The Strategic Heartbeat: Rethinking the Role of Sales Engineering in Cybersecurity GTM

In the high-stakes world of cybersecurity, translating technical innovation into customer value isn’t just about having a slick product or a persuasive sales pitch. Increasingly, it’s the nuanced, consultative art of sales engineering that’s driving impact—and making the difference between a closed deal and a missed opportunity.

Recently, on Security Revenue LIVE, Taylor Wells brought together two seasoned leaders—Tony Kelly and Justin Bauer—for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about why sales engineering lies at the heart of cyber GTM success, how the role is evolving, and what best practices teams should embrace now.

Why Sales Engineering is Critical to Cybersecurity Success

Both guests underscored a fundamental truth: in cybersecurity, it’s rarely enough to simply demo a product or recite a list of features. As Justin Bauer put it, the core value of a sales engineer (SE) is “clarification of message”—translating the nuanced and often overlapping technical capabilities of modern cyber solutions into concrete customer outcomes.

When so many products tout similar buzzwords—AI, ML, data protection—a true differentiator is the SE’s ability to step in and answer the “why does this matter for me” question on the customer’s terms. As Tony Kelly noted, it’s about being “consultative, not a walking encyclopedia”—seeking first to understand the customer’s needs and environments, and only then mapping out how the solution fits.

“Really the best sales engineers, they’ve been there, they’ve done that. They’re really consultants,” Tony Kelly explained. Their most prized skill? An insatiable curiosity about both technology and the business problems it solves. This perspective, he added, sets the best SEs apart from generic tech evangelists.

Staying Close to the Customer—At All Levels

The cybersecurity buyer’s world has changed dramatically over the past few decades, morphing from “air gap firewalls” to sprawling architectures with dozens of vendors and products. With complexity skyrocketing and technical debt mounting, there’s growing demand for cybersecurity partners who can see the forest and the trees.

Both guests emphasized that the best SEs are those who remain hands-on and up to date. “The number one thing SEs need to do is be hands on with the technology,” Tony Kelly advised. That means maintaining personal labs, shadowing customers, and staying curious about not just new acronyms, but the evolving business drivers behind tech investments.

But the learning extends beyond technical know-how. Justin Bauer pointed out the importance of “proactive participation” in industry groups like OWASP or ISACA, which provides perspective into broader market trends and peers’ struggles. This engagement also helps SEs bring back valuable stories from the field, reassuring customers that their challenges aren’t unique—and offering practical playbooks that have worked elsewhere.

The SE Organization: The Backbone of GTM

What happens in organizations that lack a robust SE function? According to Tony Kelly, it often means there’s nobody “connecting the dots” between what customers actually need and what the sales, marketing, or product teams are focused on. While everyone in go-to-market ideally should develop a consultative outlook, it’s the SE who regularly bridges the silos—advocating for customers and ensuring solutions are not just sold, but adopted and valued post-sale.

Reflecting on his tenure at Cisco, Tony Kelly shared that legendary CEO John Chambers would proclaim, “The backbone of every great company is sales. The backbone of every great sales organization is sales engineering.” In other words, a GTM team may have the flashiest marketers or the most aggressive sales reps—but without SEs, the execution falters.

Justin Bauer agreed, highlighting that modern SEs should extend far beyond the “technical translator” stereotype. “An SE role should be the customer advocate within your own organization,” he emphasized. They are the ones able to pressure-test messaging, guide the product roadmap, and even shape customer success and support.

Best Practices: Building a High-Impact SE Team

So, how do leading cybersecurity companies build and scale effective SE organizations? The conversation yielded several actionable best practices:

• Clarify Desired Outcomes First: Don’t jump straight to product capabilities or a technical proof-of-concept (POC). Instead, align with the customer on business outcomes and quantifiable objectives. This sets the stage for a value-driven engagement.

• Enable Repetition and Quality: LEarning from his experience, Tony Kelly stressed standardizing demo environments and POC templates so every SE can deliver consistent, impactful experiences.

• Qualify Ruthlessly: Given the resource-intensity of POCs, both guests suggested avoiding them when possible. Instead, use workshops or hands-on labs first to shrink the testing scope and qualify interest—reserving full-scale POCs for committed buyers.

• Invest in SE Development: Justin Bauer highlighted the importance of cross-training SEs in sales methodologies, ensuring they can partner seamlessly with reps and function as strategic advisors, not just demo experts.

The Future: SEs as True GTM Leaders

It’s clear: as the cybersecurity landscape becomes more competitive and more complex, the organizations that win will be those that put sales engineering at the heart of their GTM strategy—not just as technical support, but as architects of customer success.

If you’re building or scaling an SE team in cybersecurity, take this as your sign to double down. Build a culture of curiosity, advocacy, and cross-functional collaboration—and you’ll not only win deals, but truly help your customers thrive in an ever-changing threat environment.

Want to join these conversations live? Check out Security Revenue LIVE for real-time insights from practitioners shaping the future of cyber GTM.

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