How To Build An Effective Presales Process: Ultimate Guide

Hi! Let’s talk about presales – it’s more than just showing products and listing features.
Want to hear something funny? My first time doing presales was a total disaster. I walked in thinking I just needed to know the basics about our product. Boy, was I wrong!
Here’s the thing: many companies are still stuck doing presales the old way. They dump a bunch of technical details on customers and hope for the best. But today’s buyers are savvy – they can spot someone who’s unprepared from a mile away.
That’s precisely why I created this guide for 2025. I want to help you get presales right.
You might be here because you want to:
- Make selling easier
- Find the best tools for the job
- Learn what really works in presales
- Avoid common mistakes
“Think of this guide as your presales cookbook. It’s full of tips and tools that actually work in real life. We’ll look at everything – from finding the right customers to picking the best presales software and tools that make your job simpler. Plus, I’ll share real stories about what works and what doesn’t.
So, grab your favorite drink (I’m a coffee person myself!), and let’s create a presales process that really works. By the time you finish reading, you’ll know exactly how to build a system that helps your team sell more.”
Understanding the Fundamentals of Pre-sales

You know that moment when someone finally “gets it” and their face lights up? That’s what makes presales so awesome!
What’s Presales, Really?
We’re like friendly guides who help explain tricky tech stuff in a way that makes sense. Here’s a real story: Once, our sales team was having trouble explaining how our system would work with a client’s tools. Our presales team jumped in and used examples from their own business to describe it. That made everything click!
We Do More Than Tech Stuff
Some folks think we just help with technical sales. But there’s so much more to it! We help build complete solutions for our customers. Before we even show what our product can do, we take time to understand what our customers really need.
Learning The Hard Way
When I first started, I made some big mistakes. Once, I gave this fancy demo showing off all our cool features – but I totally missed what the customer actually wanted. Oops! Now, I always make sure I understand why customers need help before showing them how we can help.
How We’re Different From Regular Sales
While sales folks build relationships and close deals, we focus on the nuts and bolts. We figure out:
- How our product will work with what you already have
- How long it’ll take to get everything up and running
- Why this matters for your business
A Day In Our Life
Could you think of us as tech matchmakers? Some days, we create unique demos to show how our product can solve specific problems. Other days, we’re like detectives, asking questions to understand what customers need – even stuff they hadn’t thought about!
Making Things Better
The best part? Helping businesses succeed! Here’s another story: We once helped a hospital that was struggling with patient information. While the sales team saw a chance to make a sale, we saw an opportunity to make their whole patient care system better. We created something that helped them right away and set them up for success.
What Makes A Great Presales Team?
Great presales teams can:
- Know both tech stuff and business needs
- Explain complicated things simply
- Ask good questions to understand what customers need
- Create demos that make sense to different people
When you get these basics right, you’re not just helping sell things – you’re helping businesses grow and improve. That’s why presales teams are so important today.
The Key Parts of a Best Pre-sales Process

Getting Started Early is Key
I learned something important the hard way: presales need to start way earlier than most people think. After joining too many sales calls late, I now know we need to understand the technical stuff right after first talking to a customer.
My Step-by-Step Presales Process
Here’s how I do it:
- Join the first call (even before showing our product!)
- Learn about their tech setup
- Dig deeper into what they need
- Show them how our product works
- Make sure everything lines up before closing the deal
How We Check If It’s a Good Fit
I use something called MEDDICC to help guide my conversations with customers. Here’s what I look for:
- Goals: What are they trying to do?
- Money: Who controls the budget?
- Tech Needs: What must our product do?
- Decision-Making: How will they choose a solution?
- Problems: What tech issues are they facing?
- Helper: Who’s our friend on their team?
- Other Options: What else are they looking at?
Tools We Can’t Live Without
Keep it simple, but don’t skip these:
- A demo setup you can change quickly
- Software to record your screen
- A place to keep track of your documents
- Tools to track test runs
- A way to work together on solutions
Drawing It Out Helps
I learned that pictures explain things better than words. After messing up some early presentations, I started making diagrams to show how everything fits together. It works so much better!
