Best Dean Kalyan Podcasts (2025)

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How Demo Automation and AI Are Transforming Presales with Nalin Senthamil 29:13

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1M ago29:13

29:13

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…

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Insights from an SE-Leader-Turned-Recruiter: Why Classic Job Hunting is Dead 35:21

2M ago35:21

35:21

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 an…

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Insights from an SE-Leader-Turned-Recruiter: Personal Branding for SEs with Raphael Joseph 35:15

2M ago35:15

35:15

In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Raphael Joseph to discuss the critical importance of building a strong LinkedIn profile for PreSales professionals. They explore how the platform has evolved as a powerful career tool, especially in today's competitive job market. Raphael shares practical tips on crafting a professional …

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Forecast This: Why Presales Belongs in the Room 34:38

3M ago34:38

34:38

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. Episode Highlights…

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Buy, Sell, Beware: Examining the Ethics of AI with Dianna Cappello 40:46

3M ago40:46

40:46

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 E…

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Presales People in Disguise with Alex Nation 31:53

4M ago31:53

31:53

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 betwe…

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Winning Complex Deals: How AI Empowers Sales Teams with Manisha Raisinghani 37:11

4M ago37:11

37:11

In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Manisha Raisinghani, Founder and CEO of SiftHub, to discuss how AI is transforming the Presales landscape. They explore how SiftHub's AI sales engineer helps solutions teams consolidate tribal knowledge, automate repetitive tasks, and increase productivity. Manisha shares insights on lev…

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From Novice to Expert: Presales Career Paths with Kalyan Ramkumar 33:05

5M ago33:05

33:05

In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James talk with Kalyan Ramkumar about his journey from novice to expert in the presales field. Kalyan shares his experience starting as an SDR at RSA Security with no technical background and how he worked his way up to become a skilled solutions engineer. He discusses the importance of domain knowledge in …

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Exploring Value in Modern Tech Sales with David Yockelson 35:15

5M ago35:15

35:15

In today's episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James sit down with David Yockelson, Distinguished VP and Gartner Fellow, to discuss the evolution of value realization in tech sales. They explore how buyer behaviors have changed, the importance of understanding customer needs before leading with technology, and practical approaches for pre-sales profe…

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Beyond Automation: Amplifying SE Teams using AI Agents with Dean Shu 36:17

5M ago36:17

36:17

Show Notes In today's episode, Dean Shu (CEO & Co-founder, Arphie) joins Jack Cochran and Matthew James to discuss AI agents in PreSales and the evolution of the industry. They explore the changing landscape of PreSales leadership, practical applications of AI, and strategies for evaluating AI solutions. Thank you to Arphie for sponsoring this epis…

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Human Qualities of Presales Leadership with Ron Whitson 34:35

6M ago34:35

34:35

In this episode, Jack Cochran (General Manager, PreSales Collective) and Matthew James discuss the human qualities of presales leadership with special guest Ron Whitson. Ron shares insights from his 30-year career in the industry, discusses his book "A Friendly Human in Presales," and explores how leaders can effectively transition from being top i…

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The State of Presales in 2025 with Matthew James 35:20

6M ago35:20

35:20

In today’s episode, Jack Cochran (General Manager, PreSales Collective) and new co-host Matthew James discuss the evolution of PreSales Collective and key industry trends for 2025. They announce the expansion of local PSC chapters, tease upcoming leadership conferences, and explore controversial topics like AI in pre-sales and team structure debate…

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Sneak Peek at 2025 3:47

7M ago3:47

3:47

As 2025 approaches, the PreSales Podcast has some exciting changes coming! First and foremost, Matthew James is joining Jack Cochran as co-host of the podcast. Also, starting in January, the show will be recorded live on LinkedIn via the new show PreSales LIVE! Join Matthew and Jack as they talk to guests and answer a live Q&A at the end of each ep…

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A Fireside Chat with the New GM of PSC 41:17

