In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Karthik Krishna, Manager of Solutions Engineering at Freshworks and Presales Collective's Regional Community Leader for Chennai. They explore how Solutions Engineers can gain strategic influence in deal cycles beyond just giving demos and answering technical questions.

• Karthik shares his journey from developer to pre-sales professional

• The evolution from "demo-giver" to strategic partner in deal cycles

• How SEs can co-own opportunities with Account Executives

• Navigating tough conversations when deals aren't a good technical fit

• Building credibility to increase your strategic influence

• Leveraging customer success and implementation teams for deal strategy

Karthik Krishna is a Manager of Solutions Engineering at Freshworks, where he has built and coached distributed teams of SEs across companies of all sizes. He also serves as the Presales Collective Regional Community Leader for Chennai, recently hosting an event with over 60 SEs in attendance.

• Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/

• Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/

• Connect with Karthik Krishna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karthikkrishna-s/

• Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack

• Presales Collective: https://www.presalescollective.com

00:00 - Welcome and introduction

02:46 - Karthik's background and journey to presales

05:28 - What it means to "be in the room" for deal strategy

11:27 - Handling deals that aren't a good technical fit

16:30 - Building AE-SE relationships and trust

20:02 - Leveraging past customer experiences

27:14 - Growing strategic influence as an SE

32:30 - First experience in pipeline meetings and QBRs

1. The Evolution of the SE Role

   • From technical demonstrator to strategic partner

   • Building relationships alongside technical expertise

   • Flying "under the radar" while still influencing deals

2. Co-Ownership vs. Support

   • Understanding sales' responsibilities and pressures

   • Taking appropriate accountability for deal outcomes

   • Building a partnership model with Account Executives

3. Strategic Influence Tactics

   • Speaking up consistently, even when not initially heard

   • Framing technical concerns alongside potential solutions

   • Leveraging past experiences and customer success stories

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration

   • Involving product, implementation, and customer success teams

   • Using collective wisdom to validate concerns

   • Creating a "common voice" across departments

5. Building Credibility

   • Trust your instincts and speak up

   • Demonstrate value through accurate deal insights

   • Help teammates at critical junctures

Solutions Engineers possess unique insights that can make or break deals, but gaining the opportunity to share those insights strategically requires building credibility, relationships, and influence over time. The most successful SEs find ways to contribute to deal strategy while respecting the unique pressures faced by their sales counterparts.

Presales LIVE airs every other Tuesday. Join the Presales Collective Slack community to stay updated on future episodes, and follow the PSC LinkedIn page for upcoming shows.

Today’s episode was recorded during Presales Collective’s AI-Powered Presales Summit on March 26th, 2025. In this episode, Jack Cochran (General Manager, Presales Collective) and co-host Matthew James discuss the ethics and trust issues surrounding AI in sales environments with guest Diana Capello, Director of Solutions Consulting for US and Demo Engineering at Eightfold. The discussion explores how AI is transforming the presales landscape, from creating demo environments to navigating AI buying committees and addressing hiring practices in tech. Diana shares insights from her 20-year journey in AI, offering valuable perspectives on maintaining customer trust while leveraging AI tools.

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.

Connect with Us

• Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/

• Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/

• Connect with Diana Capello: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianacappello/

Links and Resources Mentioned

• Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack

• Presales Collective newsletter: https://www.presalescollective.com/newsletter

• Book Recommendation, "AI Superpowers" by Kai-Fu Lee: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38242135-ai-superpowers

• Presales Collective's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PreSalesCollective

• Presales AI Summit recordings, available on the PSC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@presalescollective7795

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction

01:27 - Welcome Diana Cappello

04:10 - Maintaining customer trust while using AI

06:50 - Explaining how AI works to customers

11:45 - Navigating AI councils in enterprise sales

20:34 - AI in hiring processes

27:43 - Book recommendation

31:10 - Q&A

In this episode, Jack Cochran (General Manager, Presales Collective) and guest co-host Allison Macalik dive into the topic of "Presales People in Disguise" with Alex Nation. They explore the journey into presales roles, the importance of effective discovery techniques, the power of silence in customer interactions, and the unique relationship between presales professionals and sales teams. Alex shares valuable insights from her career transition from retail to tech, highlighting key skills that have made her successful in the presales world.

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.

Find us:

• Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/
• Connect with Allison Macalik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonmacalik/
• Connect with Alex Nation: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandranation/

Links and Resources Mentioned

• Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack
  
• Presales Collective newsletter: https://www.presalescollective.com/newsletter

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction

02:48 - Alex's background and journey into presales

08:59 - The importance of being a presenter pain point gatherer

10:40 - The power of effective discovery

14:24 - The art of silence in customer interactions

20:26 - Presales vs. Sales

26:20 - Advice to younger self

29:25 - How to find Alex

Key Topics Covered

1. Career Transitions into Presales
   • Alex's journey from Nordstrom to tech
   • Finding your strength as a "presenter pain point gatherer"
   • The accidental path many take into presales roles
2. Effective Discovery Techniques
   • The importance of listening more than speaking
   • How good discovery differentiates vendors
   • Building trust with customers through purposeful questions
3. The Power of Silence
   • Using silence as a negotiation technique
   • Training yourself to be comfortable with pauses
   • Demonstrating confidence through patience
4. Presales and Sales Dynamics
   • Developing empathy for sales counterparts
   • Understanding the complete customer lifecycle
   • Working together for customer success
5. Career Development
   • The unique pressures and rewards of presales
   • Developing flexibility and resilience
   • Creating paths for women in presales