Technical sales in building services

Many of the best salespeople in HVAC and building services started out on the tools or behind a design desk. Customers trust someone who understands the kit, and in this sector that technical credibility is worth more than a polished pitch.

“Technical sales” covers very different jobs, though. Before you apply, or before you hire, it’s worth being clear which one you mean.

Specification sales

Specification sales managers work for manufacturers. Their job is to get their products written into a project’s design before it goes to tender, ideally as the “basis of design”. They spend most of their time with consulting engineers and M&E consultants, and sometimes architects and developers. Job descriptions from manufacturers make the same demands: experience in HVAC systems, the ability to read drawings and schematics, and a track record of influencing consultants’ design decisions.

The sales cycle is long. A specification won today might not turn into an order for a year or more, and it can still be lost at tender if the contractor swaps it out for a cheaper product.

CPD seminars are a big part of the job. Many manufacturers run CIBSE-approved sessions for consultants, often over a lunch hour. The ones that land are the ones that teach something rather than sell. Specifiers say they value providers who share their expertise and avoid a sales pitch.

Area and contractor sales

Area sales managers sell to installers, contractors and distributors. It’s a shorter cycle and a more relationship-driven job: regular visits, quotes, pricing and keeping your products front of mind when the contractor places an order. It’s often where the volume is, and it’s usually judged on monthly or quarterly numbers.

Service and contract sales

The third type sits inside contractors and service companies. It means selling planned maintenance contracts, renewals and remedial works to facilities managers and building owners. It suits people who understand service delivery and contract margins, and it often leads into account management or operations.

What the interview tests

• Specification roles. Expect technical questions, an understanding of how consultants design, and sometimes a short presentation, effectively a mini CPD.
• Area sales. Expect a territory plan, your numbers and how you’d build a pipeline.
• Service sales. Expect contract margins, how you’d protect renewals, and how you’d work with the operations team who deliver what you sell.

Whichever it is, bring examples with numbers: a specification you won and converted, a contract you grew, a customer you won back.

The package

Basic salary is only part of it. Check how the bonus works, and especially how specification wins are credited when the order comes months later or lands in another rep’s area. Check the car or car allowance, the territory size and the overnight travel.

The bonus or commission scheme is usually the same for the whole sales team, so don’t expect it to change for you. Read it properly before you accept, and ask what people in the role have actually earned from it over the last year or two. The basic salary and the car are where there’s usually room to negotiate, and that’s the part we handle for you.

Moving from engineer to sales

If you’re an engineer thinking about sales, the usual bridge is an applications, pre-sales or technical support role. You’ll learn the products, the pricing and the customers while your technical background does the heavy lifting.

The timing is good. As commercial buildings move to heat pumps and lower-GWP refrigerants, customers need more technical help to choose the right kit. People who can explain it clearly are in short supply.

If you’re weighing up a move into technical sales, or hiring for one, talk to us.

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Sources: Johnson Controls, HVAC Consultant Sales Engineer job description; Armstrong Fluid Technology, Specification Sales Manager job description; CIBSE Journal, CIBSE CPD directory; NBS, What architects want from RIBA CPD.