I Don't Know - And That's the Right Answer [30]

Speaker A: Hey there and welcome to Leading Presales, the show for solution engineering leaders who want to build teams that drive revenue and not just demos. My name is Tim and I'm the co founder of SE Rockstars. And together with Jan, we've coached over 350 solution engineers and their leaders across several dozens of companies. Every conversation you hear on this show is based on real coaching situations, real challenges, real problems that SE leaders like you are dealing with right now. None of this is made up. We use AI to bring these stories to life through our, uh, two hosts, Nate and Eva. But the insights come straight from the trenches. Each episode gives you one actionable takeaway you can apply immediately whether you're already leading a team or working your way into that role. Alright, let's get into it.

Speaker B: I sat in on an interview last month that one of my SE managers was running strong candidate. Seven years of pre sales, solid references. Forty minutes in, my manager asks a technical question about our API rate limiting architecture. And the candidate, without missing a beat, gives this elaborate, confident answer. Completely wrong. Not even close.

Speaker C: And he didn't flinch.

Speaker B: Not a bit. Delivered it like he was reading from documentation. My manager looked at me. I looked at her.

Speaker C: We both knew that the answer was wrong.

Speaker B: That he was wrong for our team. Because that moment told us everything about how he'd behave in front of a customer. When a prospect asks a hard question and you don't know the answer, you bluff. That's how you lose trust in seconds.

Speaker C: Welcome to Leading Presales. I'm Ava.

Speaker B: And I'm Nate. This is part two of our series on hiring the Right se. Last episode we talked about why most SE hiring is broken today. The two signals that tell you more than any resume line ever will. Coachability and self awareness.

Speaker C: Okay, so the bluffer is a red flag. What's the green flag version of that moment?

Speaker B: I don't know. But here's what I'd do to find out and I'll get back to you by tomorrow. That sentence in an interview in a customer meeting anywhere tells me this person is honest, resourceful, and respects me enough not to waste my time with a guess.

Speaker C: I've started planting a question like that in my interviews. Something technical enough that the candidate probably won't know. Not a trick question, a genuine one from our product space. And I watch the best candidates say, I'm not sure, but let me think through it. And then they reason out loud. The worst ones either bluff or shut down.

Speaker B: Reasoning out loud is huge. That's the actual job in A customer meeting. You're constantly processing new information in real time. I don't need someone who has every answer memorized. I need someone who can work through a problem without panicking.

Speaker C: Let's talk about the other signal, coachability. Because I think it's harder to test for than people assume.

Speaker B: What's your approach?

Speaker C: I ask. What's the hardest feedback you've ever received? Then I shut up. The answer matters. But what matters more is the texture. Does the candidate name something real, describe how it felt, not just what they did about it? Or do they give me the humble brag? My manager told me I work too hard. That's not feedback. That's a performance.

Speaker B: The emotional honesty is the tell. If someone can say that. Feedback stung. And I was defensive at first, but eventually I realized they were right. That person has actually processed it. They didn't just memorize a good interview story.

Speaker C: And here's why this matters so much for ses. Specifically, the SE role changes faster than almost any other role in tech. New products, new competitors, new buyer expectations. An SE who can't absorb feedback and adapt is going to be great for exactly one product cycle. Then they're stuck.

Speaker B: I'd, uh, sharpen that at my scale. When one of my SE managers identifies a coaching gap, they need to close it fast. If the SE pushes back on every piece of feedback, the manager burns cycles, fighting instead of developing. Multiply that across a team of 20 and you've got a manager spending half their time managing resistance instead of building capability.

Speaker C: So coachability isn't just a nice to have personality trait. It's an operational efficiency issue.

Speaker B: It is. And there's a flip side. Nobody talks over coachability. The candidate who agrees with everything changes their answer the moment you push back has no spine. That person will crumble in a competitive deal when the customer challenges them.

Speaker C: So you want someone who can take feedback without abandoning their own judgment.

Speaker B: The sweet spot is someone who listens, integrates what's useful, and pushes back when they genuinely disagree. Confidence and humility in the same person? Rare. And when you find it in an interview, pay attention.

Speaker C: I test for that. Now, after the role play, I give feedback. That's a deliberate mix. One valid note and one that's a matter of style, not substance. If the candidate takes both without question. People pleaser. If they push back on the style note and explain why, that's the signal I want.

Speaker B: Smart. You're testing whether they can distinguish between real feedback and noise. That is the job.

Speaker C: What's the move?

Speaker B: Add two moments to your next SE interview. First, ask a question they probably can't answer, bluff, shutdown, or honest reasoning. Second, give real feedback on a roleplay. Do they integrate, debate or deflect? Those two moments tell you more about a person's ceiling than anything on their

Speaker C: LinkedIn Part 2 of, uh, 4 the Learner Beats the Knower. I'm Eva.

Speaker B: And I'm Nate. See you next episode.

Speaker A: Thanks for listening to leading presales. If you've got a question, a topic you'd like us to cover, or you just want to connect, reach out to me@timrockstars um.com and can you? And if what you heard today hit home and you want to talk about how to develop your SE team, feel free to book a discovery call@serockstars.com no strings attached. The link is, of course, also in the show Notes until next time, and keep leading from the front.