Keeping Score
Here’s what I track to know we’re doing well:
- How often do we win deals
- How quickly we can show our solution works
- How many test runs turn into sales
- How happy customers are with our technical help
Ask Smart Questions
It’s not just about asking questions – it’s about asking the right ones in the correct order. I start broad (“Tell me about your setup”) before getting into the details. This helps build trust.
Write Everything Down
Here’s a tip I wish I had known earlier: take notes during every conversation. Those early notes about technical stuff have saved me so many times later on!
It’s Not Just About Tech presales activities
Being good at tech isn’t enough. You need to:
- Explain things clearly
- Have good timing
- Show why your solution matters
Keep Improving
What works for one customer might need tweaking for another. Stay organized, but be ready to adapt to each customer’s needs.
Remember: Focus on the basics – good discovery calls, careful checking, and clear solution plans. Get these right, and everything else falls into place.
Building Your Presales Team Structure

My Big First Mistake
When I started leading a presales team, I made a rookie mistake. I tried to hire people who were just like me – super technical people who lived and breathed code. But I soon learned that building a great team is more like putting together a sports team. You need different types of players with different strengths.
Setting Up Clear Jobs
Having clear job roles is super important. Once, we had three team members all trying to handle the same project because no one knew who was supposed to do what! Now, we have three leading roles:
- Demo Experts (who show how our product works)
- Technical Designers (who plan out complex solutions)
- Customer Success Partners (who help customers use our product)
Making Sure We Don’t Get Overwhelmed
One big lesson I learned was about managing how much work each person handles. We got swamped once during a busy season! Now, I will make sure there’s about one presales person for every three salespeople. This helps everyone do their best work, even when things get busy.
Working Together as One Team
Getting different teams to work well together was tricky at first. I remember when our sales team once promised customers something that wasn’t ready yet – oops! Now, we have weekly meetings with all teams and use a shared dashboard to track how we’re doing. This keeps everyone in the loop.
Finding the Right People
When hiring, I look for three main things:
- Technical know-how
- Being able to explain complicated things simply
- Understanding how tech helps businesses
I once hired someone who knew everything about tech but couldn’t read the room. That taught me that we need people who are good at all three things.
Training New Sales Process Team Members
We used to give new people a laptop and say, “Good luck!” Now, we do things differently. We have a 90-day training program where new team members:
- Learn about our products
- Practice giving presentations
- Work with experienced team members
- Watch recorded demos to learn from
Making Better Product Demos
We created different levels for giving demos, kind of like karate belts. You start with simple product overviews and work your way up to the complex stuff. This helps everyone give consistently good demos.
Measuring Success
We keep track of things like:
- How often do we win deals
- How long do projects take
- How happy customers are
But here’s something important: some of our best team members shine in ways we can’t measure with numbers, like helping save troubled deals.
Working with Sales Teams
We now pair each presales person with specific salespeople. It’s like having dance partners who know each other’s moves! This helps us work better together and avoid wasting time on deals that aren’t a good fit.
Building Pre-Sales Activities Team Spirit
The biggest lesson? Skills can be taught, but having the right attitude is super important. We’ve created a team where:
- People love sharing what they know
- Mistakes are seen as chances to learn
- Everyone supports each other
Remember, building a great team takes time. Start with the basics:
- Clear job roles
- Good processes
- Open communication
The best part? Watching team members grow and succeed. When you give people the proper support and tools, amazing things happen!
Mastering Technical Discovery and Solution Design
I used to think technical sales was all about showing off product features. Boy, was I wrong! After losing some deals because I missed critical technical needs, I changed how I work with customers. Let me share what I learned.
Finding Out What Customers Really Need
Think of it like being a detective. Instead of rushing to show what your product can do, you need to understand what the customer actually needs first.
Here’s how I do it now:
- I look at what systems they’re currently using
- I ask about what they want to achieve
- We talk about any limits or problems they might face
The best tip I’ve learned? Ask customers to walk you through their normal workday. It’s amazing what you know when you just let people tell their stories!
Working Together on Solutions
I once made a big mistake. I spent weeks creating what I thought was a perfect plan, but it failed because I didn’t involve the customer’s team early enough. Now, I work with customers to design solutions together. We use online whiteboards to draw out ideas in real-time.
