Hunters and Unicorns

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - Adam Aarons #018

“Great leaders make great teams. There are great sales reps in the world, and they are absolutely a key component, but they work for great leaders - you need great leadership to build great teams.”  - Adam Aarons

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies. In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. Discover how thirty-three sales execs from one organisation, BladeLogic, became CXOs in the world’s 100 fastest growing technology companies. We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most prolific sales leaders in the industry.

Episode 18 features Adam Aarons, Independent Field Operations Executive, Advisor and Investor. A software-as-a-service veteran, Adam has spent his career focused on the deployment of cloud infrastructure, SaaS, and enterprise solutions and has over 20 years of experience in this industry. He started out selling knives for Cutco Cutlery in the 90’s where he immediately discovered his flair for process-driven sales and became a “student of the game”. It was during a Cutco sales pitch to John McMahon’s wife that Adam’s unique ability to sell caught the attention of the legendary sales leader himself - John purchased the “Homemaker + Set” and offered him a job on the spot. Determined to finish college, Adam turned him down but pledged that if ever John were to call in the future, he would go. After great success at Cutco, John McMahon hired Adam as a Sales Representative at PTC where he was a consistent top revenue producer and over-achiever. He then went on to hold leadership positions at Agile Software, OpenPages, BladeLogic, BMC Software (where revenues under his purview grew more than 300 percent) and later joined Okta, Inc. where he served as Chief Revenue Officer and grew revenue from $1 million to more than $300 million, eventually leading the team through an IPO in March 2017. Now in an advisory role at Classy.org, Adam is enjoying doing exactly what he loves - building great sales organizations and doing great things for the world in the process. “I like to make things simple. The beauty of what I bring to the enterprise is, I have a way to simplify the sale. I do that through figuring out the fastest, best, easiest ways to sell into an organization, and then map that to a sales process and refine it. It's an ever-growing, breathing thing, and as you scale, you have to grow and change with that process.” Under John McMahon’s mentorship at PTC, Adam learnt the playbook and followed the processes as part of a team, “High tides raise all boats” and there were no mercenaries – everyone worked together for the good of the company and Adam thrived in a competitive environment centred around meritocracy and overachieving. He devoted himself to the “tried and true” methodologies, learnt the “recipe” to great success and began to apply it wherever he went, building processes around it, finding ways to apply it to the masses, and using it to scale businesses at an unprecedented rate. “The ticket is expensive to play in this game. It's a high bar and you have to be fully dedicated to it. You didn't just say these things to your team, you lived it, because you have to lead from the front, and it has to be authentic. You ask people to do extraordinary things and it takes extraordinary people to be successful in these roles. You have to be willing to lead from the front to do that.” In this vodcast you will discover: How Adam worked his way up from selling knives to becoming a leader and advisor for world-leading organisations. How the environment and culture at PTC shaped Adam’s career. Adam’s Playbook elements– a breakdown of the key pillars that have enabled his success in the industry. Making sacrifices to be successful – how to get the work-life balance right when you’re fully dedicated to your role. With a mantra of, “Be the very best we can be as a team”, Adam leads from the front with a willingness to grow and change. He is part of a “movement” of people who were together because they wanted to do great things and his incredible career and current position in life is a testament to that. We discuss Adam’s deep experience in this cut-throat industry, his enduring commitment to playbook, and ask, “Does the hunter make the unicorn?” This extensive discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space.

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Phil Pergola #004

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took over as the Head of Sales within BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the golden standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

Episode 4 features Phil Pergola, Global Customer Success Leader for Success 360 at VMWare Success 360. Phil started his career as a Senior Consultant at Accenture and was originally introduced to some of the future leaders of BladeLogic when he moved to become Director and Solutions Architect at Eggrock Partners in 1999. Proving himself in this role, he stood out as a key player who could assist and add value to a pioneering SaaS start-up and was approached to join the founding team at BladeLogic in 2002 as DirectorHead of Client Services. From there began Phil’s upward career trajectory of strategic transitions and professional advancements that have led him to become the accomplished enterprise software leader that he is today. 

“At the end of the day, what I’ve found in my career is that diversity of experience is huge because every role that I go to, I'm even better because of the diverse experience that I've had and the perspective that I can bring to those roles.” 

