Presales Podcast by Presales Collective

• Tailoring AI for Growth: What Startups and Enterprises Should Do Differently with Akash Ganapathy

  In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Akash Ganapathi, CEO of Opine, to discuss how AI strategies differ between startups and enterprises in the presales space. They explore the myth of AI replacing SEs, the importance of specialization vs. generalization, and how AI can help presales teams manage more revenue per team member while focusing on strategic, relationship-building activities. Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Akash Ganapathi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akash-ganapathi/  Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Opine: https://tryopine.com/ Contact Akash directly: [email protected] Timestamps 00:00 Welcome 04:35 Why AI strategy differs for startups vs enterprises 09:27 Debunking the myth of AI replacing SEs 18:35 The human element in buying and selling 24:35 How enterprises can leverage existing knowledge bases 28:12 The paradox of considering AI for every task 32:14 Future predictions for 2026-2027 Key Topics Covered Startup vs Enterprise AI Strategy Startups benefit from generalist approaches and bottom-up experimentation Enterprises need specialized, top-down AI strategies to avoid redundancy The role of specialization vs wearing multiple hats The AI Replacement Myth Why the "AI SE" that replaces human SEs doesn't work SEs do much more than just answer technical questions The importance of relationship building and strategic thinking Current AI Limitations Context window constraints (around 1 million tokens currently) Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) accuracy at ~75% Why breakthrough improvements are needed for true automation The Future of Presales with AI More revenue managed per team member Shift toward hiring less experienced SEs with AI enablement Focus on strategic consulting rather than administrative tasks Practical AI Implementation Draft-and-approve workflows for deliverables Automating account research, meeting prep, and RFP responses Using AI for onboarding and knowledge enablement Mid-Market Recommendations Lean toward enterprise-style, forward-looking strategies Enable not just current team but future hires Focus on cross-organizational enablement (AEs, product, marketing)  

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• Scaling Presales Teams without Burning Out Your Best People with Ben Hills

  In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Ben Hills, Founder and CEO of Iris, to discuss how to scale presales teams effectively while avoiding burnout. They explore the difference between healthy high performance and unsustainable overwork, the role of AI in streamlining repetitive tasks like RFPs, and practical strategies for building scalable processes that enhance rather than replace human expertise. 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 Ben Hills: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminhills/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Iris: https://heyiris.ai/ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome 04:04 Iris 05:14 Ben's background 14:29 Healthy high performance vs burnout 21:55 Common scaling mistakes and the headcount trap 29:14 Effective AI tools for presales teams 35:04 The future of AI-to-AI RFP processes 37:46 Final advice on embracing AI Key Topics Covered Understanding Burnout vs. High Performance Why burnout isn't just about hours worked The importance of connecting work to larger purpose and outcomes Creating time-bound periods of intense work with clear endpoints Scaling Without Adding Headcount The "mythical man month" problem in presales Building playbooks and processes before hiring Separating "in the business" vs "on the business" work The Rocks, Pebbles, Sand Framework Planning for big quarterly tasks (rocks) Managing predictable weekly activities (pebbles) Handling unexpected fire drills (sand) AI Tools That Actually Work RFP automation and response generation Call transcript analysis for product feedback Demo automation with synthetic data Why AI SDRs haven't lived up to the hype The Future of RFPs and AI Model Control Protocol (MCP) for AI-to-AI communication Maintaining personalization in automated processes The buyer's perspective on RFP proliferation  

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• How to Speak So Senior Leaders Listen with Ben Pearce

  In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Ben Pearce, founder of Elevated You, to discuss how technical professionals can effectively communicate with senior executives. They explore the critical differences between speaking to technical stakeholders versus C-suite leaders, covering everything from preparation strategies to delivery techniques. Ben shares practical frameworks for being relevant rather than just expert, emphasizing the importance of focusing on "what" and "why" instead of "how" when presenting to senior leaders. Thank you to Storylane for sponsoring this episode. Find out more about Storylane and how to build killer demos in 2 minutes at https://storylane.io 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 Ben Pearce:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpthoughts/ Links and Resources Mentioned Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Elevated You: https://www.elevatedyou.live/psc Tech World Human Skills Podcast: https://www.elevatedyou.live/twhs  Timestamps 00:00 Welcome 05:18 Why speaking to senior leaders is different 12:49 Being relevant vs. being an expert 16:19 Mastering delivery under pressure 25:04 Reading the room and course-correcting 32:53 De-risking and the human element Key Topics Covered The Technical Expert's Dilemma How technical expertise can become a curse when speaking to executives Moving from demonstrating knowledge to demonstrating relevance The Three-Part Framework for Executive Communication Relevance: Understanding what matters to your specific audience Compelling Content: Creating materials that speak to their priorities Excellent Delivery: Performing under pressure with confidence Preparation Strategies Mapping out personas and industries for reusable content The importance of team collaboration in content creation Practice vs. preparation: Why both are essential Reading the Room Starting with curiosity and mini-discovery Mirroring language and adapting on the fly Course-correcting based on real-time feedback The Punchline Problem Why building up to a big reveal doesn't work with executives Leading with impact: "Hitting them between the eyes" Getting to value within the first 90 seconds Risk Management and Trust Building Understanding that you represent organizational risk The "never get fired for buying IBM" mentality How human skills differentiate in an AI-driven world Building confidence through listening and problem-solving  

