Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, May 14, 2013 @ 08:00 AM
Are you often perplexed by the situation where you are being asked back for a job interview, sometimes the second or third interview, and manager asks, “Aren’t you overqualified for this job?” (Side note: I mean, can’t they tell you are overqualified from looking at your resume? Do they need to bring you in once or multiple times to verify that?) But even if you are going in for the first interview, and they ask you what seems like the possibly obvious “Overqualified Job Interview Question,” here is what it tells me: it tells me the company has interest in you. Think about it. They probably already know that you are overqualified. In most cases, they can tell from your resume. So if you are told that at some point in the process, I believe you are not getting rejected for being overqualified—it is something you said. As an overqualified candidate, you need to convince the hiring manager how your situation will benefit them, if they hired you—and don’t focus so much on why it is good for you to take this job. How you handle the question determines if you are advanced through the process. Here are the most unique ways you can answer this question:
(1) “I have hired and overseen ‘bad’ overqualified people and I simply won’t perform that way, if hired.” I have hired talented, overqualified people who seemed to have brought in their Mr. Hyde side upon starting work and have acted badly on the job: i.e. bossy to others, undermining of management, taking on initiatives without communicating, usurp duties from others resulting in redundancies of efforts, taking credit for other people’s work, not being a team player since they clearly were above it all and even more. In hiring me, I would ensure you would be benefiting from what I learned from my mistakes.
(2) “I have managed ‘good’ overqualified staff. I will clearly emulate the good, if hired.” I have been lucky to have hired and overseen fabulously overqualified talent who saw themselves as someone who had a job to do that was part of a team. That overqualified person I managed realized early on they can’t lose if they do the work to exceed the company or department goals with no drama. That is the person who I will be, if I am hired.
(3) “I want work that interests me and keeps my hands dirty, so to speak.” The one not-so-great thing about rising up through the ranks, is you get to a point where you are managing managers who manage other managers. Executives can sometimes get far removed from the sales process, client interaction, operations line or field. By taking on this manager-level role, I can resume working with the <sales, client, operations or field> team again. That type of work really excited me in my career and I would be thrilled to get back to it! I want to be challenged in a different way now.
(4) “If hired, I believe it is my job to make my management team look good. If you look good, I look good.” I had great staff working for me and I would be conducting myself in the same manner working for you. I would hope you can benefit from my experience when applicable and know that I would give generously to the group’s efforts however I can.
(5) “I know it is important to follow direction at times and just run with it at times. I have developed the judgment through my experience to know when each of those instances need to happen at the right time.” As a previous Director, I know that there were many times I wanted my team to simply run with it and leave me out of the minutiae of the decision. On the flip side, I remember instances where I wanted to remain in the loop or even give direction. The employees that had the judgment to know when to run with it and when to bring me in, became my go-to people. I would aspire to be that person for you.
(6) “I would never take a job that I was not interested in nor where felt I would not make a long-term contribution to the job in which I have been hired.” To be blunt, I have made hires that were not the best match before and it was because I did not thoroughly ask about the what the employee needed and so they just focused on what I needed throughout the interview. I am glad we are discussing this and I appreciate that you are asking me about what I need in evaluating this match between us. I really do not want to be a bad hire within a firm. With that said, I am interested and very much able to do this job as offered. I feel it would benefit us both greatly if you hired me.
Like everything else about interviewing, it is about being genuine and motivated. No manager can make an employee be genuine or motivate the employee to perform. So that is what every job seeker needs to come to the interview with when discussing how they are under-, over- or perfectly qualified for the job. If you do not get moved to the next step after the overqualified question, it is because the hiring manager was not convinced you would be a good employee match for them—whether they are right or wrong is not totally the issue. It is the job seeker’s job to convey the message they are properly qualified for the job. If you show the hiring manager how they will benefit from hiring you, you increase your chances of getting moved on to the next level of interviewing. Good luck!
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Fri, May 10, 2013 @ 10:00 AM
John Care is currently Managing Director of Mastering Technical Sales, having spent numerous years building world-class Sales Engineering organizations at companies such as Oracle, Sybase, Vantive, Clarify, HP, Business Objects and most recently Vice President and Area Manager of Pre-Sales at CA. MasteringTechnicalSales.com
“Stop! Now!”
As a 22 year-old Chemical Engineer, those were probably the most important words I had ever said in my life. They saved my life. I was working on an oil refinery and was out with a welder to live tap into a water line for a new project. As a raw inexperienced engineer I worked through my safety checklist and as a 25-year veteran of the refinery – the welder did not. The water line turned out to be a mislabeled oxygen line. Five more seconds and we both would have been with the angels.
So yes – I am a big fan of checklists, repeatable solutions and the old adage of “measure twice and cut once.” What does all this have to do with being a Sales Engineer? Well, making mistakes may not cost you your life, but they can cost you our job, your deals or even at the very best, your time. With the increasingly complexity of business, the broadening of portfolios and the heavy demands put upon the SE team there is a high capacity for error. Sometimes perfection is as much about not doing the wrong thing as it is about doing the right thing.
So let’s take a look at the role that mistakes and error prevention play in the everyday life of the Sales Engineer. For the purposes of definition errors are generally the result of either ignorance (not knowing something) or execution (knowing but not doing). What are some of the typical situations in a sales cycle that can benefit from repeatable processes?
