Your technical team treats every conversation as a technical conversation when buyers need commercial conversations first.
Why this is harder than it looks
- Most technical experts think the problem is that buyers don’t understand the value of good engineering. The real problem is that technical people don’t understand the commercial pressures their buyers face every day.
- Technical experts freeze when the conversation moves from what they know to what the buyer values. Here’s the thing, every deal is won or lost in that gap between technical capability and commercial relevance.
- Most engineering firms have no rhythm for commercial development because technical people think commercial activities should happen when there’s time. The fact is, commercial muscle atrophies without consistent use, just like any other capability.
What good looks like in practice
- In companies that get this right, your technical people can articulate why the client needs to solve this problem now in business terms, not just engineering terms. The client hears their own language reflected back to them.
- Your most successful technical people can describe the client’s success criteria in the client’s words, not in engineering specifications. The client feels understood before they feel impressed.
- Your best technical performers can guide a client towards a decision without the client feeling sold to. The client experiences the conversation as helpful thinking, not sales pressure.
Where most engineering firms go wrong
- Technical experts mistake demonstrating competence for building trust, but buyers trust people who understand their challenges more than people who impress them with capabilities. Leading with what you can do instead of what they need creates distance, not confidence.
- Technical people treat every client interaction as a technical conversation when most buying decisions are made on commercial criteria. You can’t solve a commercial problem with technical answers, but most technical experts try to do exactly that.
Where to start
Identify your three most important prospects and research what commercial challenges their industry is facing right now, not what technical problems you could solve for them. Look at their recent press releases, annual reports, or industry publications to understand their strategic context. Then craft one piece of communication that demonstrates you understand their commercial world before you mention your technical capabilities. The goal is to earn a conversation, not to impress them with what you know.
The thing worth checking in your business
Technical experts typically assume that doing excellent work automatically creates client loyalty and referrals, but most clients can’t tell the difference between good engineering and great engineering. What they can tell is whether you understand their business well enough to help them succeed commercially. The blindspot is this: you measure your success by technical quality, but your clients measure your value by commercial outcomes. Can you describe, in each client’s own words, what commercial success looks like for them this year?
Want to know where your team actually stands?
Use the free commercial diagnostic tools to find out exactly where the gaps are in your team’s sales effectiveness, and what to do about them. Takes 10 minutes. The report is specific and actionable.