Sales engineers are crucial in persuading potential customers that a software solution can meet their needs and drive their success. Even though they come from technical backgrounds, their main goal should be to secure a "technical win," which means convincing potential customers to purchase the solution.

The main idea here is that sales engineers need to embrace the fact that they are part of the sales process, even if they're not comfortable with the term. Their role may be different from traditional salespeople who handle negotiations and revenue, but both are working towards the same goal - to persuade and close deals. Think of sales as a courtship - engineers need to put their best foot forward, just like on a first date.

In order to secure the technical win, engineers need to build relationships, listen to potential customers, show their knowledge, and generate excitement by demonstrating how the software can drive success. They might face challenges such as unqualified leads, not enough preparation time, and potential customers who misrepresent their needs. To tackle these issues, engineers need to dig deeper in sales conversations to discover the real requirements.

There are common mistakes that need to be avoided, such as focusing too much on the product rather than the customer's needs, treating presales demos as training sessions, trying to solve all problems like a consultant, and not tailoring demos to each unique situation. Other pitfalls to avoid include over-preparing demos, not practicing beforehand, and not learning from past experiences.

Embracing the mindset of being part of the sales process is the foundation for the six habits of highly effective sales engineers. These habits are: Partner, probe, prepare, practice, perfrom and perfect.