1. Discovery
Errors and omissions caught in discovery will prevent untold pain later in the sales cycle. It’s my belief that, up to the point just before customer frustration sets in, every extra minute in discovery can save you five later during a demo or presentation. Very few SE’s will disagree with that – yet we seem to rush through discovery (aided and abetted by both the customer and the salesrep) and up guessing about the customer’s situation. I’m amazed by how many organizations with broad and complex solution sets conduct both discovery and “the big demo” in the same sales call before it “makes the deal go faster”.Or there is no discovery at all and an out-of-the-box demo is shown.
The solution – a simple Key Business Issues worksheet embedded into your sales process. If you don’t know why the customer is really talking to you (the pain – as many systems call it) and what it is worth to them to get it fixed (the gain) I’d say you are clueless and have a greater than 50% chance of missing the mark in your call.
2. The Web Demo/Presentation
Many of my mid to large clients across the world now report that up to 50% of their calls are now conducted virtually. Yet there is less planning that goes into a virtual call than a physical one. We have all sat in, or even ran, a virtual call where the technology and/or the product failed us. Does your organization have a checklist for the pre-demo set-up?
There are about 12 essential and simple steps you should be performing before every webcast – up to and including a Plan “B” if the connection fails.
3. The Physical Demo/Presentation
A “pre-launch” checklist is essential for a successful demo. So many things can now fail –all the way from the cloud/SaaS through the internet connection to the software and ultimately the laptop device and projectors. I’m not talking about the one in a million flukes, but the simple stuff like not spinning up a VM, failing to cache or log-on beforehand, forgetting to reload and update sample test data or even not having an external internet connection. (Work with any federal/state government anywhere in the world and I guarantee you will hit that problem).
I used to insist that all my junior SE’s had a checklist they ran through to prepare their demos – not a script – as I hate demo scripts – but a simple “have you done this” or READ DO list. I watched it save multiple young SE’s – and burn multiple senior SE’s who thought they knew it all and promptly forgot something really basic. There is prize or award given to SE’s for running a demo without a safety net, the only prizes are the deals and commission checks at the successful conclusion of an opportunity.
4. The Install or Proof-Of-Concept
If there was ever a place in the sales cycle for process and procedure – it is when you actually have to install your software/hardware onsite, or run a proof-of-concept with a customer (hosted or not). As a presales VP I used to insist on a completed install checklist or site survey before we’d go onsite. Did I always get one? Not always – but when there was a measurable 15% increase in win rate between the with/without surveycases it always provided a ready answer to the rep who said “John – make sure your team brings their A game” and then became a roadblock to getting the proper preparation completed.
In a single product/service environment a checklist is a savior, when the complexity increases by introducing partners, professional services personnel or multiple solution sets from your own company – it’s worth it’s weight in gold. Most customers really appreciate the thought that goes into such a list as long as it is not too burdensome. The resistance always seems to come from certain sales and presales personnel within your own company. Strange.
In Summary
Every professional SE team should have a series of checklists and standard documents built into their sales methodology. It doesn’t matter if it is formal or informal as just the discipline of creating these lists will reduce mistakes.
"Mulligans are OK in golf, but you can’t afford any in sales – it’s the difference between professionals and amateurs.”
Article By John Care
http://masteringtechnicalsales.com/files/How_Much_Is_An_SE_Worth.pdf
http://masteringtechnicalsales.com/news.html
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Apr 30, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
Executives that stay current on executive resume trends and present themselves in the most contemporary and effective manner, stay ahead of their competition and optimize their compensation. When you look like a desirable candidate, companies want to hire you. Staying abreast of those executive resume writing trends can be a daunting task.
However, we have used the proverbial crystal ball to research, identify and outline various trending items that today’s top executives need to know to stay ahead of their competition and optimize their compensation in today’s competitive landscape. Consider at the following executive resume trends when writing your resume:
(1) Write your resume to be found by recruiters using Boolean search terms. Corporate and search firm recruiters use Boolean search terms in search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo), social media sites (LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook Open Graph, Twitter Search, etc…) and other association niche sites to find talented executives. Bottom line is if your executive resume does not include these phrases used naturally in your resume, your resume may not surface in the search results. Be sure to keyword optimize your document.
(2) Ensure your resume is ATS friendly. Complicated graphs, ornate graphics, tables, charts and other electronic document ‘flair’ may not really ‘fly’ when it comes to your resume getting processed properly by an applicant tracking system (ATS). They can be good for marketing vanity resume pieces, but for technical applications and email compatibility, refrain and keep it clean and simple. Use font type, font treatment (bold, italics), borders and shading elements to give your resume a distinct look, without inhibiting its digestibility into ATS systems. <Check out Executive Resume Samples Here.>
(3) Have visual version of your traditional, content resume. What do I mean by this? Consider an infographic of your experience timeline to post on Pinterest, a video resume on Vine or YouTube or a PowerPoint displaying your successes on SlideShare. Not only do these forms demonstrate your presentation savvy, it can also speak to various audience types that flock to these different sites. It can also help you be found more readily by recruiters, as your information is catalogued by Google Search and other search engines in a multitude of ways.
(4) Give your resume a marketing collateral feel by using branding elements in your word and visual choices. Utilize every aspect of your resume (words, colors, borders, font type, font size, shading elements, etc) to brand yourself and make you and your resume memorable in the mind of the hiring manager. Be sure your unique value proposition is communicated clearly to the reader immediately!
(5) Realize the top ¼ of your first resume page is prime real estate. Use it to capture your reader’s attention, keep them engaged, keyword optimize your document and visually set yourself a part from the competition. That is a lot of work to be done by a small section of your resume. Don’t waste it.
(6) Use achievement based bullets and not job description bullets when describing your work experience. Employers want to see how you succeeded at a certain function—not simply that you were responsible for the function. How you made money, saved on costs, streamlined processes and contributed to the corporate culture in measurable manners is what you need to outline on your executive resume.
