Sales Engineer (Nova Scotia)

Responsibilities:

A Sales Engineer is a technical representative who excels in solution sales. They are a sales department employee whose role is to promote and sell the company’s products and services as defined in the company’s sales and marketing plan (e.g., developing applications/complex systems, conducting a certain number of client visits, promoting to clients, participating in events, etc.).

The Sales Engineer is an integral part of the company’s sales force. They are the cornerstone for business development in their territory. With extensive knowledge of the territory and market, they spend most of their time prospecting and canvassing to expand their clientele. They are responsible for organizing appointments and planning/optimizing field trips. As such, they travel (daily) within a given geographic area, but their role also includes a sedentary aspect, particularly for solution development research, proposal preparation, and administrative tasks (e.g., participating in training preparation at Michelin).

Sales Representation / Business Development – 70%

• Develop and maintain professional relationships with clients in the assigned territory (prospecting, phone and email solicitation, scheduling appointments, visits with and without appointments, sales history tracking)
• With the help of the engineering team, develop “system/application solutions”: this involves several steps in the process, including:
  • Client canvassing
  • Gathering basic data
  • Drafting and presenting the proposal to the client
  • Participating in post-sale technical development
• Increase sales by applying cross-selling strategies (primarily by selling complete systems)
• Promote the company’s products, services, and values, and maintain quality standards
• Assist clients, identify their needs, and act as the commercial and technical link between them and the internal sales and/or technical departments (assess needs and expectations, gather relevant data)
• Prepare small-scale project proposals
• Submit project proposals to clients (close the deal, negotiate terms and conditions)
• Submit orders to internal sales along with all pertinent information
• Stay alert to competitor activities and inform the sales manager
• Look out for inter-territory opportunities for the company’s benefit and inform the sales director
• Attend certain industrial trade shows as determined by management
• Follow up on proposals

Technical Support – 20%

• Act as the liaison between the client and the engineering technical departments
• Make proactive product recommendations
• Educate the client on product terminology, features, and benefits
• Provide technical support (troubleshooting, diagnostics, data collection)
• Recommend alternative products based on cost, availability, and specifications (interchanges, product research, customer support)

Administrative Tasks – 10%

• Draft/enter certain proposals via Contal / Word / Email
• Prepare, establish, and present pricing agreements to certain clients, in collaboration with the internal sales manager and sales director
• Complete and submit weekly visit reports to the sales manager
• Complete and submit monthly expense reports to accounting
• Be prepared and actively participate in sales meetings (e.g., visit planning)
• Convey customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction to the sales director
• Efficiently use the computer system provided (Contal, Outlook, other client management software; e.g., Zoho CRM, Google Cloud)
• Keep client information up to date within the sales territory
• Follow up on proposals

Note:

Customer orders are processed by internal sales.

Academic Background:

• Technical Bachelor’s degree OR DEC in electromechanics OR equivalent experience

Relevant Experience:

• 15+ years

Other Knowledge/Requirements:

• Good knowledge of electromechanics and servo positioning
• Good knowledge of hydraulics (servo positioning)
• A lack in one of the two points above can be compensated by excellent knowledge of one of the two requirements
• Motivated and capable of learning new technologies
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Valid passport and driver’s license
• Knowledge of the immediate region of the sales territory

Languages Spoken/Written:

• Very good knowledge of French and proficiency in English

Personal Qualities and Skills:

• Autonomy
• Technical competence
• Initiative
• Flexibility
• Self-taught
• Discretion
• Self-confidence
• Collaboration/cooperation
• Professional ethics
• Written and verbal communication skills