Beyond Automation: Amplifying SE Teams using AI Agents with Dean Shu

02/10/25 • 36 min

Show Notes

In today's episode, Dean Shu (CEO & Co-founder, Arphie) joins Jack Cochran and Matthew James to discuss AI agents in PreSales and the evolution of the industry. They explore the changing landscape of PreSales leadership, practical applications of AI, and strategies for evaluating AI solutions.

Thank you to Arphie for sponsoring this episode. Arphie is the leading AI-powered platform for automating RFPs and security questionnaires. Arphie empowers teams — from the Fortune 500 to high-growth startups — to save time, improve accuracy, and deliver results faster than ever by combining your prior responses and company context with the latest AI agent capabilities.

To join the show live, follow the PreSales Collective's LinkedIn page. PreSales LIVE airs bi-weekly on Tuesdays, 8AM PT/11AM ET/4PM GMT.

Links and Resources Mentioned

Join the Presales Collective Slack:https://presalescollective.com/slack
Contact Dean Shu: [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-shu/
LE SSERAFIM, Crazy EP: https://open.spotify.com/album/538vEfAgLJ6g2I8ubuOlap?si=so9xz_qMQBatFqHMDTp5sw
Hidden Brain podcast episode with Brian Klass - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MowfIBQdmQEIMYdDL3MYK?si=fff1b1731daa48ff

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction

03:13 - What are you listening to

06:30 - Dean's background

09:20 - What's top of mind for presales leaders?

11:57 - How to make a presales tech purchase

20:13 - What are AI agents?

26:40 - How do you properly explore AI?

32:25 - Is AI going to replace people?

35:41 - Outro

Key Topics Covered

PreSales Leadership Evolution
- Elevating the sales engineering role
- Building stronger cross-functional partnerships
- Gaining executive-level presence
Understanding AI in PreSales
- Different types of AI models and their applications
- AI agents vs. traditional AI tools
- Real-world implementation strategies
Evaluating AI Solutions
- Key criteria for vendor selection
- Security considerations
- Proof of concept best practices

Show Notes

To join the show live, follow the PreSales Collective's LinkedIn page. PreSales LIVE airs bi-weekly on Tuesdays, 8AM PT/11AM ET/4PM GMT.

Links and Resources Mentioned

Join the Presales Collective Slack:https://presalescollective.com/slack
Contact Dean Shu: [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-shu/
LE SSERAFIM, Crazy EP: https://open.spotify.com/album/538vEfAgLJ6g2I8ubuOlap?si=so9xz_qMQBatFqHMDTp5sw
Hidden Brain podcast episode with Brian Klass - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MowfIBQdmQEIMYdDL3MYK?si=fff1b1731daa48ff

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction

03:13 - What are you listening to

06:30 - Dean's background

09:20 - What's top of mind for presales leaders?

11:57 - How to make a presales tech purchase

20:13 - What are AI agents?

26:40 - How do you properly explore AI?

32:25 - Is AI going to replace people?

35:41 - Outro

Key Topics Covered

PreSales Leadership Evolution
- Elevating the sales engineering role
- Building stronger cross-functional partnerships
- Gaining executive-level presence
Understanding AI in PreSales
- Different types of AI models and their applications
- AI agents vs. traditional AI tools
- Real-world implementation strategies
Evaluating AI Solutions
- Key criteria for vendor selection
- Security considerations
- Proof of concept best practices

Previous Episode

Human Qualities of Presales Leadership with Ron Whitson

In this episode, Jack Cochran (General Manager, PreSales Collective) and Matthew James discuss the human qualities of presales leadership with special guest Ron Whitson. Ron shares insights from his 30-year career in the industry, discusses his book "A Friendly Human in Presales," and explores how leaders can effectively transition from being top individual contributors to successful team leaders.

To join the show live, follow the PreSales Collective's LinkedIn page. PreSales LIVE airs bi-weekly on Tuesdays, 8AM PT/11AM ET/4PM GMT.

Links

Follow the Hosts & Guest

Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/
Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/
Connect with Ron Whitson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronwhitsonse/

Links and Resources Mentioned

PreSales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack
Ron's Book "A Friendly Human in Presales": https://a.co/d/gJIwWE7
She Means Biz Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3zx8BmZ9PrURuASJbAemDu?si=26772c8356854348
Talking Too Loud with Chris Savage Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/21btwSaqoaF8SDxmwcLMIQ?si=37aa691ee80b4a0f

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

03:54 What are you Listening to?

07:23 Ron's Journey to PreSales Leadership

13:56 Transitioning from IC to Leader

16:12 Coaching vs. Telling

19:11 One Plus One is More than Two

21:17 Importance of One-To-Ones

26:02 Coaching your Team to be Different than You

31:15 Practice Humility

Key Topics Covered

1. Leadership Transition

Moving from individual contributor to leader
Common challenges and mindset shifts
IBM's leadership training program insights

2. Essential Leadership Qualities

Empathy and humility in leadership
Balancing directness with support
Creating space for team growth
Regular one-on-one communications

3. Effective Team Development

Coaching approaches vs. direct instruction
Building trust and relationships
Removing roadblocks for team success
Understanding personality types

4. Practicing Humility as a Leader

Provide room for your team to take the spotlight
Be open to different ways of doing things
Listen more and speak less

Next Episode

Exploring Value in Modern Tech Sales with David Yockelson

In today's episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James sit down with David Yockelson, Distinguished VP and Gartner Fellow, to discuss the evolution of value realization in tech sales. They explore how buyer behaviors have changed, the importance of understanding customer needs before leading with technology, and practical approaches for pre-sales professionals to shift towards value-based selling.

To join the show live, follow the PreSales Collective's LinkedIn page or join the PSC Slack community for updates. The show is bi-weekly on Tuesdays, 8AM PT/11AM ET/4PM GMT.

Follow the Hosts and Guest

Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/
Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/
Connect with David Yockelson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-yockelson-452324/

Links and Resources Mentioned

Join PreSales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack
PreSales Collective newsletter: https://www.presalescollective.com/newsletter

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

03:33 The current issues in tech

10:48 How to stop talking about your tech to focus on value

23:04 Understanding your customer’s business

27:55 The place of demos on the website

31:15 Practical approaches to shifting to value

Key Topics Covered

Changes in B2B Tech Buying
- Diversification of buying teams
- Shift from technical to business-focused decisions
- Evolution of the buying process
- Increased financial scrutiny on deals
Value-Based Selling Approaches
- Understanding buyer personas and value drivers
- Moving beyond technical features
- Building and defending business cases
- Articulating value to different stakeholders
Pre-Sales and Marketing Collaboration
- Alignment between product marketing and SEs
- Value modeling and demonstration strategies
- Website demo effectiveness
- Data collection and buyer insights
Interactive Demonstrations
- Role of self-service demos
- Converting website visitors
- Collecting valuable user interaction data
- Creating warmer sales conversations
Practical Implementation
- Leveraging SE expertise across the sales cycle
- Demonstrating impact on revenue
- Supporting customer success and adoption
- Documenting value contribution