(7) Move past just having a LinkedIn Account and consider other social media venues to promote your brand and cultivate new professional contacts. See where other professionals in your industry congregate online and open up accounts on those sites to see what traction you can gain and real time information you can find to make your communications more precise.
(8) Please just stop using objective Statements—this is not really even a new trend, but some executives really feel the need to put one on the resume. And it just needs to stop! Summaries are the new (ok, not so new) and the now where you describe how you will add value to the new employer’s requirements.
(9) Use whatever resume length is best for you—but not a word longer than it needs to be. Concise writing is still king!! The one-page, two-page or multi-page rule has become less hard and fast and really is dependent on the person’s background and industry. But realize, just because you write it does not mean it will be read. Keep your reader engaged in 5-10 second increments no matter how long your resume is.
(10) Customize your resume for each exploratory and defined job application you make. The more you know about the job, make the customization specific. The less you know about the job, make the customized elements of your document more broad to appeal to a wider range within your discipline and/or industry.
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Apr 23, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
Executive job seekers need to know that corporate and search firm recruiters are overwhelmed with resumes and communications from candidates who are earnestly seeking their next position.
Knowing this fact, I tell my clients that being qualified is not enough!! Those that are qualified will rise to the top of the pile and have her resume read ONLY if their resume is idiot-proof. Yes, I said it—Idiot-proof. I mean no offense to my recruiting brethren with this term. But a job applicant’s resume has to be very crystal clear on the job for which they are applying. This will almost ensure that the reader will know without a doubt what position the applicant is applying for by reading her resume on its own using a branded title. Here are some points to help you do this well:
• You have to assume the resume will be separated from the cover letter. Will your resume stand on its own? The gut check question you can ask yourself is: “Will a hiring manager know exactly what you want by reading your resume only?” If the answer is ‘yes’, then your resume is in good shape. If the answer is ‘no’ or ‘I don’t know’, here are some steps you can take to position the resume to make it easy for hiring managers to realize which position you want to be considered.
• Eliminate the word “summary” as the heading to your resume. Give it a title that mimics the title of the position you are seeking and for which you are qualified. For example, if you are formerly a Director of Information Technology and are applying to a Chief Information Officer position that is an appropriate next step, make the branded resume heading the latter and keep your title on the employment section accurate with the former.
• Ensure you have a summary paragraph under the branded title heading that supports the title outlining briefly what you bring to the table and the results you have accomplished.
• Use keyword bullets under the summary to punctuate your qualifications and experiences. Note: Be sure the keyword phrases you use describe your background further specifically and are not so generic that they tell the reader nothing. GUT CHECK: if the phrase used can be used on an HR resume, an engineering resume, and a finance resume, then that phrase is wasting space and not telling the reader anything about your specifically. For example, “Energetic manager that brings results to the organization” does not differentiate you in anyway, even if it is true. Use specifics.
The goal is to have the hiring manager look at your resume and within an instant know exactly which position is the right one for you. If the hiring manager has to work at figuring out which position a job seeker is good for, chances are the resume gets tossed in the ‘no’ pile, or the ‘maybe’ pile or in the wrong pile. By making it easy for the hiring manager, you increase your chances of getting in the ‘yes’ pile and getting the call. All things being equal and all considered applicants being qualified, the bottom line is the job seeker that makes the hiring manager’s job easiest wins.
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Apr 16, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
Executive job seekers often want to know what are the benefits and features they will experience if they have their resume done by a professional or should they do the resume themselves. The decision is a different one to be made for each person. But here is a list of misconceptions made by job seekers that can at least help you know what an executive resume is not or should not have:
Myth# 1: Executive resume summaries are the same as objectives.
• Objectives only state what you want. Summaries outline how what you offer can meet the needs of the prospective employer. Simply put: nobody really cares what you want only.
Myth #2: Your executive resume needs charts and graphs to be impressive.
• While I put charts and graphs in executive resumes for some of my clients, it is not the norm. Most clients can have achievements properly outlined in well-written content. Charts and graphs are often not digested by applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Myth #3: Everyone should be able to write their own executive resume.
• Would you be your own lawyer? Try to sell your own house? While there are some people who can, for the majority of us, it is best to hire a professional to handle these matters.
Myth #4: Stuffing keywords into your executive resume gets through the ATS.
• While this may actually work, when the recruiter reads your keyword stuffed resume, they will think you are spending more time trying to game the system versus outlining why you are qualified.
Myth #5: Every company uses ATS systems.
• Every company does not use an ATS, but most do in some way. Having your resume keyword optimized is as essential as me having my coffee in the morning. You just would not want to see me without it.
Myth #6: Put all of your experience on your resume and show everything you ever did.
• As a general rule, I do not go back more than 15 years. Even if what you did 25 years ago is applicable to what you are targeting today, no company will hire you for what you did 25 years ago. I believe, in most cases, putting 20+ years experience on your resume only dates you and does not really help your candidacy.
Myth #7: Follow a page rule: one page or two pages…no more.
• Know that as long as you make the resume, one page resumes included, it is never guaranteed that the reader will read it. Keep your audience interested in 5-10 second increments to keep the scrolling and reading. If that is one page, so be it. If that is three pages, ok.
Myth #8: A great resume is the magic elixir to landing a job.
• A great resume with an excellent job search plan, robust network, superb follow up skills and an amazing attitude land you a job. The most fabulous resume alone will not get you a job.
Myth #9: Stretch your dates to reduce or eliminate your employment gaps — no one will find out.
