Six Habits Certification® for Sales Engineers
Become the SE Every Deal Needs
The self-paced certification that teaches SEs the habits behind bigger, faster deals. Based on Chris White's Amazon bestseller, The Six Habits of Highly Effective Sales Engineers, and proven by 300+ certified SEs.
Enroll Now: $8979 opportunities in 6 days
Rob Strawley, a Sales Engineer at Microsoft, applied the Six Habits discovery process and uncovered 9 opportunities in under a week. One customer went from "only show me x" to asking for a demo of the most expensive product.
Your Discovery Calls Are Leaving Deals on the Table
You know the product. You can handle objections. But are you uncovering what the customer actually needs, or staying in the comfortable lane of what they asked to see?
Reactive mode
The customer says "show me x," so you show x. You never find out what else they need.
Surface answers
Surface questions get surface answers. You miss the business drivers, risks and priorities that shape the buying decision.
Smaller deals
You demo features and hope something sticks. Deals close smaller than they should, or go to the competitor who understood the customer better.
Proof in the first week
From "Only Show Me X" to the Biggest Deal in the Room
Rob Strawley, a Sales Engineer at Microsoft, started applying the Six Habits on live deals. Within 6 days he had:
- Uncovered 9 sales opportunities and requirements the customer hadn't mentioned
- Turned a customer who wanted to "only see x product" into one asking for a demo of the most expensive product
It didn't stop there. Covering a territory that wasn't even his, Rob landed the largest deal in California. Peers now call him the "Break Glass Guy" for their most complex deals, and his manager asked him to lead internal training on the method.
“
Product agnostic, unit agnostic, company agnostic. It doesn't matter what you sell or where, this process works.
Rob Strawley
Sales Engineer, Microsoft
What You'll Master: The Six Habits
The behaviors that separate technical experts from the SEs customers ask for by name. The same framework taught in Tech Sales Mastery workshops.
1
PARTNER
Sales is a team sport. Become the SE your AEs want on every deal: aligned, trusted and focused on the team's win.
2
PROBE
Technical discovery. Move past surface questions to the business drivers, risks and priorities that shape buying decisions.
3
PREPARE
Content vs. story. Design meetings and demos around the outcomes buyers care about, with the customer as the hero.
4
PRACTICE
Click every click. Make practice harder than game time, and give and take feedback that sticks.
5
PERFORM
Demo best practices. Present with clarity and presence, keep audiences engaged, and inspire decision makers to act.
6
PERFECT
Constant improvement. Debrief every engagement and turn real feedback into better results on the next one.
Self-Paced. Comprehensive. Supported.
Start any time. No cohorts, no waiting.
68 lessons, 8 modules
8+ hours of on-demand video from Chris White covering all six habits and how they show up in real deals.
Study guide and exam
A comprehensive study guide, then a certification exam that tests your ability to think, not memorize.
Monthly masterminds
Facilitated sessions with certified SEs to work through real situations, share challenges and stay accountable.
A credential you can share
A digital certificate that shows you understand, and can apply, modern technical selling behaviors.
Most SEs finish in 2–4 weeks at 2–4 hours a week. You have 12 months to complete it if work gets busy.
Enroll Now: $897Course Content
Want the specifics? Here is every module and lesson.
Course Introduction (6 lessons)
Habit #1 PARTNER (8 lessons)
Habit #2 PROBE (13 lessons)
Habit #3 PREPARE (8 lessons)
Habit #4 PRACTICE (6 lessons)
Habit #5 PERFORM (20 lessons)
Habit #6 PERFECT (4 lessons)
Certification Study Guide & Exam (5 items)
What Certified SEs and Presales Leaders Say
"The Six Habits Certification by Chris and Kerry Sokalsky at Tech Sales Mastery is an invaluable program that empowers sales engineers to grow holistically in our roles.
What truly sets this program apart is the outstanding community of certified sales engineers who come together to discuss current topics, share challenges, and collaborate on solutions.
The support, encouragement, and genuine care within this community are unparalleled. It's inspiring to connect with talented individuals dedicated not only to their own success but also to that of their peers. Together, we're creating an environment of continuous learning and growth, and I'm thrilled to be part of it!"
Kathryn Sizemore
Solutions Engineering Manager, MariaDB
"The pursuit of excellence should never cease, even when you're well-established and recognized in your craft. That's why, despite 25+ years of Presales experience, I invested my time and energy in the 6 Habits of Highly Effective Sales Engineers Certification program.
Time is the most valuable resource, and I dedicated mine to this incredible program because of the unique perspectives and techniques applicable to both Presales veterans and novices alike."
Ron Whitson
Senior Director, Solution Consulting, Thomson Reuters
Author of A Friendly Human in Presales
"I strongly recommend this program be made a foundational course, followed by certification in every technical presales organization. I am grateful for the time you invested in collecting feedback from me, discussing my initiatives and understanding how a program like this helps 8x8 maintain high standards in the SE organization. Please keep up the excellent work."
Ranjan Nayak
Director, North American Solutions Engineering, 8x8
"Proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks."
Sidharth Balaji
Presales Team Lead, HubSpot
A Global Community of Certified SEs
SEs from 90+ technology companies in 43 countries, including:
Most SEs Don't Pay for This Themselves
Many of our clients use professional development credits or an L&D allowance to cover the fee. If you're not sure whether you have access to those funds, ask your manager.
Need approval first? Download the one-page program overview to send to your manager.
It's the same Six Habits framework taught in our live workshops, self-paced and at a little over half the cost of a $1,500 workshop seat.
For Teams & Presales Leaders
Many organizations use Six Habits Certification as a shared foundation for how their SEs show up in real deals. Presales leaders use it to:
- Establish a consistent baseline of expectations across the team
- Shorten onboarding and ramp for new hires
- Reinforce coaching conversations with shared language
- Define what strong discovery, preparation and demo performance look like
Enrolling three or more SEs? Ask us about team pricing, or about pairing certification with a live workshop.
Ask About Team Pricing
Questions Before You Enroll?
Can my company pay for this?
I don't have much time. How long does it take?
Will this work for what I sell?
Is the exam hard?
Who should get certified?
Why certification?
How is this different from a Six Habits workshop?
Ready to Uncover More Opportunities?
Join 300+ certified SEs who stopped leaving deals on the table.
Enroll Now: $897Not Sure It's Right for You or Your Team?
Let's talk through your situation and see if it makes sense.
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