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Sales Engineers

SOC 41-9031.00Job Zone 4 · Considerable Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers technical sales engineering practice in commercial and industrial settings, spanning proposal development, customer consultation, product configuration, contract management, and market intelligence across Job Zone 4 career stages.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Customer requirements documentation — collect and organize under direct supervision to support proposal development for assigned accounts.
  2. Company product catalogs and samples — present basic features and pricing to prospective buyers at commercial or industrial establishments with guidance from senior engineers.
  3. Sales support materials — assist in preparing standardized responses to requests for proposal under the direction of an experienced sales engineer.
  4. Customer and engineer interactions — participate in structured meetings to record equipment needs and system requirement inputs for review by senior team members.
  5. Industry news and competitor information — monitor assigned sources and summarize emerging technology trends for internal briefings under supervision.
  6. ERP and database software — enter customer and contract data accurately into enterprise systems following established protocols on a daily basis.
  7. Product configuration options — review standard specifications and identify basic modifications needed to align offerings with documented customer needs.
  8. Sales contracts and service agreements — draft routine sections using approved templates under the review and approval of a senior sales engineer.
  9. Resale opportunities — identify and flag potential leads within existing accounts by analyzing purchase histories with guidance from the sales team.
  10. Active listening and note-taking — capture detailed customer feedback during client visits and relay findings accurately to the broader sales engineering team.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Customer requirement proposals — develop and present tailored responses to moderately complex RFPs with reduced oversight in familiar industry segments.
  2. Sales team collaboration — coordinate regularly with account managers to align technical product positioning with customer goals across an assigned territory.
  3. Product configurations — modify standard system designs to meet specific customer specifications, validating feasibility with internal engineering resources.
  4. Prospective buyer visits — conduct independent site calls at commercial and industrial facilities to demonstrate product capabilities and negotiate preliminary pricing.
  5. Industry trend analysis — synthesize information on legacy, existing, and emerging technologies to inform sales strategy recommendations for a defined product line.
  6. Service and sales contracts — draft complete agreements for products and services, ensuring terms reflect negotiated scope and comply with company policy.
  7. Equipment needs assessment — confer with customer engineers to evaluate system requirements and propose appropriate technical solutions within standard parameters.
  8. Resale pipeline support — identify and actively develop resale opportunities within the assigned channel, tracking progress against quarterly sales plans.
  9. CAD and expert system software — apply engineering and configuration tools to produce accurate product layout documentation for customer deliverables.
  10. Competitive positioning — compare company offerings against competitor products using technical knowledge and customer feedback to strengthen sales arguments.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Complex RFP responses — lead the full development and delivery of industry-specific technical proposals autonomously, addressing non-standard customer requirements across multiple verticals.
  2. Customer and engineering consultation — independently assess advanced equipment needs and architect system configurations that meet unique operational and regulatory constraints.
  3. Contract negotiation — finalize sales and service agreements for high-value accounts by balancing technical, commercial, and legal considerations without supervisory review.
  4. Product configuration strategy — design and validate customized solutions for complex client environments, drawing on deep knowledge of the full product portfolio.
  5. Technology intelligence — synthesize broad market intelligence on emerging technologies, competitor roadmaps, and industry trends to shape proactive account strategies.
  6. Cross-functional sales support — serve as the primary technical resource for the sales team on high-priority pursuits, guiding solution design from qualification through close.
  7. Resale opportunity leadership — identify, structure, and drive resale channels to meet or exceed annual revenue targets with full ownership of the opportunity pipeline.
  8. Systems analysis and evaluation — apply structured methods to assess customer infrastructure gaps and recommend integrated solutions that align with long-term business objectives.
  9. Executive-level presentations — deliver technically credible and persuasive proposals to C-suite and engineering decision-makers at major commercial or industrial accounts.
  10. ERP and advanced analytics tools — leverage enterprise platforms and database query software to generate insights that guide territory planning and forecasting decisions.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Sales engineering strategy — define the vision, methodology, and standards for technical sales practice across a product line, business unit, or regional organization.