• You can find out what your neighbor ate for dinner last night on the internet. You don’t think today’s background check technology can find out that you are fudging dates. Yes, they may not find out…but they also may find out. Don’t do it.
Myth #10: Put your references at the bottom of your resume.
• Put your references on a well-crafted reference sheet. And don’t put :”references available upon request” at the bottom either. It is implied.
Myth #11: Use the same resume for all of your job applications and submissions.
• Customize each submission showing how you meet the needs of the job description. One size does not fit all.
Myth #12: My old resume will work just fine.
• The same way your shoulder padded jacket or skinny tie will work at the company party this weekend. Go for it.
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Apr 15, 2013 @ 10:00 AM
John Care is currently Managing Director of Mastering Technical Sales, having spent numerous years building world-class Sales Engineering organizations at companies such as Oracle, Sybase, Vantive, Clarify, HP, Business Objects and most recently Vice President and Area Manager of Pre-Sales at CA. MasteringTechnicalSales.com
Several times a month I hear a sales or presales leader say something like “we need to move our sales engineers from being feature/function speeds-and-feeds oriented to being more business oriented – can you help us?”. The answer is often (but not always) yes – but it comes at a price.
Before I even look at the “how?” it is worth spending some time looking at the “why?” After all, as I often say in my classes – ‘It’s not a problem until the customer says it is a problem!” So what is driving this shift from the highly technically oriented SE to a technical-business balanced SE?
1. SE’s are expensive! The average fully burdened cost1of a field SE is now well over $200k in the US and approaching $250k in large enterprise companies. It’s a little lower in Western Europe, a touch lower still in Singapore and Hong Kong and smaller in India. Yet salaries in traditionally cheaper places like Bangalore are rising rapidly – the time of inexpensive presales labor is behind us. If you run a balanced team of 20 presales engineers with managers and a leader in the Americas, that is a $10-12m investment.
2. Obtaining an ROI on SE’s. Given that level of investment, companies need the SE team to be more than just the demo dollies and RFP hacks of old. Companies used to have Business Consultants, Solution Consultants and Technology Consultants who ranged across the spectrum. That model is no longer viable because of portfolio breadth or affordable because of headcount requirements.
1 Covers Salary, Commission, Overhead, Travel, Training and Benefits. Subtract 25-35% off the number for inside SE’s.
3. Your Customers Demand It! The #1 skill that mid to senior level executives want from the vendor presales team is someone who understands their business. Follow that with designing innovative solutions, communicating clearly and trust. Ranked at #5 on the list is deep technical knowledge–in poker terminology that is the table stakes required just to get in the door and play the game.
4. The Salespeople Need (And Ask For) Help! There are dozens of sales methodologies out there – and from an SE point of view, it doesn’t matter which one sales uses, as long as they actually use one. Sadly, other than complying with the minimum data entry requirements of salesforce.com, methodologies and process are abandoned at the first sign of trouble in favor of whatever sales feels is the right thing to do. This causes deals to fall out of the forecast, to disappear totally from view. Sales needs a counter-balance (most Sales VPs will admit this)
and a technical SE cannot do that. They can judge a technical fit, but not the feel of the business side.
There are a few other drivers, but those four are a good start. So now let’s move onto
the “and exactly how do we transition our SE’s?” section. Here are some ideas for
implementation based on many years of direct experience.
1. It’s A Journey, Not An Event. Holding a meeting to declare that everyone will now be more business-oriented, or even holding a 2-Day training class are just catalysts to get things started. You are looking at a 12-18 month process and need to set out milestones and targets for achievements. There is no magic wand.
2. You Will Take Casualties. Not everybody will make it. The classic split is 1/3 will easily adapt, 1/3 will adapt with effort and oversight, and the final 1/3 will resist, complain and ultimately fail. Yet all is not lost – one of the major parts of your plan is to determine exactly how many SE’s you need in which role in the future. Is this a plan for your SMB (Small Medium Business) or Partner SE’s? Depending upon what you sell and how you sell it, there is still a valued place for the Super-SE Technician. Someone has to conduct Trials and Evaluations and maybe even Implementations. Someone has to go toe-to-toe with your customer’s technicians.
3. Build A Profile. Building on the prior point, you probably need to revamp both your hiring profile and job descriptions for the SE team. As an individual, you need to think about what you should incorporate into your performance review cycle with your manager to assist you in “getting there”.
4. Build a Curriculum. The SE team have different skills, so get everyone to a standard base level, and then develop from there. You will probably need basic, advanced and applied level “courses” over the 12-18 months. These may be a mix of internal and external courses. Set the tone by dividing training into technical and professional skills. For example – when providing technical training for a new product or release, also incorporate the business and professional skills required to communicate the business benefits. I do have a sample curriculum I can supply if you email me.
5. Get First Line Sales Management BuyIn. Like anything else in the sales world, all internal change and cultural shifts live and die with the buy-in of first-line management. This also applies to presales managers and the senior / principal level SE’s as well. You cannot afford to have people holding you back and whispering negative thoughts in people’s heads. To refer back to poker terminology again – the SE team is going “all-in”.
6. Get Help (From Everywhere). Do not forget this! When looking to increase the financial acumen of the SE team, why not ask someone from the Finance department to spend a morning with the team? Look to do the same with our CMO and any other sources of tribal knowledge. You’ll have to translate some of this into SE-speak but it is a great start. Then approach your customers and ask them to help. You will be surprised. I learnt about Clinical Trial Systems, Financial Trading Systems and Telco Mobile Phone Turn-up from my customers when I ran a SE organization!