With a process-centric mindset and a background in enterprise SaaS, Phil already had many of the foundational skills he needed to tackle challenges and solve problems whilst simultaneously building Professional Services and Support divisions at a start-up experiencing huge growth. However, a new era of innovation within the software space transpired as a result of the thought leaders at BladeLogic. In order to succeed in his role there, Phil needed to develop new skills. Under the leadership of Steve Strachan and John McMahon, Phil learnt and mastered the sales playbook.  He was not only taught how to sell and scale a global organisation, but also how to incorporate this methodology into his practice areas, enabling him to take his professional development to a new level.  

“It's one thing to read a book on methodologies but it's another thing to experience it and really learn how to apply it. You don't learn how to drive a car by reading a manual. You learn to drive a car through hours of experience and making mistakes, and I think the experience of working with those leaders was profound in my ability to not only apply that, but also refine my craft.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• How MEDDIC methodologies can enhance your career in Professional Services or Customer Success 
• How Phil is defining the Customer Success playbook for the next generation 
• Phil’s role at VMWare and the importance of Customer Success to subscription and SaaS business 
• The role of diversity in delivering a positive experience for customers 

 

Phil Pergola understands exactly how to drive positive business outcomes across the entire customer lifecycle. His diverse background of engagement with the expansion and development of systems and processes in world-class SaaS organisations is a testament to his versatility and readiness to constantly adapt. We discuss the pillars of Phil’s playbook, what advice he would give to anyone considering a role in Customer Success and find out which technology or area of innovation he thinks is going to have the biggest impact on business in the next decade. This in-depth discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for making customers successful withthe technology space. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Tim Fessenden #010

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales. 

When John McMahon took over as the Head of Sales within BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the golden standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world. 

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management. 

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

Episode 10 features Tim Fessenden, President at Propertybase. Tim has over 20 years of SaaS and enterprise software experience and a proven track record of effective leadership at fast-moving, global SaaS-based software companies. Prior to joining Propertybase, Tim was Vice President of Products at Yottaa, a SaaS-eCommerce acceleration platform, and previously held senior positions including General Manager at BMC Software, and Director of Sales Engineering & Product Management at BladeLogic. Tim originally joined the founders of BladeLogic in 2001 to grow a services practice but quickly transitioned to become a key player in the development of their initial product and customer base. His professional achievements and career progression have led him to become the versatile leader that he is today, driving the next stage of development at the world’s leading real estate software platform.  

“I never thought of myself as a technologist. I thought of myself as an intelligent businessperson looking at large macroeconomic shifts and figuring out who were going to be the winners and who were going to be the losers. I saw technology as a clear tailwind in the market, so I said, how do I get there? I never had any training in technology, I just identified that that was the place I wanted to live and breathe.” 

With an innate ability to look at situations through a macroscopic lens, as well always engaging with the customer experience, Tim was already practicing some of the key principles of John Kaplan’s value framework even before being introduced to a physical playbook.  Therefore, when the extensive training and methodologies were implemented at BladeLogic, Tim naturally stepped into a leadership position. Owning the roadmap and being able to communicate the WHY behind what was being built allowed Tim to train, enable and strategically position sales engineers to execute the product strategy and generate revenue faster than ever before. He understood the importance of technical depth through the sales process and became a translation engine, bridging communication gaps between all functions and building the foundations for his future career.  

“A lot of people have a myopic view of just the part that impacts them, but we all know that it's a continuum - if you push in one area, it's going to pop in the other. It’s all interconnected. A discussion around pain ultimately needs to translate to something actionable on the back end and vice versa, if something is innovative on the backend, you need to make sure that that message gets out on the front end. That translation engine is the number one thing I hang my hat on and the most important thing that's attributed to my success.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• Building BladeLogic from the ground up – Tim’s experiences in the early days of product development 
• The key personality traits that enable transition from presales into management and leadership  
• The transformative effect of the playbook and how this propelled Tim’s career into leadership 
• How to scale an organisation by leading with the WHY 

Fluent in the language of value, Tim Fessenden is a strategic leader who knows from experience what it takes to build a sales machine to grow revenue. With a mindset attuned to innovation, Tim has learnt the value of customer engagement and his playbook reflects his primary focus on the WHY - what are we doing here and why will people buy? We discuss his journey through the ranks from Software Consultant to President at Propertybase and find out which area of innovation he thinks will have the biggest impact on business over the next decade. A wide-ranging discussion steeped in valuable advice, this episode is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Diwakar Prabhakar #007

