Pre-Sales Technical Consultant at Hewlett Packard (HP)

Role Description:

• Gathers and assesses customer needs, both business and technical;
• Identifies related needs (lead generation, opportunity expansion)
• Identifies site-specific parameters and constraints that impact the solution
• Identifies required project steps
• Identifies likely problem areas that require attention
• Identifies probable competition and product roll-out data/training needs
• Architects an appropriate technical solution to meet the customer’s requirements
• Investigates and optimizes a solution’s fit to the requirements of an opportunity
• Adapts solution design to new requirements
• Establishes the validity of a solution and its components
• Identifies the growth path and scalability options of a solution and includes these in design activities
• Generates an implementation plan with timelines for the solution
• Creates the appropriate test plan as required
• Anticipates some of the potential challenges for the proposed project plan
• Assesses likely competitive threats
• Assists with requests for expertise from peers
• Maintains excellent communications with customer management
• Represents company as technical expert with customers; shares knowledge in area of expertise
• Advances opportunities through the use of effective consultative selling techniques
• Builds customer loyalty through being a trusted advisor
• Partners effectively with others in the account to ensure problem resolution and customer satisfaction
• Communicates and articulates the details of their component roles in a proposed customer solution
• Actively supports the account team with solution advice, proposals, presentations, and other customer communications
• Transfers knowledge to Presales peers via contributing participation in education programs
• Identifies overlooked opportunities within the account
• Analyzes and provides support to deals in the pipeline where needed
• Facilitates smooth transition from sales to implementation by orienting the appropriate teams to the solution design
• Understands the roles and affectively engages other teams and resources within the company and partners
• Contributions have strong impact with assigned territory or Regional BU, and some impact on Regional company business
• Contributes to the presales direction for the Region or some areas of a BU
• Breadth of influence goes across multiple organizations within the Business and is sought, valued and used

• Technical University or Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Typically 5-8 years experience in technical selling  and/or consultative selling
• Experience in industry desired, i.e. Mostly on Networking products & Storage
• Server experience advantageous
• Technical and/or solution experience in vertical industry preferred

• Demonstrates a solid knowledge of company’s breadth of solutions
• Demonstrates deep technical capabilities in assigned area of specialization
• Awareness in competitive solutions knowledge.
• Understands data business center components and how IT is used to address business needs
• Demonstrates current understanding of technical innovations & trends and their impact on solving customer business problems
• Demonstrated ability to work as the lead for components of large complex projects
• Has a high level understanding of the company product roadmaps for multiple BU’s
• Has demonstrated hands-on level skills with some of the technology
• Understands and applies basic financial and accounting concepts as well as capital investment concepts and applies them appropriately in positioning
• Applies understanding of the customer’s value chain and business requirements when designing and proposing solutions
• Communicates the value of the solution in terms of financial return and impact on customer business goals
• Solid level of industry acumen; keeps current with trends and able to converse with client on issues and challenges
• Demonstrates solid questioning techniques and related communications skills with customer managers
• Demonstrates understanding of the competition as well as good positioning & strategy