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The role of Solutions Consulting is evolving rapidly, and the PreSales Collective
recently hosted a webinar to explore how the profession is transforming in 2025. Our expert panel featured Bill Balnave (VP of Technical Solutions at Mezmo), Chris Mabry (VP of Solutions and Partnerships at Reprise), Katy Aronoff (Director, Solutions Consulting at Clarivate), and Katie Sedgwick (Solution Consulting Executive). These industry leaders shared their insights on the changing landscape of presales and provided practical advice for professionals looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Moving Beyond Single-Threaded Influence

The panel emphasized that presales professionals need to expand their influence beyond traditional boundaries. As Chris Mabry noted: 

"What I'm pushing for is presales influence to be tied to think like board level metrics like customer acquisition costs, gross revenue retention, pipeline generation." 

This shift represents a fundamental change in how presales teams position themselves within organizations. Rather than focusing solely on technical demonstrations and product expertise, successful presales professionals are now expected to understand and impact key business metrics. This evolution requires developing a deeper understanding of business operations, financial metrics, and strategic planning. Teams that make this transition effectively find themselves better positioned to influence strategic decisions and drive organizational success.

Blurring Lines Between Pre and Post-Sales

A significant shift is occurring in how organizations view the pre and post-sales divide. Katie Sedgwick highlighted this transformation:

"The line or the boundary of this is presales, this is post sales... that line is becoming blurred."

This shift reflects a growing focus on customer adoption and retention, not just acquisition. Organizations are recognizing that the expertise of presales professionals can be valuable throughout the entire customer lifecycle. This change is particularly evident in cloud-based companies where customer retention and expansion are critical to business success. Presales teams are increasingly involved in customer success initiatives, adoption strategies, and renewal discussions, leveraging their deep product and industry knowledge to ensure long-term customer success.

Evolving from Product Expert to Domain Advisor

The panel stressed the importance of positioning yourself as more than just a product specialist. Katie Sedgwick emphasized this mindset shift: 

"I would encourage everyone to really think about where do you feel like your expertise is and where do you want to grow your expertise and then how do you become known by that."

This evolution requires presales professionals to develop a broader understanding of their industry, market trends, and customer challenges. The most successful presales professionals are now positioning themselves as trusted advisors who can guide customers through complex business transformations. This involves staying current with industry developments, understanding competitive landscapes, and being able to translate technical capabilities into business value.

Expanding Responsibilities in Pipeline Generation

Presales teams are increasingly taking on pipeline generation responsibilities. Katie Sedgwick shared that SAP had already implemented this change: 

"We actually had a KPI for demand generation... really had to think about how could we embrace a problem solving attitude with this."

This shift acknowledges the unique position presales professionals hold in building credible relationships with technical buyers. By leveraging their technical expertise and industry knowledge, presales teams can identify and qualify opportunities more effectively than traditional sales channels. This expanded responsibility also allows presales to shape the quality of the pipeline, ensuring better alignment between customer needs and solution capabilities.

Key Advice for Presales Professionals in 2025

The panel offered several practical recommendations for success in the evolving landscape:

1. "Learn and ask your executives what they care about," advised Chris Mabry, emphasizing the importance of understanding business objectives. This involves regularly engaging with leadership, understanding corporate strategies, and aligning presales activities with broader business goals. Success in 2025 requires presales professionals to think and act more strategically, connecting their daily activities to key business metrics.

2. Katy Aronoff stressed the importance of "learning to ask good questions and to be a good listener" while having the confidence to "ask for what you want." This skill becomes increasingly critical as presales roles expand beyond technical demonstrations. Effective questioning and listening skills help uncover underlying business challenges and build stronger customer relationships. Additionally, being able to advocate for resources and support is essential for career growth and team success.

3. Katie Sedgwick encouraged continuous learning: "Pick at least one thing you want to learn this year... lean into that." The rapidly evolving technology landscape makes continuous learning essential. This could involve developing new technical skills, improving business acumen, or gaining expertise in emerging technologies like AI and machine learning. Professional development should be viewed as an ongoing journey rather than a destination.

Looking Ahead

As Bill Balnave noted, "The future for solutions consulting is going to just get bigger and broader and more exciting." The role is evolving from technical demonstrator to strategic advisor, requiring presales professionals to develop broader business acumen and stronger advisory capabilities. This transformation presents both challenges and opportunities for presales professionals. Success in 2025 and beyond will require a commitment to continuous learning, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive value across the entire customer lifecycle. Organizations that enable and support this evolution of the presales role will find themselves better positioned to compete in an increasingly complex marketplace.

The most successful presales professionals will be those who can effectively balance technical expertise with business acumen, maintain strong relationships across organizational boundaries, and consistently deliver value throughout the customer journey. This evolution represents a significant opportunity for presales professionals to increase their impact and advance their careers.

Watch the webinar here!

Be sure to check out our event calendar so you don't miss the next PSC webinar.

Special thanks to Reprise for sponsoring this webinar.