  2. Organizational capability development — design training programs and mentoring structures that build proposal, negotiation, and systems analysis skills across the sales engineering team.
  3. Enterprise-level proposal leadership — oversee and govern the response to the most strategically critical RFPs, ensuring technical accuracy, competitive differentiation, and executive alignment.
  4. Go-to-market innovation — lead cross-functional initiatives to introduce new product configurations and industry-specific solutions that expand addressable market and revenue potential.
  5. Senior customer relationship stewardship — cultivate executive-level partnerships with key accounts and prospects, positioning the organization as a trusted long-term technology advisor.
  6. Competitive and technology roadmap influence — translate deep intelligence on emerging technologies and competitor trajectories into product development and market positioning recommendations at the leadership level.
  7. Contract and commercial policy governance — establish standards and approval frameworks for high-complexity sales and service contracts, managing risk at an organizational scale.
  8. Channel and resale ecosystem leadership — architect and manage partner and resale strategies that systematically expand market reach and contribute to enterprise sales plan attainment.
  9. Systems evaluation at scale — direct cross-organizational assessments of customer infrastructure and technology fit, producing strategic recommendations that influence multi-year account plans.
  10. Sales engineering performance accountability — set key performance indicators, analyze pipeline and win-rate data using ERP and analytics platforms, and drive continuous improvement across the function.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.
Subscriber feature

Authoritative source data identified for 998 occupations

How a worker at each mastery level uses, directs, and evaluates AI tools in this occupation. Each statement cites its evidence inline; click a citation chip to verify the source.

Emerging
  1. AI-assisted proposal drafting — uses an LLM to generate first-draft responses to RFPs by pasting in customer requirements and product documentation, then reviews the output for accuracy before submission Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab..
  2. Competitive intelligence gathering — prompts an AI assistant to summarize industry news, competitor product updates, and emerging technology trends, reducing manual research time across multiple sources Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab..
Developing
  1. Technical Q&A preparation — delegates the assembly of product comparison tables and FAQ documents to an AI tool, then validates the technical claims against engineering specifications before client-facing use Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab. Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab..
  2. Sales contract scaffolding — directs an AI assistant to populate standard contract templates with customer-specific terms and pricing, reserving review of legal language and negotiated exceptions for personal judgment.
  3. Customer requirement mapping — uses an AI tool to cross-reference stated customer needs against the full product catalog and surface candidate solutions, then applies domain expertise to select and sequence the final recommendation Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab..
Proficient
  1. Proposal personalization at scale — orchestrates an AI workflow that adapts a master proposal template to each prospect's industry, technical environment, and stated priorities, maintaining persuasive narrative ownership throughout Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab. Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab..
  2. Pre-call briefing synthesis — instructs an AI assistant to compile account history, recent news, and stakeholder profiles into a pre-meeting brief, freeing preparation time for rehearsing the human-led demonstration Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab..
  3. Human-technology interaction in client engagements — integrates AI-generated supporting materials (ROI models, benchmark comparisons) into live sales conversations while reading room dynamics and adjusting pitch in real time WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab..
  4. Objection-handling script refinement — feeds recorded or transcribed client objections into an AI tool to generate counter-argument options, then selects and refines language based on social perceptiveness and client relationship context Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab..
Advanced
  1. End-to-end AI-augmented deal cycle — designs and governs a multi-step AI pipeline covering prospect research, proposal generation, contract scaffolding, and follow-up drafting, retaining decision authority at each human-judgment gate while capturing the 86.7% time-savings potential across the sales team Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab..
  2. AI output quality governance — establishes team-wide standards for prompting, reviewing, and correcting AI-generated sales materials, ensuring technical accuracy and brand consistency across all customer-facing documents Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab. Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab..
