Attributes of a Great SE: Part 1
Focus: Why Being a Great SE Isn’t About “Thoroughness”
When I first started as an SE, I thought I was a genius. I built this massive spreadsheet to use during discovery. It didn’t just list every possible question I’d need to ask—it had built-in logic to recommend a demo agenda and even propose the ideal amount of time for each section. My plan was foolproof: capture all the data, follow the process, and boom—perfect solution, perfect demo. What could possibly go wrong?
Then I tried it.
After the meeting, the sales rep called me. “Were you reading off a list of questions?” he asked, in that tone of voice that means they already know the answer. I admitted that, yes, I had been. “It sounded mechanical,” he said. “Just have a conversation with them next time.”
I’d been so busy trying to be thorough that I forgot to actually talk to the prospect like a human being. Lesson learned: Nobody wants a talking spreadsheet. I only wish I had called the sales rep to tell him about my brilliant idea before the discovery.
Focus Is the Real Superpower
It’s easy to think that thoroughness is the key to being a great SE. You’ve got your trusty spreadsheet, you ask all the questions, and by the end, you’ve built this impressive mountain of data. But if your discovery feels like an interrogation, you’re already losing. No one cares how thorough you are if they’re mentally checking out halfway through your meeting. And you probably just lost all the credibility you had with them.
The better approach? Focus.
Focus means knowing how to start high-level, get a feel for the business, and figure out what actually matters. Not everything deserves a deep dive. You’re looking for the key areas—the real pain points, the bottlenecks, the priorities. Once you’ve identified those, that’s where you dig in. Everything else is just noise.
It’s Not Just About the Business—It’s About the People
Here’s a part that’s easy for an SE miss: being focused also means paying attention to the people in the room. Who’s the decision-maker? Who’s the one asking the tough questions? Who’s doodling in their notebook and clearly over it? It’s easy to say, “ahh, that’s the sales rep’s job.” But a focused SE knows picking up on these pieces will shape both the demo and the solution dramatically.
This also applies to your relationship with the sales rep. A focused SE knows their rep’s strengths. If your rep is great at weaving a story, give them some room to do that. If they’re all about technology, you invite them to share the things that excite them. It’s about making the whole process feel seamless, and making their job as easy as possible.
Focus in the Demo: Less Really Is More
Here’s where focus pays off. A focused SE doesn’t try to cram every feature, workflow, and button into the demo. They’ve already done the work in discovery, so they know what matters. They show only that.
Ironically, being focused makes your demo feel simpler. The prospect doesn’t need to see everything—just the parts that solve their problems. And because you understand the people involved, you can tailor the presentation to them. The CFO gets the numbers. The operations lead gets the workflows. Everyone gets what they care about, and nobody gets bored.
Wrapping It Up
Back when I was trying to win deals with my spreadsheet, I thought thoroughness was the answer. Capture everything, ask every question, and success would follow. But it turns out, the opposite is true. Focus beats thoroughness every time. It’s not about knowing everything—it’s about knowing what matters.
So, ditch the spreadsheet. Trust me, there’s a better way. And if you can’t, I’ll save you a seat in my next spreadsheet support group meeting.