7. Remember The First Law Of Discovery.
“Every business problem comes down to a single number. Either that number is too small and needs to be larger, or is too large and needs to be made smaller.”
The art of being an amazing business-oriented presales engineer is finding out what that
number is, who cares about it the most, and how much it is worth to the customer to
change it. Then you need to demonstrate, in all senses of the word, why only your
company can do it.
In Summary
Like almost everything else in business, you need a plan to transition the SE team from highly technical to balanced technical-business. It won’t just happen, and requires an investment of time, money, people and a great deal of patience. Be prepared for casualties within the team, and make sure you publicize all the successes. But before you do anything else – learn from the basic principles of discovery, and ask “what exactly do you mean by more business-oriented?”
Article By John Care
http://masteringtechnicalsales.com/files/How_Much_Is_An_SE_Worth.pdf
http://masteringtechnicalsales.com/news.html
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Mar 18, 2013 @ 02:54 PM
John Care is currently Managing Director of Mastering Technical Sales, having spent numerous years building world-class Sales Engineering organizations at companies such as Oracle, Sybase, Vantive, Clarify, HP, Business Objects and most recently Vice President and Area Manager of Pre-Sales at CA. MasteringTechnicalSales.com
“How Do I Justify Incremental SE Headcount?”
“What’s the ROI for an SE?”
“How Do I Calculate Presales Effectiveness?”
Have you ever heard one of those questions? Have you ever been put in the position of
having to justify your business impact (or that of an entire presales organization) to a
sales leader, sales operations, or to someone in finance or even HR?
It’s a topic I’ve wrestled with over the years, and with the help of Michael Lohr, Sean
Cullen and Jim Sargent from out there in the SE community we’ll look at the costs, the
benefits and a few ways to calculate the ROI of a presales engineer.
The Costs. So let’s look at the basic costs associated with an SE. These are all
approximations based on an average SE salary in the software business in the US. So your
mileage will vary depending upon location and industry – but the basic structure remains
the same.
Base Salary and Commissions $150,000 Average SE ; 5-7 years
Overhead/Burden $ 60,000 40% for Benefits and Overhead Expense
Training $ 14,000 External Training/Certifications etc
Travel $ 36,000 $3k/month
Approximate Overhead $250,000
So – figure that even a 40 person SE organization is going to cost you $10m if you get
them travelling. From a financial point of view, only 10-15% of that $10m budget is
variable – the rest is fixed no matter what happens to sales quota.
The Direct Benefits: The first obvious benefit is that the SE team drives a massive
proportion of new product revenue – where product is defined as what you are selling. If
your product is renewable in terms of being software, hardware or other goods that
require ongoing support – then there is an annual support or maintenance payment stream
as a result of the sale too. In most industries the sales force is credited for at least the
first year of such support. There may also, for example in the Telecommunications space,
be recurring annual revenues instead of an upfront-payment. Plus, your product may
require installation, setup, education or configuration services – which is also revenue
driven directly by the sale.
So, at least for a first approximation, you can count all this revenue as SE-driven
revenue. For accuracy you can factor out upgrades and increased customer use due to
natural growth and expansion (i.e “more seats”). This applies only to the current solution
set. For example if you are selling medical supplies/pharmaceuticals and a new indication
is approved which causes additional sales – someone still has to “push” that.
The Indirect Benefits: There are a number of these softer benefits so I’ll focus on
three common examples.
1. Post-implementation visits. A typical presales organization spends 5-8% of its time in
post-sales activity fixing something that is broken – either in support or services. Happy
customers buy more products and this is an area we can influence outside of the
traditional role. You can also include planned post-implementation visits such as
performing a "health check" with the goal of making some recommendations to improve
the product usage as well as explore other opportunities in accounts. This is very hard to
measure because these visits are not always attributed to another sale but I'm certain
they contribute to these deals.
2. Enhancement requests. In general, SEs are the foot soldiers who know what customers
want and where they want to go. Product Managers would be very blind to the market
without the SEs input. Hiring one more SE does not necessarily increase this feedback
but this information cannot be underestimated.
3. Collateral. As the typical organization of last resort – if a piece of collateral, training
or general infrastructure is required then presales will usually create the content when
no-one else does. This also extends to covering marketing events, partner training, trade
shows and so on.
The Extreme ROI. Having looked at the SE-driven revenue, it’s important to understand
that sales is primarily driven and rewarded for generating revenue. Just as it’s easy to
say that if there were no SE organization then revenue would plummet, the same could be
said for sales. An extreme and simple ROI would be – using our 40 person SE organization
and an overall sales quota of $100m. (So even though most SE’s do not have a personal
quota, for the purpose of the calculations Quota = (100m/40 = 2.5m per SE)
Quota 2,500,000
------- = ROI ----------- = 1,000%
Salary 250,000
Clearly not a credible calculation for many reasons.
Alternate Views. There are now two approaches to the ROI calculation. The first is the
overall ROI on the entire pre-sales organization. I personally find this is almost
impossible to calculate and is not a feasible business number anyway – what is more
important is the ROI of the next SE hired. So let’s look at that instead.
The New Hire. The annual costs for a new hire using our same example are still around
$250,000. Training and travel costs may be lower, balanced by a possible internal
referral fee, cost of laptop and other equipment etc. In terms of potential quota
contribution, industry guidelines are:
Years in Organization Qutota Contribution
1 40% (1,000,000)
2-4 100% (2,500,000)
5+ 120% (3,000,000)
This takes the conservative approach that the first six months are pure ramp-up time
spent in training and ride-alongs with other SE team members. The second six months the
SE is placed in lower-value and lower-risk situations – typically smaller deals, RFPs, trade
shows etc. thus freeing the more experienced members of the team to focus even more
of their time on the high-value revenue targets.