8M ago41:17

41:17

Today on the PreSales Podcast we have an exciting announcement, we have the pleasure and opportunity to announce the next General Manager at PreSales Collective, Jack Cochran. We talk about this exciting new chapter for PreSales Collective, how we are expanding with a new PreSales Collective board of directors, the excitement of hitting the milesto…

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The Demo Challenge: Capturing Buyer Attention Before the Demo w/Todd Janzen 40:23

9M ago40:23

40:23

Welcome to the Pre-Sales Podcast! Today we have a fantastic guest joining us—Todd Janzen. Todd brings a wealth of experience from his impressive career in pre-sales, including his time at Salesforce and now as SVP of Customer Success and Buyer Enablement, Consensus In our conversation, we dive into the presales craft, influence in GTM, and more. On…

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Product Power Plays: Scale, Sales, and PreSales w/Sarah Idriss 44:29

9M ago44:29

44:29

Sarah Idriss is a PreSales + Product dream state, blending customer feedback with product roadmap in innovative ways, and It's my pleasure to have her on the PreSales Podcast. Episode Takeaways: Relationship of Product + PreSales (and beyond). The vital role PreSales plays in shaping product development and ensuring alignment with customer needs. W…

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PreSales Mastery: Elevating Influence Across the Customer Lifecycle w/Julia Lustig 43:44

10M ago43:44

43:44

Hello and welcome to the PreSales podcast, is your host and PreSales Collective general manager Chris Mabry. Today I’m speaking with Julia Lustig, SE Leader at Seismic and Co-Host of the Revenue Circus Podcast. We explore how to create content on Linkedin, the future of solution consulting examining how this role is evolving in response to new chal…

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Beyond the Pitch: Do Technical SCs Have the Upper Hand? w/Dan Hellerman 54:13

10M ago54:13

54:13

Episode Title: The Power of Technical Mastery in PreSales with Dan Hellerman Host: Chris Mabry, General Manager of PreSales Collective Guest: Dan Hellerman, Technology Enthusiast and Co-Founder of Saleo Episode Summary: In this episode, Chris Mabry sits down with Dan Hellerman to discuss the essential role of technical mastery for PreSales professi…

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Mastering Human Skills and Growing into Leadership w/Ron Whitson 42:54

11M ago42:54

42:54

This episode delves into Ron Whitson's career journey as a presales professional, highlighting essential lessons learned along the way. While his technical skills initially secured my role, it was mastering human skills that truly accelerated his success. Episode Takeaways Imposter syndrome never really goes away To excel as a presales professional…

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Extra Credit: PreSales Enablement w/Liz Anderson 41:01

11M ago41:01

41:01

Liz Anderson directs the PreSales Collective Enablement programming, from PreSales Academy through leadership training, channeling her PreSales experience through to world-class programming and facilitation. Liz has well over a decade of experience and PreSales from organizations, large and small, from Slack to startups. Episode Takeaways Presales …

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Product & GTM Gold - Building Incredible Product Feedback Solutions w/Daniel Kish 43:51

11M ago43:51

43:51

Join Chris Mabry and Daniel Kish as they explore Daniel's unique career journey from chemical engineering to product marketing, with experience across military consulting, Salesforce, Gong, and Conveyor. He shares insights on the value of understanding technical details and balancing cost, performance, and time—lessons learned from his Special Forc…

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AI, Automation, and the Future of Sales Engineering w/Patty Hager 39:02

11M ago39:02

39:02

Today, I’m speaking with Patty Hager, Vice President of SMB Solution Engineering at Salesforce, Patty and I discuss AI in Go To Market and presales, we dive into her insight on forecasting the future job of an SE, and much more. Patty is passionate about inclusion in PreSales with her work as a council member of Women in Solutions Excellence PSC an…

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Working Relationships from Strained to Strong w/Matthew James 54:05

