Blog
Notes:
In episode 330 of the We the SEs podcast, host Ramzi Marjaba sits down with Malcolm Murphy, Former Sales Engineering Director at Mimecast, to explore the challenges of his career path and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Malcolm shares how he transitioned from being a buyer of technology to a Sales Engineer, why he initially resisted management, and how failure ultimately shaped him into a stronger leader.
The conversation dives into the parallels between managing support teams and leading SE teams, the challenges of moving from SE manager to Director, and why gaining quota-carrying experience was pivotal for Malcolm’s growth. They also discuss the importance of SEs understanding sales, asking better discovery questions, and owning business outcomes — not just technical solutions.
Whether you’re an SE considering management, a leader looking to motivate your team, or someone curious about the intersection of sales and technical expertise, this episode is packed with insights on resilience, leadership, and continuous improvement.
Key Takeaways:
- Malcolm’s journey from ISP operations to Sun Microsystems SE and eventually to SE Director
- Why he initially avoided management and how he was “voluntold” into leadership
- Lessons learned from failing to securing a director role the first time
- The importance of quota-carrying experience for leadership credibility
- Comparing support management and SE management — similarities and key differences
- The evolving role of an SE Director and enabling your team for success
- Why SEs must understand business outcomes, budgets, and ROI discussions
- Tips for SEs to ask better questions and go beyond technical answers
- The impact of understanding “the question behind the question”
- How failure, setbacks, and discomfort drive growth
Quotes:
“Excellence is a choice. Figure out how to get a little bit better next week than you were last week.” – Malcolm Murphy
“There’s no point designing a Rolls-Royce solution if the customer has a BMW budget.” – Malcolm Murphy
“Failure and the steps I took in reaction to that failure make me a better leader today than I would otherwise have been.” – Malcolm Murphy
“Salespeople do way more than open the meeting, buy lunch, and issue the quote. Great sellers are doing an awful lot of work that Sales Engineers don’t see.” – Malcolm Murphy
“ I know a lot of salespeople talk about ROI. No one believes them.” – Ramzi Marjaba
“ If you understand the business value, now you can have a higher-level conversation and you don’t necessarily have to fight on price.” Ramzi Marjaba