Given the typical ramp-up time for an SE, there is also a case to be made for building
bench strength for each of your major solution sets. Under no circumstances should
activity in a vital geography or product line be single-threaded because there is only one
SE who can cover the opportunities. Sometimes hiring needs to occur prior to a projected
increase in activity, regardless of current ROI.
An Introduction to ROPE “Return On Presales Effort”. The other assumption in the
calculations that will follow is that a new-hire is placed in the optimum position to benefit
the company. One way to assure this is by using an analysis of activity against revenue –
hence the ROPE acronym. In essence you are checking that (a) sufficient demand (and
pipeline) exists for an incremental head and (b) sufficient revenue is associated with that
demand. ROPE examines revenue, utilization, time and win-rate broken down by
geography, product line and activity. For example – by geography:
Geography Revenue(m) Heads Rev/hc Utilization (%) Win-Rate
North 15 8 1.88 82 36
South 18 6 3.00 66 42
East 24 8 3.00 65 42
West 22 9 2.44 58 44
Strategic 12 4 3.00 54 53
Federal/Gov 20 5 4.00 74 56
There is a lot of analysis and definitions of terms that we’ll skip over here, as you need to
examine all three dimensions (and that’s one of the things I consult upon), but looking
through the data it seems the Federal/Government group is producing the most revenue
per SE, has the highest win-rate and is heavily utilized. It is the logical place to add a
head as there is both demand to satisfy and revenue to gain. The criteria for each
parameter are highly dependent on each individual company, but in general the higher
numbers win.
When dealing with sales you can also factor in the size of pipeline. Usually 3.5 to 4x quota
in a pipeline is considered healthy enough to justify additional SE-power. Assuming the
pipeline is large enough then none of the other geographies satisfy the ROPE criteria.
There are two options – either hire a new SE directly into Federal or transfer from the
North or West into Federal and then backfill.
New Hire Direct Into Federal --4.00m x 40% = incremental revenue of 1.60m
Transfer North to Federal and backfill -- (4.00-1.88) = incremental 2.12m. Plus 1.88m x 40% = 0.75m -- Total incremental revenue of 2.87m
Based on this data you could incur the additional $250k cost of a new SE and recoup
anywhere from $1.6 to $2.87 million in return – both a payback in way less than a quarter.
It’s important to realize that these calculations are based on the marginal rates of
adding a small number of heads. Adding ten new SE’s to Federal wouldn’t return ten times
these results. That said, what financial controller could turn down these numbers?
Article By John Care
http://masteringtechnicalsales.com/files/How_Much_Is_An_SE_Worth.pdf
http://masteringtechnicalsales.com/news.html
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Mar 11, 2013 @ 10:50 AM
- Major Managed Security Provider (MSSP) hires a Project Manager with limited Security and some Sales Engineering background to handle its largest global enterprise customers in NYC...and the manager is ecstatic with the results!
- Leading vendor of IP Networking and Wireless products hires Sales Engineer to launch their latest Storage product line and support their largest channel partner in the Chicago region...and he's 55+ and been selling cars for the last year!
- Major CLEC hires a Sales Engineer to support busy Enterprise account team in Northern Virginia...and the candidate has not been in Telecom since 2006!
All of these sales engineering hires are placements J. Patrick has made in the last 30 days and are an indication of the tight market for sales engineering talent, as well as SE managers shifting away from hiring using a skills and experience checklist to meet preliminary minimum requirements, and towards hiring for attitudes and aptitudes, character and compatibility, personality and potential.
Hiring managers are adapting to this competitive landscape by focusing on bringing in candidates who are flat-out strong performers in their most recent roles, and who have strong technology and sales process uptake talents. Frankly speaking, what I hear most from frustrated SE (and Sales) Managers is mostly about employee behavior, not lack of skills or experience. Employees are able to do the job but lack the motivation, consistent productivity and teamwork skills that make for good performance. Managers grind their teeth talking to me about the veteran SE who just doesn't meet deadlines, perform well on demos or presentations, or simply "doesn't play well with others".
How do you take advantage of this opening in the market?
We are starting to see the Sales Engineering market look seriously at candidates who are currently in technically-adept, customer-facing roles such as project management, professional services, consulting and service delivery. So if you've given any thought to moving into Sales Engineering, now's the time to reach out to your network, approach your firm's SE or Sales management and starting applying online or via third-party recruiters to these types of roles.
If you do, make sure you focus your resume on some of the most transferable skills, talents and experience you have, and to lower the threshold for SE managers to take you into consideration, take a look at:
Technical Domain Expertise: Where's your depth and breadth in technology subject matter? Certifications can often help here.
Communications Skills: Presentations, Demos, Documentation, Reporting, Metrics, Analytics. All of these are transferable from post-sales/end-user contexts into the sales realm.
Process & Teamwork: Show where you can follow the firm's sales plan, consistently and with minimal direct supervision.
High-performance, Low-Maintenance: Managers are overwhelmed with time pressure, reporting, managing up and down. They need employees who are proactive, energetic and coachable.
Use the Summary, Skills, or Training sections of your resume to highlight these areas. I’ve suggested to candidates that the build a Greatest Hits section of their resume (usually named something like “Selected Accomplishment, Highlights or similar) where they can discuss the Big Things they’ve started and finished, whether as an individual, team member or manager. Think of this as your “brag list” where it’s perfectly OK to say what a Bada$$ Project Manager, consultant or sales engineer you are.
