PreSales is not an unlimited resource
Your PreSales team is not an unlimited resource. (When I say PreSales, I’m referring to Sales Engineers, Solutions Engineers, Technical Consultants, etc.) These teams are the backbone of successful sales organizations. They bridge the gap between technical complexity and customer needs, tailoring solutions to ensure prospects fully grasp the value of a product.
Because the PreSales team has the knowledge, skill, and expertise, it’s easy for them to slip into a demo monkey role. This means being dragged into endless calls to give high-level overviews, pique interest, or simply narrate features—without the strategic input they’re trained to deliver. While it may seem like “just a simple demo,” this approach not only undermines the purpose of PreSales but also misallocates valuable resources.
When your PreSales team turns into demo monkeys, their calendars fill up fast. Even a simple demo requires preparation, eating into their most critical resource: time. And once it’s gone, you can’t get it back. The time spent on low-impact demos is time not spent on the big fish—the important opportunities that are critical for hitting quota.
The True Role of PreSales: Strategy and Partnership
PreSales are more than just product experts; they’re strategic advisors. They don’t just demonstrate how a solution works—they identify why it’s the right fit for the prospect. This requires:
- Discovery Expertise: PreSales teams are instrumental in uncovering a prospect’s true challenges, often surfacing needs that even the customer didn’t know they had.
- Customization: They tailor solutions to fit specific use cases, ensuring that the proposed technology aligns perfectly with the customer’s goals.
- Simplification: They need to be able to turn complex concepts, integrations, and workflows into clear, impactful messages that prospects can easily understand and recognize as valuable.
- Partnership: PreSales teams work closely with AEs and sales leadership to craft compelling, business-aligned stories that resonate with decision-makers.
Demo Monkey Syndrome: A Costly Mistake
Treating your PreSales team as an on-demand demo service undermines these strategic contributions. Instead of driving revenue, this approach creates several pitfalls:
- Wasted Expertise: When PreSales is reduced to running generic product tours, their technical and business skills goes unused. This is like hiring a chef to microwave frozen dinners.
- Decreased Morale: Your PreSales team thrives on solving problems, not performing the same demo over and over again. Over time, this will lead to burnout and turnover.
- Inefficient Sales Cycles: Running dull, lack-luster demos waste time for both the prospect and your team. Without a clear understanding of the customer’s needs, these presentations often fail to advance deals.
Strategic PreSales: The Key to Closing Bigger, Better Deals
To truly leverage your PreSales team, you need to shift the narrative. Here’s how:
- Limit Demo Requests: Not every prospect needs a demo right away. Reserve these for opportunities where a tailored presentation will make a meaningful impact.
- Prioritize Discovery: Insist on thorough discovery calls before engaging PreSales. This means going beyond BANT requirements, a well-prepared AE can surface high-level needs, allowing PreSales to focus on strategic problem-solving.
- Collaborative Prep: Treat PreSales as a partner, not a tool. Work together to craft a story that aligns with the customer’s goals, ensuring every presentation delivers value. This means creating a joint agenda- where both the AE & SE have planned parts of value adds while the other is speaking.
- Respect Bandwidth: PreSales teams aren’t infinite. Track utilization and ensure they’re spending time on high-value opportunities instead of every inbound lead.
From Demo Monkeys to Strategic Partners
PreSales isn’t about showing up, clicking through screens, and hoping for the best. It’s about understanding a prospect’s pain points, articulating value, and helping close deals that stick. Companies that recognize this and invest in the strategic use of their PreSales teams not only close more deals—they build better customer relationships, reduce churn and retain top talent.
If your PreSales team feels overburdened or underutilized, it’s time to reassess how you deploy this critical resource. Stop wasting their talent, and start unlocking their potential to drive revenue and success.
Remember: PreSales teams aren’t an unlimited resource. Use them wisely, value them, praise them and they’ll return the favor.