12M ago54:05

54:05

Today I speak with Matthew Young James, Senior Solutions Engineer at Codat, a 2024 PSC Ambassador, and the NYC PreSales guy. Cross-departmental relationships are not a choice in our profession, they are a part of everyday life - and I’d argue that they are one of the main reasons we exist We dive into his experience facing challenging relationships…

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Founder Stories: Demo Programs Meet Buyers Where They Are w/Evan Powell 46:22

1y ago46:22

46:22

Today, I’m speaking with Evan Powell, Co-Founder of Reprise. We discuss market trends, where PreSales and Solutions folks can take advantage of the need in GTM today, and he shares his insights from designing enterprise solutions with what he refers to as a Demo Program. I love talking with Evan because he gets it. From D&D to his journey in Sales,…

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Hiring: How to Build an Inclusive Bench w/Diana Cappello 43:57

1y ago43:57

43:57

Today, I’m speaking with Diana Cappello, Director of Solutions Consulting at Eightfold and Founder of Templates for SCs. Diana is a true leader in Solutions, driving professional growth and the conversation in our community around diversity, leadership, and more. Diana has presented at multiple industry conferences and founded her new venture - tem…

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Techie Turbo: Accelerating Personal Achievement through Comms Skills w/David Duffett 53:36

1y ago53:36

53:36

Welcome to the PreSales Podcast. It’s your host and PSC GM, Chris Mabry. Today, I have the privilege of speaking with David Duffett, a Telecom presales engineer who has transitioned into an award-winning speaker and coach. David is the mastermind behind “Let the Geek Speak” and has delivered numerous impactful keynotes to technical sales organizati…

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Founder Stories: Buyer Enablement with Demo Automation w/Akash Bansal 32:23

1y ago32:23

32:23

Welcome to the Presales Podcast. I'm Chris Mabry, your host and PreSales Collective general manager. Today, I spoke with Akash Bensall, founder and COO of Storylane. The title for today's episode is Founder Stories Buyer Enablement with Demo Automation We dive into Akash's journey from his move to America, his experience as a solution engineer, and…

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Coaching for PreSales Leaders w/Ross Rotherham 29:47

1y ago29:47

29:47

Welcome to the PreSales Podcast! Your host and PSC GM, Chris Mabry, speaks with Ross Rotherham, Leadership Coach, PreSales Leader, holistic medicine practitioner, and much more. The title for today's episode is Coaching for PreSales Leaders. We will dive into Ross’s journey from holistic medicine to coaching, defining and differentiating mentoring …

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145. PreSales for Veterans w/Kai Tillman 31:17

1+ y ago31:17

31:17

In this episode of the PreSales Podcast, Chris Mabry speaks with Kai Tillman - Army Veteran, 5x published author, educator, and Senior Solutions Engineer at Atlassian. One of the biggest takeaways is this: Veterans have a unique blend of skills and experiences that equip them to tackle complex challenges easily. They have GRIT and stay steady while…

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144. Enhancing Live Presentations w/Justin McDonald 23:39

1+ y ago23:39

23:39

In this episode of the PreSales Podcast, Chris Mabry and Justin McDonald discuss Justin’s journey from individual contributor to Founder and CEO. We discuss struggles, lessons learned along the way, and tools he developed as an SE that he still uses today as a CEO. Explore the rising significance of live demos in SaaS sales world Discuss how a demo…

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143 Letter to the Community w/Chris Mabry 7:57

1+ y ago7:57

7:57

In this Letter to the Community, I introduce myself to the PreSales community as the new General Manager, giving insight into my backstory as a Solution Consultant and the journey to leading and managing teams. I unpack what I love most about my career and the PreSales Collective: People. The human story of growth, friendship, and potential is what…

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142. Becoming a World-Class SC: Mentoring and Coaching Others (Part 6 of 6) w/Sidney Gomez 32:47

2y ago32:47

32:47

This six-part series is designed to help Solutions Consultants of all experience levels perfect their craft and be the best in their field. Through interviews and case studies with experienced professionals, we’ll unpack real-life stories and get actionable insights into what you can do right now to become a world-class SC. Tune in and discover str…

