Many products and services, especially those purchased by large companies and institutions, are highly complex. Sales engineers, using their engineering skills, help customers determine which products or services provided by the sales engineer's employer best suit their needs. Sales engineers-who also may be called manufacturers' agents, sales representatives, or technical sales support workers-often work with both the customer and the production, engineering, or research and development departments of their company, or of independent firms, to determine how products and services could be designed or modified to best suit the customer's needs. They also may advise the customer on how to best utilize the products or services being provided.

Selling, of course, is an important part of the job, although sales engineers tend to employ selling techniques that are different from those used by most other sales workers. They may use a "consultative" style; focusing on the client's problem and how it could be solved or mitigated with their product or service.

Most sales engineers have a bachelor's degree in engineering and some have engineering work experience. Employment in engineering sales is projected to grow, due to the increasing number and technical nature of products being sold, and more job opportunities are expected in independent agencies, rather than with the manufacturers themselves.

Wherever you work, you will find yourself involved in one or more different assignments, for example:

	Research: Collecting data in laboratories and in the field to gain knowledge about systems and materials and the laws of motion.
	Development: Taking research results and building prototype devices or systems that solve a problem, often working closely with research engineers. Usually this early development work is used to test an approach, and often requires modifications.
	Design: Conceiving of the machines, systems or approaches that will solve a specific problem. Articulating the solution quantitatively and putting it into drawings or equations.
	Testing: Operating a development device or a full-scale completed machine to determine its performance under all possible conditions. Often, testing means finding out how much the machine can take before it breaks or fails, as well as finding out how safe a machine is under usual and unusual operating conditions.
	Manufacturing: Selecting the equipment and machines that will manufacture a finished product. This can range from building a factory assembly line to fashioning a very precise surgeon's tool. Generally, engineers involved in manufacturing are concerned with production efficiency, economics and safety.
	Operations and Maintenance: Providing oversight to the continual maintenance required by complex or essential equipment and systems. Many mechanical engineers perform this function in power plants and advanced manufacturing sites.
	Marketing and Sales: Helping customers design the optimum product for their needs, and supporting installation and training.
	Administration: Supervising and coordinating the work of others; reporting on your own work progress to and providing support to your supervisor; managing project schedules and budgets; and participating in meetings.