“It Ain’t Bragging If You Can Do It!”
So if you think you have what it takes to move into Sales Engineering, or simply move up into the Senior individual contributor or management ranks, position yourself properly to take full advantage of what's happening in the tech hiring market right now. This may prove to be that moment that could turbo-charge your career.
Good hunting!
Dan Sullivan
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Feb 11, 2013 @ 09:00 AM
Employers do check the social media presence of job applicants at some point in the interview process. Some check upon stumbling onto your background when searching for talent on LinkedIn, others right before the interview and other employers do a thorough investigation before extending an offer. No matter what the employer’s process is, you have to assume, people will want to check you out online during the recruitment process.
Here are some ways to not only clean up your online image, but put forth a positive image that will leave employers wanting you on their team:
1) Google your name in Google Search – Perform a search on your name to simply see what comes up. This will help you come up with a game plan not only to clean up your profile, but to proactively strategize on what to include to improve your online image and set you apart.
2) Search on your name on other Search Engines other than Google, such as Bing and Yahoo. While search results should be consistent, sometimes they vary. Double check and ensure you are coming across as you wish.
3) Maintain a professional, but fun, Facebook profile. Mind the pictures you post and consider limiting tags by others to pictures on your wall. Ensure your wall and photos are professional in nature (so take down the party pic of you dancing on the bar with your friends). Post academic achievements (I received an A on my chem. Exam!!), athletic wins (I just did my PB during the 5K race!) and non-profit initiatives (Loved participating in the food pantry fundraiser last night…consider joining me at the next event).
4) Check your name in Google Images – Here you will see what pictures are online that are connected or tagged to your name in a public manner. You may not have all of your and your friends’ Facebook pictures come up, depending on the privacy settings. However, all public photos that are tagged to your name will arise.
5) Check your privacy settings on Facebook and other online media. Assume nothing you put on the web is ever private—that is my cardinal rule. If you are in doubt if you should put it up, well, maybe you should not do it.
6) Write a professional LinkedIn Profile that is optimized with key words to improve your ability to be found by recruiters and land an interview. 93% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find their next hire. You need to be here.
7) Create a Twitter account to follow target companies and network with contacts who can help you lead to your dream job. Twitter provides real time data to improve the content of your communication with key contacts.
8) Consider removing information that references topics that should not be considered as part of a hiring decision, such as religion, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or other group represented in Title VII or the American with Disabilities Act. It is discriminatory to ask for this data or use it in a hiring decision. But if the information is offered by the applicant, it can (wrongly) be used in a hiring decision in an unconscious manner.
9) Share positively across all social media channels. Negative rants are major turnoffs to employers, as no one wants to hire their next problem. Demonstrate your ability to communicate constructively and don’t overshare.
10) If you do have negative information about you that you cannot remove, or share a name with life-long criminal, one option you have is you can create new content by launching a blog, writing online book reviews, creating a personal website URL (i.e. www.yourname.com), and using other tactics to bury the information.
11) Not coming up anywhere online is almost as bad as having a negative online image. Employers wonder do you get technology and/or what have you been doing all this time? So get online to get hired.
Maintaining a professional online image without losing your personality is very doable. Take the time to craft the image that is true to you and resonates with employers to land that first job—making your time in school all worth it.
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Feb 04, 2013 @ 09:00 AM
Wondering why recruiters call you back after you have submitted your resume? Feel you’re perfect for the job they posted, you know you can do it, but you are baffled by the fact they have not returned your call? Well, I have some answers for you as to why and outline a few things you can do about it. Read on if you are open to honest, tough talk, you are serious about optimizing your job search time and you are prepared to do something about it. Here goes:
Why Don’t Recruiters Don’t Call You Back
(1) Just because YOU think you can do the job, does not mean they think you are QUALIFIED for the job.
Search firms are paid a significant fee to evaluate candidates that the client company cannot find on their own. They are charged with having to determine if that candidate will exceed expectations for that client in the given job. The client company gave the search firm a series of parameters to meet that they feel justify paying a fee to the search firm if the candidate embodies those requirements. Frankly, it just does not matter that you think you can do the job. The search firm has to ensure you have the proper years of experience, company caliber exposure, demonstrated track record of results, culture fit potential, professional training and educational credentials requested before sending you to their client. And if you are missing one piece of it, typically you will not be considered by the search firm and never submitted for the job. As long as you have neither been contacted by the search firm nor submitted to the company by them, apply through a different venue (following a job search plan, networking, submitting directly, company website, etc) that does not add a fee to your head if hired.
(2) Search firms are not paid by you, and therefore, do not work for you.
Reputable search firms are paid by their client company ONLY. The company is their client–not you. Credible search firms do not accept fees from candidates for representation to companies. As stated in reason #1, you will receive a call from the recruiter only if your background is dead on for their client. Search firms typically only get paid to make the placement. So if your background will help them get that placement fee since you meet the client requirements, I assure you they will call you. Remember, they work for their client. They do not exist to find you a job.
(3) You paid a firm to send your resume to 1,000 recruiters…and it shows.
If you are doing a mass direct email, you cannot expect personalized response results. A very successful direct email campaign has a response rate of 1-2%. If you have a properly targeted, well written direct campaign to 1,000 contacts, you will get 10-20 quality calls. If you have a well-written campaign sent to a random sampling of recruiters, you may get 5-15 calls from recruiters who may not place what you do. And if it is an untargeted, poorly written campaign, no one will call—or you will receive calls to sell you job search services since you clearly need some help.
(4) Search firms don’t place what you do.