  3. Strategic technology positioning — evaluates and selects which sales engineering tasks to delegate to AI versus protect as human-led differentiators, applying the Q2 augmented-skill framework to preserve persuasion and relationship depth as core competitive advantages Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab. WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab..
  4. Cross-functional AI capability building — coaches sales and presales colleagues on effective AI tool use for proposal development and market intelligence, translating advanced prompting techniques into repeatable team workflows Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab..
Evidence pack
AEI usage
Task observations: 1087
Augment share: 95%
Time saved: 86.7%
AI autonomy: 3.28
SAFI positioning
Top skill: Persuasion
Score: 57.3 / 100
Quadrant: Q2_ai_augmented
precision: category_estimate
WEF cluster
Human-Technology Interaction
human_technology_interaction
Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

Pathsmith Durable Skills Framework

Sources:Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Subscriber feature

Ten durable-skill domains mapped to four proficiency/role levels for each occupation. Each statement is aligned to the Pathsmith taxonomy, derived from trusted grounding data and mapped to occupation-specific O*NET tasks and skills.

1Communication16 statements
Emerging
  1. Technical concept translation — presents basic product features to non-technical buyers using simplified language and visual aids Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Customer intake summary — documents initial customer requirements gathered during discovery calls into structured meeting notes O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Proposal draft contribution — writes assigned sections of RFP responses following established templates and company style guidelines O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Product demonstration narration — walks prospects through standard product demos using prepared scripts and sample catalogs O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Developing
  1. Solution explanation — articulates complex engineering specifications to mixed technical and business audiences during client site visits Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. RFP response authoring — develops tailored written proposals addressing specific customer requirements with clear value propositions O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Discovery questioning — elicits equipment needs and system requirements from customer engineering teams through structured interview techniques Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Internal sales briefing — communicates customer technical context to sales team members to align on pursuit strategy O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Applying
  1. Multi-stakeholder presentation — delivers persuasive technical presentations to procurement, engineering, and executive audiences simultaneously, adapting register for each group Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Contract narrative — authors precise sales and service contract language that reflects negotiated technical specifications and customer-specific terms O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Competitive positioning communication — articulates product advantages over legacy and emerging competitor technologies in real-time client conversations O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Cross-functional briefing — translates customer feedback and field intelligence into actionable reports shared with product development and marketing teams O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Exceeding
  1. Executive-level technical storytelling — constructs and delivers board-level presentations that connect complex engineering solutions to strategic business outcomes for Fortune-level clients Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Communication framework development — designs RFP response templates and proposal standards adopted organization-wide to improve consistency and win rates O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Industry thought leadership — authors white papers, case studies, or conference presentations that establish company credibility in target technology verticals Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Mentor-level feedback delivery — coaches junior sales engineers on technical communication skills through structured observation, debrief, and practice sessions Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
2Leadership16 statements
Emerging
  1. Pursuit ownership — takes responsibility for managing personal prospect pipeline entries and follows up on assigned leads without prompting Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  2. Meeting facilitation — leads structured product demonstration sessions for small prospect groups under senior sales engineer guidance Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Self-directed learning initiative — identifies gaps in product knowledge and independently accesses training resources before client engagements Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Opportunity flagging — proactively surfaces resale opportunities identified during customer visits to sales leadership O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Developing
  1. Deal leadership — coordinates pre-sales activities across internal technical, marketing, and sales stakeholders for assigned opportunities Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Customer champion — advocates for customer requirements internally to influence product configuration decisions and service delivery priorities O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Junior colleague guidance — provides informal coaching to newer team members on product capabilities and client engagement techniques Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Sales plan contribution — develops territory-level resale opportunity plans aligned to quarterly sales targets O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Applying