Unlock this content by joining the PreSales Collective with global community with 20,000+ professionals
Read this content here ↗

The role of Solutions Consulting is evolving rapidly, and the PreSales Collective
recently hosted a webinar to explore how the profession is transforming in 2025. Our expert panel featured Bill Balnave (VP of Technical Solutions at Mezmo), Chris Mabry (VP of Solutions and Partnerships at Reprise), Katy Aronoff (Director, Solutions Consulting at Clarivate), and Katie Sedgwick (Solution Consulting Executive). These industry leaders shared their insights on the changing landscape of presales and provided practical advice for professionals looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Moving Beyond Single-Threaded Influence

The panel emphasized that presales professionals need to expand their influence beyond traditional boundaries. As Chris Mabry noted: 

"What I'm pushing for is presales influence to be tied to think like board level metrics like customer acquisition costs, gross revenue retention, pipeline generation." 

This shift represents a fundamental change in how presales teams position themselves within organizations. Rather than focusing solely on technical demonstrations and product expertise, successful presales professionals are now expected to understand and impact key business metrics. This evolution requires developing a deeper understanding of business operations, financial metrics, and strategic planning. Teams that make this transition effectively find themselves better positioned to influence strategic decisions and drive organizational success.

Blurring Lines Between Pre and Post-Sales

A significant shift is occurring in how organizations view the pre and post-sales divide. Katie Sedgwick highlighted this transformation:

"The line or the boundary of this is presales, this is post sales... that line is becoming blurred."

This shift reflects a growing focus on customer adoption and retention, not just acquisition. Organizations are recognizing that the expertise of presales professionals can be valuable throughout the entire customer lifecycle. This change is particularly evident in cloud-based companies where customer retention and expansion are critical to business success. Presales teams are increasingly involved in customer success initiatives, adoption strategies, and renewal discussions, leveraging their deep product and industry knowledge to ensure long-term customer success.

Evolving from Product Expert to Domain Advisor

The panel stressed the importance of positioning yourself as more than just a product specialist. Katie Sedgwick emphasized this mindset shift: 

"I would encourage everyone to really think about where do you feel like your expertise is and where do you want to grow your expertise and then how do you become known by that."

This evolution requires presales professionals to develop a broader understanding of their industry, market trends, and customer challenges. The most successful presales professionals are now positioning themselves as trusted advisors who can guide customers through complex business transformations. This involves staying current with industry developments, understanding competitive landscapes, and being able to translate technical capabilities into business value.

Expanding Responsibilities in Pipeline Generation

Presales teams are increasingly taking on pipeline generation responsibilities. Katie Sedgwick shared that SAP had already implemented this change: 

"We actually had a KPI for demand generation... really had to think about how could we embrace a problem solving attitude with this."

This shift acknowledges the unique position presales professionals hold in building credible relationships with technical buyers. By leveraging their technical expertise and industry knowledge, presales teams can identify and qualify opportunities more effectively than traditional sales channels. This expanded responsibility also allows presales to shape the quality of the pipeline, ensuring better alignment between customer needs and solution capabilities.

Key Advice for Presales Professionals in 2025

The panel offered several practical recommendations for success in the evolving landscape:

1. "Learn and ask your executives what they care about," advised Chris Mabry, emphasizing the importance of understanding business objectives. This involves regularly engaging with leadership, understanding corporate strategies, and aligning presales activities with broader business goals. Success in 2025 requires presales professionals to think and act more strategically, connecting their daily activities to key business metrics.

2. Katy Aronoff stressed the importance of "learning to ask good questions and to be a good listener" while having the confidence to "ask for what you want." This skill becomes increasingly critical as presales roles expand beyond technical demonstrations. Effective questioning and listening skills help uncover underlying business challenges and build stronger customer relationships. Additionally, being able to advocate for resources and support is essential for career growth and team success.

3. Katie Sedgwick encouraged continuous learning: "Pick at least one thing you want to learn this year... lean into that." The rapidly evolving technology landscape makes continuous learning essential. This could involve developing new technical skills, improving business acumen, or gaining expertise in emerging technologies like AI and machine learning. Professional development should be viewed as an ongoing journey rather than a destination.

Looking Ahead

As Bill Balnave noted, "The future for solutions consulting is going to just get bigger and broader and more exciting." The role is evolving from technical demonstrator to strategic advisor, requiring presales professionals to develop broader business acumen and stronger advisory capabilities. This transformation presents both challenges and opportunities for presales professionals. Success in 2025 and beyond will require a commitment to continuous learning, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive value across the entire customer lifecycle. Organizations that enable and support this evolution of the presales role will find themselves better positioned to compete in an increasingly complex marketplace.

The most successful presales professionals will be those who can effectively balance technical expertise with business acumen, maintain strong relationships across organizational boundaries, and consistently deliver value throughout the customer journey. This evolution represents a significant opportunity for presales professionals to increase their impact and advance their careers.

Watch the webinar here!

Be sure to check out our event calendar so you don't miss the next PSC webinar.

Special thanks to Reprise for sponsoring this webinar.

