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The latest episode of Presales Podcast featured an illuminating conversation with Ben Pearce, Founder of Elevated You, who shared his expertise on how technical professionals can effectively communicate with senior executives. Hosted by Jack Cochran, General Manager of Presales Collective, and Matthew James, the episode explored the critical shift from demonstrating technical expertise to delivering executive-relevant value.
Listen to the full episode now!
The Three-Pillar Framework
Ben outlined his simple but effective three-part approach to executive communication:
1. Relevance: Are you addressing what actually matters to this specific executive? This requires research, understanding their pain points, and speaking their language.
2. Compelling Content: Based on your relevance research, create materials that resonate. This might include targeted stories, ROI analyses, or industry-specific examples.
3. Excellent Delivery: Can you perform under pressure? This is where practice, rehearsal, and most importantly a high-performance mindset come into play.
The Graphic Equalizer Approach
One of Ben’s most practical metaphors was thinking about executive communication like adjusting a graphic equalizer. "Slide up a bit of what, slide up a bit of why and a lot less how," he advised.
This focus on the what and the why doesn’t mean eliminating technical depth entirely. You still need to showcase your competence, but you need to adjust how you do that especially for an executive audience. A CEO needs different information than a CTO, who needs different information than someone who is going to be using a solution from day to day.
From Practice to Performance
Jack made a crucial distinction that many technical professionals miss: the difference between preparation and practice. "Most of the time, all we're doing is the prep without the practice," he observed, drawing parallels to athletes who train fundamentals before game-specific preparation.
You can’t ignore one or the other. In presales we often omit both, and rarely is there any practice. You need both general preparation (developing reusable content for common personas and industries) and specific preparation and practice (tailoring for the particular meeting and stakeholder, and rehearsing).
The 90-Second Reality
Perhaps the most sobering insight came from Ben’s observation about executive attention spans: "I remember very well some senior leaders that I reckon I could keep control maximum 90 seconds and then they would butt in and now it's their meeting."
This reality demands what he calls "hitting them between the eyes." lead with your most impactful message immediately rather than building up to it. As Matthew noted, this requires confidence to stake a flag in the ground, even if it means risking being corrected.
Reading the Room in Real Time
The discussion emphasized the importance of starting with curiosity rather than presentation. Ben advocates for beginning meetings with targeted questions that help you understand:
- What language the executive uses (sports metaphors, financial terms, etc.)
- What their immediate priorities are
- Whether your prepared message aligns with their current thinking
This approach allows for real-time course correction which would be impossible with a rigid presentation format.
The Human Advantage in an AI World
Pearce raised a provocative point about the future of technical roles in an AI-driven world: "Their entire career is around the expertise they have, because that can be replicated pretty quickly by AI."
However, he sees this as an opportunity rather than a threat for those who develop strong communication skills. "What is AI really bad at doing? It's really bad at holding a room, making people smile, engaging, giving tough messaging," he noted.
The combination of technical expertise and human communication skills becomes a powerful differentiator when working with customers and prospects. This can set you apart, especially when executives are evaluating not just solutions, but the risk of partnering with your organization.
Practical Takeaways
The episode offered several actionable insights for technical professionals:
Before the Meeting:
- Map your common personas and industries to create reusable, high-quality content
- Use AI tools for researching executive pain points and industry challenges
- Practice with business-oriented colleagues for feedback
- Prepare targeted questions that demonstrate understanding rather than generic discovery
During the Meeting:
- Lead with impact within the first 90 seconds
- Start with curiosity to understand their current mindset
- Mirror their language and adjust your message accordingly
- Focus on what and why, with minimal how
Building Long-term Skills:
- Invest in human communication skills as much as technical expertise
- Practice regularly, not just before big meetings
- Develop a high-performance mindset for pressure situations
- Create shared resources with your team to elevate everyone's game
The Bottom Line
As Ben Pearce emphasized in his closing thoughts, the technical skills that got many professionals to where they are today may not be sufficient for future success. "I genuinely think that the human skills of people in tech have been under-invested in for years," he observed.
The fusion of technical expertise with executive communication skills is becoming essential for career advancement and business success. As AI handles more routine technical tasks, the ability to engage senior leaders, build trust, and communicate value becomes the ultimate differentiator.
For technical professionals ready to make this transition, the path is clear: shift from proving you're an expert to proving you're relevant, and from demonstrating what you know to solving what matters most to your executive audience.
Presales LIVE airs every other Tuesday at 8 AM Pacific, 11 AM Eastern, 4 PM GMT. Join the Presales Collective Slack community at presalescollective.com/slack to stay updated on future episodes, and follow the PSC LinkedIn page for upcoming shows.
