Strengthening the AE-SE Partnership: Best Practices for Success

1. Give – Get Feedback

Sales reps and Sales Engineers both play critical roles in winning deals. It truly is a team effort. Sales Engineers often work with multiple Account Executives (AEs), and AEs frequently have experience collaborating with various SEs. Reps should invest in their SEs by offering advice, constructive feedback, and sharing best practices. This investment empowers the SE and strengthens the AE-SE team, resulting in increased revenue for both you and the company.

With a trust-based relationship, providing feedback becomes an easy, regular conversation—especially immediately after a prospect meeting when comments are timely and specific. In return, solicit feedback on how you can improve. SEs have a unique vantage point as they observe “solution selling” techniques from multiple AEs and see firsthand what works and what doesn’t. Regularly sharing feedback improves your relationship, brings your partnership closer, and makes the sales cycle more efficient and enjoyable. A deeply synchronized AE-SE partnership is highly visible to prospects and fosters a positive dynamic. You know this for a fact if you’ve had such a relationship with an SE!

2. Qualification = Quality

The correlation between qualification and presentation quality is undeniable. Opportunity qualification is a broad yet critical topic often covered in sales training. Here, we focus on how qualification impacts SE delivery.

The better you understand a prospect’s key pains, business drivers, deal threats, strategic goals, competitive landscape, and decision process, the better your SE can tailor solutions to those needs. If your team uses a Prospect Profile Form template, even better! Be as thorough as possible during qualification. A generic demo often leads to a generic outcome—a longer, less differentiated sales cycle. This can result in prospects seeing insufficient value and choosing a cheaper alternative.

Remember, deals are rarely lost on price or product but on perceived value. Empower your SE to deliver personalized, high-quality presentations by providing thorough qualification details. Hold your SE accountable for leveraging this information to ensure their solution overview aligns with the prospect’s needs and sets you up for success.

3. Use “Urgency” Wisely

Sales is about urgency and timing, and AEs face constant pressure to meet quotas. Each qualified opportunity in the pipeline should be treated with the utmost importance. However, rarely does an AE have a dedicated SE. Instead, SEs often juggle priorities from multiple pipelines, creating a unique challenge.

If an SE supports four AEs, they must manage competing priorities. Before labeling a task “urgent,” consider your SE’s bandwidth. Setting realistic expectations with the prospect ensures your SE has the bandwidth to deliver high-quality results. Thoughtful prioritization not only earns your SE’s appreciation but can also result in quicker-than-expected turnarounds.

Before sending an “EOD” email, ask your SE about their availability. If it truly is urgent, communicate directly to understand their capacity before making commitments to your prospect. This approach fosters mutual respect and prevents unnecessary stress for both parties.

4. Honor Calendars

Raise your hand if you’ve scheduled a prospect meeting only to find your SE is unavailable. Frustrating, right? This can often be avoided with proper calendar management and mutual commitment.

For SEs: Keep your calendar up to date. Block time for prep, travel, and deadlines. Include detailed notes to help your AE make informed decisions about scheduling. An updated calendar minimizes disruptions and ensures smooth collaboration.

For AEs: Respect your SE’s calendar. Before booking a meeting, check for conflicts like back-to-back demos or travel commitments. Consider leaving buffer time for preparation or transitions. Also, take into account your SE’s personal commitments, such as commute times or family obligations, when requesting travel.

With mutual respect for each other’s schedules, you can avoid conflicts and maximize productivity.

5. Generosity with Recognition

Everyone appreciates recognition, and SEs are no exception. As a relatively independent profession, SEs often work remotely and engage primarily with their assigned AEs. This can sometimes result in their contributions going unnoticed.

AEs can be their SE’s biggest advocates. Celebrate their impact by sharing deal summary emails after a big win or recognizing their contributions in team meetings. At events like sales summits, propose awards for categories such as “Most Consultative SE” or “SE with Best Presentation Skills.” Share success stories where your SE overcame challenges to support the deal.

Also, communicate feedback—both strengths and areas for improvement—with SE leadership. This enables leaders to recognize their team’s accomplishments and address weaknesses. As your SE grows, your partnership strengthens, and your win rate increases. It’s a win-win for everyone!

By focusing on feedback, qualification, urgency, calendars, and recognition, you can build a strong, mutually beneficial AE-SE partnership that drives success for your team and your company.