The Pre-Sales Manager position requires hands-on engagement and technical expertise required to support the sales process before a deal is closed. He / She will be the technical backbone of the sales organization, bridging the gap between a client's technical needs and the software solution's capabilities. Core Responsibilities of a Pre-Sales Professional/Manager: Consultative Selling through Technical Discovery and Needs Assessment: Engage with prospective clients to deeply understand their current technical environment, existing systems, workflows, pain points, and business challenges. Engage with C-level executives, IT decision-makers, and technical stakeholders at prospective and existing client organizations. Conduct in-depth discovery to understand client pain points, technical challenges, and business requirements. Ask probing technical questions to uncover explicit and implicit requirements. This is a critical step to ensure the proposed solution truly addresses the customer's needs. Product Demonstrations and Presentations: Conduct tailored product demonstrations that highlight how the software's features and functionalities directly solve the client's identified problems. Go beyond generic demos, customizing them to resonate with the specific industry, use cases, and technical environment of the prospect. Deliver technical presentations to various audiences, from IT managers and engineers to C-level executives, translating complex technical concepts into business value. Solution Design and Architecture: Based on discovery, design and propose a technical solution that leverages the company's software products, potentially including integrations with existing client systems. This often involves creating technical blueprints, diagrams, and outlining the proposed architecture. Assess the feasibility and potential risks of implementing the solution within the client's environment. Proof of Concept (POC) / Pilot Management: For complex deals, lead or assist in setting up and guiding Proofs of Concept (POCs) or pilot programs. This involves configuring the software in a limited environment to demonstrate its value and technical fit to the client. Ensure the POC delivers on agreed-upon objectives and showcases the software's capabilities effectively. Technical Proposal and RFP/RFI Responses: Contribute significantly to the technical sections of proposals, RFPs (Request for Proposal), and RFIs (Request for Information). Ensure technical accuracy and clarity in all documentation. Technical Liaison and Trusted Advisor: Act as the primary technical point of contact for the client throughout the sales cycle. Address technical questions, concerns, and objections from client IT teams and other stakeholders. Build credibility and trust by demonstrating deep product knowledge and industry expertise. Participate in complex sales negotiations, addressing technical objections and ensuring contractual terms align with technical capabilities. Guide the technical aspects of proposals, SOWs (Statements of Work), and other deal-related documentation. Competitive Analysis: Understand competitor offerings from a technical perspective and articulate the company's unique technical differentiators. Feedback to Product and Engineering: Provide valuable market and customer feedback to product management and engineering teams, influencing future product development and roadmap. Key Skills for Pre-Sales Professionals: Strong Technical Aptitude: Deep understanding of software development, architecture, relevant technologies (e.g., cloud, APIs, databases, specific industry technologies). Excellent Communication & Presentation Skills: Ability to articulate complex technical ideas simply and persuasively to both technical and non-technical audiences. Consultative Selling: The ability to listen, ask the right questions, and truly understand a customer's problems before proposing solutions. Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills to diagnose client challenges and design effective technical solutions. Business Acumen: Understanding how technical solutions translate into business benefits and ROI for the client. Relationship Building: Ability to build rapport and trust with client stakeholders. Adaptability: The capacity to learn new technologies quickly and adapt demonstrations to various scenarios. Collaboration: Work effectively with the core sales team (Account Executives) and other internal teams (Product, Engineering, Professional Services). At least 10 years of experience with 5 years in the Pre Sales field Academic degree in Engineering, or a related field