Sales Engineering (2026)

If you want to learn Sales Engineering (also called Solutions Engineering, Solutions Consulting, or PreSales), I’d focus on people who teach the actual craft: customer discovery, technical demos, storytelling, proof of concepts (POCs), and connecting technology to business value.

Here are the people and communities I’d start with, especially if you want practical advice rather than generic sales motivation. Top 25 Solutions Engineer Voices of 2026YouTube Channels

6 people to follow

1. John Care

Start here

Best for: Sales Engineering fundamentals

Learn how to run discovery, qualify opportunities, work with account executives, and navigate complex enterprise sales cycles. His book Mastering Technical Sales is a great foundation.

Website · LinkedIn

2. Peter Cohan

Best for: Delivering compelling demos

Learn to stop giving feature tours and instead demonstrate how your solution solves the customer's most important problem. This is one of the highest-value skills for an SE.

Great Demo! · LinkedIn

3. Chris White

Best for: Day-to-day SE skills

Follow his work on discovery, communication, demo delivery, and the habits that make a technical seller effective.

LinkedIn

4. James Kaikis

Best for: Career growth and the SE profession

Follow him to understand the broader PreSales industry, career progression, team structures, and what separates good SE organizations from great ones.

PreSales Collective · LinkedIn

5. Ramzi Marjaba

Best for: Practical career advice

Particularly useful for learning what the job actually looks like, how to work with AEs, how to handle customer conversations, and how to break into Sales Engineering.

We The Sales Engineers · LinkedIn

6. Saša Mitrović

Best for: Modern enterprise Presales

Look for practical lessons on technical evaluations, positioning against competitors, managing POCs, and tying technical proof to business outcomes.

Sales Engineering YouTube directory · LinkedIn

These recommendations are based on their focus areas and Sales Engineering educational resources. Top 25 Solutions Engineer Voices of 2026YouTube ChannelsBloggers

3 resources worth following alongside them

PreSales Collective

A professional community for learning from other SEs, hearing real-world stories, and exploring career development.

Join the community · PreSales Podcast

North American Association of Sales Engineers (NAASE)

Useful for educational resources, industry perspectives, professional development, and videos from experienced practitioners.

Website · YouTube directory

Diary of a Sales Engineer

Candid discussions about the job, career decisions, customer relationships, and how experienced practitioners approach real situations.

Find the channel and episodes

These resources offer a mix of structured education, practitioner experience, and community learning. PreSales Podcast by PreSales CollectiveYouTube ChannelsEvents

What I would learn first

Follow the people above, but organize your learning around these five skills:

1. Discovery: Ask questions that uncover customer pain, business impact, and decision criteria.
2. Demos: Show the solution through the customer's use case instead of listing features.
3. Technical validation: Learn how to run POCs, handle objections, and prove the solution works.
4. Business value: Explain why the solution matters in terms of time, cost, risk, or revenue.
5. Sales partnership: Learn how to collaborate with account executives and guide a buyer through a complex decision.

My suggested starting sequence is John Care → Peter Cohan → Ramzi Marjaba, alongside the PreSales Podcast.

Let me tailor the list to you

Learning Sales Engineering (also known as Solutions Engineering or PreSales) requires a mix of technical acumen, business sense, and exceptional communication skills. To learn from the best in the industry, you should follow key thought leaders, creators, communities, and podcasts.

1. Top Authors & Methodology Experts

If you want to master the foundational frameworks of discovery, technical presentations, and demoing, start here:

• John Care: Managing Director of Mastering Technical Sales. He is the author of the industry-standard book Mastering Technical Sales , which is widely considered the mandatory "bible" for every new and seasoned SE. Top 25 Solutions Engineer Voices of 2026 - PreSales Pulse

• Peter Cohan: Founder of Great Demo! Peter is the premier authority on changing how technical demos are structured (flipping traditional demos to focus on customer-centric "doing the last thing first" methodologies). Top 25 Solutions Engineer Voices of 2026 - PreSales Pulse

• Chris White: Founder of Demo Doctor and author of The Six Habits of Highly Effective Sales Engineers. His content focuses heavily on practical execution, storytelling, and mastering the human side of technical sales.

2. Communities & Industry Hubs

Joining a professional community is the fastest way to learn real-world tactics, find mentorship, and land a role:

• PreSales Collective (PSC): Co-founded by James Kaikis , this is the largest global community for PreSales professionals (with over 15,000+ members). They offer structured learning programs, local chapters, slack channels, and mentorship cohorts.

• SE Nation / NAASE (North American Association of Sales Engineers): Great alternative networks that offer continuous enablement, resources, and career progression tools specifically for technical sellers.