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took the reins at BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the gold standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

 

Episode 7 features Diwakar Prabhakar, Vice President of Solutions Consulting at Sprinklr. With over 20 years of experience scaling diverse teams for high growth companies in the SaaS industry, Diwakar is a presales powerhouse. Working with global software leaders including BladeLogic, BMC, Medallia and AppDynamics, Diwakar has built an impressive career portfolio and has continually developed his skills to progress from unpacking boxes as a Customer Support Engineer straight out of college, to using his experience and credibility to drive and evolve business as Vice President of Solutions Consulting at the world’s leading Customer Experience Management platform. 

“Revenue is a really good indicator of how well the company and the product is doing. I would almost say that the technology is secondary. It's about the value that you can deliver, but the real proof is, are they willing to write the cheque? I think the revenue, the value and the technology are all of equal importance.” 

With enough IP operations experience to let the customer know "I've been in your shoes before", Diwakar brought an abundance of credibility and experience when he joined the BladeLogic pre-sales org. He was skilled in his field and confident in the product, but he soon realised that it was going to take more than a technological solution to win deals. For customers to buy the BladeLogic product in higher quantities, Diwakar recognised the need for enhancing the sales approach. Following the high-profile appointments of Steve Strachan and John McMahon, the thorough implementation of the MEDDIC framework began. At this point he realised “the process around selling the technology is more important than the technology itself.” Diwakar witnessed a huge upward trajectory from his continuously improving ability to communicate value, find pain points and build champions. He attached himself to critical business needs and has continued to trust, develop and adapt these core playbook principles throughout his career. This has enabled him to drive revenue and scale organisations at an astonishing rate. 

“It's the drive, the desire to learn, the ability to take risks and being honest with yourself about what you know and what you don't know. No one at Medallia ever confused me for a subject matter expert. Every one of those 85 SEs that I hired knew more about the industry than I did. I learned from them and I wasn't embarrassed to admit that I didn't know much about the industry. So, be honest about what you don't know and willing to put in the effort, I think goes a long way.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• The early days of BladeLogic - how the playbook transformed the company and defined Diwakar’s career  
• How to adjust the playbook to fit new organisations and industries 
• Diwakar’s transparent approach to recruitment and advice for anyone entering the world of pre-sales 
• The vital importance of a strong relationship between sales and pre-sales 

 

Leading with transparency and integrity, Diwakar Prabhakar is an expert in building high performing, adaptable presales teams that can drive revenue in an industry that continues to innovate at an ever-increasing pace. We discuss his career path, lessons he has learnt, his recruitment strategy and ask him what area of technology or innovation he thinks will have the biggest impact on business over the next decade. This insightful discussion brings a new perspective to our understanding of pre-sales and is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for technology. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Frank Lamprea #002

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took over as the Head of Sales within BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the golden standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

Episode 2 features Frank Lamprea, Sales Engineering Leader at ThoughtSpot. Frank started his journey into presales at BladeLogic in 2006, having originally built his career in the end-user space. His adaptability, deep-rooted passion for technology and profound insight into the customer experience gave him the raw materials he needed to enter and evolve in a pioneering, high-growth, aggressive software space, and subsequently launch an incredible career trajectory. With a consistent focus on progression and “sharpening the sword”, Frank has continued to excel in this field, climbing the ranks as part of world class sales teams.  He has played key roles in the growth of market leaders including BMC, AppDynamics and most recently, ThoughtSpot. 

“Most successful presales people have an interesting mix of skills that makes them who they are. You need that mix of technical expertise and a good set of soft skills, communication skills, savviness with the business and an ability to build champions and connect with people.” 

In a powerful sales organization built on rigor and methodology, and surrounded by like-minded individuals, Frank wanted to win. He recognised that the only marker for success in this industry is performance. His technical expertise already equipped him with the skills required to make it as an engineer, but the training and ground-breaking approach to presales enablement at BladeLogic added new dimensions to the role. This enabled him to optimise and expand his skills, establishing foundations to support his development into the multifaceted leader he is today. 

