When Sales Speaks Over Engineering

"450X_FTW" (mistermic) 02/09/2016 at 16:39 • Filed to: None

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In a meeting with clients who are all engineers, myself (engineer) and our sales person. Client asks a question about testing and sales immediately says “oh sure we can do that not a problem that’s a quick turn around, right? (as they look at me)

iSureWilll > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 16:42

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LoL - Sales guys. Amiright?

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 16:45

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I routinely want to punch Sales guys. I used to be one. key words: *USED TO BE*

I realized I cared far to much about things other than money to be truely successful in sales.

luvMeSome142 & some Lincoln! > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 16:47

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http://dilbert.com/strip/2015-12-…

Brian, The Life of > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 16:47

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IDK what’s worse, bringing engineers to a client meeting (this one’s different, because engineers of course) or letting sales speak at all once the grown-ups start discussing the technical details.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 16:48

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That’s why they pay us engineers the big bucks... Wait...

HammerheadFistpunch > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 16:48

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Gone > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 16:48

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LOLZ!

This will happen until you change careers or die. GL!

Alternatively, find somewhere that engineers deal directly with clients and sales are there as support. Engineering also support sales when needed - we can or cannot(!) do that. We’re codependent at my current place. It’s like rainbows, bunnies, puppy dogs, and kittens here.

But I’ve been where you are many times. It sucks so, so, so bad.

450X_FTW > Brian, The Life of 02/09/2016 at 16:48

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If it’s sales and high ups I will avoid it at all cost. If it’s engineers and we need to discuss DVP&R, or FEA, etc, i’ll keep sales out of it so they don’t waste our time

450X_FTW > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua 02/09/2016 at 16:50

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Thank you engineering team, we had a record sales this quarter

Translation: The exec’s new summer house looks great!

Ash78, voting early and often > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 16:52

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Paraphrasing Steve Jobs, salespeople typically get more clout and rise in the ranks faster than anyone else because their results are more quantifiable than anyone else’s.

I work in modeling*, data, reporting, and operations. I feel your pain. Lots of outsiders overpromise on our behalf and/or disregard the work that goes into getting stuff done.

*Not the Zoolander kind

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 16:53

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^Also when sales won’t stfu when you say that the project won’t be funded until Q3

JGrabowMSt > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 16:53

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I am two departments of one. I know your pain.

I am the Fabrication department. I am the IT department (there’s one other guy, but I handle the bulk of the documentation and field calls).

450X_FTW > JGrabowMSt 02/09/2016 at 16:54

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Damn that’s painful too

Zip-McBump > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 17:02

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450X_FTW > Zip-McBump 02/09/2016 at 17:04

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Ah I could have used him a few times in the past week too

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 17:06

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I’ve actually used the line “That depends upon your definition of quick, and I suspect that you may be using a definition that is not the generally accepted definition.” in those kinds of meetings before.

Although I truly loathe meetings like that, and I have told my boss that I hate that stuff. Now he doesn’t send me to those meetings and I can actually get on with doing actual work.

tromoly > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 17:07

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This sums up Engineering’s interaction with every single other department out there.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 17:26

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That’s when you correct them in front of the clients. Funnily enough I handed my 2 weeks in the day after that meeting.

SaigaShooter - He's got an Impreza > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 17:32

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Every time I have to go with to a QBR where sales has an outlandish goal all I can think about is this comic.

Tripper > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 17:46

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That was the story of my life when I worked for a small payroll company. We would demo our software and the sales team would do the exact same thing. Client would ask “can your software do xyz?” Sales/my boss would say “of course it can!” when it could barely do “x”. Then he would give me the floor to explain. Towards the end I didn’t even sugar coat it. My last demo with the company was so awkward. “So your boss just stood there and told us for 30 minutes that your software can do all of this great stuff, and now you are saying that it can’t even do half of that?”. “Yes, that is what I am saying”.

I get it sales...anything to get the deal done, but you can’t lie. Over promise and under deliver is a losing business model.

450X_FTW > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 02/09/2016 at 17:49

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I told one guy who is responsible for all the program timing I’d have his updates by lunch time. At our 2pm meeting he asked me for the updates I responded “I haven’t had lunch yet"

450X_FTW > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 02/09/2016 at 17:50

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Thug life. Fuck your couch Lumberg

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 18:37

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So that’s why the business department never interacts with the engineering school on campus. All engineering students have to take economics or at least two business courses, it doesn’t bode well with us. It could be worse, you could be stuck in the archie building which looks like a pre-k inside.

NJAnon > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 19:30

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Well tell them the truth. It’s going to be a rough test process or it won’t be. And if they made a deadline prior to that meeting well that’s not on your end. :P

inb4 not all marketing and sales department are out of touch (but some are)

450X_FTW > NJAnon 02/09/2016 at 21:34

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Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way when with the customer. You say “no it’s not possible” flat out, and the customer can lose a lot of confidence in ya

Clown Shoe Pilot > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 21:37

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The first company I worked at, we had a sales guy who would sell ANYTHING. Then, he’d walk back into the engineering pit and let us know what he’d sold. Anytime he’d come in and open with “QUESTION:” we knew there was about to be some ridiculous shit going down.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 21:48

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Same problem here in software dev. :(

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > 450X_FTW 02/09/2016 at 23:11

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“hey can I say it can do this”

“no”

“why not”

“Because it won’t fit”

Are you sure?

“yes”

NJAnon > 450X_FTW 02/10/2016 at 01:50

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Well I meant that the process could take long or it could take a short time like the sales person “immediately hoped” :P To be fair, I get marketings point of view on “expediency” but at the end of the day, not everything will go according to plan. Thats what I remind the customers I talk to.

450X_FTW > NJAnon 02/10/2016 at 08:20

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It’s kind of like how many years ago auto lobbyists agreed to meet 54.5 MPG CAFE standards in 2025 then afterwards went to the engineers and said “ok how are you going to do this?”

450X_FTW > Clown Shoe Pilot 02/10/2016 at 08:22

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They said they wanted it made from unobtainium, how much is that stuff??