The Rise of SEs in Sales with Michelle Afshar

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The Unexpected Lever

Vivun

47 episodes

1 week ago

The secret sauce to your sales success? It’s what happens before the sale. It’s the planning, the strategy, the leadership. And it’s more than demo automation. It’s the thoughtful work that connects people, processes, and performance. If you want strong revenue, high retention, and shorter sales cycles, the pre-work—centered around the human—still makes the dream work. But you already know that. The Unexpected Lever is your partner in growing revenue by doing what great sales leaders do best. Combining vision with execution. Brought to you by Vivun, this show highlights the people and peers behind the brands who understand what it takes to build and lead high-performing sales teams. You’re not just preparing for the sale—you’re unlocking potential. Join us as we share stories of sales leaders who make a difference, their challenges, their wins, and the human connections that drive results, one solution at a time.

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Marketing

Business

The Rise of SEs in Sales with Michelle Afshar

The Unexpected Lever

16 minutes

6 months ago

The Rise of SEs in Sales with Michelle Afshar

Is the traditional sales model evolving with the rise of SEs?

In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Michelle Afshar, Global Head of Enablement at Darktrace, to unfold the shifting dynamics within B2B sales teams, focusing on the increasing importance of SEs.

Michelle explains why the future of sales belongs to sales engineers, emphasizing the need for sellers to be more technical. She argues that aligning SEs and AEs is essential for closing deals in today’s tech-driven landscape.

Tune in to learn why modern sales roles are evolving.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How sales roles are transforming – Michelle envisions a future where sales engineers are your best sales reps, adapting to the technical needs of modern buyers.
The challenges for AEs – Learn about the barriers organizations face in cultivating AEs with the technical prowess of an SE.
Redefining enablement – Discover Michelle’s strategy for equipping SEs with necessary sales skills, and AEs with necessary technical skills, emphasizing the importance of unified support across sales teams.

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:43) Successful sellers will be SEs

(02:36) The challenges of aligning AEs and SEs for better sales outcomes

(03:38) Understanding the modern buyer's journey and how it affects sales

(07:02) The role of enablement in supporting SEs

(09:50) The importance of training SEs beyond just product knowledge

(14:03) Strategies for structuring sales teams to foster collaboration