Understanding  Technical Sales

Technical sales is the process of selling technical products or services to businesses and organizations. It requires a mix of technical expertise, solution selling skills, and consultative selling approach to effectively communicate product features and benefits to potential customers.

In technical sales, salespeople need to have a deep understanding of the technical product knowledge, as well as the ability to demonstrate how their solutions can help solve complex business problems. They may need to conduct technical demos and trials to showcase how their products work in real-world scenarios.

In this post, we will explore the most common questions about technical sales, including what it is, what skills are required, and what tools are needed for success.

What is Technical Sales?

Technical sales refers to the process of selling specialized products or services that require a high level of technical expertise. This type of selling involves knowing your product inside out and having the ability to explain its features in simple terms that anyone can understand. It's about providing customers with solutions that meet their specific needs.

What Skills Are Required for Technical Sales?

To be successful in technical sales, you need a mix of both hard and soft skills. Some of the key skills include:

• Technical Product Knowledge: You need a deep understanding of your product's features, benefits and limitations.
• Solution Selling Skills: You must be able to provide customers with custom solutions that address their specific needs.
• Consultative Selling Approach: You must have excellent communication skills and be able to ask probing questions to understand customer needs.
• Product Demonstration Skills: You need the ability to provide live demos or virtual trials.
• IT Sales Skills: You should have knowledge about technology trends or innovations that could impact your customer’s business.

What Are Some Common Tools Used in Technical Sales?

In order to be successful in technical sales, you need access to a range of tools including:

• CRM: A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is essential for managing sales leads, and tracking customer interactions.
• Marketing Automation Tools: These tools help in lead nurturing and lead scoring.
• Virtual Meeting Software: You need software like Zoom, Skype or WebEx to conduct virtual meetings with customers.
• Quote and Proposal Software: You need software that helps you create professional quotes or proposals.

How is Technical Sales Different from General Sales?

Technical sales is different from general sales in several ways. General sales involves selling products or services that are not highly specialized. On the other hand, technical sales requires a high level of technical expertise and knowledge about complicated technological products. Additionally, technical sales tends to involve longer sales cycles due to the complexity of the solutions on offer.

What are Some Strategies for Successful Technical Sales?

To be successful in technical sales, you need to adopt a few key strategies including:

• Building relationships with customers
• Providing excellent customer service
• Providing custom solutions that address specific needs
• Conducting effective product demonstrations and trials

What are Some Common Challenges in Technical Sales?

Some of the most common challenges in technical sales include:

• Keeping up with new technology trends
• Managing long sales cycles
• Building deep trust with customers
• Communicating technical information effectively to non-technical audiences

What Are Some Resources for Learning More About Technical Sales?

If you're interested in learning more about technical sales, there are several resources available online. Some popular books and ebooks on this subject include:

1. "The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation" by Brent Adamson & Matthew Dixon (2011)
2. "Spin Selling" by Neil Rackham (1988)
3. "Secrets of Question-Based Selling: How the Most Powerful Tool in Business Can Double Your Sales Results" by Thomas Freese (2013)
4. "The Art of Closing the Sale" by Brian Tracy (1984)
5. "Consultative Selling: The Hanan Formula for High-Margin Sales at High Levels" by Mack Hanan (1970)

Overall, technical sales requires a unique blend of skills and knowledge. By understanding the basics and utilizing the right tools and resources, you can be successful in this complex and rewarding field.