Presales plays an important role in an organization beyond just booking meetings and editing proposals. It requires energy, enthusiasm, and passion around the clock to understand customers, gain domain knowledge, know competitors, own the bid management process, and effectively manage customer visits. The role requires both marketing and sales skills to differentiate services, build branding, and fuel the presales engine to help drive sales. Presales representatives must read extensively, understand customers' needs and budgets, map solutions to requirements, and make customers feel important through effective visit management.

1. What is Presales? Why is it important for my Organization?If you want an answer continue reading….

2. Old school of Thought…. Presales is only.. Booking conference rooms and telephone calls Editing the proposals, correcting the spelling mistakes !!!! Improving the color combination of some body else’s ppt Carrying laptop and working from home

3. Today, Presales is gaining importance and the deserved recognition as never before…

4. Presales Gamut…. Energy This is not 9:00 to 5:00 job Energy level should be at peak even at 2:00 am Enthusiasm Treat every Bid as your first Bid Passion Believe in the power of branding Customize the collateral and case studies Knowledge Read, Read and Read..understand why your customer is here

5. Working Backstage Gain Domain knowledge Market dynamics Market Size Major players Understanding the customer R&D budget Existing Vendors Market share Customer’s customer Pain points Know your competitors Their customers Revenue Services and solutions Director and not an Actor

7. Bid Management Respond to RFIs/ RFPs Do your homework- understand the customer requirement Connect to the relevant stake holders Consolidate the response and review Make sure it looks as a single response and not multiple responses Checklist- Map the requirement to the solution proposed Owning the BID

8. Customer Visit Management Making the best use of customer visit Get insight into their current vendors, their opinion about your competitors, their R&D spend, how much do they outsource etc…(be diplomatic while asking these questions) Display energy and enthusiasm Make him/ her feel important Do not burden the customer with gyan, believe in walkthroughs Do not be a visit coordinator “Manage” the visit and hold the thread! Knowing the Customer

9. PRESALES can be turned into an efficient SALES engine, you just have to know how to fuel it! Summary…

10. Thank youAll your comments/ suggestions are welcome! Reach me atshripriya.subramanian@gmail.com