In today’s customer success-driven industry, business is in a constant quest for growth. But, they often overlook a promising opportunity within their organization: Presales. An integral part of the sales team, Presales plays a crucial role in not only acquiring new business but also lay the foundation to retain customers for a lifetime.

Presales operations kickstart when the potential customer has been identified. They carry out a specific set of activities that lead to qualifying, present product demonstration and help sales win deals as well as to renew.

More specifically, it refers to the technical side of the sales; responsible to demonstrate technical aspect and business value of the product.

As mentioned in my previous blog, I have dwelled into the details of the responsibilities and importance of presales in an organization.

Who is a presales engineer?

A presales engineer is a person who works alongside a salesperson to discover a customer’s business challenges and creates a unique solution to present back to their decision-makers.  They help prospects visualize the value and benefits through an engaging story. When executed well it equates to a sale for the business, ROI for the customer and long term relationship.

Break down of responsibilities

Two-thirds of Presale’s efforts involve technical activities (crafting solutions to customers’ problems) and the remaining one-third is for commercial activities (manage deal qualification, bid RFP).

• Qualify leads by tagging with salespeople during visits or calls with prospects and clients.
• Deliver a kickass demonstration or presentation exhibiting in-depth knowledge in their industry.
• Keep the POC moving by contacting prospects pro-actively and answer any technical questions related to their product.
• Gather product feedback or feature request from clients and liaise with Product Managers
• Collaborate with sales and marketing for Sales Enablement.
• Respond to RFP’s when the tender is out and help sales to manage the bidding process.

Importance of Presales

It’s the first “proper interaction the customer has with the product/solution so the pre-sales group sets the standard and tone for the technical support and engagement they will receive” throughout their lifecycle. They invest their time to have a deep understanding of the client’s needs. Presales have the ability to predict customer needs with greater precision and provide expertise before the purchase is made.

A well-run presales organization will have a lasting impact on the customer’s perception and attitude toward your business. Oftentimes, they have a significant influence on the customer during the renewal period.  

In conclusion, Presales is not about delivering technical closure for a sales opportunity.  The primary focus of presales is always to deliver far more value to the customer during every stage of their sales journey. The value should contribute to the achievement of the customer’s strategic goals. The likelihood of customer renewing or expanding depends on identifying these value-based outcomes for the customer.