors for the clients they engage. And to build this kind of rapport probes the engineers to have soft skills like social intelligence and empathetic listening apart from technical competence.

When it comes to employing sales engineers in the SaaS environment, it’s critical to mention that these professionals can be hired in a wide array of contexts. Generally, these people are hired by industrial manufacturers and various kinds of applied technologies. Sales engineers have to pitch their products and services to prospective clients, conduct market research, and work with the research team.

With adequate experience in the field, sales engineers can work independently and earn more. But for this, they have to use their knowledge of technology for advising the clients towards the right choice of specialized machinery or technology.

The more you are able to monitor your competitors and carry out market research, the higher will be the chances of landing a lucrative salary.

Want To Start Working in SaaS Sales?

In a nutshell, SaaS Sales is a lucrative and rewarding industry that is not as difficult as it may seem. It requires a lot of dedication and hard work to succeed, but with the right amount of passion and commitment, anyone can become successful.