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

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  

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

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  

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

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

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  

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: [email protected] 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  

In this episode, Jack Cochran sits down with Yasmeen Hyder, an enterprise solutions consulting leader from Atlanta, to explore a game-changing approach to working with AI: speaking to it instead of typing. Yasmeen shares how she uses voice-based AI interactions as a thought companion and coaching tool to enhance decision-making, reduce mental load, and work more efficiently in her presales leadership role. Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/  Connect with Yasmeen Hyder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmeenhyder/  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 Podcast: https://www.presalescollective.com/podcast  Key Topics Covered Voice AI vs. Typing: Why Speaking Creates Higher Bandwidth Communication AI as Thought Companion Rather Than Answer Engine Yasmeen's Career Journey: Healthcare to Pharma to Tech Presales Overcoming the Behavioral Change of Talking to Your Computer Stress Testing Leadership Decisions with Voice AI Using AI as a Coach: Asking for Questions Instead of Answers Time Compression Benefits: 60-90 Minutes Down to 15-20 Minutes Addressing Zoom Fatigue: Voice AI as Reset and Grounding Tool Negative Prompting Technique for Better Outputs Personal and Professional Applications Beyond Work Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 02:45 Welcome Yas 05:45 Why talking to AI 08:02 Setup and behavioral change 10:57 Writing vs. speaking 15:27 Rubber ducky but better 16:28 Stress testing leadership decisions 20:46 Using AI as a coach 22:36 Addressing Zoom fatigue 26:00 Personal life applications 30:19 Closing and contact information  

Jack Cochran and Matthew James welcome Kintan Brahmbhatt, CEO and co-founder of Olto, to discuss how AI agents are fundamentally reshaping the presales workflow and buyer experience. Drawing from over 12 years at Amazon building personalized experiences for Alexa, Amazon Music, and Prime Video, Kintan explores why B2B buyers receive generic "Acme Corp" demos while B2C consumers get highly personalized recommendations, and how product-trained agents can finally close this gap economically. The conversation goes beyond productivity gains to examine how buyers, products, and SE roles have evolved rapidly while metrics, compensation plans, and tooling have remained static.  Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/  Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/  Connect with Kintan Brahmbhatt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kintan/  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  Olto: https://olto.com/psc  (3 months free promotional offer mentioned) Key Topics Covered Why AI Timing Is Better Now: Moving Beyond Productivity to Workflow Transformation The Personalization Gap Between B2C and B2B Buyer Experiences What Olto Is: Product-Trained AI Agents Across the Revenue Journey Kintan's Amazon Background: Building Personalized Experiences at Scale SE Capacity Economics and the Unspoken Rule About Qualified Deals How Product-Trained Agents Differ from Generic AI The New SE Workflow: Agents Handle Discovery, SEs Focus on Sense-Making Evolution of SE Metrics, Compensation, and Tooling for the AI Era Implementation Challenges and Change Management The Future of the Presales Profession Timestamps 00:00 Welcome 04:04 Now vs a year ago 05:40 What is Olto 07:52 B2C vs B2B personalization disconnect 11:15 Agent capabilities and limitations 21:35 Future of the solutions roles 28:26 Key takeaways from solutions leaders