Presales Podcast by Presales Collective

On the PreSales Podcast, Mattie Stremic and Akanksha Sehgal connect on "Building a Solutions Academy." Akanksha, Director of Global Solution Engineering at VMware, discusses the importance of entry-level or academy programs and provides tactical advice on how to build an academy program. Learn More about PreSales Academy: www.presalesacademy.com 

Jamal Reimer, an expert in closing eight-figure deals, shares insights on the complexities of navigating big organizations and the importance of teamwork in sealing massive deals. He emphasizes engaging with high-level executives, establishing credibility, and leveraging value engineering to succeed in enterprise sales.

On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Paul Harris connect on "The Intriguing Similarities between Professional Athletes and Solutions Professionals." Paul, Principal Solution Architect at Loftware & PreSales Collective Ambassador, talks about how PreSales onboarding and development should be treated like top athletes. Paul discusses that development is a two-way street between player and coach, with a focus on continuous development and seeking the extra margin. 

On the PreSales Podcast, Mattie Stremic hosts Winny Delcin and Nina Berger on the topic of “Meet the PreSales Academy Team.” Winny, Training Program Manager, and Nina, Career Services Manager, are two of the newest members of the PreSales Collective team and are heavily involved in the day-to-day of PreSales Academy. In this episode, we learn more about Winny and Nina, their backgrounds, why they love PSA, and how to get more involved in helping the next generation of Solutions professionals.

On the PreSales Podcast, Mattie Stremic connects with James Kaikis to discuss “Two Years & 125 Episodes Later”. The podcast has experienced incredible success over the last several years with almost 167,000 listens, an immense amount of topics, and guests from all around the world. For this episode, Mattie asked James to discuss the history of this podcast, how elevated voices to the profession, and the lessons he’s learned over the years.

On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Garin Hess connect on "How a Buyer Enablement Approach to Deal Review Improves Forecasting." Garin, Author of Selling Is Hard. Buying Is Harder: How Buyer Enablement Drives Digital Sales and Shortens the Sales Cycle and CEO/Founder of Consensus, discusses how sales teams need to make buying easier by equipping champions to sell within their organization. Garin also provides stories and very tactical advice to deal review that will better forecasting within an organization. 

Research shows that what buyers want most from vendors are product demos. But what type of demo should we deliver at each stage of the buyer journey? ‍Many PreSales professionals categorize demos into two types: the standard demo and the technical demo. ‍In reality, there are six critical types of demos that most stakeholders in the buying group must go through to reach a decision. Knowing what the buyer is thinking and the problems they are trying to solve at each stage of the buying process is key to understanding what type of demo to deliver. In this webinar, we discuss the six essential types of demos, their recommended content, recommended length, and who should be leading them. We'll also discuss the role demo automation can play--where it is useful and where you should avoid it. J Hear from Garin Hess, author of "Selling is Hard. Buying is Harder." and Founder of Consensus on leveraging each of the demo types to make your PreSales team more effective. Sign up or sign in at www.presalescollective.com

** Early Release ** This week the PreSales Podcast is utilizing VIDEO! ​Research shows that what buyers want most from vendors are product demos. But what type of demo should we deliver at each stage of the buyer journey?​ ‍Many PreSales professionals categorize demos into two types: the standard demo and the technical demo. ‍In reality, there are six critical types of demos that most stakeholders in the buying group must go through to reach a decision. Knowing what the buyer is thinking and the problems they are trying to solve at each stage of the buying process is key to understanding what type of demo to deliver. ​In this webinar, we discuss the six essential types of demos, their recommended content, recommended length, and who should be leading them. We'll also discuss the role demo automation can play--where it is useful and where you should avoid it.​ J Hear from Garin Hess, author of "Selling is Hard. Buying is Harder." and Founder of Consensus on leveraging each of the demo types to make your PreSales team more effective. Sign up or sign in at www.presalescollective.com

On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Andrew Birnbaum connect on "PreSales Role in Champion Building." Andrew, Vice President of Solutions Engineering at Celonis, talks about how Solutions teams can play a bigger role in the sales cycle by building Champions. Champion building is no longer just the responsibility of sales executives exclusively as buyers, enterprises, and products are more sophisticated than ever. The Solutions Consultant,  serving as a trusted advisor, can help cultivate champions to accelerate deal velocity and drive ACV (Annual Contract Value).

On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Achint Sehgal connect on "Democratizing Trust in Solutions Leadership." Achint, Director of Solutions Engineering at OneTrust, talks about the importance of Trust in Sales and, especially, Solutions Consulting. Achint provides very tactical ways for leaders and organizations to make trust more than just a buzzword and a concrete part of your team's DNA.Watch Achint’s presentation on this topic at the 2021 PreSales Leadership Collective Executive Summit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_aRj0hyjuo