What Separates Great Sales Engineers from the Rest with Marjorie Abdelkrime

Are sales engineers relying too much on technical expertise and missing what truly drives customer decisions?

In this special V15 episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Marjorie Abdelkrime, Head of US West and Healthcare Solutions at VMware by Broadcom, to explore what separates great SEs from those who get stuck. Marjorie shares why curiosity is the most critical trait for success, how Sales Engineers can build trust by admitting what they don’t know, and why AI-powered demos provide an opportunity to elevate the human element in technical sales. She unpacks the evolution of the SE role, from product expert to strategic advisor, and the mindset shifts required to elevate sales engineering conversations.

From leveraging AI to enhance—not replace—SEs to understanding the customer’s customer, this episode explores the nuances of modern solution consulting.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why curiosity is the foundation of SE success - The best SEs go beyond technical expertise by asking deeper questions, uncovering business needs, and connecting solutions to real customer challenges.
2. How admitting “I don’t know” strengthens credibility - SEs who acknowledge knowledge gaps and follow up with thoughtful insights build stronger trust with customers and internal teams.
3. The evolving role of AI in sales engineering - AI-powered demos can enhance efficiency, but SEs need to double down on soft skill development to drive meaningful business conversations and strategic decision-making.

Things to listen for: 

(00:00) Introduction

(00:58) Why curiosity determines SE success

(02:25) The danger of pretending to know it all

(03:54) AI’s role in demos and what it can’t replace

(05:57) How SEs can use AI to advance their careers

(07:37) Understanding the customer’s customer

(14:17) From demo expert to trusted business advisor