Keeping Things Simple
When showing technical solutions, I’ve learned that less is more. Instead of drowning customers in details, I focus on four main things:
- How everything connects
- How data moves around
- How we keep things secure
- How the solution can grow
Testing Things Out
When it’s time to test the solution, I start small. I show the essential features first, then add extraordinary things that make our solution stand out. It’s like building with LEGO – begin with the foundation, then add the cool stuff.
Planning for the Future
One of my best deals happened because we showed how our solution could grow with the customer over three years. It’s not just about fixing today’s problems – it’s about helping customers succeed tomorrow, too.
Keeping Track
I used to try to remember everything or scribble quick notes. Now, I write everything down carefully. It helps me help current customers better and makes it easier to help new ones, too.
Making Clear Proposals
Instead of using the same template for everyone, I now create custom proposals for each customer. I include clear diagrams, timelines, and ways to measure success. This works much better than generic proposals.
Breaking Things Down
One thing that works really well is splitting big projects into smaller pieces. It’s less risky for customers and makes it easier for everyone to understand what’s happening.
The Big Picture
The secret to success in technical sales is finding the right balance. You need to be thorough but not overwhelming, show you know your stuff but keep things clear, and follow a process while staying flexible.
Remember: it’s all about building trust by understanding what customers need and showing them you can help. When you’re genuinely curious about their problems and careful about finding solutions, good things happen.
I’m still learning new things all the time. As technology changes, we need to keep changing how we work with customers, too.
Optimizing Demo and Presentation Techniques
After years of showing products to customers, I’ve learned something important: it’s not just about showing how something works. It’s about showing why it matters. Let me share what I’ve discovered about making better product demos.
Show Why It Matters, Not Just How It Works
When I first started, I thought showing all the cool features would win people over. Turns out that’s not the best way!
What really works is:
- Finding out what problems the customer needs to solve
- Showing how your product can help them
- Keeping things simple and clear
I remember showing a new tool to a very busy customer. Instead of going through every single feature, I asked them about their biggest challenges first. Then, I showed them exactly how our product could help with those specific problems.
Quick Tip: Always learn about your customer’s problems before you show them anything. It helps you give a better demo!
Handling Tough Questions
Getting difficult questions during a demo used to make me nervous. Now I know it’s actually a good sign – it means people are interested!
Here’s what I do now:
- Listen carefully to their concern
- Show that I understand why they’re worried
- Explain how we can help solve their problem
Sometimes, I don’t know the answer right away, and that’s okay! It’s better to say, “Great question! Let me find out and get back to you,” than to guess.
Making Your Demo Feel Personal
One big mistake I made was using the same demo for everyone. Different customers have different needs, and your demo should match what they care about.
For example, I once showed a store owner a demo that was way too technical. Their eyes glazed over because it had nothing to do with their business! Now, I always make sure to:
- Use examples from their industry
- Show how they would use it in their daily work
- Include their company’s details when I can
Presenting Online vs. In Person
At first, I thought meeting in person was the only reasonable way to show products. But I’ve learned that online demos can work just as well if you do them right!
For online demos:
- Test your internet connection beforehand
- Make sure your sound and video work
- Have a backup plan if something goes wrong
For in-person demos:
- Move around the room
- Get people involved
- Make eye contact
- Ask questions to keep people interested
The Most Important Thing
The secret to a great demo is simple: focus on helping people. Show them how your product can make their work easier or better. Whether you’re meeting online or in person, what matters most is connecting with people and showing them real value.
Remember: Keep it simple, make it relevant, and always show how it helps your customer. When you do this right, it feels fantastic!
Measuring and Improving Presales Performance
When I first started helping the sales team, I didn’t think much about tracking how well I was doing. I just focused on showing products, answering technical questions, and working with our salespeople. But over time, I learned that keeping track of our success was super important.
Finding Out What Works
At first, I was lost about what to measure. I thought, “If I’m doing demos and helping the sales team, that’s good enough, right?” Well, not exactly!
Here’s what I learned to track:
- How many deals we win vs. lose
- How many interested people actually buy
- How long it takes to close a deal
Are we missing critical technical details? Do we need to ask better questions? Understanding these things helps us do better next time.
