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I’m always asked, “What does a great SE look like?” The problem is there isn’t one way to SE. Great SEs look like. The role is complex, and people do it differently.
So, let’s delve into the role's complexity and break it down through an evaluation form I created. I cover various aspects such as working with account managers, discovery, demos, proof of value, and technical know-how. I also emphasize the importance of customer relations and leadership skills.
Finally, I have some news…
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show324
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Join us as we welcome Harman Bamra, who shares his unique journey from studying literature and international affairs to becoming a Solution Engineer (SE). Harman discusses his initial plans of becoming a diplomat, his background in literature, and how his passion for tech led him to digitize his family pharmacy business. Learn about his overlapping interests in tech and literature, the challenges he faced, and the strategies he used to transition into the corporate world of sales engineering. Harman also highlights the importance of understanding the 'why' behind customer needs and how his martial arts training influences his professional approach. Don't miss this insightful episode packed with practical advice for anyone looking to pursue a career in Solution Engineering
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show323
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The episode features an experienced sales trainer Richard Harris, discussing the intersection of sales and sales engineering. Richard shares insights on earning the right to ask questions, building trust with clients, and the concept of economic impact. He emphasizes the importance of proper communication and collaboration between salespeople and sales engineers (SEs), addressing common challenges and misconceptions. The conversation also touches on leadership accountability, the value of practice, and personal growth. Richard highlights the significance of self-awareness, mental health, and balancing personal and professional life. The episode provides tips and strategies for salespeople and SEs to enhance their effectiveness and cooperation.
Shownotes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show322
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Our guest today is Devon Montgomery, a Lead Solution Engineer at Collibra. Devon's path to Solution Engineering is interesting. It’s not just that he was an SDR who got into Solution Engineering; what he was before and how he got there are also interesting.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show321
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Many of us let our careers happen to us. Imagine if a CEO of a company just LET whatever happens to his or her company happen. They would be fired immediately from their role. But we can go through our lives and careers without being intentional in how we want to live our lives.
Instead, if we look at our lives like a startup and we are the CEOs, we can then look at our salary as revenue, our skills as the products that we provide, and our time as the service, then we can look differently at our lives. We can make decisions on what to improve and how.
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Last week I mentioned the 10 mistakes that #SolutionEngineers make that drive Salespeople crazy. This week Wesley comes to the defense of these SEs. Wes and I discuss the dynamics and challenges faced by SEs and account managers in tech sales. Wes shares his experiences and disagreements with certain points raised in a previous podcast episode about common mistakes SEs make, such as hijacking meetings and not following up. The discussion touches on the importance of good communication, trust, and feedback between SEs and sales reps, highlighting how effective management and understanding can prevent many issues.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show318
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So I’ve been in sales for a while. A few years now, and I’ve worked with several SE either as a sales person, a mentor, or a coach. And we love to joke around and talk crap about salespeople. I mentioned this before but on my first week on the job, I traveled to a quarterly training for both SEs and Sales. We had a common training session (marketing slides) and when that session was over and we were about to split up, my manager (SE manager) stood up and said “SEs stay here, those who have a lobotomy go to the other room.”
That’s how I was introduced to sales. It was a joke, and everyone laughed, but since then I knew I could make fun of salespeople because they do things that drive us crazy.
On the other hand, since I’ve been in sales there are things that SEs do that also drive me personally nuts. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve seen things that have made me so angry, I can see why AEs don’t want to bring SEs into meetings. Here are 12 things SEs do that drive salespeople crazy.
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I caught up with Chris White on his Linkedin Live show a bit ago. This time he interviews me and we dig into what happens behind the scenes, or at least what should happen behind the scenes to make sure that SEs are successful in front of the customer.
Everyone loves what we do on the front end, working directly with the customer, performing, and getting the Aha moment. However, we can not do any of that if we don’t prepare, if we don’t generate leads (even as SEs), or prepare for discovery, demos, and POV. We barely scratch the surface. But it’s a start.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show316
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AI is coming for us all. According to our guest, Anthony Palmoze, he’s heard many SEs talk about BDR being the first to become obsolete.
