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Sales on Rails: A Sales Engineer's Framework for Better Selling
This book is intended to help Sales Engineers (SEs) dramatically improve their sales results. Based on the author's own experience as an SE in the field, the book contains a framework for understanding how and why prospects decide to buy and how to navigate that process with the least amount of work and the highest likelihood of closing the sale.
132 pages, Paperback
Published May 16, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 22, 2026
Great high level framework , would have loved to see more in practice
August 17, 2019
Notes from Sales on Rails:
10-20-30 rule for powerpoint. Max 10 slides, max 20 minutes long, 30 point font on all slides
Grading system that as a prospect used when grading an AE.
-Listening to the question and making sure it is understood - 50%
-Answering the question that was actually asked, not something else - 50%
-No deductions for having to get back to me after the demo
-No deductions if your answer is not what I wanted to hear
Fold a piece of paper in half vertically. On the right hand side, write down each of the key features of your solution. When your done, unfold the left hand side and write down the, so what, who cares to that feature. This way, as start with value (why), finish with feature (how)
The biggest determine factor for how much money you make as an SE is how well you can listen to a qualified prospect. It is NOT how well you demo, how well you know the product, how well you dress, how well you fill out RFPs, or any other thing you do.
Make a point to begin the conversation by establishing a purpose and goal of being part of the conversation. Example: my purpose is to see if I can be of value to you, my goal is to figure that out as quickly as possible."
The less you understand about a prospects problems, the more you are just a walking advertisement, repeating your boilerplate message in the hopes that the prospect is tuned in enough to pick out the parts to resonate.
The more you try to talk an unqualified prospect out of a deal, the more he'll let you. The more you try to talk a qualified prospect out of a deal, the more he won't allow it.
The SC is so critical to to a successful sale. No prospect is going to rationally pay more for a solution than she thinks it’s worth. The SE sets the ceiling on what a prospect is willing to pay. If your prospect thinks your solution is only worth $200k there’s not an AE on the planet who will get her to $500k. Your role is to make the perceived value as BIG as possible in the prospects mind, your AE’s role is to capture as much as possible of that perceived value in the price paid.
When prospects start asking different types of questions that signal she has addressed the information asymmetry and believes your solution is the right one to solve their problem.
10-20-30 rule for powerpoint. Max 10 slides, max 20 minutes long, 30 point font on all slides
Grading system that as a prospect used when grading an AE.
-Listening to the question and making sure it is understood - 50%
-Answering the question that was actually asked, not something else - 50%
-No deductions for having to get back to me after the demo
-No deductions if your answer is not what I wanted to hear
Fold a piece of paper in half vertically. On the right hand side, write down each of the key features of your solution. When your done, unfold the left hand side and write down the, so what, who cares to that feature. This way, as start with value (why), finish with feature (how)
The biggest determine factor for how much money you make as an SE is how well you can listen to a qualified prospect. It is NOT how well you demo, how well you know the product, how well you dress, how well you fill out RFPs, or any other thing you do.
Make a point to begin the conversation by establishing a purpose and goal of being part of the conversation. Example: my purpose is to see if I can be of value to you, my goal is to figure that out as quickly as possible."
The less you understand about a prospects problems, the more you are just a walking advertisement, repeating your boilerplate message in the hopes that the prospect is tuned in enough to pick out the parts to resonate.
The more you try to talk an unqualified prospect out of a deal, the more he'll let you. The more you try to talk a qualified prospect out of a deal, the more he won't allow it.
The SC is so critical to to a successful sale. No prospect is going to rationally pay more for a solution than she thinks it’s worth. The SE sets the ceiling on what a prospect is willing to pay. If your prospect thinks your solution is only worth $200k there’s not an AE on the planet who will get her to $500k. Your role is to make the perceived value as BIG as possible in the prospects mind, your AE’s role is to capture as much as possible of that perceived value in the price paid.
When prospects start asking different types of questions that signal she has addressed the information asymmetry and believes your solution is the right one to solve their problem.
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