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32 The PCB Magazine • December 2016 This is what I would advise salespeople who are in my position, selling for a PCB fabricator that sells a wide range of technologies as my company does: 1. Always be helpful and courteous, even when you know more than the customer. 2. Do not be offended if customers who once turned to you for technical advice now defer to one of your company's experts because you have the word "sales" on your card. Handle it. 3. But don't be afraid to show your experi- ence and knowledge when the customer asks for your advice. Be ready to step up and help them out. Always remember that a technical sale is a consultative sale. Your job is to make it as easy as possible for customers to buy from you. 4. Make sure you help your company ex- perts. Let them know what your customers are up to. Inform your management of any upcom- ing changes in your customer's technology. You are literally the scout for your company. You are out there on the front lines seeing, hearing and talking to your customers about what they are doing today and where they will be going in the future. It is your responsibility to help your company be prepared to handle your custom- ers' future technology needs. 5. And finally, just because you are now in sales is no reason to stop being an engineer. The more you know about technology the better salesperson you will be. The more you can learn and relay your customers' technology needs, the more value you will bring to your custom- ers and your company. I believe that the future is bright for people with my background. Because of the rise in technology levels, more companies are looking to bring PCB engineers onto their sales team. And with our customers needing our technical help this will be a good thing. PCB John Tusant is West Coast sales manager with American Standard Circuits. To read past Standard of Excellence columns or to contact the ASC team of authors, click here. SELLING TECHNOLOGY—A PCB ENGINEER TRANSITIONS TO SALES Two engineering graduates from The University of Manchester have launched a DIY walking robot which anyone can build with 3D printing technology. Jack Scott-Reeve and Josh Elijah, who graduated with master's degrees in engineering from the University's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, have developed QuadBot, a 3D print- able walking robotics platform. Their aim is to help as many people as possible to learn about robotics. The pioneering learning tool helps users with little or no prior experience to understand electron- ics, coding, 3D design and printing, and maths for robotics. "There is so much potential for users. QuadBot can walk, dance, light up—and, with sensors, he can follow you around while avoiding any obstacles. He can even play songs." The animal-inspired QuadBot comes as a kit which features a 'Quadboard,' motors and other non-printable com - ponents while the rest of the bespoke machine can be made using domestic 3D printing technology. "With the support of the University, our [Robot- ics] society was very successful and we continued the initiative until we graduated. After graduation we then ran many workshops teaching engineering and robotics to the maker communities using Fab Labs around London," added Josh. "We decided to focus our career solely on engi- neering education, so we founded EngiMake with one goal—opening up robotics to every 'maker.' We have set out to break down the barriers to learning robotics by engaging with people, communicating knowledge effectively, leveraging the strength of open-source, and tearing down costs." Manchester Graduates Hoping to Inspire With Their DIY Walking Robot