  1. Pursuit team leadership — leads cross-functional pursuit teams through the full sales cycle from discovery through contract execution for complex accounts Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Customer advisory relationship — serves as primary technical authority for strategic accounts, influencing customer roadmap decisions and expansion opportunities O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Process improvement initiative — identifies inefficiencies in proposal or configuration workflows and drives adoption of improved approaches across the sales engineering team Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Competitive strategy direction — synthesizes market intelligence on competitor technologies to guide team positioning and messaging strategy O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Exceeding
  1. Regional sales engineering leadership — sets performance expectations, mentors a team of sales engineers, and holds accountability for collective technical sales outcomes across a territory Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Organizational capability building — designs and implements onboarding programs, technical enablement curricula, and certification pathways for the sales engineering function Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Executive relationship stewardship — maintains C-suite relationships at flagship accounts and leads business reviews that shape multi-year partnership strategy O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Innovation leadership — champions adoption of emerging technologies or new solution categories across the sales organization, building internal conviction and external market presence Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
3Metacognition16 statements
Emerging
  1. Self-assessment after demos — reflects on product demonstration performance and identifies specific areas for improvement before the next client engagement Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  2. Knowledge gap recognition — acknowledges limits of current technical expertise when customer questions exceed preparation and seeks accurate information before responding Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Pre-call planning — deliberately identifies what is known and unknown about a prospect before each client meeting Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Learning strategy selection — chooses appropriate resources such as datasheets, engineering colleagues, or training modules to fill specific product knowledge gaps Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Developing
  1. Win-loss analysis — examines outcomes of completed sales pursuits to identify personal patterns in technical positioning, communication, or objection handling that affected results Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  2. Adaptive preparation — adjusts pre-engagement research depth and approach based on customer industry, technical sophistication level, and deal complexity Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Assumption auditing — identifies implicit assumptions made about customer requirements during discovery and tests them explicitly before solution design Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Feedback integration — incorporates coaching input from managers and peer debriefs into revised approaches for subsequent client interactions Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Applying
  1. Real-time strategy monitoring — evaluates effectiveness of persuasion and technical framing mid-conversation and pivots approach when customer signals indicate misalignment Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Portfolio-level performance review — assesses patterns across an entire account portfolio to refine territory strategy, prioritization criteria, and resource allocation Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Cognitive bias recognition — identifies when confirmation bias or familiarity with a preferred solution is distorting requirements analysis and course-corrects the discovery process Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Complex deal deconstruction — systematically examines lost strategic pursuits to extract transferable lessons applied to future competitive situations Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Exceeding
  1. Metacognitive coaching — teaches sales engineers to develop structured self-monitoring habits for pre-call planning, mid-engagement adjustment, and post-deal reflection Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  2. Organizational learning facilitation — establishes deal review forums and knowledge repositories that convert individual reflection into shared team intelligence Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Strategic self-calibration — continuously evaluates personal effectiveness across shifting market conditions, technology landscapes, and customer sophistication levels to sustain peak performance Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Epistemic leadership — models intellectual humility with clients and colleagues by openly distinguishing confident knowledge from informed estimation from genuine uncertainty Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
4Critical Thinking16 statements
Emerging
  1. Requirements parsing — reads customer RFPs and technical specifications to identify explicit product and performance requirements before solution design O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Competitor comparison — evaluates publicly available competitor product information against own product capabilities to identify objective differentiators O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Basic needs qualification — applies standard qualification criteria to assess whether a prospect's stated requirements are a credible fit for available product offerings Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Data interpretation — reads and accurately interprets engineering datasheets, pricing tables, and configuration matrices to support customer conversations O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Developing
  1. Solution fit analysis — evaluates multiple product configuration options against customer system requirements to identify the highest-value technical match Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Objection deconstruction — distinguishes technically grounded objections from negotiating tactics or misunderstandings and tailors responses accordingly Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Trend assessment — synthesizes industry news, competitor launches, and emerging technology signals to anticipate shifts in customer buying criteria O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Proposal logic review — critiques own and teammates' proposals for logical consistency between stated customer problems and proposed technical solutions Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Applying