Unlock this content by joining the PreSales Leadership Collective! An exclusive community dedicated to PreSales leaders.
Read this content here ↗

The role of Solutions Consulting is evolving rapidly, and the PreSales Collective
recently hosted a webinar to explore how the profession is transforming in 2025. Our expert panel featured Bill Balnave (VP of Technical Solutions at Mezmo), Chris Mabry (VP of Solutions and Partnerships at Reprise), Katy Aronoff (Director, Solutions Consulting at Clarivate), and Katie Sedgwick (Solution Consulting Executive). These industry leaders shared their insights on the changing landscape of presales and provided practical advice for professionals looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Moving Beyond Single-Threaded Influence

The panel emphasized that presales professionals need to expand their influence beyond traditional boundaries. As Chris Mabry noted: 

"What I'm pushing for is presales influence to be tied to think like board level metrics like customer acquisition costs, gross revenue retention, pipeline generation." 

This shift represents a fundamental change in how presales teams position themselves within organizations. Rather than focusing solely on technical demonstrations and product expertise, successful presales professionals are now expected to understand and impact key business metrics. This evolution requires developing a deeper understanding of business operations, financial metrics, and strategic planning. Teams that make this transition effectively find themselves better positioned to influence strategic decisions and drive organizational success.

Blurring Lines Between Pre and Post-Sales

A significant shift is occurring in how organizations view the pre and post-sales divide. Katie Sedgwick highlighted this transformation:

"The line or the boundary of this is presales, this is post sales... that line is becoming blurred."

This shift reflects a growing focus on customer adoption and retention, not just acquisition. Organizations are recognizing that the expertise of presales professionals can be valuable throughout the entire customer lifecycle. This change is particularly evident in cloud-based companies where customer retention and expansion are critical to business success. Presales teams are increasingly involved in customer success initiatives, adoption strategies, and renewal discussions, leveraging their deep product and industry knowledge to ensure long-term customer success.

Evolving from Product Expert to Domain Advisor

The panel stressed the importance of positioning yourself as more than just a product specialist. Katie Sedgwick emphasized this mindset shift: 

"I would encourage everyone to really think about where do you feel like your expertise is and where do you want to grow your expertise and then how do you become known by that."

This evolution requires presales professionals to develop a broader understanding of their industry, market trends, and customer challenges. The most successful presales professionals are now positioning themselves as trusted advisors who can guide customers through complex business transformations. This involves staying current with industry developments, understanding competitive landscapes, and being able to translate technical capabilities into business value.

Expanding Responsibilities in Pipeline Generation

Presales teams are increasingly taking on pipeline generation responsibilities. Katie Sedgwick shared that SAP had already implemented this change: 

"We actually had a KPI for demand generation... really had to think about how could we embrace a problem solving attitude with this."

This shift acknowledges the unique position presales professionals hold in building credible relationships with technical buyers. By leveraging their technical expertise and industry knowledge, presales teams can identify and qualify opportunities more effectively than traditional sales channels. This expanded responsibility also allows presales to shape the quality of the pipeline, ensuring better alignment between customer needs and solution capabilities.

Key Advice for Presales Professionals in 2025

The panel offered several practical recommendations for success in the evolving landscape:

1. "Learn and ask your executives what they care about," advised Chris Mabry, emphasizing the importance of understanding business objectives. This involves regularly engaging with leadership, understanding corporate strategies, and aligning presales activities with broader business goals. Success in 2025 requires presales professionals to think and act more strategically, connecting their daily activities to key business metrics.

2. Katy Aronoff stressed the importance of "learning to ask good questions and to be a good listener" while having the confidence to "ask for what you want." This skill becomes increasingly critical as presales roles expand beyond technical demonstrations. Effective questioning and listening skills help uncover underlying business challenges and build stronger customer relationships. Additionally, being able to advocate for resources and support is essential for career growth and team success.

3. Katie Sedgwick encouraged continuous learning: "Pick at least one thing you want to learn this year... lean into that." The rapidly evolving technology landscape makes continuous learning essential. This could involve developing new technical skills, improving business acumen, or gaining expertise in emerging technologies like AI and machine learning. Professional development should be viewed as an ongoing journey rather than a destination.

Looking Ahead

As Bill Balnave noted, "The future for solutions consulting is going to just get bigger and broader and more exciting." The role is evolving from technical demonstrator to strategic advisor, requiring presales professionals to develop broader business acumen and stronger advisory capabilities. This transformation presents both challenges and opportunities for presales professionals. Success in 2025 and beyond will require a commitment to continuous learning, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive value across the entire customer lifecycle. Organizations that enable and support this evolution of the presales role will find themselves better positioned to compete in an increasingly complex marketplace.

The most successful presales professionals will be those who can effectively balance technical expertise with business acumen, maintain strong relationships across organizational boundaries, and consistently deliver value throughout the customer journey. This evolution represents a significant opportunity for presales professionals to increase their impact and advance their careers.

Watch the webinar here!

Be sure to check out our event calendar so you don't miss the next PSC webinar.

Special thanks to Reprise for sponsoring this webinar.

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