Copyright Forbes
If you work in marketing or communications for a B2B company, you’ve likely heard this refrain from colleagues in technical sales roles: “I’m not into marketing.” “I don’t have time to write.” “I don’t want to sound salesy.” They’re not trying to be difficult. They’re being honest. Sales engineers—those deeply technical, customer-facing experts who know your product inside out—often resist public-facing content, even when they hold the most valuable insights in the company. And that’s exactly why they should be part of your thought leadership efforts. Many organizations overlook these professionals in their pursuit of more polished, traditional sources of content. They default to executive ghostwriting or generic whitepapers. Meanwhile, the sales engineer is having real conversations with real customers about real problems every day. They are often the only ones who see the big picture—and all the messy details. What they don’t often see is how useful their knowledge is outside that 1:1 customer interaction. That’s where marketing and comms can play a pivotal role. To begin, it’s important to understand the mindset of the sales engineer. They are analytical and exacting, often skeptical of fluff. They are proud of their expertise but rarely seek the spotlight. They are trusted because they solve problems—not because they sell solutions. MORE FOR YOU In short, they are the opposite of what many people imagine when they think of a “thought leader.” But that’s the problem. In many B2B organizations, thought leadership has been framed as a marketing activity. It’s often tied to visibility metrics, brand positioning, or lead generation. That can feel miles away from the daily work of a sales engineer who is deep in the weeds of customer needs and system configurations. The Expertise Of The Sales Engineers Builds Credibility So if you want to engage your technical experts in thought leadership, the first step is to reframe what thought leadership is. It’s not marketing content. It’s not promotional copy. It’s not about amplifying your brand voice or pushing a product narrative. It’s about articulating a way of thinking—making the invisible visible. It’s about helping others see a problem or solution in a new way. And for the sales engineer, it’s simply an extension of what they already do best: explain, clarify, and solve. The real challenge isn’t coaxing content out of them. It’s creating the right environment where their knowledge feels safe to share, where it will be understood and respected, and where it can be shaped without being stripped of its substance. Pattern Recognition Is the Raw Material of Thought Leadership One of the most effective ways to do this is to show—not tell—how their insights can make a difference beyond the sales call. That might be turning a common customer misunderstanding into a short, practical explainer. It might mean unpacking a recurring problem they’ve solved for multiple clients and offering a new way to frame it. It might be as simple as walking with them through the story of a technical success and finding the insight that made the difference. Importantly, you can’t expect them to write. You need to listen, record, ask questions, and shape. You need to show them they don’t have to do it alone. Trusted Problem Solvers Like Sales Engineers Are Natural Thought Leaders Sales engineers often struggle with the fear of being “too salesy.” Ironically, they’re the least likely people to come across that way. When they speak plainly about what they’ve learned, what they’ve seen, and what they know works, it lands with credibility. That’s exactly what your prospective customers are looking for—real expertise, not marketing spin. But most sales engineers don’t know how to bridge that gap between what they know and what the market needs to hear. That’s your role as a communications professional: to help them translate. When this collaboration works well, everyone benefits. Your company gains content that’s rich with authenticity. Your customers engage with insights that reflect their reality. And your sales engineers gain something they didn’t know they needed—a voice in the market, and the recognition that comes with it. You don’t need dozens of sales engineers to participate. Start with one who’s curious, who’s willing to talk. Record a conversation and transcribe it. Use AI to pull out the signal from the noise. Show the sales engineer the finished piece. Let them see themselves in the story—and how their knowledge can lead. Thought leadership isn’t just about creating content. It’s about creating clarity and understanding. And your sales engineers are already doing that. They just need your help to bring it to light.