  1. Complex requirements adjudication — resolves conflicts between customer engineering requirements and internal product capabilities by designing phased or hybrid configurations Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Risk-benefit evaluation — assesses technical, commercial, and relationship risks of pursuing non-standard configurations or contractual commitments before recommending a course of action Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Evidence-based positioning — builds competitive arguments using verifiable performance data, third-party benchmarks, and documented customer outcomes rather than unsupported claims Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Market signal synthesis — integrates input from multiple customers, industry contacts, and technical sources to identify emerging needs and surface them to product strategy teams O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Exceeding
  1. Systems-level problem framing — reframes a customer's stated equipment need within their broader operational and business context to reveal higher-value solution opportunities Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Decision framework design — develops structured evaluation methodologies used across the sales engineering team to assess deal complexity, solution fit, and pursuit prioritization Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Assumption stress-testing — facilitates structured pre-mortem analysis of major proposals to surface hidden assumptions and mitigate foreseeable failure modes before submission Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Cross-industry insight application — imports solution patterns from adjacent industries to solve novel customer problems where direct precedents do not exist Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
5Collaboration16 statements
Emerging
  1. Sales team integration — participates in joint account planning meetings and shares technical findings that inform the broader sales team's strategy O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Internal subject matter access — identifies and engages appropriate engineering or product colleagues to answer customer technical questions beyond personal expertise Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Shared document contribution — adds accurate product and configuration information to collaborative proposal documents managed by the sales team O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Cross-functional respect — acknowledges the distinct expertise of sales, engineering, and customer success colleagues and defers appropriately to their domain knowledge Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Developing
  1. Pursuit team coordination — collaborates with account executives, solutions architects, and application engineers to build unified, technically coherent proposals Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Customer-facing co-presentation — delivers joint presentations with sales colleagues that seamlessly integrate commercial and technical content for prospect audiences O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Internal advocacy for customer needs — represents the customer's technical perspective in internal configuration, pricing, and delivery discussions O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Conflict navigation — manages disagreements between sales team commercial priorities and engineering feasibility constraints to reach workable, customer-aligned solutions Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Applying
  1. Strategic account team orchestration — aligns diverse internal stakeholders including product management, legal, and service delivery around a unified approach for complex multi-year deals Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Partner ecosystem collaboration — works with resellers, integrators, and technology partners to co-develop and deliver joint solutions that address complex customer requirements O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Knowledge sharing practice — contributes reusable competitive intelligence, configuration templates, and customer use case documentation to shared team repositories Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Customer co-creation — engages customer engineering teams as active collaborators in solution design rather than passive recipients of proposals Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Exceeding
  1. Cross-organizational alignment leadership — facilitates executive-level joint business planning sessions between company and customer leadership teams to co-develop multi-year technical roadmaps Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Collaborative culture modeling — establishes team norms and collaborative rituals that improve knowledge sharing, reduce duplication, and accelerate deal cycle times across the sales engineering organization Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Partner development — builds technical enablement programs with channel and alliance partners that expand solution delivery capacity and market coverage O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Interdisciplinary innovation facilitation — convenes engineers, product managers, and customer technical leads in structured co-innovation sessions that produce differentiated solution concepts Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
6Character16 statements
Emerging
  1. Accurate product representation — describes product capabilities and limitations truthfully during prospect conversations, avoiding unsupported claims Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Commitment follow-through — completes promised technical research or information delivery to customers and colleagues within stated timelines Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Professional conduct — maintains respectful, reliable behavior in customer-facing settings including site visits, demonstrations, and written correspondence Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Confidentiality respect — protects sensitive customer and company information encountered during the sales process Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Developing
