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Engineering sales: Who are the best salespeople?

Sales Today

Release Date: 11/06/2025

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More Episodes

Jimmy Armitage, founder of Your Wavelength, joins me to unravel the complexities of recruiting sales professionals for technical industries.

 

This episode is full of insights for business owners navigating the intricate balance between technical expertise and sales prowess.

 

We dissect the fallacy of assuming every successful salesperson will thrive in any business environment, stressing the importance of aligning technical know-how with sales roles.

 

Jimmy sheds light on the benefits of training technically skilled employees in sales or recruiting individuals who possess both skill sets, offering guidance for overcoming the steep learning curves that often lead to failure.

 

We explore the unique challenges engineers face when shifting to sales roles, especially in sectors introducing new technologies like packaging machinery for potato chips.

 

By evaluating candidates through key pillars such as capability, environment fit, team fit, and motivation, we highlight how engineers can leverage their technical background while honing new sales skills.

 

Jimmy shares his views on the importance of motivation and natural communication abilities in managing the demands of field sales, such as international travel and client interactions.

 

We also discuss the value of transparency about product limitations to foster trust and connect with clients on a human level.

 

This episode wraps up by focusing on strategic hiring decisions, examining how structured planning and clear communication can maximise sales ROI and ensure new hires align with company goals.

 

Through this comprehensive approach, we aim to equip listeners with the tools to make informed and strategic hiring decisions that drive success.

 

 Chapters:

00:00 - Technical Sales Recruiting Strategies

12:00 - Recruiting Engineers for Technical Sales

17:33 - Effective Sales Training and Hiring

28:49 - Maximising Sales ROI Through Strategic Hiring

 

Links and Resources

 

Connect with Jimmy  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-armitage-yourwavelength/

Website: https://yourwavelength.co.uk/

 

Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

 

Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nKSwkayPvgs

 

Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers