Presales Podcast by Presales Collective

Hosted by Jack Cochran

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Episodes

150

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

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.

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60 recent

October 27, 2026Episode 20430 min

Demotainment with Mike McDowell

Mike McDowell, author of "Demotainment," joins hosts Avery Cochran and Matthew James to discuss how presales professionals should approach demos and presentations like Broadway performers, bringing energy and showmanship while maintaining authenticity and personalization. The conversation explores the balance between rehearsed performance and authentic engagement, emphasizing that delivery and storytelling are just as important as technical content. Follow Us Connect with Avery Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avery-cochran/ Connect with Mike McDowell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmcdowell1/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Presales Collective Podcast: https://www.presalescollective.com/podcast Demotainment (book by Mike McDowell): https://a.co/d/00DK30rj Key Topics Covered Broadway Performer Mindset: Bringing consistent energy and leaving personal baggage at the door while maintaining authenticity Improvisation Within Structure: Balancing 80% prepared content with 20% customer-driven conversation Account Team Choreography: The importance of rehearsed handoffs and transitions between SEs and AEs Strategic Partnership: Presales professionals as strategists involved throughout the customer journey Storytelling Delivery: How stories are told matters as much as the content itself Personal Connection and Credibility: Building rapport through industry experience before product features Engaging Remote Audiences: Techniques for handling Zoom calls with cameras off Value Demonstration Through Stories: Using concrete examples like the $7 million hyperlink story to illustrate ROI Energy and Authenticity: Genuine enthusiasm influences buying decisions beyond rational factors

October 12, 2026Episode 20326 min

Moving from a Top IC to a New Presales Leader with Akanksha Sehgal

Making the leap from top-performing individual contributor to effective leader is one of the toughest transitions to make as a Solutions professional. Host Avery Cochran sits down with Akanksha Sehgal, Senior Director of Worldwide Technical Solutions at Omnisa, to explore why the skills that make you a great SE often don't translate to leadership. Akanksha shares her 13-year journey, from handling strategic accounts to leading global teams, and reveals the mindset shifts required at each stage of leadership growth. Follow Us Connect with Avery Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avery-cochran/ Connect with Akanksha Sehgal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akanksha-sehgal/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Key Topics Covered The Challenge of Moving from Expert SE to Leader Demonstrating Leadership Before Getting the Title Building Influence and Trust with Former Peers How Success Metrics Change from IC to Manager The "Smartest Person Trap" and Letting Your Team Shine Creating Strategic Thinking Time vs. Staying Tactical Progressing to Senior Leadership and Managing a Function Breaking Down Silos Through Cross-Functional Collaboration Making Hard Decisions and Balancing Business with People Being Your Authentic Self as a Leader

September 28, 2026Episode 20231 min

Getting through the Internal Politics with Samantha Burrell

In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James welcome Samantha Burrell, an enterprise solutions consultant at BenchLink, to discuss how she successfully launched "Demo Face-Off," a gamified enablement competition for her global SC organization. Samantha shares the complete journey from identifying a gap in product enablement when returning from maternity leave to navigating internal politics, securing buy-in from multiple stakeholders, and executing a March Madness-style demo competition that ran over two months. Thank you to Baton AI for sponsoring this episode. Check out more at getbaton.ai Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Samantha Burrell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-r-burrell/ Links and Resources Mentioned Baton AI: https://www.getbaton.ai/ Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack PSC Unscripted episode with Samantha: https://youtu.be/2nZjv-vWdF0 Key Topics Covered Demo Face-Off Competition Structure: A March Madness-Style Global Competition Identifying Gaps from Personal Pain Points After Maternity Leave Navigating Internal Politics and Getting Multi-Stakeholder Buy-In Connecting Enablement Initiatives to ARR Impact Using AI Tools for First-Time Project Planning and Execution Driving Participation Through Competition, Prizes, and Recognition Making Enablement Entertaining with Production Value and Energy Cultural Considerations for Global Teams and Iteration Based on Feedback Individual Contributor Influence Without Formal Authority Cross-Functional Benefits and Expanding Impact Beyond the SC Team

September 14, 2026Episode 20138 min

Live at Sol/Con 2026! Four Skills Driving Sales Outcomes with Rew Dickinson

In this live podcast episode recorded at Sol/Con 2026, Rew Dickinson, CEO and founder of Alpha Go-To-Market, joins co-hosts Jack Cochran and Matthew James to present a framework of four core skills that drive sales outcomes for solutions engineers. Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Rew Dickinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rewdickinson/ Key Topics Covered The SE Talk-Time Problem: How Gong call analysis reveals SEs dominating conversations with product talk instead of listening The Starbucks Story: Rew's revelation that SEs are often the most influential person in the sales cycle Knowledge Layer: Why SEs must understand how prospect companies make money before demos Storytelling for Pre-Sales: Shifting from product-centric to prospect-focused narratives The iPhone Value Exercise: Live demonstration showing value exists in the gap between current and desired state Discovery Beyond Requirements: Creating vision with questions like "If I shadowed your team for a week, what would I see slowing them down?" Leadership and Taking a Stance: Why SEs need to be prescriptive ("you should") instead of offering endless options ("you could") The Tenure Gap: SEs average 7 years versus sales reps at 2 years—and why SEs should leverage this expertise advantage

August 31, 2026Episode 20029 min

Being the Founding SC with Alex Margolis

Alex Margolis joins the show with cohosts Jack Cochran and Mathew James to share his experience as a founding sales engineer, pulling back the curtain on what it's really like to be the first SE at a startup. Alex discusses his deliberate decision to target founding SE roles as a way to fast-forward his career after six years at a company with limited growth opportunities, expecting to build processes and lead strategically from day one. Instead, he found himself supporting eight AEs and an equal number of BDRs, running five demos a day in a high-velocity sales environment that left little time for the strategic work he'd been promised. Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Alex Margolis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexnmargolis/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Presales Collective Podcast: https://www.presalescollective.com/podcast Key Topics Covered Motivations for seeking founding SE roles and fast-forwarding your career The sales assistant trap: expectations vs. reality of strategic involvement Supporting eight AEs plus BDRs as the only SE in a high-velocity environment Setting boundaries and tracking workload to prioritize effectively Cross-functional relationship building as the company "facsimile" Interview questions to ask when evaluating founding SE opportunities Who the right fit is for high-volume founding SE roles Finding company culture fit and working with good people

August 17, 2026Episode 19930 min

Building Repeatable Methodologies with Paul Vogt

In this episode, Jack Cochran sits down with Paul Vogt, VP of Pre-Sales and Professional Services at GPG, to explore how building repeatable methodologies can transform solutions organizations at scale. The conversation dives deep into two powerful frameworks: the Technical Win Definition (5 binary yes/no questions that eliminate ambiguity and improve forecast accuracy) and the PGA Framework (Purpose, Goal, Agenda for planning every customer meeting). Thank you to Saleo for sponsoring this episode: https://saleo.io Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Paul Vogt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvogt00/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://presalescollective.com/slack Sol/Con 2026 (Chicago, August 2026): https://presalescollective.com/solcon-2026 Presales Collective Podcast: https://presalescollective.com/podcast Paul's Blog: https://www.art-of-sales-engineering.com/ Key Topics Covered Paul's Career Journey: From Defense Contractor to Scaling Pre-Sales Teams at Twilio The Alaska Cellular Network Project: Building the First Network in Remote Communities Customer Lifecycle Gaps: Why 70% of Churn Happens During Onboarding Technical Win Definition: Creating 5 Binary Questions to Eliminate Ambiguity How Technical Win Criteria Improve Forecast Accuracy Better Than Sales Tracking The PGA Framework: Purpose, Goal, Agenda for Every Customer Meeting Warning Signs Your Organization Needs Repeatable Methodologies Using Metrics to Identify Where Deals Slow Down (POC-to-Win Rates as Diagnostic) The Lost Art of Prep Calls and Meeting Alignment Practice and Preparation: Why Pre-Sales Professionals Should Train Like Athletes Small Impactful Changes: The Ted Lasso Approach to Leadership

August 3, 2026Episode 19832 min

Adapting to the Changing World of Presales with Steve Bullington

In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Steve Bullington, Global Public Sector Sales Onboarding and Strategic Programs Lead at Salesforce, to explore the seismic shifts reshaping presales. Steve draws powerful parallels between today's transformation and the move from perpetual licenses to SaaS, arguing that we're experiencing an equally fundamental change as the industry shifts to consumption-based pricing models. Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Steve Bullington: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebullington/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Sol/Con 2026 (Chicago, August 2026): https://www.presalescollective.com/solcon-2026 Key Topics Covered The Evolution of Presales: From Technical Expert to Business Value Architect Consumption-Based Pricing Models and the Death of Shelfware The Critical Importance of Accurate Consumption Forecasting Forward-Deployed Engineers: The 10x Growth of a New Role AI's Impact on Demo Capabilities and Presales Productivity The Current Maturity Level of AI (Comparable to SaaS in 2000) Which Sales Roles Face AI Replacement and Future Career Pathways The Need to Accelerate Professional Development Beyond 1% Daily