  1. Ethical specification guidance — advises customers on configurations that genuinely serve their needs rather than maximizing short-term revenue at the customer's expense Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Accountability for errors — acknowledges and corrects technical misinformation provided to customers or internal teams without deflecting responsibility Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Transparent limitation disclosure — proactively informs customers when a product does not fully meet a stated requirement rather than obscuring the gap Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Consistent professionalism under pressure — maintains constructive, solution-oriented demeanor during difficult negotiations or competitive losses Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Applying
  1. Integrity-preserving negotiation — holds to ethical boundaries in contract and pricing negotiations, refusing to make commitments the company cannot fulfill Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Trusted advisor posture — prioritizes long-term customer trust over short-term deal closure, including recommending alternative solutions when the company's offering is not the best fit Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Accountability culture contribution — models ownership of outcomes in team settings, acknowledging team failures alongside team successes without assigning blame Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Regulatory and compliance adherence — ensures all proposals and contracts reflect accurate technical specifications compliant with applicable industry standards and regulations O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Exceeding
  1. Ethical standards leadership — establishes and enforces team norms around honest customer representation, responsible specification writing, and compliant contracting practices Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  2. Reputation stewardship — makes decisions in ambiguous commercial situations that preserve the organization's credibility and long-term market standing over short-term gain Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Whistleblower courage — surfaces and escalates observed ethical violations in customer commitments or contract terms to appropriate leadership despite potential commercial consequences Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Character-based mentoring — explicitly coaches junior sales engineers on professional ethics, accountability, and the long-term commercial value of integrity in technical sales Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
7Creativity16 statements
Emerging
  1. Configuration brainstorming — generates multiple initial product configuration options to address a customer's stated requirements before selecting the recommended approach Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Presentation customization — adapts standard sales materials with customer-specific visuals, terminology, or use case examples to improve relevance and engagement O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Analogy development — creates accessible analogies that make complex engineering concepts understandable to non-technical customer stakeholders Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Obstacle reframing — when a standard solution does not fit, identifies alternative product combinations or service arrangements that still meet core customer needs Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Developing
  1. Novel solution design — engineers non-standard product configurations or integration approaches that satisfy unique customer requirements not addressed by existing offerings Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Proposal differentiation — develops proposal structures, visual formats, or value articulation frameworks that distinguish the company's response in competitive bid situations Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Use case invention — identifies new applications for existing products in customer environments not previously targeted, expanding addressable market O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Demonstration innovation — designs custom demo scenarios using customer-specific data or workflows that make abstract technical capabilities concrete and compelling O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Applying
  1. Solution architecture creativity — designs multi-component, cross-product solution architectures that creatively address complex system integration challenges in customer environments Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Commercial model innovation — proposes creative pricing structures, phasing approaches, or service bundling arrangements that unlock stalled deals by reframing value delivery Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Customer co-innovation facilitation — leads structured ideation sessions with customer technical teams to surface unmet needs and generate novel solution concepts Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Competitive disruption strategy — develops creative competitive displacement approaches that reframe evaluation criteria in ways that favor the company's differentiated capabilities O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Exceeding
  1. Market-creating solution development — conceptualizes and champions entirely new solution categories or go-to-market approaches that open previously untapped customer segments Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Creative methodology institutionalization — designs and scales creative problem-solving frameworks used by the sales engineering team to generate differentiated proposals and solutions Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Cross-industry solution transfer — imports and adapts solution patterns from unrelated industries to solve novel customer problems with creative lateral thinking Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Innovation pipeline leadership — systematically captures creative solution ideas from field engagements and channels them into formal product development or service design processes Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
8Growth Mindset16 statements
Emerging
  1. Technology learning commitment — dedicates time to studying emerging technologies and product updates relevant to assigned territory even without a specific upcoming opportunity Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Rejection resilience — treats lost deals as learning opportunities and requests debrief information from customers or managers to understand contributing factors Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Feedback receptivity — accepts technical and commercial coaching from senior sales engineers without defensiveness and incorporates suggestions into subsequent engagements Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Stretch assignment acceptance — volunteers for unfamiliar customer industries or product lines to expand expertise beyond current comfort zone Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Developing
