Why Engineers Make Great Salespeople

Engineers like solving problems. They like ending the day with a clear answer they can feel good about. Todd Miller says sales works the same way: the customer has a problem, and the contract is the answer.Todd studied math and physics and spent 18 years at DNV in wind data and turbine testing before moving into sales. Today he leads sales at Kinematics, the company behind the slew drives that turn solar panels to follow the sun. He’s also taking Kinematics into tracker repowering: replacing only the parts that failed instead of overhauling the whole system.Todd and Richard talk about how technical people can make the move into sales, why a clear ROI still has to get past tight budgets and buying committees, and why the best deals start with talking to the people closest to the problem.If you’re a technical person who just got handed a sales number, this one’s for you.