A technical consultant, partner, and advocate.
I’m a systems engineer with 25 years in enterprise AV and the networks it runs on. I’m the final escalation tier for AV and network problems, and I manage and monitor 150+ IPsec VPN tunnels on FortiGate. I’ve been a Fortinet advocate for years, and I’m looking for a Fortinet Systems Engineer role in small and medium business, operational technology, and state, local, and education accounts.
How I open a sales conversation
I approach a sales conversation by defusing the bomb before the client can arm it. Most customers arrive with some frustration already in hand, such as a past vendor that let them down, a project that went badly, or a salesperson who talked over them. If I bring that up first, there is nothing left for them to use against me.
I introduce myself as a technical consultant, a partner, and an advocate, and I do not present myself as a know-it-all. That opening breaks the ice on any current or past frustrations and turns the meeting toward fixing the client’s problems. Clients do not expect it. I find it eases the tension in the room and builds rapport faster than a product pitch does.
The experience behind the pitch
How the Fortinet Systems Engineer role changes across eight market segments
For each segment I cover the problem and what it costs, the Fortinet answer, the return on investment, and the head-to-head comparison. Read the one closest to your territory and judge whether it would hold up in a customer meeting.
Open the playbook