So we jump on a call to dig into what BDR is and see if it will be obsolete, or more specifically, what parts will be taken over by AI.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show315
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I have my own opinions of what sales engineers should do, and how they should be involved in the sales process. My opinion is that they should be involved, early and often.
But I sell in the enterprise market, with a small number of customers. My SE is tied only to me, and the main decision-makers are the users who use the product. So it would make sense that my SE is heavily involved, follows up post-demo, and maintains relationships.
But when your product is being sold to other Salespeople, and the goal is to show them how easy it is to use, and the SE that supports your opportunities supports the opportunities of a few other salespeople, then the process and expectations are different. Adam Weekes is an AE Leader within Big Tin Can. He drops by the show to explain his views.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show314
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Over the many years that I’ve been doing this podcast, we’ve talked about the skills required, how to manage the team, communication, relationship building. But we’ve never discussed the SE Big picture, how external factors like the economy can affect the role, and what moves can be made internally to save money.
So I invited John Simpson on this show to discuss that. John is the former head of Solution Engineering for EMEA at Qualtrics do discuss this in more detail.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show313
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There are so many different selling techniques. I’ve personally been trained in Solution Selling and Challenger Selling. Full disclosure, I love Solution Selling, but hate challenger selling. I’ve also read SPIN Selling and then I noticed that a lot of them are similar, but they are all geared towards salespeople.
But Solution Selling was introduced a long time ago. Some say in the 70s, but I don’t have a source for that. Since then, solution selling evolved into Value Selling, and now the latest iteration is Insight Selling.
My guest, Sherri Mazza, is writing a book on. Most books are geared towards Sales, but Sherri is focusing on Solutions Engineers. Will will dig into her history, and present and the book itself.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show311
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At the ground level, we all put our heads down and work. We demo, discover, and manage support calls. How we do all that is the tactical work. But what about the strategy? How do we move an entire organization from reactive to proactive? How does the organization incentivize people, or in other words, how do they line up their interests with their employee’s interests?
These are some topics I discussed with Fadi Bassil, the VP of Support at Incorta. Fadi is a fellow Lebanese, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is what he has been able to achieve in such a short period since moving to the UK. Taking a step back, humbled himself, so he could move forward to where had a big impact on his organization and his company.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show310
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Many of us go to university, wondering what we are supposed to study. Those of us who complete it then graduate, wondering what the job would entail. Once we get the job that we may or may not have thought we wanted, we find that we are bored out of our minds.
Some people stick with it and learn to love it, or simply stick with it. Others try to find a solution. That’s what today’s guest did. Sameer Kausar found himself in a job he was not excited about. So he looked within, and looked around, and identified Sales Engineering as a potential dream job. Since he got the job, he has not looked back since.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show309
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My guest for today is Chris Beaumont and he is a recruiter. We discuss how people should approach the job hunt, and what they can do to increase their chances to secure a job. We also talk about what employers are doing wrong while they are trying to fill the few recs they have open.
Show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show308
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Engineers are not usually known as creative types. This is a strange notion for me as I think engineers are some of the most creative people. We might not be creating art (although some engineers are artists), but we are being creative in solving a set of problems.
The problem is it doesn’t show to the outside world.
But there are ways to do so, and Melanie Flores, my guest for this week found out that she can do it through Solution Engineering. It’s not just about solving a problem creatively. It’s about telling stories and asking questions where creativity can shine while being in an Engineering field.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show306
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A big piece of Sales Engineering is Sales. Most engineers don’t like the sales part of Sales Engineering, but it’s what SEs have to excel at to be good at their jobs. Taking it a step further, SEs have to excel at knowing their customers and that will make every aspect of sales easier.
These are all topics of conversation that Alvaro Tuscano and I get deep into, in addition to the challenges of presales in Spain specifically, and how he overcame them to become a great SE and a trainer for other SEs.
show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show305
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