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.

In this episode of the Value Coffee Talk podcast, host Thomas Pisello speaks with Nate Littlewood, founder of Future Ready CFO, about the unique challenges faced by early-stage e-commerce and CPG companies, and why this makes selling to these firms a unique and sometimes daunting challenge.

The pair discuss the importance of prioritization, the frameworks for identifying business priorities, and strategies for solution providers selling to startups. Nate shares insights on improving sales conversion rates, building trust with clients, and the emerging outcome economy in business relationships.

1. Early-stage companies often struggle with financial outcomes despite significant effort.
2. Founders frequently have too many priorities, leading to a lack of focus.
3. It's essential to help founders identify the few priorities that will drive growth.
4. Solution providers should be patient and understand the founder's perspective.
5. Using frameworks like ROI and bottleneck analysis can help prioritize business efforts.
6. Sales conversion rates can improve by educating clients on how to buy services.
7. Offering guarantees can help de-risk the sales process for clients.
8. Aligning interests with founders builds trust and credibility.
9. The outcome economy is emerging, linking compensation to performance.
10. Understanding the unique challenges of startups is key to successful selling.

In this episode of the Value Coffee Talk podcast, host Tom Pisello engages with Chris Mabry, head of community at iris.ai and long time Sales / Solution Engineering advocate and thought leader with the Pre-Sales Collective, discussing the evolving role of Solutions Engineers, the role they will play in Value Selling, and the impact of AI on SEs and sales.

The pair explore the shift from reactive support to proactive revenue generation, the importance of building trust and confidence in sales, and the necessity for Solutions Engineers to adapt to new expectations as value engineers.

The conversation emphasizes the significance of human touch, curiosity, and transparency in fostering successful customer relationships and driving business outcomes. And discusses just how SEs will be taking over more and more value engineering and consulting deal support and customer engagements.

1. The title of Solutions Engineer is evolving to reflect a more consultative role.
2. Sales Engineers are transitioning from reactive support to proactive revenue centers.
3. AI is reshaping the SE role by enhancing research and demo capabilities.
4. Building trust and confidence is crucial in the sales process.
5. Solutions Engineers are increasingly being tasked with proving business value, not just technical capabilities.
6. Curiosity and asking the right questions can lead to better customer relationships.
7. Transparency about product capabilities can enhance trust with customers.
8. Demos should focus on value and outcomes rather than just features.
9. Sales is often a moment of crisis for buyers, requiring a consultative approach.
10. Being interesting and engaged makes a significant difference in sales success.

In this episode of the Value Coffee Talk podcast, host Tom Pisello and Gartner Analyst and Fellow David Yockelson discuss the emerging Outcome Economy, and the importance of focusing on customer outcomes rather than just selling solutions.

The pair explore the role of AI in shaping this economy, the challenges and benefits of adopting an outcome-focused approach, and the need for effective pricing strategies.

The conversation also highlights the significance of quantifying value for buyers and the necessity of aligning marketing and communication efforts with customer needs.

Ultimately, they stress the importance of activating change within organizations to successfully navigate this evolving landscape.

1. The Outcome Economy focuses on customer outcomes rather than solutions.
2. AI plays a significant role in shaping the Outcome Economy.
3. Companies must avoid simply overlaying new technology on outdated processes.
4. Pricing strategies need to evolve to reflect outcomes achieved.
5. Value affirmation is crucial for customer retention and expansion.
6. Effective communication of value is essential for buyer engagement.
7. Organizations must activate change to meet evolving buyer habits.
8. Product-led growth and value-led growth can coexist and complement each other.
9. Understanding customer usage patterns is key to driving value.
10. Don't lose hope; the Outcome Economy presents new opportunities.

In this episode of the Value Coffee Talk podcast, host Thomas Pisello speaks with Sultan Semlali, Value Coach and Global Value Consulting Director at Sitecore, about how AI is reshaping value engineering and sales, and why it’s the human touch and softer skills that are driving value consulting and engineering success.

Today, “hospitality,” trust, discovery, and storytelling are becoming the true differentiators in complex B2B decisions.

1. AI is accelerating sales execution, but it cannot replace trust and human connection.
2. Hospitality and authenticity will become key differentiators in high-stakes B2B buying.
3. Great value consultants combine hard value skills with discovery, consensus-building, and storytelling.
4. Buyer enablement matters as much as sales enablement in complex decisions.
5. AI can improve narratives and content, but only if sellers know what to ask and how to validate.
6. Discovery must go deeper, using frameworks like Socratic questioning and “five whys.”
7. Trust without value wastes time, and value without trust feels transactional.
8. Deliberate practice and cross-discipline learning build the soft skills AI can’t replicate.
9. AI agents may handle transactional sales, but complex decisions still require human guidance.
10. Micro-habits and continuous learning are essential to staying relevant in an AI-driven world.

In this episode of the Value Coffee Talk podcast, host Thomas Pisello speaks with David Brock, author of the new book: 'Is Good Enough Good Enough?'

The pair discuss the decline of performance standards in sales, the importance of mindsets and behaviors for high performers, and the impact of AI on sales processes.

Brock emphasizes the need for a human element in sales, the pursuit of excellence over mediocrity, and the significance of daily habits for personal growth. The conversation also touches on hiring practices and the importance of aligning mindsets with organizational goals.

1. The decline in performance standards is concerning.
2. Mediocrity is often accepted, but it shouldn't be.
3. High performers have distinct mindsets and behaviors.
4. AI can overwhelm salespeople with too many tools.
5. Caring for oneself and others is essential for success.
6. Mediocrity requires more effort than pursuing excellence.
7. Daily habits contribute to personal growth and excellence.
8. Hiring should focus on mindset and potential.
9. The human element is crucial in an AI-driven world.
10. Continuous improvement is a journey, not a destination.

1. "AI amplifies who we are."
2. "Mediocrity is the harder way out."
3. "It's a journey of continual improvement."