Here are my sales engineering positions and some of their responsibilities in
chronological order.
Nextel Communications:
Nextel provides GPS data applications designed around Mobile Office, Sales and Service Automation, Disaster Recovery as well as Supply Chain and Delivery Management. I provide pre and post sales support to customers while supporting 14 account executives with all data sales. Most of my account executives have been working with Nextel for less than one year and I am required to both train and educate them on the over 300 data applications avaialble on the Nextel network as well as the sales process. This is a quota based position and I am currently averaging over 250% of quota.
helloNetwork
Inc.:
HelloNetwork is a streaming media software company concentrating on the
Entertainment, Enterprise Solutions, Distance Learning and Governmental markets. This was a pre and post sales position. I was required to set up and train the customer on the Java based streaming media software after the sale was completed. I was required to have basic Java skills. Although my Java skills were limited when I started at helloNetwork, I was able to set up and train customers on the software within two weeks of joining helloNetwork.
I was the first sales engineer hired by helloNetwork. HelloNetwork was attempting to change from an ASP
model to a software sales model. This required me to establish the Sales Engineering Department and create the necessary collateral material and boilerplates required to aid the 12 sales people I supported across the United States and in Europe. I have attached a copy of one of the FAQs (.pdf format) I created in this process.
Vast Solutions:
Vast was a business-to-business solution provider, developing new products founded on the emerging wireless technologies concentrating on the Manufacturing/Distribution,Public Utilities, Transportation, Pharmaceutical, and Financial Services markets. Basically, we created wireless and/or wireline extensions in order to establish real time communications between a disconnected work force and core IT systems. These systems varied from standard CRM, ERP or SFA systems such as Siebel, Unicenter, Remedy, Tivoli, Clarify, Outlook, Lotus Notes, Sap etc. to proprietary systems created in-house by the company.
Vast was a small start up company created from employees of PageNet who were working on the cutting edge of wireless two-way technology. I joined the company with a core group of 20 people and, as a member of the Management Counsel, helped shape the products, sales and service delivery procedures and processes. I established and grew the Sales Engineering department creating the process in which we would reply to or create proposals, RFP’s or RFI’s. I also acted as a consultant for our customers when they required documented strategies concerning wireless integration into their core
systems. See consulting
for a more complete description of these activities.
Eventually as Director of Sales Engineering, my main responsibilities were to evangelize the company and product solutions. Most of my time was spent with customers and the 10 sales people I supported across the United States. I was responsible to help close sales through presentations and discussions. Vast’s business grew to exceed 2.5M per quarter in 2000. Only a lack of financing kept Vast from ultimately being successful. It is a long drawn out story I would be happy to share with you if you are having problems sleeping.
Paging Network Inc.:
PageNet was the largest paging company in the world with over 10 million subscribers (merged with Arch Communications in 2000). I created a sales engineering position to help manage our Fortune 500 customers, which had up to 48,000 devices with PageNet. This was about the time that people started to figure out that they could use a pager for more than a simple beeper. I spent most of my time helping them understand the technology and its applications. I designed solutions for companies like Sprint and Prudential. Not only did I work with our largest customers, but I worked cross functionally with the 3 divisions of the National Accounts Department numbering more than 500 employees.
Digital Microwave Corporation:
Digital Microwave specializes in manufacturing microwave communication equipment which they sell world wide totaling more than $30M in revenues quarterly while I was employed. I was the sole sales engineer for the entire European branch of the company. The European branch contributed over 60% of the revenues for the company. I had sales teams in England and Scotland and supported customers in Germany, England,Russia, the Netherlands and other European. This was my first sales engineering position and my basic responsibilities included making sure that the customer’s orders were entered in the system and then tracking those orders through the manufacturing and testing process until they were shipped. This required constant communication with the manufacturing plant departments, the sales personnel and the customers. I was also responsible for entertaining customers when they visited the plant in San Jose. I also visited our offices in Europe and a few of
our customers occasionally...oh, the good old days.
