Collaborative Selling: The Account Executive and Solution Engineer Partnership

Discover the powerful partnership that drives Salesforce sales.

Are you a seasoned sales professional looking for your next big move, or perhaps just starting your career in sales, dreaming of a role at the world’s most trusted #1 AI CRM? If you’ve ever hesitated to explore opportunities at Salesforce because you’re unsure about the technical depth required, we’re here to tell you that’s precisely where our incredible Solution Engineers come in. 

At Salesforce, we believe in the power of partnership. Our sales teams thrive on collaboration, especially the symbiotic relationship between the Account Executive (AE) and the Solution Engineer (SE). This dynamic duo is designed to ensure our customers find the perfect solutions to their most complex business challenges, meaning you don’t have to carry the technical burden alone. In fact, as an AE, you’re never on your own. Your SE is right there with you, bringing the technical expertise so you can focus on building trust, solving problems, and closing deals.

5 ways the AE-SE partnership powers sales success at Salesforce:

Here’s a look at how this vital partnership works, featuring insights from SMB Account Executive Samuel Voss and Solution Engineer Nick Sablich:

1. It’s a true co-selling partnership – synchronized for success.

Nick highlights the importance of chemistry, noting how seamlessly the two roles can operate together. As he puts it:

“When AEs bring in their Solution Engineers to the conversation, sometimes you can sense the customer relax a little and get more curious – SEs are there to get hands-on and prove that what the AE is presenting is exactly the right solution, and that cycle builds trust between the customer and their Salesforce team.”

2. Trust is built through honesty and clear communication

Nick believes honesty and boundaries are fundamental to building strong AE-SE chemistry. He elaborates on the transparency needed:

“I can tell Sam everything I’m really great at, but equally as important, I tell him the areas where I can’t deep dive so we both know what it takes to have the demo go smoothly.

If he knows with full transparency that these are my capabilities and these are the spots where I’m still growing, then that trust in each other helps build that chemistry, and no one gets disappointed.” This clarity ensures that both roles can play to their strengths, knowing they have each other’s full support.

Samuel adds that proactive calls, especially for new team members, are crucial for setting expectations and guidelines, much like preparing for any team endeavor. His advice is clear:

“As an AE, setting up a call with your SE to go through expectations is critical before diving into any deal. My goal is to help us find our rhythm from the beginning: our cadence for meeting with each other, what we both want to work on async via Slack versus what we need to collaborate on in real-time…

“Intentionally setting expectations for what the working relationship should like so that both of us get what we need and feel supported by the other. From my experience, those conversations have always led to the most successful partnerships.“

3. Customer trust comes from value, not just product: The consultative approach

Samuel advises against introducing product details in customer conversations too early, prioritizing rapport instead. He shares an example of how this plays out:

“I would avoid talking about product too early. Let’s say, for example, they already purchased Revenue Intelligence. I’d ask my SE if we could walk through their set-up and help them configure their dashboards better. It’s not really “your job”, but can we support them and lay some groundwork to prove that we understand their business concerns and want to help them get the most out of their investment.” The initial focus should be on building a relationship through a shared understanding of the customer’s goals, and offering assistance like a consultant.

Nick agrees, stressing the focus on the customer’s desired outcomes. His mantra is simple:”Tell the story and tell the outcome. Products, we’ll talk about that later,” he advises. Offering free advice and proactive ‘health’ checks positions Salesforce sellers like Nick and Samuel as trusted partners who see both the big picture and the day-to-day issues holding the customer back.

4. The best Solution Engineers can step in at a moment’s notice – and the best Account Executives show up to help get the work done

Nick recounted a high-stakes moment where, right before a $1.7 million deal demo, he had to step in to deliver a custom demo on short notice due to a specialist’s sudden absence. He recalls the pivotal moment:

“It was a situation where the sales team came to me and asked, ‘We know this is last-minute, but can you do this custom demo in about an hour?’ And took a breath and I said, ‘Let’s do it.'” 

He continues, “It was nerve-wracking to say the least, but from then on out, I think that was the quickest way to gain trust of that entire sales team and that customer.”

Nick’s willingness to step into discomfort for the sake of the deal paid off.

5. Salesforce offers a culture of support and innovation

Both Nick and Samuel praise Salesforce’s supportive sales culture. Nick speaks to the accessibility of colleagues across the large company:

“For as big as Salesforce is, I’ve never run into someone who’s not accessible… I’ve never hesitated in asking someone for help… Everyone is just so willing to make time for you at Salesforce and I think everyone genuinely wants to help each other. It’s an amazing feeling to be a part of that culture, and to give back to it when others reach out to me for help.”

Samuel highlights his most-beloved of the “endless” amount of resources that Salesforce equips its teams with: invaluable tools like customized Slack canvases that house pre-built marketing case studies and designed slides, demo templates, and of course, Slack itself for collaboration, finding quick answers, and leveraging collective knowledge. 

“It’s all designed to save you time and effort – you don’t have to start from scratch at Salesforce when it comes to busywork; the company gives you what you need to focus the majority of your efforts on helping the customer.”

Nick and Samuel aren’t just selling agents, they’re working alongside them. The company is actively placing custom AI tools into the hands of its sales teams, with tools like Agentforce for Sales that quickly summarizes and analyzes calls for next steps and opportunities, offers coaching for next steps and overcoming objections, and more. 

While there’s plenty of enablement to help Salesforce sellers use these agentic tools to work smarter, not harder, it’s not necessary for all salespeople to start with an AI foundation. At Salesforce, we’ll help you build those skills.

With the rapid acceleration of agentic AI, Samuel emphasizes that AEs need to know enough about AI to identify use cases when customers mention their roadblocks, but ultimately:

“It’s more important to deeply know sales than to know every product and every feature. Learning the products will come – and will always be evolving.” 

Learn how Salesforce invests in its top sales talent through the global Account Executive Excellence Academy.

If you’re a seller with a drive to succeed, a passion for solving business problems, and a desire to work in a highly collaborative and supportive environment, there’s no better place to grow your career in the agentic era than at Salesforce. 

You don’t need to be a technical guru to thrive here – you just need to bring your sales talent and a growth mindset, and we’ll connect you with the brilliant Solution Engineers who will help you close deals, grow your technical understanding, and accelerate your career.

Ready to make an impact? Explore open sales roles at Salesforce today!