From Novice to Expert: Presales Career Paths with Kalyan Ramkumar

In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James talk with Kalyan Ramkumar about his journey from novice to expert in the presales field. Kalyan shares his experience starting as an SDR at RSA Security with no technical background and how he worked his way up to become a skilled solutions engineer. He discusses the importance of domain knowledge in security, his framework for effective demos, and strategies for managing POCs and building your internal brand.

To join the show live, follow the Presales Collective's LinkedIn page or join the PSC Slack community for updates. The show is bi-weekly on Tuesdays, 8AM PT/11AM ET/4PM GMT.

Follow the Hosts

• Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/
• Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/
• Connect with Kalyan Ramkumar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalyan-ramkumar-679927151/

Links and Resources Mentioned

• Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack
• Presales Collective Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/presalescollective
• Presales Collective newsletter: https://www.presalescollective.com/newsletter
• CompTIA Security+ Certification: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security
• CompTIA Network+ Certification: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/network

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

03:15 Kal’s Background

10:12 First Ever Demo

14:10 When did you know you’re an SC

19:40 The Four Do's of Demos

23:35 Challenging the challenger

27:02 Building your personal brand

29:35 POC strategies 

Key Topics Covered

1. Breaking into Presales
   • Starting as an SDR and transitioning to SE
   • Getting hired without technical background
   • Importance of work ethic and eagerness to learn
2. Building Domain Expertise
   • Value of security certifications (Security+ and Network+)
   • Moving from scripted to fluid demos
   • Building trust with technical customers
3. Demo Framework: The Four Do's
   • Conducting your own discovery
   • Framing every click and feature
   • Evaluating specific customer KPIs
   • Challenging difficult stakeholders
4. POC and Success Strategies
   • Customizing POC length to customer needs
   • Collaborating with account executives
   • Building internal relationships
   • Creating workshop sequences for implementation