※ The 21st century is an era of technological competition. Numerous big tech companies are competing in the global industrial field over technology and products at this very moment. The battleground for this competition is technical sales. Technical sales require an understanding of technology and are primarily conducted in business-to-business transactions. In the technical sales arena, companies compete with their technological capabilities and skills, and the results become the driving force for IT companies. This article examines how technical sales professionals compete today, focusing on technology, companies, and people.

“I believe a technical salesperson is like a conductor who brings the market, customers, and company strategy onto one stage to achieve goals. A sense of challenge to achieve both personal and company goals, along with the necessary diligence, is essential. One must also possess the skill to communicate smoothly with others. A technical salesperson goes beyond merely selling products to solving customer problems from a technical and business perspective.”


Dell Technologies is a pivotal company in today's AI infrastructure market. Since its establishment in 1984, it has grown into a major player in the PC market, and through its merger with the data storage company EMC Corporation in 2016, the current Dell Technologies was formed. Today, Dell handles almost all computer hardware, based on its 'Client Solutions Group (CSG)' for personal and enterprise computers, laptops, and monitors, and its 'Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG)' for data center infrastructure, including servers, storage, and network infrastructure.

The Korean subsidiary was established in 1995, and since restructuring its business units in 2016, it has consistently achieved results in the domestic data center and AI infrastructure sectors. Manager Jang Byul, who is currently in charge of technical sales for large enterprises at Dell Technologies, was interviewed to discuss Dell Technologies' business in Korea, its approach, and perspectives on technical sales.

Started as a Dell Technologies engineer, now in charge of technical sales for large enterprises


Manager Jang Byul majored in computer science and also completed a teaching certification. After graduation, he chose the path of a developer and decided to join LG Electronics' MC Business Division. Around 2015, he joined Dell Technologies as a product engineer, dreaming of interacting with people beyond the research lab. Manager Jang explained, “For the first three years, I worked as a product engineer meeting clients and building products. However, focusing solely on products often led to interruptions in client relationships, and I developed a desire to maintain long-term relationships, which led me to move to the sales front.”

Regarding the reason for choosing Dell Technologies among numerous IT infrastructure companies in Korea, he said, “Dell values expanding human potential through technology and accelerating customer innovation as its core values. This direction aligned precisely with my philosophy. I value market insight, customer-centric thinking, and problem-solving through technology, and Dell applies and executes these values in its strategies. I felt that in such an organization, I could fully utilize my capabilities.”

Transition from engineer to technical sales, the importance of communication and relationship skills


While it is rare for sales personnel to transition to engineering, it is not uncommon for engineers to move into technical sales. Manager Jang Byul is no exception. He stated, “SA (Solution Architect) is often referred to as the flower of IT infrastructure. They identify and reconfigure the infrastructure touchpoints of client companies to help build services. Technical sales go further by integrating technical and business perspectives to solve challenges, connecting clients' strategies with technology to open new possibilities.” He added, “In this process, reading the market, building trust with clients, and realizing the company's vision is the true charm of sales.”

When an engineer transitions to a sales role, how should their mindset change? Manager Jang explained, “The transition is not easy. It’s not just the role that changes, but the mindset must change as well. Engineers focus on enhancing technical completeness, whereas sales personnel must understand clients' business goals and build relationships based on trust. Technical aspects can be resolved through learning, but relationships between people can crumble over trivial matters, so one must always be cautious.”

AE as the 'conductor of corporate relations'... the center of internal and external touchpoints


Dell Technologies' products range from those for general consumers and corporate office environments to environments for servers and high-performance computing, with one AE assigned to each company. Consequently, a single AE may handle anywhere from hundreds to over a thousand client companies. They are responsible for overseeing sales and communication between companies. Manager Jang Byul, as an AE, oversees sales between specific companies and Dell Technologies and directs related internal organizations.

Manager Jang explained, “The core is driven by the AE, but with a vast portfolio, sales and support personnel are deployed for each category. There are solution sales, solution pre-sales, service and consulting departments, and maintenance teams. Each person is responsible for sales in their position, with the AE leading at the center.” He further explained, “At this time, the AE examines all IT requirements desired by the client, from client devices or endpoint security of client employees to workstations, virtual servers in data centers, cloud, backup, disaster recovery, and AI data center infrastructure.”


