The Most Important Presales Formula Ever

Pitching complex technology features is hard. People rip on sales engineers and developers for speaking too technically, not telling stories, being too in-the-weeds, teaching and not selling...the list goes on. 

The technology solutions that we’re selling nowadays are so complex however, that it’s no wonder it takes an engineer an entire paragraph, or a long-winded demo just to explain them. 

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Fortunately after years of struggling to learn the skill of brevity, it finally clicked. I distilled all of my failed attempts at explaining complex concepts down to a very simple formula that works for me. I chose a formula, because I’m still an engineer at heart, and I like math. It helps me to remember things. The formula goes like this: 

‍Problem + Solution = Result. 

Yes, it’s that simple. And since the consultant in me loves acronyms, I just abbreviate it…

PSR

Even easier to remember. 

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Let me explain. When pitching any feature (or anything, for that matter), you can use this formula to immediately get someone’s attention and deliver value. Remember, when someone asks you, “what is that?” or “what does it do?”, you should know that what they really want to know is “why should I care?” Now for an example:

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Someone asks you: 

What is Kubernetes? 

Wrong Answer:

Kubernetes is an open-source container-orchestration system for automating computer application deployment, scaling, and management.

Right Answer: 

You know how your IT department always tells you that it’s going to take a long time to add that new feature you want? Kubernetes automates a lot of the things that developers would normally have to do manually. It helps them deploy enhancements and fix bugs much faster, which means you get your new feature much quicker!

Now let’s break it down…

Problem: 

• “You know how your IT department takes so long?” 
• People can relate to this! It gets their attention. 

Solution: 

• “Kubernetes automates things.” (more or less)
• Notice I didn’t say what it IS. What it IS, is, frankly, boring...I could have said, “a container orchestration platform.” But try telling your mom about container orchestration platforms. You will probably first have to explain what a container is. Then you’ll have to explain what you mean by orchestration. Then you’ll have to define a platform (as if platform isn’t already the most overused word in software, next to “tool” or “system”). Go down that rabbit hole and you’re guaranteed to lose your audience in seconds, and likely lose the deal if you keep going on with literal explanations of these things. 

Result: 

• “Developers get enhancements done faster, and you get what you want.”
• Everybody wins!

This simple formula is a game changer. It’s made my sales go faster and it also aids in discovery because it gets the prospect talking (frequently about their pains). I’ve found it to be my most effective weapon in counteracting the complexity of technical sales. The stuff we are selling is not simple, but the way we pitch it should be. Clarity and brevity always win. 

Watch the Video Breakdown

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