A ‘must-know’ commercial crash course designed for engineers is vital. We run one we call “The 30 minute MBA”. They should understand the vital basics, then a clear mental model of how commercial conversations run, and how they might contribute to them. Give them paint-by-numbers moves for when conversations get hard, and show them evidence their ethical approach actually works, and how it adds value to both parties. Confidence is the byproduct of these three things, not something you can install directly.
Key facts
- Most engineers lack commercial confidence because they’re carrying an old picture of what selling looks like – pushy, manipulative, nothing like how they naturally think or operate.
- Engineers do often like to learn how things work. Commercial understanding is no different. You can tie the concepts to their own world and perspective.
- Real commercial confidence compounds when engineers see their version of selling (ethical, listening-led, fit-tested) actually producing results on deals that matter. Also when they see their technical solution shifting to suit the commercial objectives. It’s all part of them understanding ‘FIT and VALUE’.
- Engineers who develop genuine commercial confidence start shaping deals and acting accordingly as trusted advisors. They become seen as true engineering professionals rather than disconnected technicians who are stuck ‘in the weeds’.
- The free 3-minute Revenue Generator Score diagnostoic below reveals where your sales approach is breaking down and the single area to fix first.
What’s actually missing when an engineer lacks commercial confidence?
Usually three things. A basic understanding of the must-knows relevant to your business (our “30 minute MBA” helps with this). A clear mental model of how a good commercial conversation runs. A small set of paint-by-numbers moves they can lean on when the conversation gets hard. And evidence that their version of selling – ethical, listening-led, fit-tested – actually works. Confidence is the byproduct of those three. It can’t be installed directly. Most confidence programmes try to pump people up with motivation. “You can do it!” doesn’t work when people don’t know how to do it. Engineers need structure, evidence, and proof their approach works before they’ll trust it in front of a real buyer.
What gets in the way most often?
An old picture in their head of what selling is. A handful of bad past experiences with pushy salespeople. A self-identity where they don’t think commerical understanding is relevant to their role. Worry that their colleagues will see them differently if they ‘become commercial’. But often, a manager or leader who hasn’t helped connect this know-how and mindset to their team. All of those are addressable and learnable.
What’s the fastest visible win?
Create a short but highly impactful workshop or interactive meeting with your team, establishing the must-knows to improve their commercial understanding. A great way to start doing this is to use our diagnostic tool below, which is free. If you’re interested, we can also run our 30-minute MBA for your team, which is a great starting point to encourage your team to lean more confidently into high-value customer conversations, spotting, creating, and converting more opportunities to do more business with your ideal clients.
What does the sustained version look like?
Six to twelve months of structured incremental work. New behaviours practised on live deals. Spaced repetition, on-the-job application, regular debriefs, and a clear way to see progress. Confidence compounds when the engineer can see their results moving and feel the new behaviours becoming natural. A technical engineering team at Vinci Energies were given a paint-by-numbers approach to opening up commercial conversations. They turned a casual nuclear-sector account into a multi-million-pound strategic partner. Their Director, Andrew Hunter, described it as ‘adding sales skills by stealth’. The engineers didn’t think they were doing sales. They just thought they were having better commercial conversations with the client.
How do I tell if it’s working?
Three observable shifts. They start volunteering for client conversations they used to avoid. They start asking better questions internally about deals. And they push back on you, the leader, when they think a deal isn’t fit. One engineer recently described the shift as ‘a night and day difference between my sales skills before and after working with Mark and HelpPeopleBuy’. He added: ‘now I don’t think sales is as scary as some time ago.’ When an engineer starts questioning deal fit rather than just accepting whatever comes their way, they’ve switched on their commercial radar. That’s confidence in action.
Can you build commercial confidence with motivation and mindset work?
Most commercial confidence programmes are too generic, sharing basic concept. But for engineers to pick up and use what’s learned, it needs to be fully tailored to their business and their customers situation as they see it. When they understand it in their world it changes everything. But its not just about motivation and mindset. They also need to know how to put it into action in customer conversations.
Signs your engineers need commercial confidence development
Watch for these signals. If they default to just talking technical to customers and even steering the conversation just on to technical, there’s a high chance they’re just not comfortable or clear on how to take the commercial conversation to the client. If, after customer conversations, you ask them about the customers’ commercial situation and they can’t answer, there’s a clear sign they can improve in this area. Once they understand the commercial side of things, you’ll find that they are better able to spot and create opportunities or expand existing ones. If they’re not doing this, it’s a sign they don’t have the commercial aptitude required, and it’s learnable. A starting step is to use our free diagnostic tool below.