In this episode of the Value Coffee Talk Podcast, Tom Pisello, the ROI Guy, speaks with Michael McDowell, the “Demo-tainer” and author of Demo-tainment, about how pre-sales and solution engineering are evolving in an AI-driven world.

The pair discuss why human connection still matters, how to avoid boring product demos, why outcomes should lead the conversation, and how sales engineers can expand from proving technical fit to proving business value.

• Why “Demo-tainment” helps make demos more engaging, memorable, and human
• How AI is changing pre-sales, and why SEs need to become more human, not less
• Why the best pre-sales professionals will use AI to amplify their impact, not resist it
• How to avoid the “harbor tour” and focus demos on what matters most to the buyer
• Why less is more in demos, because too many features dilute perceived value
• How outcome-first demos create stronger customer connection than feature-first walkthroughs
• Why the future of pre-sales combines technical expertise, business acumen, and presentation skill.

In this episode of the Value Coffee Talk Podcast, Tom Pisello, the ROI Guy, is joined by Gaurav Sharma, Product Leader for Value Tools and AI Systems at ServiceNow, to explore one of the most important shifts in go-to-market strategy: post-sales value realization.

The discussion focuses on how organizations can move beyond selling value to actually proving it, using embedded product telemetry, instrumentation, and data-driven insights.

Gaurav shares a practical framework for operationalizing value across teams, aligning product metrics to business outcomes, and enabling customer success to tell stronger, outcome-based stories.

• Why most companies are good at selling value but struggle to prove it post-sale
• How telemetry and instrumentation enable continuous tracking of realized outcomes
• Why value realization is a credibility problem, not just a tooling problem
• The importance of aligning product metrics to business outcomes and success metrics
• How benchmarking against peers strengthens value conversations and customer engagement
• Why storytelling is still required, even with dashboards and data
• How consistent value taxonomy aligns sales, marketing, and customer success

Negotiation in today’s market is no longer about pressure tactics or last-minute discounts. Buyers are more informed, pricing transparency is higher, and trust plays a bigger role in purchasing decisions than ever before. To succeed, sellers must take a more structured and collaborative approach to negotiation.

In this podcast, host Tom Pisello, the ROI Guy, explores the four key levers of negotiation outlined by sales expert and bestselling author Todd Caponi. These levers help sellers move negotiations away from simple price concessions and toward mutually beneficial value exchanges.

The four levers are volume, timing of cash, length of commitment, and timing of the deal. Each provides an opportunity to create value for both the buyer and the seller when used thoughtfully. Instead of negotiating only on price, effective sellers use these levers to structure agreements that align incentives, improve predictability, and strengthen long-term partnerships.

Understanding and applying these negotiation levers can help sales professionals build greater trust with buyers, improve deal outcomes, and avoid common mistakes such as offering discounts without receiving meaningful commitments in return.

1. "Transparency and trust build better deals"
2. "Use the four drivers to reduce discounts"
3. "Market wisdom determines value pricing"

1. Negotiation today requires transparency, collaboration, and a focus on mutual value.
2. The most effective negotiations move beyond price and leverage multiple dimensions of value.
3. Volume can justify better pricing when customers commit to larger purchases or broader adoption.
4. Timing of cash can create value through faster payments or improved cash flow.
5. Length of commitment provides revenue predictability and can justify pricing incentives.
6. Timing of the deal helps create planning certainty for both the buyer and seller.
7. Sellers should avoid giving discounts without receiving something meaningful in return.
8. Structured negotiation frameworks help build trust and lead to better long-term outcomes.