Q. What interested you most about the role of sales engineer and serving Trane’s technical customers?
A. What really drew me in to be a sales engineer is that it’s a way to apply technical solutions in a really dynamic setting. I could take something technical —stimulating that left side of the brain— while living in a dynamic social environment every day and applying it to real-world applications. So, it was the challenge, the variety, and the mix of technical and real-world applications.
Q. What is unique about working with engineers vs. other roles like owners or facility operations?
A. Working with consulting engineers is different from some of our other customer groups because they’re obviously running a technical business themselves and their reputation is critical. I find the depth and breadth of my engineering customers push me to be sharp and it is fun to be relied on for the system expertise.
You always have to bear in mind that the product they are delivering to their customer is quality documents and recommendations. So, having a good knowledge base and being able to be responsive and be honest when you don’t know is really what I’ve found to be the most successful. Ultimately, you’re trying to help them deliver their best product to our mutual customers.
Q. In what ways do you find it best to differentiate Trane through our complete systems offering?
A. The biggest differentiator that you have at Trane is you’re not just a one-trick pony. When an engineer comes to you with a project, nine times out of 10, you’re going to be able to have the biggest impact on that entire building in our field. It’s everything from the products we make, to service technicians, to controls, to our represented products partners.
I like to walk into a room, whether it’s an owner or a consulting engineer or contractor and it’s not, “I want to sell you a piece of equipment”, it’s, “I want to help you build this entire building, what can we do?” Being able to apply the fact that we’ve got that really deep backfield is a big differentiator for us.
Q. Why is it important to leverage our value proposition around Trane’s depth and diversity of expertise?
A. It’s important to leverage our diversity so you don’t end up with a “golden hammer” mindset, where every problem looks like a nail when all you sell is hammers. For example, some companies sell only certain types of chillers so when a customer asks them for support that becomes the only thing that is “right for the project.”
With Trane, the question isn’t “what kind of magnetic bearing chiller do you want to buy from me today?”, it’s “what do you want your chilled water system to be?” Our diversity means that you’re not just shoe-horned into one specific product or service.
Q. What about Wellsphere and our “healthier buildings” messaging resonates most with you?
A. For me, personally, it’s the consistent messaging with the way the Trane brand always has been. We’re not going to just focus on one product and try to sell you that, we’re going to focus on what issues the entire building is seeing and present some options from there. We’re going to have a variety of different things that you can use.
Q. What about Wellsphere and sharing our “healthier buildings” messaging resonates most with your customers?
A. I think our Wellsphere portfolio resonates most with our customers because it’s in line with what Trane has been doing for decades. It’s that we’re not just going to come up with one absolute solution to your problem. We’re going to come in and we’re going to ask you what’s going on, what the most important drivers in your building are.
As a salesperson with Trane, you can sleep at night because you don’t have to check your conscience at the door. You know you’re not just forcing a product on somebody. You’re bringing a whole package of different options that were vetted, researched, and tested by the best team in the industry.
Q. What’s your why? Why gets you up every day and keeps you motivated to come in and give Trane your best?
A. It’s the job itself. Personally, I’ve always tried, whether it was from a young age or from when I was in the service, to find the most difficult thing I can do that’s the most impactful and I’m going to try to do that and be the best at it.
It's given me freedom and the ability to genuinely make an impact on the community that I’m in, and do so in a way that both provides for my family and stimulates me. It’s not just the same thing every day.
Trane is a strategic business of Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator. Trane Technologies brings bold thinking to our customers to advance the conversation on sustainability and achieve more through sustainable climate solutions for buildings, homes, and transportation. We're leading the way to a better future, and we boldly go.
