When AEs and SEs Work as One, Deals Move Faster

AE-SE Partnership Workshop

Account Executives and Sales Engineers want the same outcome - winning the right deals. But differences in mindset, incentives, and communication styles often create friction, which erodes trust and shows up in customer conversations.

The AE–SE Partnership Workshop brings AEs and SEs together to establish shared expectations, build trust, strengthen collaboration, and create a clear model for how to work together - internally AND in front of customers.

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Why This Program Exists

AE–SE misalignment is rarely about effort or intent.

It’s more often the result of:

Different ways of thinking about the sales process
Breakdowns in communication before key meetings
Gaps in communication around discovery and preparation
Tension around ownership, control, and accountability
A lack of empathy for the pressures each role faces
Patterns that slowly erode trust over time

Without a shared framework, trust weakens internally, teams default to assumptions, and those assumptions show up in customer conversations.

This workshop creates a safe space for honest conversation, shared understanding, and a more respectful, effective way of working together.

How this program helps.

The AE–SE Partnership Workshop establishes a shared operating model for collaboration, one built on clarity, communication, and respect.

Participants learn how to:

Clarify roles without diminishing responsibility, credibility, or trust

Communicate more effectively before, during, and after meetings

Align on discovery strategy and preparation expectations

Present a united front during customer meetings and demos

Build rapport through consistency, accountability, and follow-through

What participants learn in this program

1. Partner as Equals

AEs and SEs align on shared goals, responsibilities, and expectations - reducing friction and building trust through clarity rather than control.

2. Collaborate on and throughout Discovery

Teams learn how to communicate more intentionally during discovery, listen more actively, and build insight together instead of competing for airtime.

3. Prepare intentionally as a Team

Preparation becomes a shared responsibility. Teams learn how to align ahead of meetings so both roles show up confident, coordinated, and respectful of each other’s contributions.

4. Customer-facing Collaboration

AEs and SEs practice presenting a united front - reinforcing credibility, respecting role boundaries, and supporting one another without interruption or tension.

5. Learn & Improve Together

Teams establish constructive feedback loops rooted in trust and empathy, turning deals into opportunities to learn rather than assign blame.

Who is this program for?

AEs and SEs at any experience level

Teams operating in paired or pooled AE–SE models

Sales organizations experiencing rapid growth or change

Leaders who want stronger execution without reorganizing teams

How is this program delivered:

The AE–SE Partnership Workshop is interactive, dialogue-driven, and grounded in real experiences from your team’s pipeline.

It creates space for:

Open conversation
Perspective-sharing
Resetting assumptions
Building shared language

This isn’t about calling anyone out. It’s about helping teams work better together.

As such, the program can be delivered:

Onsite

This program is ideally designed to be delivered onsite, in-person as a one-day, immersive workshop for groups up to 25.

Virtual

It can be (and has been) successfully delivered virtually in a three-part series of 2-3 hour remote sessions.

How this Program Fits

The AE–SE Partnership Workshop can stand on its own or be integrated into a broader enablement strategy.

Teams commonly use this workshop to:

Reset expectations and strengthen trust between AEs and SEs
Establish shared language before deeper skill development
Support changes in coverage models, team structure, or growth stage

It pairs especially well with:

The Six Habits Workshop, where it reinforces Habit #1: Partner
The Discovery Workshop, where stronger collaboration improves how teams uncover and act on insight
Ongoing enablement programs that benefit from clearer roles and healthier working dynamics

Many organizations use this workshop as a foundational step, creating alignment and trust before investing in more specialized skill development.

This workshop helps teams work better together, so every other investment goes further.

The Result?

Clearer Roles & More Trust

AEs and SEs leave with shared expectations about how they work together. Roles are clearer, assumptions are surfaced, and trust improves because responsibilities and contributions are understood and respected.

Better Communication

Teams communicate more intentionally - aligning ahead of customer conversations, supporting each other in the moment, and debriefing constructively afterward. Fewer surprises. Fewer mixed messages.

A Confident, Unified Front

Customers experience a coordinated team, not two individuals operating in parallel. AEs and SEs present a united front, reinforce each other’s credibility, and guide conversations with greater confidence.

Negative Patterns Disrupted

Teams build simple feedback loops that allow them to reflect, learn, and adjust after each deal. Collaboration improves over time instead of resetting with every new opportunity, disrupting the negative patterns that develop.

Ready to Strengthen the AE-SE Partnership?

Let’s talk about your team, the dynamics you’re seeing, and how we might be able to help.

If the AE-SE Partnership workshop is a fit, we’ll outline next steps. If not, we’ll point you in a different direction.