3. Essential Podcasts & Creators

To absorb daily insights while commuting or working, tune into these creators:

• Ramzi Marjaba (We The Sales Engineers): Ramzi runs a prominent podcast and LinkedIn presence dedicated entirely to breaking down the realities of being an SE. He interviews practitioners, covers soft skills, salary negotiations, and day-to-day challenges.

• The PreSales Podcast (by PreSales Collective): Hosted by various leaders within the PSC ecosystem, this covers everything from breaking into the field to scaling enterprise solution engineering teams.

Are you currently trying to break into Sales Engineering from a technical/engineering background, or are you an existing SE looking to level up your enterprise closing skills?

Learning Sales Engineering (also known as Pre-Sales or Solutions Engineering) requires a mix of deep technical acumen, discovery skills, and demo storytelling.

The top experts, authors, and community builders specializing specifically in Sales Engineering include:

Essential Thought Leaders & Authors

• • John Care : Co-author of Mastering Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer's Handbook , widely considered the definitive bible of the profession. Following him on LinkedIn provides decades of pragmatic advice on managing technical sales cycles and structuring pre-sales organizations. John Care - Up 2 Speed - LinkedIn10 Sales Engineering Experts You Should Be Following on

• Ramzi Marjaba: Founder of the We the Sales Engineers Podcast and Community, recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Sales Engineering. His content focuses heavily on career growth, handling difficult customer scenarios, and day-to-day SE mechanics. Top 25 Solutions Engineer Voices of 2026

• Chris White : Founder of Tech Sales Mastery and author of The Six Habits of Highly Effective Sales Engineers. He is fantastic for learning soft skills, discovery frameworks, and how to deliver impactful software demos. Chris White - Tech Sales Mastery | LinkedIn

• Don Carmichael: Founder of the PreSales Leaders Forum and co-host of Two PreSales in a Pod. He focuses deeply on buyer enablement, value discovery, and professional development for technical sellers. [presalespulse.com]

• Patrick Pissang : Co-author of The Social Sales Engineer and a prominent voice on building a personal brand and presence as a technical seller in the tech industry.

Communities & Podcasts to Follow

• • We the Sales Engineers Podcast: An interview-driven archive covering everything from transitioning into the role to advanced discovery techniques.

• PreSales Collective: Though broader than a single individual, following the organization and its leadership on LinkedIn gives you access to a massive global community, mentorship programs, and tactical webinars for SEs.

Are you looking to break into Sales Engineering from a technical background, or are you an experienced SE looking to level up into leadership or complex enterprise deals? Let me know so I can point you toward the most relevant resources.

Follow John Care for practical Sales Engineering training and the Mastering Technical Sales blog, and explore the National Association of Sales Engineers’ YouTube directory for videos from experienced practitioners.(wethesalesengineers.com)(sales-engineering.org)

If you want to learn Sales Engineering, follow thought leaders who specialize in _pre-sales, solutions engineering, and demo methodology_** - not just general sales. The most influential voices today include John Care, Peter Cohan, Chris White, and James Kaikis.**

🔑 Key Sales Engineering Voices to Follow

📚 Why These Voices Matter

• Sales Engineering is different from traditional sales. SEs bridge technical expertise with customer-facing communication. Following general sales leaders (like Jeb Blount or Anthony Iannarino) is useful for persuasion and strategy, but SE-specific voices teach demo delivery, discovery frameworks, and technical storytelling.25 Sales Leaders in 2026 | The Industry Leaders25 Sales Leaders Shaping the Profession in 2026

• Community-driven learning is essential. Groups like PreSales Collective and podcasts such as We the Sales Engineers provide peer-to-peer insights and networking opportunities.Top 25 Solutions Engineer Voices of 2026 - PreSales Pulse

⚠️ Risks & Considerations

• Don’t rely only on generic sales influencers. While they provide valuable mindset and negotiation tactics, they often lack the technical depth SEs need.

• Beware of outdated methodologies. Some older sales frameworks don’t account for modern buyer behavior (self-educated, digital-first). Stick with leaders actively publishing and engaging in 2025–2026.

• Balance theory with practice. Reading books and following LinkedIn posts is helpful, but the real skill comes from practicing demos, discovery calls, and technical storytelling.

✅ Next Steps

1. Follow John Care, Peter Cohan, Chris White, and James Kaikis on LinkedIn.

2. Join PreSales Collective for community discussions and events.

3. Listen to podcasts like Sales Gravy (general sales) and We the Sales Engineers (SE-specific).

4. Read foundational books: Mastering Technical Sales, Great Demo!, and The Six Habits of Highly Effective Sales Engineers.

👉 Would you like me to curate a step-by-step learning path (books, podcasts, communities, and certifications) to help you go from beginner to advanced in Sales Engineering?