We The Sales Engineers: A Resource for Sales Engineers, by Sales Engineers

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

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

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

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.

This is how I teach my #SolutionEngineers to prepare for their customer demos or their Interview demos. show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show319

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

In this podcast, the host shares 12 things sales engineers do that drive salespeople crazy. Topics include frustrations with salespeople, the importance of setting clear agendas for sales calls, effective communication, and collaboration in sales engineering, as well as common mistakes to avoid. Insightful anecdotes and advice for improving dynamics between sales engineers and salespeople.

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

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

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