/sales-engineer

name: "sales-engineer"
description: Analyzes RFP/RFI responses for coverage gaps, builds competitive feature comparison matrices, and plans proof-of-concept (POC) engagements for pre-sales engineering. Use when responding to RFPs, bids, or proposal requests; comparing product features against competitors; planning or scoring a customer POC or sales demo; preparing a technical proposal; or performing win/loss competitor analysis. Handles tasks described as 'RFP response', 'bid response', 'proposal response', 'competitor comparison', 'feature matrix', 'POC planning', 'sales demo prep', or 'pre-sales engineering'.

Sales Engineer Skill

5-Phase Workflow

Phase 1: Discovery & Research

**Objective:** Understand customer requirements, technical environment, and business drivers.

**Checklist:**

• [ ] Conduct technical discovery calls with stakeholders
• [ ] Map customer's current architecture and pain points
• [ ] Identify integration requirements and constraints
• [ ] Document security and compliance requirements
• [ ] Assess competitive landscape for this opportunity

**Tools:** Run `rfp_response_analyzer.py` to score initial requirement alignment.

python scripts/rfp_response_analyzer.py assets/sample_rfp_data.json --format json > phase1_rfp_results.json

**Output:** Technical discovery document, requirement map, initial coverage assessment.

**Validation checkpoint:** Coverage score must be >50% and must-have gaps ≤3 before proceeding to Phase 2. Check with:

python scripts/rfp_response_analyzer.py assets/sample_rfp_data.json --format json | python -c "import sys,json; r=json.load(sys.stdin); print('PROCEED' if r['coverage_score']>50 and r['must_have_gaps']<=3 else 'REVIEW')"

---

Phase 2: Solution Design

**Objective:** Design a solution architecture that addresses customer requirements.

**Checklist:**

• [ ] Map product capabilities to customer requirements
• [ ] Design integration architecture
• [ ] Identify customization needs and development effort
• [ ] Build competitive differentiation strategy
• [ ] Create solution architecture diagrams

**Tools:** Run `competitive_matrix_builder.py` using Phase 1 data to identify differentiators and vulnerabilities.

python scripts/competitive_matrix_builder.py competitive_data.json --format json > phase2_competitive.json

python -c "import json; d=json.load(open('phase2_competitive.json')); print('Differentiators:', d['differentiators']); print('Vulnerabilities:', d['vulnerabilities'])"

**Output:** Solution architecture, competitive positioning, technical differentiation strategy.

**Validation checkpoint:** Confirm at least one strong differentiator exists per customer priority before proceeding to Phase 3. If no differentiators found, escalate to Product Team (see Integration Points).

---

Phase 3: Demo Preparation & Delivery

**Objective:** Deliver compelling technical demonstrations tailored to stakeholder priorities.

**Checklist:**

• [ ] Build demo environment matching customer's use case
• [ ] Create demo script with talking points per stakeholder role
• [ ] Prepare objection handling responses
• [ ] Rehearse failure scenarios and recovery paths
• [ ] Collect feedback and adjust approach

**Templates:** Use `assets/demo_script_template.md` for structured demo preparation.

**Output:** Customized demo, stakeholder-specific talking points, feedback capture.

**Validation checkpoint:** Demo script must cover every must-have requirement flagged in `phase1_rfp_results.json` before delivery. Cross-reference with:

python -c "import json; rfp=json.load(open('phase1_rfp_results.json')); [print('UNCOVERED:', r) for r in rfp['must_have_requirements'] if r['coverage']=='Gap']"

---

Phase 4: POC & Evaluation

**Objective:** Execute a structured proof-of-concept that validates the solution.

**Checklist:**

• [ ] Define POC scope, success criteria, and timeline
• [ ] Allocate resources and set up environment
• [ ] Execute phased testing (core, advanced, edge cases)
• [ ] Track progress against success criteria
• [ ] Generate evaluation scorecard

**Tools:** Run `poc_planner.py` to generate the complete POC plan.

python scripts/poc_planner.py poc_data.json --format json > phase4_poc_plan.json

python -c "import json; p=json.load(open('phase4_poc_plan.json')); print('Go/No-Go:', p['recommendation'])"

**Templates:** Use `assets/poc_scorecard_template.md` for evaluation tracking.

**Output:** POC plan, evaluation scorecard, go/no-go recommendation.

**Validation checkpoint:** POC conversion requires scorecard score >60% across all evaluation dimensions (functionality, performance, integration, usability, support). If score <60%, document gaps and loop back to Phase 2 for solution redesign.

---

Phase 5: Proposal & Closing

**Objective:** Deliver a technical proposal that supports the commercial close.

**Checklist:**

• [ ] Compile POC results and success metrics
• [ ] Create technical proposal with implementation plan
• [ ] Address outstanding objections with evidence
• [ ] Support pricing and packaging discussions
• [ ] Conduct win/loss analysis post-decision

**Templates:** Use `assets/technical_proposal_template.md` for the proposal document.

**Output:** Technical proposal, implementation timeline, risk mitigation plan.

---

Python Automation Tools

1. RFP Response Analyzer

**Script:** `scripts/rfp_response_analyzer.py`

**Purpose:** Parse RFP/RFI requirements, score coverage, identify gaps, and generate bid/no-bid recommendations.

**Coverage Categories:** Full (100%), Partial (50%), Planned (25%), Gap (0%). **Priority Weighting:** Must-Have 3×, Should-Have 2×, Nice-to-Have 1×.

**Bid/No-Bid Logic:**

• **Bid:** Coverage >70% AND must-have gaps ≤3
• **Conditional Bid:** Coverage 50–70% OR must-have gaps 2–3
• **No-Bid:** Coverage <50% OR must-have gaps >3

**Usage:**

python scripts/rfp_response_analyzer.py assets/sample_rfp_data.json