The biggest misconception is viewing the channel SE as a reactive resource for complex questions. They provide the same strategic support as an internal SE and should be involved early and often, not just when a technical problem arises.
For a new channel sales engineer, success depends on building strong, foundational relationships. This requires actively ignoring the post-pandemic 'work from home' norm and getting face-to-face with partners, whether in an office, restaurant, or bar, to build trust and strategic alignment.
Partners often delay bringing in a sales engineer, believing they are only for late-stage technical hurdles. However, the SE's primary early-stage value is technical qualification, preventing wasted sales cycles on opportunities that are not a good technical fit from the outset.
Big box resellers often act as order takers, fulfilling what the end-user requests from a broad portfolio. In contrast, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are more decisive, curating a specific tech stack and wrapping their own services around it to create a cohesive solution for their clients.
As vendors embed SOC and MDR services—often at the request of large customers—they risk eroding the core value of their MSP partners. This trend could push MSPs to migrate towards vendors that don't offer competing services, just to preserve their own service revenue and expertise.