

Presales Podcast by Presales Collective
Jack Cochran
Presales Podcast by Presales Collective is a podcast dedicated to growing the Solution Consulting community. We aim to provide presales professionals with the resources, knowledge, network, and mentorship to develop long, impactful careers.
On the Presales Podcast, you'll hear from global presales leaders, top individual contributors, industry experts, enablement professionals, and entrepreneurs who have developed products for our profession.
On the Presales Podcast, you'll hear from global presales leaders, top individual contributors, industry experts, enablement professionals, and entrepreneurs who have developed products for our profession.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 22, 2025 • 33min
Charting Your Presales Career Path with Miriam Graf
 Miriam Graf, a presales veteran with over 30 years of experience, offers wisdom on navigating the presales career landscape. She emphasizes the importance of communicating your career ambitions and shares insights on transitioning from individual contributor to leader. Miriam also highlights alternative career paths beyond management and underscores the significance of continuous learning and industry knowledge. Her advice on becoming visible by taking initiative is both inspiring and practical for anyone looking to advance their career. 

Oct 7, 2025 • 31min
From Overloaded to Optimized: Concierge Services and Deal Desks with Rob Bruce
 In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Rob Bruce, a presales leader at Syndigo with 20 years of experience, to discuss an innovative approach to presales operations: the Pursuit Desk. Rob shares how Syndigo has built a dedicated "concierge team" that handles RFPs, security questionnaires, reference coordination, and other time-consuming tasks, freeing solutions engineers to focus on discovery, solutioning, and building customer relationships. The conversation explores how to operate at the "top of your license," the role of AI in scaling pursuit operations, and practical advice for championing similar initiatives at your organization. Thank you to Elvance for sponsoring this episode: https://elvance.io Follow Us   Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/   Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/   Connect with Rob Bruce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbruce/   Links and Resources Mentioned   Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack   Book: "Selling is Hard, Buying is Harder" by Garen Hess   Timestamps 00:00 Welcome 04:29 What is a Presales Concierge 11:18 Presales culture 14:00 Working at the top of your diploma 17:10 How do you justify this 21:38 As focused as an F1 team 23:32 AI and the Pursuit Desk Key Topics Covered   The Pursuit Desk Concept   Functions as a presales concierge handling non-customer-facing tasks   Manages RFPs, InfoSec documents, NDAs, reference coordination   Creates centralized control over messaging and responses   Operates on a global scale with cultural sensitivity     Operating at the Top of Your License   Focus on discovery, creative thinking, empathetic listening, and presenting solutions   Eliminate time spent on administrative tasks that don't require SE expertise   Reduce context switching and multitasking to maintain flow   Maximize value delivery to customers and the organization     Building the Business Case   Find an executive sponsor to champion the initiative   Measure impact through deal win rates and velocity   Consider creative budget reallocation (travel budgets, etc.)   Calculate ROI based on SE productivity and reduced burnout     The Role of AI in Pursuit Operations   AI handles first-pass RFP responses (80% completion)   Pursuit desk personalizes and adds empathy (final 20%)   Machine learning analyzes past deals for pattern recognition   Go/no-go scorecards based on historical data   Enables scaling without proportional headcount increases     Presales Culture and Values   Building trust through technical expertise and genuine personality   Being a "chameleon" who adapts to different buyer needs   Creating an environment where people feel welcomed and valued   Mentorship and knowledge sharing across teams     Preventing Burnout   Eliminating nights and weekends spent on RFPs   Reducing stress through better task distribution   Enabling SEs to focus on work they're passionate about   Creating sustainable workloads that retain top talent     Measuring Success   Tracking time spent on each RFP or pursuit activity   Correlating effort to win-loss rates   Building audit trails for continuous improvement   Creating dashboards for data-driven decision making       

8 snips
Sep 25, 2025 • 36min
Presales and Sales Working Together SEAMlessly with Art Fromm
 In this discussion, Art Fromm, a sales enablement expert with over 25 years of experience, shares key insights on bridging the gap between presales and sales teams. He highlights the significant 37% performance gap when these teams are misaligned and emphasizes the importance of discovery over rushing into demos. Art advocates for a shift towards creating value perceptions rather than merely showcasing features. He also stresses empathy and understanding each role's drivers to foster stronger partnerships that enhance client success. 