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141. Becoming a World-Class SC: Developing your External Network (Part 5 of 6) w/Ron Whitson 25:49

2+ y ago25:49

25:49

This six-part series is designed to help Solutions Consultants of all experience levels perfect their craft and be the best in their field. Through interviews and case studies with experienced professionals, we’ll unpack real-life stories and get actionable insights into what you can do right now to become a world-class SC. Tune in and discover str…

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140. Becoming a World-Class SC: Maintaining a Learning Mindset (Part 4 of 6) w/Adam Lazzara 30:37

2+ y ago30:37

30:37

This six-part series is designed to help Solutions Consultants of all experience levels perfect their craft and be the best in their field. Through interviews and case studies with experienced professionals, we’ll unpack real-life stories and get actionable insights into what you can do right now to become a world-class SC. Tune in and discover str…

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139. Becoming a World-Class SC: Gaining Visibility & Broadening Your Impact (Part 3 of 6) w/Maria Lat 31:14

2+ y ago31:14

31:14

This six-part series is designed to help Solutions Consultants of all experience levels perfect their craft and be the best in their field. Through interviews and case studies with experienced professionals, we’ll unpack real-life stories and get actionable insights into what you can do right now to become a world-class SC. Tune in and discover str…

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138. Becoming a World-Class SC: Building Meaningful Relationships (Part 2 of 6) w/ Brandi Anderson 34:51

2+ y ago34:51

34:51

This six-part series is designed to help Solutions Consultants of all experience levels perfect their craft and be the best in their field. Through interviews and case studies with experienced professionals, we’ll unpack real-life stories and get actionable insights into what you can do right now to become a world-class SC. Tune in and discover str…

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137. Becoming a World-Class SC: Pursuing Excellence (Part 1 of 6) w/ Munir Hussein 36:05

2+ y ago36:05

36:05

This six-part series is designed to help Solutions Consultants of all experience levels perfect their craft and be the best in their field. Through interviews and case studies with experienced professionals, we’ll unpack real-life stories and get actionable insights into what you can do right now to become a world-class SC. Tune in and discover str…

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136. Recapping the Year - Plan for 2023 Ahead w/James Kaikis 5:54

2+ y ago5:54

5:54

This week on the PreSales Podcast, James spends a few minutes recapping 2022 and discussing PreSales Collective's strategy for 2023! Don't worry, the PSC Podcast isn't going anywhere, but it is changing to bi-weekly and has some exciting format changes! The data tells us that people listen to every single episode every week so please use this chanc…

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135. CROs Perspective: Unlocking the Solutions Consultant w/Dini Mehta 31:33

2+ y ago31:33

31:33

On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Dini Mehta connect on "CROs Perspective: Unlocking the Solutions Consultant." Dini, Former Chief Revenue Officer at Lattice and Part Time Operator at Operator Collective, discusses how and why she believes Solutions Consulting is a strategic component of the Go-To-Market organization. Dini shares her strate…

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134. State of Diversity Report 2023 w/Shawna James and Cindy Goodwin-Sak 36:48

2+ y ago36:48

36:48

In 2021, the PreSales Collective released a State of Diversity report for the entire PreSales community. This report, with research supported by the Sales Talent Agency, benchmarked diversity metrics in our industry so that we could more fully understand the gender and ethnic makeup of the profession. We committed to putting out a report every year…

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133. Lessons From My First Year in PreSales w/Emmanuel Fadojutimi 35:51

2+ y ago35:51

35:51

On the PreSales Podcast, Mattie and Emmanuel Fadajutimi connect on "Lessons From My First Year in PreSales" Emmanuel, Solutions Engineer at Hubspot, talks about the realities of what’s like to be an early-career SC, lessons he’s learned over the past year, and what it means to have a learner mindset regardless of where you are in your career.…

