Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Sales Engineer
What sales engineers actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
Prepare a custom demo for a manufacturing client. From there, the day usually includes learn customer technical requirements, design technical solutions, and deliver product demonstrations. Most work full-time with some travel and busy periods near deal deadlines.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a sales engineer working full time.
- Prepare a custom demo for a manufacturing client.
- Lead a technical discovery call with IT and engineering teams.
- Answer security questions in an RFP.
- Deliver the demo with the account executive.
- Design a solution architecture diagram.
- Meet product managers about a feature request.
- Update deal notes and plan a proof of concept.
Where sales engineers work
Sales engineers work in offices, remotely and at customer sites, with travel for meetings and demonstrations.
Hours and schedule
Most work full-time with some travel and busy periods near deal deadlines.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Learn customer technical requirements
- Design technical solutions
- Deliver product demonstrations
- Answer technical questions
- Write proposals and RFP responses
- Support pilots and proofs of concept
- Work with product and engineering teams
Tools you’ll use every day
- CRM systems
- Demo environments
- Diagramming tools
- Presentation software
- Engineering or software tools
- Video conferencing
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- High pay
- Mix of technology and people
- Problem-solving every day
- Less quota pressure than pure sales
What’s hard
- Travel
- Pressure to win deals
- Constant product learning
- Juggling many deals
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love technology
- I enjoy explaining technical topics
- I like solving customer problems
- I’m comfortable presenting
- I don’t mind travel
- I want high pay
Not sure? Take the free Sales Engineer fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow customer site safety rules
- Protect customer data in demos
- Travel safely
- Avoid overpromising capabilities