Trusted Advisor: The Secret Sauce to a Great Sales Engineer
When I first stepped into the role of a Sales Engineer, I thought trust was something you earned by being the smartest person in the room. If I could whiteboard a solution in five minutes or answer every technical question flawlessly, I figured I’d nailed it.
But the longer I worked with clients, the more I realized: Technical knowledge alone doesn’t earn trust. How you show up does.
The shift from being seen as “the vendor” to becoming a trusted advisor didn’t happen overnight. It came through humility, small moments of empathy, and a lot of listening.
Listening to Understand, Not Just to Respond
Early in my private-sector career, I jumped into solution mode too fast. I was taught to pitch features, upsell packages, and agree to anything a prospect asked for—then figure out the fallout later.
Now? I pause. I ask follow-ups. I stay quiet long enough for the real problems to surface.
What are their pain points? What’s broken? Why are they really searching for a new solution?
Listening has uncovered priorities that would never have shown up in a standard discovery call.
As SEs, we’re not just gathering requirements—we're validating technical fit while tuning into both the expressed and unspoken needs of the client. And sometimes, that means doing the hard thing:
No, the product can't solve that use case.
No, we can’t build that custom integration today.
No, we need to reset expectations before signing.
But "No" isn’t the end of the conversation. It’s the start of a deeper, more honest one—one where solutions and alternatives are offered thoughtfully, not reactively.
Becoming the Kind of Advisor You Would Trust
Every SE has a choice: Be the person who delivers demos, or be the person who builds partnerships.
Building trust meant showing up beyond the sale: Listening. Owning mistakes. Communicating clearly, even when it wasn’t easy.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being human, helpful, and consistent.
What’s Next?
This post is part of my ongoing series on what it really takes to become a trusted advisor as a Sales Engineer. Next up: “Ask Better Questions — Turning Curiosity Into Credibility.”
Follow me here or check out the full series on my blog: https://thesmokingprinter.com/trusted-advisor-secret-sauce-sales-engineer/