Sep 15, 2025 • 32min
Breaking Barriers: How WISE is Transforming Women's Careers in Presales with Wendy McHenry
 In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Wendy McHenry, Chair of WISE (Women in Solutions Excellence) at Presales Collective and Former Head of Global Solutions Engineering at CDATA, to discuss the critical need for supporting women in presales careers. They explore the challenges women face in a field where only 18% of solutions professionals are women, discuss unconscious bias in hiring and workplace environments, and highlight how WISE is creating support networks and career development opportunities to advance equity in the solutions field. To join the show live, follow the Presales Collective's LinkedIn page or join the PSC Slack community for updates. This episode is sponsored by Elvance. More information at https://elvance.io/  On the Show Today   Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/   Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/   Connect with Wendy McHenry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendymac98/    Links and Resources Mentioned   Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack   WISE Chapter Information: https://www.presalescollective.com/wise    Presales Collective LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/presalescollective    Timestamps 00:00 Welcome 04:51 Why WISE? 09:12 Being a woman in sales today 12:57 You're not technical enough 16:16 Women leaving the profession 20:33 How is WISE helping? 27:55 What's happening next? Key Topics Covered   The Current State of Women in Presales   Only 18% of solutions professionals globally are women   Many women are the only woman on their SE team   Higher attrition rates during layoffs disproportionately impact women     Unconscious Bias and Workplace Challenges   "Not technical enough" bias applied differently to women   Interview panels dominated by men   Social environments that may exclude women   The importance of calling out bias when witnessed     WISE Mission and Structure   Started as an ERG at Salesforce, now part of Presales Collective   Open to anyone who cares about supporting women in solutions careers   Regional chapters like Women in Solutions Consulting Australia/New Zealand   Company-specific chapters at organizations like Salesforce and Pegasystems     Creating Change and Allyship   How to be an effective ally in supporting women's careers   Starting WISE chapters at your company (or expanding to broader sales/tech groups)   The importance of diverse account teams and client representation   Free career coaching and mentorship available through WISE council     

10 snips
Sep 2, 2025 • 39min
Tailoring AI for Growth: What Startups and Enterprises Should Do Differently with Akash Ganapathy
 Akash Ganapathy, CEO of Opine and a two-time AI startup founder, joins the conversation to explore the nuanced differences in AI strategies for startups versus enterprises. He debunks the myth that AI will replace sales engineers, highlighting the irreplaceable role of human relationships in selling. The discussion also emphasizes the importance of tailored AI deployment, with startups benefiting from generalist approaches while enterprises need specialized strategies. Insights on leveraging existing knowledge bases and future predictions for AI in the presales landscape are also shared. 

16 snips
Aug 11, 2025 • 39min
Scaling Presales Teams without Burning Out Your Best People with Ben Hills
 Ben Hills, Founder and CEO of Iris, shares insights on effectively scaling presales teams while prioritizing employee well-being. He discusses the fine line between sustainable high performance and burnout, emphasizing the need for clear leadership and alignment with larger goals. Hills highlights the transformative role of AI in automating tasks like RFPs, allowing teams to enhance productivity without sacrificing quality. He also explores common scaling mistakes and emphasizes creating a motivated, purpose-driven work environment. 

53 snips
Jul 28, 2025 • 37min
How to Speak So Senior Leaders Listen with Ben Pearce
 Ben Pearce, founder of Elevated You, specializes in helping tech professionals communicate effectively with non-technical audiences. He discusses the vital differences in speaking to C-suite leaders compared to technical stakeholders. Ben emphasizes the need to focus on the 'what' and 'why' instead of just technical jargon. He shares strategies for impactful presentations, highlighting preparation, relevance, and the importance of human skills in fostering trust with senior leaders. Mastering delivery under pressure also takes center stage in this engaging discussion. 

25 snips
Jun 16, 2025 • 29min
How Demo Automation and AI Are Transforming Presales with Nalin Senthamil
 Nalin Senthamil, Founder and CEO of Storylane, discusses how demo automation is reshaping the pre-sales landscape. He shares insights on the rise of self-service buyer experiences and how AI is set to revolutionize roles for solutions engineers. Nalin highlights the potential for AI to create a tenfold impact on pre-sales workflows and the importance of quality data. He also addresses the changing dynamics of discovery calls and the transformative potential of tailored customer engagement through automated demos. 

Jun 2, 2025 • 35min
Insights from an SE-Leader-Turned-Recruiter: Why Classic Job Hunting is Dead
 Raphael Joseph, a former SE turned recruiter and founder of Brando Tech, shares insights on the evolving job market. He discusses why traditional job hunting methods are obsolete and advocates treating oneself as a product. Raphael emphasizes the importance of personal branding and a strong LinkedIn presence to attract recruiters. He also highlights strategic approaches to job searching in the age of AI, urging candidates to effectively communicate their unique value to navigate the competitive landscape. 

23 snips
May 19, 2025 • 35min
Insights from an SE-Leader-Turned-Recruiter: Personal Branding for SEs with Raphael Joseph
 Raphael Joseph, an SE-Leader-Turned-Recruiter, delves into the essence of personal branding for PreSales professionals. He emphasizes the importance of a strong LinkedIn profile, especially in today's competitive job market. Raphael shares practical tips for crafting a standout online presence, the significance of specialized skills, and strategies for effective engagement. He also tackles the common hesitations about posting, illustrating how authenticity can enhance visibility and attract hiring managers. 


