In 2018, I was part of a bid that looked perfect on paper.
The client loved our solution, the commercials were sharp, and the sales leader was confident.
Yet, we lost.
Why?
Because in all our excitement, we never really answered the client’s why. We pitched features. We pitched price. But we never told the story of why our solution mattered to them.
That was the day I realized: Pre-sales isn’t about answering RFPs or making fancy slides. Pre-sales is about architecting the deal itself.
Most people describe pre-sales as “support for sales.” That’s like calling a movie director “support for actors.” Technically true, but completely misses the point.
👉 Sales opens the door.
👉 Pre-sales designs the house.
A great pre-sales consultant:
In short: Sales sells the promise. Pre-sales makes it real.
To explain pre-sales simply, I use what I call the Pre-Sales Value Triangle:
Without pre-sales, the triangle collapses. Sales can promise and finance can price—but without proof, it’s just words.
Chris Voss, in Never Split the Difference, talks about tactical empathy—showing the other side you truly understand them.
That’s the heart of pre-sales. It’s not about showing how smart you are. It’s about making the client feel:
“These people get me.”
The fastest way to lose a deal is to jump to slides before you’ve mirrored and labeled the client’s pain. The fastest way to win? Make them nod before you’ve even shown the solution.
Before your next client meeting, do this simple exercise:
Write down one sentence—no jargon, no fluff—answering:
Why does this customer need us right now?
If you can’t answer that, you’re not ready.
Pre-sales is often invisible when it works well. The client remembers the sales leader who signed the deal, not the pre-sales team that made it believable.
But make no mistake: every winning deal has an architect behind it.
That’s what pre-sales really is.
