The Sales Engineer of 2026
New Data from 200 B2B Sales Reps

The Sales Engineer of 2026

From Demo Specialist to Strategic Force Multiplier

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The Three-Body Problem Breaking B2B Sales

Modern B2B sellers have more AI firepower than ever. One tool researches accounts. Another sequences emails. A third prepares roleplay scenarios. Six different tools just to book and run a single meeting.

By the time that meeting starts, your prospect is already 90% through their own AI-accelerated buying journey. They're ready to see your solution in action.

And this is where the modern sales motion collapses.

0%
of AEs rate SEs as extremely valuable
0%
rely MORE on SEs today than one year ago
0%
say solutions became more technically complex
0%
had deals delayed waiting for SE resources

It's Not About Demos Anymore

When we asked 200 AEs about the primary role of a Sales Engineer, demos ranked fifth. Here's what actually matters:

Technical Discovery69%
69%
Solution Design65%
65%
Leading POCs47%
47%
Handling Technical Objections41%
41%
Delivering Demos36%
36%

The Shift: From Doer to Force Multiplier

❌ Tactical Work (Automate)
  • Demo environment setup
  • Standardized product walkthroughs
  • Knowledge retrieval
  • POC template creation
  • Basic follow-up docs
✓ Strategic Work (Focus)
  • Deep technical discovery
  • Custom solution architecture
  • Executive differentiation
  • POC success strategy
  • Enablement for self-sufficiency

Leaders Already Making This Shift

Jennifer Jones
VP of Solution Experience, Dayforce
"AI has the potential to shrink pre-planning time, which will allow us to increase the proportion of time we spend in front of prospective customers...in discovery...in solution presentations."

Dayforce isn't trying to trade people for tools. They're using AI to scale technical impact without scaling headcount.

Christian Eberle
VP of AI Solutions, Gladly
"It's really hard to justify soft savings. If you're adding a tool that saves time but not replacing multiple tools at once, you've got to be really sure it delivers tangible value."

Gladly found tangible value in automating sales-to-implementation handoff and surfacing deal insights—real, auditable ROI.

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Your 5-Step Roadmap

Audit How Your SEs Spend Time

Track your team for two weeks. If more than 30% goes to repeatable tasks—you have a massive automation opportunity.

Invest in the Right Stack

AI-searchable knowledge base, real-time product telemetry, and automated demo environments are table stakes.

Redefine KPIs

Move from activity metrics to outcome metrics: POC success rate, time-to-POC, win rate on strategic deals.

Pair AI and SE Playbooks

Codify exactly how AI feeds SEs so they arrive ready to do only what humans do best.

Measure and Prove ROI

Track deals delayed, time allocation, and SE-influenced outcomes. Build your case with data.

See the Future in Action

Discover how forward-thinking SE leaders are already transforming their teams

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