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132. Why Mentorship Matters w/Gizelle Panton and Allison Macalik Tibbits 40:21

2+ y ago40:21

40:21

On the PreSales Podcast, Mattie Stremic connects with Allison Macalik and Gizelle Panton to discuss why “Mentorship Matters." Allison Macalik, Lead Solutions Engineer and Team Lead at Salesforce, and Gizelle Panton, Solutions Engineer at LinkedIn, share about their mentorship relationship, how to successfully mentor, and the importance of mentorshi…

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131. PreSales Performance - Metrics That Matter w/Jeff Stewart 39:28

2+ y ago39:28

39:28

On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Jeff Stewart connect on "PreSales Performance – Metrics That Matter." Jeff, Field CTO and Vice President, Global Solutions Engineering at SolarWinds, talks about what the PreSales Metrics are that truly highlight the impact of Solutions on the business. Jeff highlights how he looks at Team and Individual Pe…

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130. Running PreSales like a Business w/Meghan Noel 37:51

2+ y ago37:51

37:51

On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Meghan Noel connect on "Running PreSales like a Business." Meghan, Global Vice President of PreSales at Amplitude, talks about the critical business drivers to ensure your Solutions team is elevated within your organization. Meghan shares why ensuring our profession is viewed as true revenue drivers is more…

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129. Building a Solutions Academy w/Akanksha Sehgal 29:07

2+ y ago29:07

29:07

On the PreSales Podcast, Mattie Stremic and Akanksha Sehgal connect on "Building a Solutions Academy." Akanksha, Director of Global Solution Engineering at VMware, discusses the importance of entry-level or academy programs and provides tactical advice on how to build an academy program. Learn More about PreSales Academy: www.presalesacademy.com…

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128. Closing Eight-Figure Deals w/Jamal Reimer 31:38

2+ y ago31:38

31:38

On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Jamel Reimer connect on "Closing Eight-Figure Deals." Jamal, Author of Mega Deal Secrets and Founder of the Enterprise Sellers Community, talks about his experience closing multiple $50,000,000+ deals. Jamal, a former Account Executive and Sales Leader turned Community Leader, has the unique expertise in cl…

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127. The Intriguing Similarities between Professional Athletes and Solutions Professionals w/Paul Harris 31:39

2+ y ago31:39

31:39

On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Paul Harris connect on "The Intriguing Similarities between Professional Athletes and Solutions Professionals." Paul, Principal Solution Architect at Loftware & PreSales Collective Ambassador, talks about how PreSales onboarding and development should be treated like top athletes. Paul discusses that develo…

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126. Meet the PreSales Academy Team with Winny Delcin and Nina Berger 32:07

3y ago32:07

32:07

On the PreSales Podcast, Mattie Stremic hosts Winny Delcin and Nina Berger on the topic of “Meet the PreSales Academy Team.” Winny, Training Program Manager, and Nina, Career Services Manager, are two of the newest members of the PreSales Collective team and are heavily involved in the day-to-day of PreSales Academy. In this episode, we learn more …

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125. Two Years & 125 Episodes Later: A Conversation with James Kaikis 38:14

3y ago38:14

38:14

On the PreSales Podcast, Mattie Stremic connects with James Kaikis to discuss “Two Years & 125 Episodes Later”. The podcast has experienced incredible success over the last several years with almost 167,000 listens, an immense amount of topics, and guests from all around the world. For this episode, Mattie asked James to discuss the history of this…

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124. How a Buyer Enablement Approach to Deal Review Improves Forecasting w/Garin Hess 31:09

3y ago31:09

31:09

On the PreSales Podcast, James Kaikis and Garin Hess connect on "How a Buyer Enablement Approach to Deal Review Improves Forecasting." Garin, Author of Selling Is Hard. Buying Is Harder: How Buyer Enablement Drives Digital Sales and Shortens the Sales Cycle and CEO/Founder of Consensus, discusses how sales teams need to make buying easier by equipp…