“There are two ways that sales engineers are categorized - you're either a tool or you're a partner. Unfortunately, a lot of companies treat sales engineers as a tool. I've always strived to have it be a partnership of equals and I think big part of why we would win at BladeLogic is that we maximized the value of the resources that we had by developing relationships like that and by not letting somebody be idle when they could be contributing.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• Which aspects of MEDDIC are most beneficial in presales 
• The mindset and methodology required to build and scale high-performance pre-sales teams 
• Hiring right - the importance of recruitment and how to find the right people for your company 
• How to prepare for a change of rank or position 

 

Frank Lamprea believes in building a culture that adapts positively to continuous change and innovation. He is a leader with a fierce work ethic and an unwavering commitment to learning, evolving and remaining at the forefront of the technology landscape. Through thought leadership and creative problem solving, he has created an enviable track record of success stories. Find out Frank’s views on which area of innovation is going to have the biggest impact on business over the next 10 years, as we talk about the mechanics of his playbook and what advice he would give to anyone aspiring to succeed in presales. This insightful discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Damon Miller #005

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took over as the Head of Sales within BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the golden standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

Episode 5 features Damon Miller, Senior Vice President of Field Technical Operations at Lacework. Originally drawn to a career in tech due to his innate inclination to “tinker” and through a passion for understanding the way things work, Damon started out in the software industry as an IT Administrator. His mindset and unique skillset would pave the way for an upward trajectory in the enterprise software space. He joined the founding team at BladeLogic in 2001 as a Sales Engineering Manager Engineer and has since scaled his career in numerous high profile leadership roles. He has taken key positions in start-ups such as CloudSwitch, Sumo Logic, CloudHealth and is now thrilled to have recently “come home” to Lacework. 

“I've had the good fortune of being in touch with people who have demonstrated an ability to identify growth opportunities, . I’m very fortunate in that regard. It's tough to time the market, but you can take an educated guess, put your trust in people that have succeeded in the past and who are willing to work hard for you and with you. That's what I've always tried to do, and it's worked out well.” 

The unpredictability and excitement of the start-up came as second nature to Damon, whilst his hands-on technical experience enabled him to add value and offer guidance to the dynamic BladeLogic team.  However, in order to increase product sales, the team required further direction. Under the leadership of Steve Strachan and John McMahon, methodologies and processes were created and moulded, that enabled the business to scale at an unprecedented rate. With support from his mentors, Damon was given the freedom to innovate his role, push boundaries and develop his own strategies to evolve as a leader.  

“Lead with compassion and heart as much as fist and operate with urgency. If you feel something is nagging you, don't wait, just take care of it, because this industry is a game of inches and that tiny little difference might will make a huge impact later in ways that you might not realize.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• How the MEDDIC methodology enabled Damon to develop as a presales leader 
• The challenges of building a presales team in the early days – Damon’s non-traditional approach to recruitment  
• What key character traits are required for a career in presales 
• Damon’s role at Lacework – a new era with the old team.  

Damon Miller has an innate knowledge of how to drive team success. From the very beginning, he has operated like a shareholder as opposed to an employee.  His success in the industry is a testament to his dedication, passion and instinctive desire to “figure things out”. We discuss Damon’s career progression from BladeLogic to Lacework, his advice for anyone entering the tech industry and find out which area of technology he believes will have the biggest impact on business in the next decade. This insightful discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales and presales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the software industry. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Sahir Azam #001

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took the reins at BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the gold standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

 

Episode 1 features Sahir Azam, Chief Product Officer at MongoDB.  Sahir has extensive experience in product management, marketing, sales, presales engineering, and corporate strategy.  This has culminated in a remarkable track record of success at both start-ups and PLCs within the enterprise software space.   

Sahir had no experience in presales prior to embarking on a career at BladeLogic in 2006, but his character, coachability and passion for sales methodologies equipped him with the essential skills needed to win.  His mindset enabled him to smoothly integrate with a high energy start-up team, that only accepted the highest standards. Taking on one of the most versatile roles in the business, Sahir mastered the presales skillset early, and since then his career trajectory has been truly remarkable. Sahir is now responsible for product management, product marketing, design, across the MongoDB portfolio and has led MongoDB’s transformation into to a cloud-first company.  

“I was lucky, because of mentors, I was able to realize what my strength was relatively early in my career and put emphasis and energy into making that stronger. In my case, it's the combination of business and technical.” 