  1. Competitive landscape learning — continuously monitors competitor product launches, pricing changes, and customer wins to update personal knowledge and team intelligence O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Failure analysis practice — systematically examines unsuccessful proposals to extract specific improvement lessons applied to the next competitive pursuit Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Skill development planning — creates personal development goals aligned to identified gaps in technical, commercial, or communication competencies Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Challenge embracing — pursues complex, high-stakes deals with unfamiliar technical requirements as deliberate development opportunities rather than avoiding them Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Applying
  1. Mastery pursuit across disciplines — actively develops expertise in adjacent technical domains such as data analytics, integration architecture, or regulatory compliance to increase solution scope Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Customer-driven learning — uses customer engineering team interactions as structured learning experiences to deepen understanding of specific industries and operational environments Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Setback-informed strategy revision — responds to a series of competitive losses by fundamentally rethinking positioning strategy, solution focus, or target customer profile Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Peer learning facilitation — creates opportunities for mutual skill development within the sales engineering team through structured knowledge-sharing sessions and peer coaching Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Exceeding
  1. Learning culture creation — establishes team rituals such as competitive debrief sessions, technology deep-dives, and win-loss review forums that embed continuous learning into team operations Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  2. Growth modeling for clients — demonstrates intellectual curiosity and openness to new information in customer interactions in ways that build trust and invite collaborative problem-solving Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Long-arc capability investment — pursues advanced technical certifications, industry credentials, or graduate-level education to sustain expert-level credibility in rapidly evolving technology domains Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Organizational resilience contribution — leads team recovery efforts following significant market disruptions, competitive setbacks, or product failures by reframing adversity as strategic learning Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
9Mindfulness16 statements
Emerging
  1. Active listening practice — gives full attention to customer statements during discovery meetings, resisting the urge to formulate responses before the customer finishes speaking Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Pre-engagement centering — uses brief preparation routines before high-stakes client meetings to settle focus and clarify objectives Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Emotional signal awareness — notices shifts in customer tone or body language during presentations and registers them as meaningful data points Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Attention management — minimizes distractions during customer calls and site visits to maintain consistent presence and engagement Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Developing
  1. Real-time social perception — reads room dynamics during multi-stakeholder meetings to identify unspoken concerns, skepticism, or enthusiasm and adjusts the engagement approach accordingly Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Stress response regulation — manages personal anxiety before high-stakes proposals, executive presentations, or competitive finalist pitches to maintain composed, credible delivery Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Intentional communication pacing — deliberately slows explanation delivery when customer comprehension signals indicate the technical content requires more processing time Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Meeting quality monitoring — maintains awareness of conversation drift during client engagements and purposefully redirects discussions toward productive outcomes Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Applying
  1. Negotiation presence — maintains deliberate, emotionally regulated engagement during tense pricing or contract negotiations, avoiding reactive concessions driven by discomfort Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Customer emotional intelligence — recognizes and responds appropriately to customer frustration, excitement, or uncertainty encountered during the sales process Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Pipeline review intentionality — approaches weekly opportunity reviews with structured attention to objective data rather than intuition or wishful thinking Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Sustained focus under complexity — maintains high-quality technical engagement across multi-day customer workshops or extended proposal development cycles without attention degradation Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Exceeding
  1. Mindful leadership modeling — demonstrates intentional presence and emotional regulation in team settings, establishing psychological safety for candid discussion of deal challenges and failures Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  2. Organizational attention design — structures team meeting formats, deal review processes, and customer engagement protocols to systematically promote focused, high-quality attention Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. High-stakes composure under scrutiny — sustains calm, precise technical representation during adversarial procurement processes, aggressive competitor comparisons, or public evaluation scenarios Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. Mindfulness coaching — teaches sales engineers practical attentional and emotional regulation techniques applicable to client-facing pressure situations Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
