Broad, generalized statements about presales are exactly as useful and accurate as broad, generalized statements about any other discipline! (Like this one!)
Why post this?
Recently, a presales tools vendor posted the results of their survey declaring that the average “Sales Rep:Sales Engineer Ratio” is currently 2.9:1.
While this may be a general average based on the data they collected, it should NOT be accepted as the “right” way to manage resources.
For example, there are vast differences in effective Sales:Presales ratios depending on:
- Market and/or vertical
- Complexity of products
- Buying/sales cycles
- Prospect/customer location on the Technology Adoption Curve
- And many others
Even WITHIN a single vendor, Enterprise ratios could be closer to 1:1, Mid-Market might be 3:1, and SMB might be 6-10:1.
Analyze and understand your OWN space to determine the optimum sales:presales staffing!
(And try to ignore the Anchoring Effect of that vendor’s report…!)
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