Sahir thrived in an environment that enabled him to have a strategic impact and leverage his rare blend of technical and business skills. Historically, the presales function had been primarily technical, but BladeLogic’s integrated approach brought teams together through culture, methodology, accountability and most importantly, a united competitiveness and determination to be incredibly successful. A new era was born; one that would set global standards and impact the future landscape of SaaS sales forever. 

“Presales was a partner as opposed to just a resource you use for technical help, and that culture was foundational because of how complicated the product was. There was a mutual respect going on there, and you needed both sides of the coin, the technical sellers and the business sellers together to make a really amazing deal happen.” 

 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• The essential skills required for a career in presales 
• The importance of MEDDIC and the role of presales in the sales process  

• The vital link between technology and business fluidity 
• How to scale your career in presales 

Sahir is now as much a business leader as a technical leader. His ambition and ability to combine these two skillsets have propelled his career forward and reflect his innate ability to stay focussed, impact business value and constantly evaluate how to elevate to the next level. We discuss Sahir’s experiences in this constantly evolving industry, his playbook, and the core ingredients needed to succeed in SaaS presales. This thought-provoking discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - James Hollinger #003

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took the reins at BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the gold standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

Episode 3 features James Hollinger, VP of Pre-Sales Engineering at Domino Data Labs. James was one of the founding members of the BladeLogic software engineering team. He joined the company in 2001 during the early start-up phase and was instrumental in designing and building their product from the ground up. He then transitioned into pre-sales, and at this point, James’ career began to scale at an extraordinary pace. Positioned at the forefront of the SaaS world, his increasing expertise and ability to communicate value, led him to senior management roles at the likes of BMC, Sumo Logic and Mesosphere. This exposed him to systems and people that continuously expanded his focus and presented opportunities that have enabled his progression from sales engineer through to leader and mentor. 

“People might think of the sales engineers as just geeks who want to be doing technology and that's actually not the case. Sales engineers want to win. We want to close business and we want to make money. We are salespeople first and foremost.” 

As a skilled software developer with a natural talent for articulating technology and value, James transitioned smoothly into the notoriously competitive SaaS sales arena, surrounded by intelligent A-Player “Bulldogs.” His background in building automation tools for operations and data centres gave him a unique insight into problems that needed to be solved in the industry, but the leadership and mentoring he received at BladeLogic enabled him to excel in his role. He became an integral cog in the BladeLogic sales machine and used ground-breaking methodology and processes to close deals at an enviable rate.  

“I think of the playbook like a golf swing. The more unnatural it feels, the more it's actually going to work. It's not intuitive, you're going to have to fight your instincts and there's nothing harder for a salesperson to do than “qual out a deal”. You have to make unnatural decisions and that comes down to your coach. If you have a swing coach who is showing you when to make changes, it might feel unnatural, but if you do 70 swings, then another 70 tomorrow etc, the next thing you know, it starts feeling more and more natural. It’s the same thing from the sales methodology perspective.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• How to scale you career in presales 
• How MEDDIC enabled James to transition from sales engineer to manager, director and beyond 
• What raw materials are needed to make a great presales engineer 
• James’ playbook - how presales plugs in to the sales organization as a whole 

 

Programmed to win, James is an exceptional leader with a unique ability to define and execute growth strategy. He has a maniacal focus on developing the right processes, behaviours and methodologies to drive revenue and customer value. His enthusiasm to continue to learn and remain at the forefront of cutting-edge technology is inspirational for anyone aspiring to succeed in this ever-advancing industry. We discuss the role and potential prospects for presales engineers, past, present and future and ask James what area of innovation he thinks is going to have the biggest impact on business in the next 10 years. This motivating discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in a presales career, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Mike Lupiani #006

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took over as the Head of Sales within BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the golden standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

Episode 6 features Mike Lupiani, Director of Enterprise Sales Engineering at Sumo Logic. After spending his childhood learning about technology and helping customers with their IT problems at his family’s computer businesses in New York, Mike began his professional career in technology as a Senior Consultant at IBM. After honing his business skills and gaining insight into large company operations, Mike was sought out by the industry pioneers at BladeLogic and transitioned to become a member of their “well-oiled” pre-sales machine in 2007. With the knowledge and experience required to withstand the BMC acquisition, and subsequently thrive in a growing organisation, Mike’s career took an upward trajectory. He left BMC as a Principal Software Consultant in 2015 and joined Sumo Logic to fulfil his aspirations to build teams of his own and become the diverse and talented leader he is today.  