10Fortitude16 statements
Emerging
  1. Rejection persistence — continues prospecting and proposal activity after consecutive customer declines without withdrawal from effort Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  2. Technical complexity tolerance — engages with unfamiliar or highly complex customer engineering requirements without disengaging from the opportunity Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Competitive pressure endurance — maintains a constructive, prepared posture when facing well-resourced competitor bids rather than conceding the pursuit Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Difficult question composure — responds steadily to aggressive or unexpected technical challenges from customer engineers during live product evaluations Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Developing
  1. Extended cycle resilience — sustains high-quality engagement across multi-month or multi-year enterprise sales cycles without losing momentum or strategic focus Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Negotiation resolve — holds to justified technical and commercial positions under sustained customer or internal pressure to make unsupportable concessions Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  3. Failure recovery — returns to full productive engagement within a defined timeframe following the loss of a major competitive pursuit Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Ambiguity tolerance — proceeds effectively in sales situations where customer requirements, competitive dynamics, or product roadmaps remain unresolved Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Applying
  1. Strategic account perseverance — maintains consistent relationship investment in high-potential accounts over multi-year timelines even through procurement freezes, leadership changes, or failed prior pursuits Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  2. Market adversity navigation — sustains sales engineering performance through industry downturns, product discontinuations, or major competitive disruptions without disengagement Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Uncomfortable truth delivery — presents honest technical assessments to customers or internal stakeholders that challenge preferred assumptions or comfortable narratives Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
  4. High-stakes deadline performance — delivers complete, high-quality proposal responses under extreme time pressure without sacrificing technical accuracy or commercial integrity Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab. O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Exceeding
  1. Team fortitude cultivation — builds a sales engineering culture that normalizes difficulty, celebrates persistence, and maintains strategic optimism through sustained competitive adversity Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  2. Organizational pivoting leadership — guides the sales engineering team through major product portfolio changes, market repositioning, or organizational restructuring with steady resolve Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  3. Pioneering market courage — champions pursuit of entirely new customer segments or solution categories where failure probability is high and organizational support is uncertain Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
  4. Courageous escalation — surfaces deeply uncomfortable organizational problems such as unrealistic commitments, product misrepresentation, or ethical violations to senior leadership despite personal career risk Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.
Sources:Pathsmith Durable SkillsPathsmith Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Aeronautical Products Sales Engineer · Aerospace Products Sales Engineer · Agricultural Equipment Sales Engineer · Business Development Engineer · Ceramic Products Sales Engineer · Channel Sales Engineer (CSE) · Chemical Equipment Sales Engineer · Customer Engineer · Electrical Products Sales Engineer · Electronics Products and Systems Sales Engineer · Enterprise Sales Engineer · Field Marketing Representative
RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
PersuasionSpeakingCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningSocial PerceptivenessJudgment and Decision MakingNegotiationComplex Problem SolvingWritingActive LearningService OrientationSystems AnalysisSystems EvaluationTime ManagementCoordinationInstructingMathematicsLearning Strategies
Knowledge domains
Customer and Personal ServiceSales and MarketingEngineering and TechnologyEnglish LanguageMathematicsAdministration and ManagementDesignAdministrative
Abilities
Oral ExpressionSpeech ClarityInductive ReasoningDeductive ReasoningWritten ComprehensionOral ComprehensionSpeech RecognitionWritten ExpressionProblem SensitivityInformation Ordering
Work styles
DependabilitySocial OrientationPerseveranceAchievement OrientationSelf-ConfidenceIntellectual Curiosity
Technology
Enterprise resource planning ERP softwareData base user interface and query softwareExpert system softwareData base management system softwareWeb platform development softwareOperating system softwareContent workflow softwareComputer aided design CAD softwareSwitch or router softwareDevelopment environment software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Develop, present, or respond to proposals for specific customer requirements, including request for proposal responses and industry-specific solutions.
  2. Collaborate with sales teams to understand customer requirements, to promote the sale of company products, and to provide sales support.
  3. Create sales or service contracts for products or services.
  4. Visit prospective buyers at commercial, industrial, or other establishments to show samples or catalogs, and to inform them about product pricing, availability, and advantages.
  5. Keep informed on industry news and trends, products, services, competitors, relevant information about legacy, existing, and emerging technologies, and the latest product-line developments.
  6. Identify resale opportunities and support them to achieve sales plans.
  7. Confer with customers and engineers to assess equipment needs and to determine system requirements.
  8. Plan and modify product configurations to meet customer needs.
CIP education codes
01.060819.020352.020852.021252.180352.1804

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.