Quick Tip: Use special software to help track everything. It makes the whole process easier!
Working Better with the Sales Team
I used to think sales and tech support were totally separate jobs. Big mistake! I learned that working closely with the sales team makes everyone more successful.
What really helped was talking after every deal:
- What went well?
- What could we do better?
- What did we learn?
These talks weren’t just about how we did – they helped us understand what customers really needed. This made our product demos much better!
Always Getting Better
This job isn’t something you can learn once and be done. You have to keep getting better all the time!
After every demo or sales pitch, I take time to think about:
- What worked well
- What we could do better
- What we learned
I also noticed that certain types of customers were more likely to buy from us, by understanding why, we could make our presentations better for everyone.
Growing Smart
As our company grew more prominent, we needed better ways to handle more work. At first, it was chaos – we had no real system!
To fix this, I:
- Created step-by-step guides for demos
- Made templates for essential documents
- Used software to automate simple tasks
This helped us work with more customers without dropping the ball or making mistakes.
The Big Picture
To do well in sales support, you need to:
- Track the right things
- Work closely with the sales team
- Keep looking for ways to get better
- Build systems that can grow with you
If you can get these things right, you’ll help more customers and close more deals. Just remember: keep making minor improvements, and they’ll add up to significant results!
Most Important Things to Remember
- Keep track of how you’re doing
- Work closely with your sales team
- Always look for ways to improve
- Build systems that can grow
- Learn from both wins and losses
Remember, getting better at this takes time. But if you keep at it and learn from every experience, you’ll see great results!
Conclusion:
Building a good presales process is like building a bridge between your company and your customers. Let me break down what really matters:
It’s not just about having fancy tools. What you need is a system that can grow and change as your company does. I’ve seen how having a good presales team can really change how companies connect with possible customers and make sales.
The best presales teams I know do two things really well:
- They help sales and marketing teams work better together
- They mix technical know-how with business smarts and good people skills
Want to get started? Here’s what to focus on first:
- Learn everything you can about your customers
- Write down what works (and what doesn’t)
- Make sure all your teams are working toward the same goals
Start simple, then make things better as you go. The best process is one that’s steady but can change when needed.
Here’s something important I’ve learned: presales aren’t just about showing that your product works. It’s about building trust by really understanding what your customers need help with.
Looking forward, presales teams will become even more important. Why? Because products are getting more complex, customers want to talk with experts earlier in their buying process. Companies that build strong presales teams now will be ready for these changes.
Remember this: presales are always changing and growing. Keep learning and focusing on helping your customers. That’s what makes it work in the long run.
The best process is one your team can actually use. At its heart, presales connects:
- Technical features with business needs
- Sales teams with customers
- Problems with answer
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many presales engineers should we have for each salesperson?
For bigger, more complex sales (like enterprise deals), try having one presales engineer for every three salespeople. For simpler products, one presales engineer can support five salespeople. Keep an eye on how busy your team is and how many deals they’re winning. Adjust these numbers based on what works best for your team.
What should we measure to know if our presales team is doing well?
Track these main things:
- How often the team wins deals
- How long it takes to test your product with customers
- How many successful deals included presales help
- What customers say about their technical experience
Start with these basics before adding more detailed measurements.
How do we run a good technical discovery call?
Break your call into these parts:
- First 15 minutes: Talk about the customer’s business
- Following 20 minutes: Learn about their current tech setup
- Another 20 minutes: Discuss what they need
- Last 5 minutes: Agree on what success looks like
Always write down what you learn and send everyone a summary the next day.
What’s the best way to handle technical questions or concerns during demos?
Follow these steps:
- Listen carefully to the whole concern
- Show you understand their worry
- Ask questions to find the real problem
- Answer with real examples
- Write down common concerns and good answers to help your team learn
How long should it take to test your product with a customer (POC)?
Most tests work best when they’re 2-4 weeks long. Make sure to:
- Decide what success looks like before you start
- Focus only on the most important features
- Set clear checkpoints along the way
If a test takes longer, you might need to make your goals clearer or limit what you’re testing.
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