Controls Sales Engineer
Overview:
Develop controls sales with new and existing national accounts. Providing controls expertise, quoting services, and sales representative duties. Full sales cycle service from lead generation and account management through conception, quoting, project budgeting, functional specifications, and final acceptance (customer satisfaction). Develop controls skills and research new products to provide a competitive advantage to Bastian and our customers. Our goal is to help companies compete in their markets by providing the best material handling system solutions and technology.
Principle liaison and maintenance of relationships with Bastian Controls customers both internal and external. Cultivate strong relationships with key decision makers, understand the customer's business goals and objectives as well as their engineering and project management processes. Communicate this information to the rest of the Controls Team and recommend best practices from both a project (specific team members, execution strategies, pricing) and process standpoints (standards, procedures, lessons learned, etc.) Develop relationships with new Bastian Controls customers.
Develop technical concepts, proposals, pricing, and other front-end work. Controls Engineers, Software Engineers, etc. may assist with proposal development, estimating, RFQ's etc. Serve as an integral member of the Indianapolis Controls Team.
Required Background:
Bachelors of Engineering required. Masters Degree in Business or Engineering or P.E. preferred. Experience in controls architectures and implementation in the material handling , robotics, or packaging industry required. Strong selling skills and selling experience is required. Must be extremely computer literate with MS Office products. AutoCad experience preferred.
Sales/Marketing Performance Requirements:
- Set Goals and Manage your time effectively with a Franklin Planner or equivalent.
- (Minimum) yearly sales calls on key sales personnel in each of the Bastian offices and other external accounts.
- Promote Bastian in all appropriate forums, trade show presentations, etc.
- Master product information through training and personal efforts.
- Lead Controls Sales Representation/Duties: Bidders Meeting, Quote Preparation, and Formal Presentations
- Maintain written/electronic journal of pre-project assumptions, discussions and meetings to be passed on to the appropriate Controls Project Manager.
- Provide professional proposals in a timely manner.
- Professional Sales Training (Dale Carnegie, Wilson, etc.) Continuously study the sales profession (tapes, courses, videos, books, periodicals, etc.) to improve skills and abilities.
- Pursue leads from our suppliers or other sales force within 4 business days.
- Maintain highest standards of professional appearance and manner in the office and especially with customers and suppliers
- Communicate with other Bastian team members effectively. Keep receptionist advised of schedule. Check and use voice mail / e-mail diligently. Maintain the team relationship. Communicate strategic information regarding suppliers, customers and competition.
- Assist in the training of new Bastian employees.
- Continuous improvement of sales estimating tools. Biannual upgrade of controls price list and standards.
- Work as a team with your coordinator and take out into the field on a biannual basis.
- Maintain a consistently positive, enthusiastic attitude.
- Communicate with Bastian management regarding personal expectations and goals so that the company and individual can better work together to maintain, tweak, or overhaul the job description to everyone's benefit.
- Develop demos for Bastian controls HMI's software etc.
- Update Powerpoint for Bastian controls sections at least annually.
- Develop controls architectures or network diagrams for each controls bid as part of sales process.
Projects/Operational Requirements:
- Open Contracts and budgets for new Projects or Proposals. Review with assigned Project Manager/Engineer.
- Controls Operations Manager and Project Engineer must signoff on all budgets.
- Provide input to FSD's (operational descriptions, required functionality, etc). Participate in project through FSD signoff to ensure scope meets RFP and customer satisfaction.
- Compare/Review budgets to actual after project close-out (update pricing standards).
- Follow-up on past due accounts with assistance from coordinator. (If a Project Manager/Engineer is involved, assist them with follow-up)
- Assist Project Managers/Engineers in coordinating quick resolutions to avoid scope creep, change orders or cost overruns, and technical issues with quoted control system as needed.
- Visit site at startup time. Be the extra person that can help fill in to make the project successful and the customer happy
- Review sales commission report monthly in sufficient time to make recommended changes to commission calculations.
- Develop TBA commission payout schedule for approval by Controls Operations Manager and Systems Manager.
- Manage escrow amounts of post-completion costs, where applicable. Coordinate resolutions to post-project warranty and customer service issues.
- Follow the Bastian Systems Checklist.
- Coordinate post project "victory" engagements.
Process Training Requirements:
- Recommend R;amp&D initiatives based on customer needs and judgment. Maintain product line development budget (R&D, standard manuals, new designs, etc.) Project for following calendar year.
- Refine the process by updating the Project Gantt Chart template.
- Network with business contacts (i.e. service organizations, government business resources, etc.).
- Recruit and critique key suppliers of technology/software.
- Continuous improvement of sales estimating tools. Develop, refine, and maintain summary price lists and estimating spreadsheets.
- Continued training on controls or business applications such as ABB, Rockwell, etc
Administrative Requirements:
- Maintain office area clean and organized.
- Maintain and publish a weekly Pipeline of controls opportunities in CRM, including contacts, % Probability of Sale, Expected resource requirements and time frame
- Maintain copies of proposals on server current and archive at end of every quarter
- Work with MIS and Coordinator to maintain Bastian customer database current, merge dupe accounts, update customer names, logical and logical and consistent address format (particular issue with national accounts)
- Attend weekly sales meeting and other scheduled meetings on time.
- Complete all administrative tasks/paperwork in timely manner. Review billing reports. Inform Sales Manager before month end of any adjustments.
- Enter CRM data for current week by Friday noon.
Superior Performance Objectives:
- High degree of professionalism in everything you do. Respected as a leader in the office based on product and customer knowledge and how you treat others. Liked and respected by Bastian customers and suppliers on a wide level.
- Cultivate the relationship with Bastian Marketing department for sales presentations, HMI's, renderings, marketing tools, etc.
- Help the Project Managers/Engineers be successful. They appreciate your efforts and want to work with you.
- Clear, concise pricing and estimating templates and proposal tools that can be used effectively and intuitively by Inside Sales and Project Managers.
- Develop broad sales skills in both maintaining existing accounts and breaking in to new Accounts.
- Define winning opportunities for investment in new developments, products, and markets.
- Complete Personal, Bastian, and Controls Strategic goals as assigned.
- Pursue relevant professional certifications
- Help recruit new exceptional talent to Bastian.
Other:
- Compensation: Salary plus incentive plan based on gross profit, (new vs existing account sales) and performance (customer satisfaction, accuracy of sales estimates,…) Incentive in accordance with Sales Consultant Commission Policy with retained percentage for performance incentive.
- Travel: up to 20% overnight travel expected; generally of short duration
- Standard Bastian benefits.
