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In this episode of Pre Sales Unplugged: The Leadership Playbook, Arvi Carkanji (Founder of Elite Talent) sits down with Chris Mabry, Vice President of Solutions and Partnerships, to break down what actually separates a good Sales Engineer from an A Player Sales Engineer, and what modern pre sales leadership really looks like inside B2B SaaS.

Chris Mabry shares his path from network engineer to solutions engineering leadership, plus the practical frameworks he uses to scale SE teams, build cross functional influence across Product, Marketing, and Sales, and create trust with Account Executives at the deal level. If you lead pre sales, want to become a Sales Engineering Manager, or you are a Solutions Engineer trying to stand out in a crowded market, this episode is built for you.

You will learn:

• Why sales is a process (not a personality trait), and how SEs can master discovery, qualification, objections, and value
• The “solve a boring problem” strategy that gets you noticed and fast tracks leadership opportunities
• How elite SE leaders run cross functional councils to improve GTM execution and give their team real influence
• The real signals of “hunger” in hiring, and why spray and pray job applications are losing
• Why building a warm bench of talent beats reactive hiring when capacity breaks
• How AI is changing demos, personalization, and buyer expectations, plus what SEs must learn now to stay competitive

Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.

We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.

They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.

We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.

If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos.

Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/

Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/

All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

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Join me and Ramzi Marjaba, Consultant, Solution Engineer Coach for a live conversation focused on what it really takes to be a high-performing Sales Engineer.

We’ll talk through:

→ What helps teams operate as one and avoid silos
→ How strong Pre-Sales and AE collaboration really works
→ What separates good Sales Engineers from true A-players
→ What an effective interview process looks like when hiring for long-term fit

This session is designed for leaders who are building, scaling, or evolving Pre-Sales and Post-Sales teams and want practical insight from someone who’s done it.

Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.

We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.

They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.

We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.

If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos.

Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/

Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/

All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

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In this solo episode, Arvi Carkanji breaks down the real version of mindset toughness that shows up in SaaS when the pipeline is messy, deals go dark, and you still have to perform even when your brain is not cooperating.

You will hear a personal story from the trenches of SaaS recruiting where rejection is daily, plus the exact principles top performers use to stay consistent when motivation disappears.

What we cover:
• What mental toughness actually is and why SaaS punishes inconsistency
• Why most people do not have a motivation problem, they have a discomfort problem
• The identity shift that stops you from running on mood
• The “do the hard thing first” rule that builds a real mental edge
• How to reframe discomfort as training instead of a stop sign
• Real examples for sales, sales engineering, and founders
• Book recommendations that actually shaped these principles
• A simple 7 day toughness challenge you can start today

If you have been starting strong and fading out, this episode is your reset.

ABOUT ELITE TALENT
Elite Talent helps SaaS companies hire top-tier PreSales and PostSales professionals: Sales Engineers, Solutions Architects, Customer Success leaders, and more.
We partner with fast-growing startups and established SaaS organizations to build high-impact teams that drive revenue and customer success.
Want to learn more about us?

Click here: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

Website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/

Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.

We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.

They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.

We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.

If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos.

Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/

Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/

All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting