The inspiration for my book, Soft Skills in Technical Sales, came from observing changes in the roles of sales engineers and salespeople. Sales engineers are now doing more direct selling, while salespeople are handling more procurement tasks. I've been in the cybersecurity industry for a long time and remember when we only had a few products to sell. Now, we have around 150 categories. As the VP of Solution Architecture at Herjavec Group, I've done my share of selling and participated in many sales calls with vendors. These experiences showed me what works in sales and what doesn't.
One example that stood out to me was how vendors would start calls by immediately jumping into demos or PowerPoint presentations. They often didn't ask what the customer needed. It's crucial to understand the customer's needs first instead of just showcasing what you have.
Initially, I thought the book would consist of a few articles. However, I realized that the most important aspect isn't just what tasks people are doing but how they are doing them. The pandemic made it harder to connect with others, as people are more distracted and less engaged on video calls. They often have multiple screens and are not always on camera, making it hard to gauge their reactions.
Building rapport has always been key to selling, something I learned in NLP training. This led me to expand the book's focus to soft skills in technical sales, which are valuable to anyone in the tech industry.
I drew inspiration from Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. Many intelligent people struggle to communicate their ideas simply and clearly in business settings. As a second-time immigrant, I struggled with language barriers and fear of speaking, which I overcame through training and practice. These experiences also influenced the book's creation.
I see each chapter of the book as a pillar of a bridge that helps build a better version of oneself. The book covers topics like sales techniques, guiding customers, conducting research, working in teams, and more. While it's geared towards sales professionals, the principles apply to anyone in technical and non-technical fields.
Smart engineers and salespeople need to break through barriers to connect with customers, especially in a world where many interactions happen over Zoom instead of face-to-face.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills include emotional intelligence, empathy, curiosity, and the ability to ask good questions. They also involve active listening, knowing when to talk or stop selling, and how to work well with teammates. Other skills include finding information without being invasive and understanding how to pace yourself during meetings.
In the past, we had time between meetings to reflect and decompress. Now, it's common to have back-to-back meetings, which can be exhausting. It's important to maintain energy and stay present, even during the seventh or eighth meeting of the day.
My book explores the subtleties of selling in a technical world and bridging the gap between technology and human connection. It's for anyone looking to improve their soft skills, whether they're new to technical sales or seasoned professionals. The focus is on building lasting relationships, not just making sales. By encouraging growth and reflection, the book offers a path to both professional success and personal growth. Let's transform how we approach sales in the digital age.
This article appeared originally in a LinkedIn post by Evgeniy Kharam. Here's a link for more information.
