Overview
You're selling custom metal fabrication services and HVAC/refrigeration equipment components to industrial facilities, contractors, and distributors across Texas. Most of your time is split between maintaining existing customer relationships, prospecting new accounts in your territory, and driving to job sites for in-person meetings. You're selling to facility managers, purchasing agents, and mechanical contractors who need precision-engineered metal parts.
Role Snapshot
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Role Type | Full-cycle field AE |
| Sales Motion | Balanced - relationship management + territory prospecting |
| Deal Complexity | Consultative (technical specs, custom fabrication) |
| Sales Cycle | 2-8 weeks (RFQ-based, varies by project complexity) |
| Deal Size | $3K-50K per order (mix of one-offs and recurring) |
| Quota (est.) | $800K-1.2M annually |
Company Context
Stage: Mature/Private (170 employees, established manufacturer)
Size: 170 employees
Growth: Stable industrial manufacturer, expansion into Texas market
Market Position: Established regional player in custom metal fabrication for HVAC/refrigeration sector
GTM Reality
Pipeline Sources:
- 40% Existing Accounts - Repeat orders from distributors, contractors you inherit
- 35% Cold Outreach - Calling on facility managers, purchasing departments, contractor offices
- 25% RFQ Response - Inbound quote requests from website, industry referrals
SDR/AE Structure: No SDR support - you're fully self-sourcing and closing
SE Support: Engineering team provides technical specs/quotes, but you own the relationship
Competitive Landscape
Main Competitors: Local metal fabrication shops, larger regional manufacturers, in-house fabrication departments
How They Differentiate: Custom capabilities, quick turnaround, quality control for precision parts
Common Objections: "We already have a vendor," price vs. cheaper local shops, lead time concerns
Win Themes: Quality consistency, ability to handle complex custom work, responsive service
What You'll Actually Do
Time Breakdown
Travel/Meetings (40%) | Account Management (30%) | Prospecting (20%) | Admin/Quoting (10%)
Key Activities
- Field visits: Drive 2-3 days/week to customer sites - facility walkthroughs, spec reviews, relationship check-ins. Expect 500-800 miles/week driving across Texas
- RFQ management: Review technical drawings with customers, coordinate with engineering team for quotes, follow up on proposals. You'll juggle 10-20 active quotes at any time
- Cold prospecting: Build target lists of industrial facilities, contractors, distributors. Cold call purchasing departments, attend local trade events. Expect lots of gatekeepers and voicemail
- Account nurturing: Regular check-ins with existing customers to stay top-of-mind for next project. Much of your revenue comes from repeat business, so you're constantly staying visible
The Honest Reality
What's Hard
- Lots of driving - you're covering a huge geography across Texas. Long days on the road, managing your own schedule
- RFQ-based selling means you're constantly quoting projects you won't win. Customers shop 3-5 vendors, you might win 30-40% of what you quote
- Buying cycles are tied to construction/facility projects - slow months where nothing moves, then everything needs to happen at once
- You're competing on price frequently with local fab shops. Have to justify premium vs. cheaper alternatives
- Customers ghost after getting your quote. Normal to follow up 5-8 times before hearing back
What Success Looks Like
- Hit $250K-300K in quarterly sales across a mix of small quick-turn orders and larger project work
- Build a base of 15-20 active accounts that give you repeat business quarterly
- Convert 35-40% of qualified RFQs you quote into orders
- Expand wallet share with existing distributors/contractors by introducing new product lines
Who You're Selling To
Primary Buyers:
- Facility managers at industrial plants (food processing, manufacturing, cold storage)
- Purchasing agents at mechanical contracting firms
- Owners/buyers at HVAC/refrigeration distributors
What They Care About:
- Can you meet their exact specs? Custom metal work needs to fit perfectly
- Lead time - how fast can you fabricate and deliver?
- Price - they're comparing you to 2-4 other quotes
- Reliability - will the parts show up on time and built correctly? Downtime is expensive
- Ongoing availability - can you handle repeat orders without re-quoting every time?
Requirements
- 3-5 years in industrial B2B sales, ideally HVAC, construction, manufacturing, or metal fabrication
- Comfortable with technical drawings, specifications, and custom fabrication discussions
- Experience managing a large geographic territory independently
- Valid driver's license and willingness to drive extensively (50-60% travel)
- Based in Houston area for territory coverage
- Existing relationships with contractors, distributors, or facility managers in Texas is a major plus
- CRM discipline to track quotes, follow-ups, and pipeline