July 20, 2026Episode 19729 min

Debunking the Traditional Path to Presales with Adam Bauman

In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James sit down with Adam Bauman, Staff Solutions Engineer at Kong, to challenge the myth of the "traditional" path into presales. Adam shares his journey from nearly 20 years in software engineering and management into solutions engineering, exploring why technical backgrounds can be powerful entry points into presales. The conversation also tackles practical advice for both sides of the hiring equation: how candidates without presales experience can demonstrate their value in interviews, and how hiring managers can look beyond traditional backgrounds to find great talent. Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Adam Bauman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjbauman/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Sol/Con 2026 (Chicago, August 2026): https://www.presalescollective.com/solcon-2026 Presales Collective Unscripted: https://luma.com/pscunscripted Key Topics Covered What Defines a "Traditional" Path to Presales and Why Most Paths Are Non-Traditional Adam's 20-Year Engineering Career and What Drew Him to Presales The Learning Curve: Demos, Confidence, and Learning Not to Know Everything Scoping Engagements and Understanding Buying Journeys Beyond Technical Validation Staying Involved Through Security, Procurement, and Legal Reviews Understanding Business Value and ROI from an Engineering Mindset Using AI Tools Like Claude for Personal and Professional Efficiency How to Interview for Presales Without Traditional Experience Changes Needed in Recruiting: Using Rubrics and Formalized Evaluation Timestamps 00:00 Start 03:36 Welcome Adam Bauman 06:58 Building confidence without all the answers 10:25 Drawing from an engineering background 13:55 Timeline for feeling confident in the role 22:07 Communicating value without presales experience 24:34 Changes needed in recruiting and hiring 27:23 Final Thoughts

July 6, 2026Episode 19627 min

Becoming Sales Leadership's Trusted Advisor with Lisa Jameson

In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James sit down with Lisa Jameson, a seasoned solutions professional, to explore how she built strategic influence and became a trusted advisor to sales leadership without moving into management. Lisa provides a practical framework for assessing your current level of trust with sales leadership, finding creative solutions beyond product limitations, and ultimately structuring a custom role that maximizes your impact while staying on the individual contributor track. Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Mathew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Lisa Jameson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisajamesondb/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Sol/Con 2026 (Chicago, August 2026): https://www.presalescollective.com/solcon-2026 Key Topics Covered Building Initial Trust Through Proactive Learning and Debrief Calls The Deal Review as Critical Trust Builder for Won and Lost Deals Strategic Use of Closed Lost Deals to Increase Credibility The "If We're Working It, We're Working It" Philosophy Recognizing When Sales Teams Trust Your Strategic Input Developing Deep Expertise in a Niche Area Creating Custom IC Roles Through Proven Value Moving Beyond Product Limitations with Partners and Creative Solutions The Long Game of Career Development and Building Credibility Structuring Compensation and Proving ROI for Strategic Roles

June 22, 2026Episode 19530 min

The Value of a Presales Academy with Rob Fallon

Rob Fallon , Director, Americas SE Strategy & Associate Program at Nutanix, has built presales academy programs at both Dell EMC and Nutanix, joins the show to discuss the strategic importance of creating structured training programs for presales professionals. Rob shares his experience transforming Dell's 12-week boot camp into a comprehensive academy and building Nutanix's current 18-month-old program from the ground up. The conversation tackles the "inverted pyramid" problem that plagues many SE organizations—being too heavy with expensive senior talent and lacking junior pipeline—and why most companies struggle to fix it. The discussion covers the business case for academies, how to secure executive sponsorship and funding, the structure of successful two-year programs, and why hiring for technical curiosity and grit matters more than existing technical knowledge. Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Rob Fallon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robfallon/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Sol/Con 2026 (Chicago, August 2026): https://www.presalescollective.com/solcon-2026 Contact Rob: rob.fallon@nutanix.com Key Topics Covered The Inverted Pyramid Problem: Why SE Organizations Over-Hire Senior Talent Executive Sponsorship and Funding: Getting Buy-In for Long-Term Investment The Two-Year Academy Program Structure at Nutanix Hiring for Technical Curiosity, Communication, and Grit Over Knowledge Why Field Integration and Manager Engagement Are Critical to Success How Academy Associates Become Productive Within 12 Months Academy Programs as Diversity and Fresh Thinking Enablers Success Metrics: When Field Leaders Want Academy Grads on Their Teams

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