You are a Medical Director of a Big Pharma Firm and the recruiter places digital media experts within high tech firms. You live in Wyoming and the recruiter works with companies in New York and New Jersey—no matter how great you are, you are not getting the call. Know your audience before you send your resume.
(5) The search firm has no idea what you do.
Your resume is filled with so much corporate-speak and fluff on the first page that they have no idea what you do. Saying ‘Leader in the industry” does not help anyone understand what you do. What kind of leader? What level of leader? What industry? If the recruiter has to work at figuring out what you do, you are not getting the call.
(6) They do not have the right job for you.
The search firm actually thinks your background is amazing. They know what you do and are impressed where you do it and how you have done it. But they simply do not have the right job for you. Given that recruiters need to focus on finding candidates that can fill their jobs to make a living, they will not have time to call you, most likely. It’s not personal.
(7) Your background is not worth a company paying a 25% fee.
I know this is harsh—but it is true. Accepting this fact about your background does not mean you are doomed to be jobless. It means you will probably not find one through a search firm. This really is not that bad of a lot in life. Search firms account for a small percentages of hires in the US. Most hires are made through networking. If you are unemployed or you have too many jobs in a short period of time, you may fall in this category. If you do not have a series of promotions or you have an eclectic group of varied experiences, you are in this boat, too. Yes, they know it was out of your control…BUT this is a simple economics issue. The supply of these types of candidates is too great right now where companies will not pay a fee for this type of candidate. But they will hire you through other venues without the price tag attached—so go to those venues.
(8) The search firm is overwhelmed and, unfortunately, cannot get back to every applicant with the “Thanks, but no thanks” email. Please do not take it personally when recruiters do not call back to tell you that you are not right for the job. Yes, it is good manners. Yes, they should call/email. But do not cause yourself added stress by thinking it is personal —it is simply a logistics issue regarding limited resources. With the volume of resumes third party and corporate recruiters receive in today’s market, it is physically impossible to get back to everyone, even if they hired a team to do it—which they won’t. To help ease the rejection you experience, set up metrics of outbound activity you commit to perform each week, knowing a certain percentage will reap results. It is a numbers game. It is not a personal attack. It is reality that a good amount may not get back to you ever.
(9) Your resume is posted on all the job boards…for a while.
Companies pay recruiters to find candidates they cannot find themselves. If your resume is posted on all of the job boards for any length of time, you are not exclusive. You are readily available and easily found. When I recruited, I have had past company clients tell me I could not submit candidates that were found on the job boards–even if I sourced that candidate myself or the candidate was referred to me! As frustrating as it was, I understood. Why would they pay me $25,000 for someone they can find readily available on their own? Does this mean you should not be on the boards? Not necessarily. It depends on your story. If you are not working or know that you will be laid off soon and you cannot be without a job, do what you have to do to get that next job. If after reading the article, you know that you will not be well served by recruiters, then you must use other means to advance your career. But consider being selective and not post yourself everywhere. Or consider submitting to job postings only. The best option is to commit to networking within target company list you create and approach contacts directly.
(10) You are looking to switch careers or start your career.
You are a successful pharmaceutical sales manager, who just recently graduated with a bachelors in accounting. Now you are looking to get an entry-level position in accounting. The best option for you to take is contact companies directly for a position in your new career path. A recruiter cannot help new college graduates typically or individuals who want to change careers. Why? Remember, recruiters get paid by clients to find candidates who have had prior success in the job at hand. A company is not going to pay a recruiter to hire someone start a new line of work with no proven track record in the position.
(11) Don’t test the waters on the recruiter’s time.
On paper, you may appear too comfortable in your job. Recruiters want to work with candidates who want to make a move. If it seems you may be shopping or comfortable, but not serious about a new position, your resume will be passed over. Reformat your resume to show career progression, achievements and promotions. If you present yourself as someone out looking for the next ripe opportunity and who brings results, you increase your chances of getting the call.
You find that you identify with a few of the reasons and fall in a few categories above. Does this mean you are not destined to find a job? Absolutely not!! This is a lesson in marketing and economics. You need to present your background in venues where you will be reviewed and perceived as a valuable candidate that should be hired.
What You Can Do About It – TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR SEARCH!
(1) Set yourself up to succeed. Do not set yourself up to be rejected. If in reading the above content you know you have a background recruiters won’t work with, then stop approaching recruiters. Find other channels to market and present yourself.
(2) Commit to doing the work YOURSELF needed to execute an effective job search plan. There are no short cuts. Do not pay someone to do the dirty work. If you need help, pay someone to show YOU how to do it correctly. But the key is to do it yourself.
(3) Be Creative In Your Job Search. Use venues that you increase your chances of being reviewed and called for a particular job. If you have a background that is not going to be attractive to search firms, then choose other venues: Target Company List Job Search Plan, Industry-focused job boards. Effective Networking, LinkedIn Utilization, Company Websites, Career Fairs, Volunteering, etc…
(4) Quality over Quantity. Better to create a target list of companies and research 30 leads to mindfully contact directly than to send a mass, impersonalized, poorly targeted email to 3,000 people. Garbage in equals garbage out.
(5) Commit to have the best branding presentation ever. You would not go to an interview in a yellow suit without having taken a shower, would you? I cannot tell you how many resumes and cover letters I have received as a recruiter that were poorly written, formatted in an amateur manner or simply did not do the candidate any justice. Make sure your communication documents (resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter, networking communications, etc) are in their best suit and showered. Doing this will not ensure you get the call, but I can assure you not doing this properly will prevent you from getting the call if you were.
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.