“One of the things that I learned very early was, if there's a job that needs to be done to make the POC successful, to make the demo work, to make the product better, and you sit around and wait for somebody else to do it, you might not win. You're not going to get where you need to go if you rely on somebody else for aspects that are within your control.”  

During his time at BladeLogic and BMC, Mike discovered the methodologies and processes that he needed to succeed in a hugely competitive industry. With John McMahon at the helm, he learnt how to sell value to customers and become an all-purpose technical solution to problems in an environment that was innovating at lightning speed. Mike’s unique combination of skills and hands-on experience have allowed him to transition through the ranks and become a mentor who leads from a position of credibility.  

“First you had to be able to explain the product, then you needed to be able to demonstrate it, then you needed to be able to prove that it worked to the customer. I've seen people try to teach others how to do something that they haven't done enough of themselves and it never clicks the same as talking to somebody that you know has truly done it already and is speaking from their experience.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• The raw materials needed to make a great presales engineer 
• What key skills are required to move into management from a presales position 
• How MEDDIC can help you develop your skills and move up the career ladder 
• The future of presales - Mike’s playbook and advice for anyone considering a career in this industry 

Mike Lupiani’s career sets the precedent for a new generation of presales engineers. His accomplishments in this industry are a testament to his work ethic, technical expertise and ability to evolve to meet clients’ ever-changing needs. We discuss his experiences in different roles at BladeLogic, BMC and Sumo Logic and ask him what technology or area of innovation he thinks will have the biggest impact on business over the next decade. This extensive discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Seong Park #009

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took the reins at BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the gold standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

 

Episode 9 features Seong Park, Senior Vice President, Customer Success & Field Engineering at ThoughtSpot. Seong first embarked on a career in tech in the early 90’s, taking a position at The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, where he proudly built their first career site. From there he developed his technical skillset in Developer and DBA roles, established himself in the field and joined BladeLogic in 2004 as their 10th Application Engineer. Having mastered the art of presales, Seong went on to play an instrumental role in growing revenue from $30 million to $300+ million at MongoDB, building out their technical presales, business value consulting, product marketing and developer teams and is now leading ThoughtSpot’s global Presales, Customer Success, Professional Services and Business Value Consulting functions to help organizations get the most value from search and AI-driven analytics. 

“You need to be able to shut up and listen. There is also a core skill around being able to story tell through a demo and whether you're presenting, doing a demonstration, a proof of concept or some type of validation, you're weaving a story. It took me time to really understand that there's an art and science to these things.” 

Seong had a passion for learning and a high degree of curiosity with the concept of an “interconnected mesh of computers and people”. His innate ability to marry technology and business made him an ideal candidate to execute BladeLogic’s pioneering methodology-driven sales strategy and with John McMahon at the helm, galvanizing the sales team and setting forward with discipline, accountability, and a playbook that worked, Seong learnt the core concepts and philosophies that he needed to scale his career. His ability to evolve, intuitively adapt and learn from his colleagues and mentors as their “partner in crime” led to continual professional recognition and subsequent advancement into high-octane management and leadership roles. 

“ThoughtSpot is a great opportunity for me to be able to craft the customer journey and own it end to end. Ultimately, we want to make sure we can live true to the promise of what we've sold a customer because if we talk about champions, they will fight for us and sell for us when we're not there. It's our duty and obligation to give them the evidence of the return on their investment on what they've championed us for.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• Defining the presales playbook at BladeLogic and its influence over the SaaS world that we live in today 
• How to build a successful presales organization 
• The criteria needed to transition from presales into leadership  
• The secrets to Seong’s continual career progression and advice for aspiring presales individuals   

Seong Park is a phenomenal communicator with a unique ability to articulate a vision that resonates both internally within a company as well as externally with customers. Motivated by a “fear of failure” and a determination to excel at his craft, Seong leads with integrity and has spent his career continuously setting the bar higher for execution excellence. We discuss Seong’s remarkable career progression in the SaaS industry, gain insight into the presales landscape past and present and find out which area of innovation Seong believes will have the biggest impact on business in the next decade. A thoroughly enjoyable, eye-opening insight into the world of pre-sales, this episode is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space.