A key function of the Sales Engineering role is to identify the gaps between what exists and what customers truly need. These opportunity gaps, identified at the deal level, represent untapped potential for growth, innovation, and competitive advantage.
For sales engineers, these gaps are gold mines waiting to be discovered.
An opportunity gap is the space between what's currently available in the market (or within your product offering) and what buyers on a deal actually need or want. It's the difference between "what is" and "what could be."
These gaps aren't just product features missing from a checklist. They represent real business problems that customers face but can't solve with existing solutions. When you identify these gaps, you find opportunities to create value that customers will pay for.
For sales engineers, opportunity gaps often appear during technical discussions when prospects say, "I wish your product could..." or "Our biggest challenge is..."
Opportunity gaps typically consist of three main components:
These gaps provide a roadmap for product improvements and sales strategies. But first, you need to understand why they matter.
Finding and addressing opportunity gaps creates substantial business advantages:
Opportunity gaps reveal untapped customer segments and needs that your competitors might miss. This gives you first-mover advantage in addressing these needs.
When you understand what customers truly need (versus what they currently have), you can develop targeted solutions that solve real problems rather than adding features nobody asked for.
Filling opportunity gaps leads directly to increased customer acquisition and retention. Customers stay with vendors who solve their problems and meet their needs.
Addressing gaps improves overall satisfaction and builds loyalty. Customers appreciate vendors who listen and respond to their needs.
By quantifying the impact of product gaps, you can focus development resources on high-value opportunities that will drive the most revenue.
For sales engineers, opportunity gaps are particularly valuable. You sit at the intersection of technical knowledge and customer needs, making you uniquely positioned to identify these gaps.
When you spot opportunity gaps, you can:
This approach transforms you from a technical presenter into a trusted advisor who understands business challenges.
Now for the practical part: how can you find these valuable opportunity gaps?
Stay informed about industry shifts and emerging technologies. Read analyst reports, attend conferences, and follow thought leaders in your space. Look for patterns in how customer needs are evolving.
Ask open-ended questions during discovery calls:
Listen for pain points that go beyond feature requests. Effective discovery uncovers deeper insights that can reveal significant opportunity gaps.
Create a system for documenting and categorizing feedback from sales calls. Look for patterns across multiple prospects and customers.
You can Capture Product Gaps directly from sales conversations, helping your product teams build solutions customers actually want to buy.
Review won and lost deals to identify patterns:
This analysis can reveal systematic gaps in your offering.
Several tools can help you identify and track opportunity gaps:
For effective gap analysis, follow these best practices:
Not all gaps are equal, and the key to effective prioritization is linking them directly to revenue impact.
Opportunity gaps that are tied to revenue ensure that product development supports the company’s financial objectives. If a new feature or product solves an unmet need but doesn’t drive revenue (through new sales, retention, or expansion), it may not be the best use of resources.
Example:
Companies often face a long list of customer requests, but not every request translates to revenue. Tying opportunity gaps to revenue allows teams to focus on changes that will drive the most business value.
Example:
By quantifying opportunity gaps in revenue terms, sales and product teams can speak the same language. Instead of debating subjective feature requests, they can focus on data-driven decisions that impact the bottom line.
Example:
A great idea without revenue impact is a distraction. Revenue-weighted opportunity gaps prevent teams from spending engineering time on “nice-to-haves” that won’t move the needle.
Example:
By tying opportunity gaps to revenue, companies ensure that product investments drive growth, improve sales effectiveness, and increase customer retention.
Opportunity gaps represent the space between current reality and future potential. For sales engineers, they're a powerful tool for driving both immediate sales and long-term product strategy.
By systematically identifying these gaps, you position yourself as a strategic advisor who understands customer needs at a deep level. This approach leads to better solutions, stronger customer relationships, and increased revenue.
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