The start of sales may occur when a client company undertakes a specific project or when demand arises in line with IT trends, but it can also be proposed by recognizing future needs first. Manager Jang stated, “After hearing the client's concerns or needs, we materialize the product through detailed meetings. In this process, the AE, solution architect, and consulting organization all consider what system meets the client's requirements, what is needed, and what to propose in line with IT trends.”

Once the client company accepts the proposal, the purchase is finalized, followed by sequential processes such as delivery, installation, utilization environment, and after-sales management and maintenance contracts. Communication methods include phone, email, and video conferencing. When the direction desired by the client company is established, face-to-face meetings are convened, and the necessary department personnel collaborate. There are also cases where support is provided overseas through overseas branches or collaboration with headquarters engineers, marketing, and sales. When collaborating with major overseas clients, Executive Briefing Centers located in 10 places worldwide, including the United States, are utilized.

AI appears at the forefront of sales, yet individual effort remains crucial

The topic shifted to the mindset and attitude of technical salespeople. What does Manager Jang Byul consider the most important virtue? He stated, “The most important thing in sales is trust and responsibility. I approach sales with the mindset that everything is over if trust is lost. The skill to maintain this is the relationship with people. Client relationships start from thinking about and contemplating the difficulties faced by the client company as if they were my own. It’s not about what to sell but how to help the client company move forward. This sincerity accumulates into trust, forming relationships.”


Of course, unique capabilities of the salesperson and honesty are also important. Manager Jang stated, “I have a good memory for people. I remember and start conversations with people I pass by or see briefly. This is extremely helpful in sales. And one must always be honest with clients,” adding, “Even if a client seeks a specific product, I review the entire infrastructure to propose the optimal architecture that enables the client to achieve their business goals. Experience gained as an engineer and solution architect is a significant advantage in this process. In the rapidly changing IT environment, understanding technology allows for accurate identification of client needs and swift proposal of optimal solutions.”

Product specifications or sales information now receive assistance from AI. Manager Jang stated, “As Dell Technologies leads the global AI infrastructure market, it boldly invests in enhancing productivity using AI internally. Before meeting clients, I search for necessary information using Dell's internal AI tools. Recently, I have received help in sales overall through sales simulations that prepare for various scenarios,” adding, “However, the essence of dealing with people and building relationships does not change. Memorizing specifications is an area of learning, so it can be resolved through effort, but relationships with people are a matter of capability and mindset, which I consider more important.”

Sales is the fruit of solid relationships and diligence, engineering knowledge is helpful

Given the wide portfolio of Dell Technologies, there are many competitors. In the infrastructure field, it competes with HPE, Lenovo, and Supermicro, and in the storage field, it faces Hitachi, Huawei, and NetApp. Despite this, the efforts of numerous AEs like Manager Jang Byul are behind Dell Technologies maintaining its industry leadership.

Manager Jang stated, “While diligence is essential in any role, sales require a bit more diligence. Some say that selling products well is important, but behind that lies thorough planning, a spirit of challenge, and a goal-oriented attitude.”


Finally, Manager Jang left advice for future juniors who wish to pursue a career in technical sales. He stated, “Having an understanding of computer science or engineering is beneficial. Even those who have dealt with technology find it challenging to meet the expert clients' expectations. You need to handle not only hardware and infrastructure knowledge but also solutions, applications, firmware, and more. Fortunately, AI can help overcome this aspect recently. Technical sales roles require continuous learning and strategic movement. If you want to realize the work of proposing optimal solutions based on fierce competition and healthy debate, give it a try.”

He continued, “I see AI as a turning point that changes the way we work. Dell Technologies leads the AI infrastructure market and provides opportunities for technical salespeople to lead this trend. For those who want to challenge themselves in leading technological changes in the AI era, Dell will be the best stage.”

IT Donga Reporter Nam Si-hyun (sh@itdonga.com)

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