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• How Demo Automation and AI Are Transforming Presales with Nalin Senthamil

  In this episode, Matthew James and Timmy Hendrickson are joined by Nalin Senthamil, Founder and CEO of Storylane, to discuss the future of pre-sales and AI driving influence beyond pipeline. They explore how demo automation is transforming the self-serve buyer experience, the changing role of solutions engineers, and how AI can create 10X impact in pre-sales workflows. Nalin shares insights on leveraging AI for demo personalization, managing complex product integrations, and why the traditional discovery call may be dying. 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 Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Timmy Hendrickson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmyhendrickson/ Connect with Nalin Senthamil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nalinpradeep/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Storylane: https://www.storylane.io/ Timestamps 00:04 Welcome 01:08 Nalin's background and founding Storylane 03:08 What does a self-serve buyer experience look like? 08:18 How AI has changed presales 13:40 Training AI agents to answer technical questions 17:02 AI testing customer scenario 19:28 Overlooked use cases for demo automation 26:30 One workflow where AI can create 10X impact today Key Topics Covered The Death of Discovery Calls Why buyers are coming to conversations already educated How self-serve experiences span the entire buying journey The role of AI sales agents in initial discovery The Four Categories of SE Work Relationship building and strategic solutioning Demo delivery and POC management Administrative tasks and CRM updates Knowledge sharing and product insights AI as an SE Sidekick Demo preparation and tailoring automation Administrative task reduction Strategic thinking enhancement rather than replacement Demo Automation Use Cases Supporting different AE to SE ratios Managing complex product integrations Upsell and expansion opportunities Micro-demos for specific features Training AI for Technical Questions Leveraging tribal knowledge from Slack, Google Drive, and call recordings Importance of data quality and curation Automatic ingestion of organizational knowledge The Future of Pre-Sales AI enabling faster iteration and personalization Strategic partnership between CS and pre-sales for upsells The evolution from technical support to strategic advisory roles  

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• Insights from an SE-Leader-Turned-Recruiter: Why Classic Job Hunting is Dead

  In this second part of our conversation with Raphael Joseph, former SE turned recruiter and founder of Brando Tech, Jack Cochran and Matthew James dive deep into why traditional job hunting methods no longer work in today's market. Raphael shares strategic insights on how SEs should approach job searching in 2025, treating themselves as products and leveraging their natural skills to navigate the competitive landscape. IMPORTANT: This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Make sure to listen to Part 1 first for the complete discussion on personal branding and LinkedIn optimization. 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 Raphael Joseph: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphael-joseph-23044150/  Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Episode Sponsor: Opine - https://tryopine.com Timestamps 00:00 Welcome 04:42 What is "classic job hunting" and why it's dead 11:52 How to get on recruiters' radar 13:33 Starting your job search the right way 21:04 Treating job hunting like account management 27:23 Interview process changes and AI requirements 30:30 Why it's not a numbers game anymore Key Topics Covered The Death of Classic Job Hunting Why sending CVs to job postings no longer works How companies receive hundreds of applications they can't process The cycle of posting jobs, failing to hire, then using recruiters Why your application often goes unread The New Digital Job Hunting Approach Treating yourself as a product you're selling Building warm leads with hiring managers Using SE skills for job hunting: research, discovery, and value proposition The importance of targeted, high-touch approaches over spray-and-pray Working with Recruiters Effectively Why good recruiters provide 1-in-3 odds vs 1-in-300 direct applications How recruiters can prep you with insider knowledge The value of having internal champions in the hiring process Market Dynamics in 2025 Why it's now an employer's market The shift from growth-at-all-costs to profitability focus How COVID overhiring led to current oversupply of candidates AI's impact on hiring decisions and productivity expectations Interview Strategy in the Current Market Companies' increased specificity in requirements Why "must-haves" are truly must-haves now The importance of AI literacy and demonstrable skills How to address gaps in your experience strategically Leveraging SE Skills for Job Hunting Using research abilities to identify opportunities Applying discovery skills to understand company needs Creating value propositions for yourself as a candidate Avoiding the same mistakes SEs coach AEs to avoid  

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