Tools and gear · Chapter 6
PreSales Training and Courses
The presales training I recommend: functional courses for discovery and demos, mostly free technical courses, with focus and cost. No paid placements.
Presales training builds two kinds of skill. Functional courses teach discovery, storytelling and demos, the skills that connect you with customers. Technical courses in AI, APIs, cloud, IT security and coding give you the depth to answer hard questions. Good training covers both. Many of the technical courses below are free.
Key takeaways
- Functional courses such as Demo2Win, Great Demo! and the PreSales Collective cover demos, discovery and the end-to-end role. Live programs cost a few thousand US dollars.
- For AI, my number one is Dynamous AI Mastery, a paid community and course platform. Technical courses from MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Microsoft, AWS and freeCodeCamp are mostly free.
- The two tables below compare each course by focus and cost. No course on this page pays for its place.
How I Chose These Courses
Disclaimer: I do not receive any monetary compensation for the recommendations provided. The following is a curated list of courses tailored for presales professionals, based on my personal experience and evaluation.
Did a course help you that is missing here? Tell me about it (opens in a new tab).
Functional PreSales Training Courses
Functional courses teach the core presales skills. You learn to connect with customers, give demos that land, and guide buyers through their buying process. The courses give you methods, templates and tools, so your work is faster and more consistent. Good discovery, storytelling and demo technique are what make customers engage and trust you.
| Title & Link | Main Focus | Descriptions | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| The PreSales Mastery Course (opens in a new tab) (Self Promotion 😅) | End-to-End PreSales | +22 hrs of Video Learning Courses, including best Practice Sessions +20 Templates for Discovery, Buying & Selling Journey (opens in a new tab), DEMO Master Deck, ROI (opens in a new tab) Calculation, Cheat Sheets, Infographics, Templates and many more… constantly new added content lifetime access Certificate after successfully finishing the course to share with your peers | Current price on the course page (opens in a new tab) |
| Demo2Win (opens in a new tab) | Demo | Demo2Win is a training program designed to enhance the skills of tech sales teams, focusing on delivering effective software demos. The course aims to transform demos from feature-focused presentations to value-rich conversations that engage and motivate customers. Key components of the training include: Identifying and correcting demo crimes: Avoiding common pitfalls like overwhelming the audience with features or failing to establish next steps. Highlighting benefits over features: Helping the audience understand the value of the solution. Engaging presentations: Using visuals and structured techniques to maintain audience interest. Consistent demo process: Implementing a repeatable and efficient demo structure to reduce preparation time and ensure consistency. Participants will learn to deliver impactful demos in various settings, from virtual meetings to large conferences. There are also other courses like Discover2Win, Storytelling2Win. I have not tried them. | Individual Virtual Training: $2,195 USD for one person, including small group coaching Small Group Sessions: Two participants: $4,390 USD Three participants: $6,585 USD Four participants: $8,780 USD |
| Great Demo! Workshops (opens in a new tab) | Demo | Focuses on creating compelling and effective software demonstrations. Teaches techniques for engaging your audience and ensuring your demos are memorable and impactful. Covers identifying customer needs, structuring demos, and delivering value-rich presentations. They also offer other programs, among them Doing Discovery and Value Selling | no exact information available, similar to Demo2Win |
| PreSales Collective Course (opens in a new tab) | End-to-End PreSales | Offers various training programs and resources for presales professionals. Includes courses on demo skills, sales techniques, discovery, and objection handling (opens in a new tab). Provides a mix of self-paced online coursework and live sessions. | The PreSales Academy program costs around $3,500 USD for a 10-week course. |
| Disco Dojo (only German) (opens in a new tab) | Discovery | The Discovery Dojo is an 8-week program that teaches PreSales professionals how to master customer discovery, tailor solutions, and close deals effectively. | no exact information available |
Technical Courses for PreSales
Technical courses teach you the technologies your role touches. With that knowledge you understand customer needs better and can match your solution more closely. Learn about AI, programming, IT security, APIs and cloud services. Then you can demo with confidence and answer complex questions. Customers trust you more, and you can talk to both their technical teams and their business stakeholders.
My Number One for AI: Dynamous AI Mastery
If you only pick one AI training, pick Dynamous AI Mastery (opens in a new tab). It is an AI community and course platform by Cole Medin. You learn to build real AI agents and to code with AI, not just to write better prompts. There are courses, live Q&A sessions, weekly workshops and a community of builders who share what works. The team keeps up with a field that changes every week. For presales, that is worth a lot. You understand what your customers try to build, and you can show them.
All Technical Courses
| Title & Link | Main Focus | Descriptions | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamous AI Mastery (opens in a new tab) | AI | AI community and course platform by Cole Medin. Courses on AI agents and agentic coding, live Q&A, weekly workshops and templates. | Paid membership, see the site for current plans |
| Generative AI Learning Plan for Developers | AI | Duration: 11 Hours. Courses: 5 - Introduction to Generative AI - Planning a Generative AI Project - Amazon Bedrock Getting Started - Foundations of Prompt Engineering (opens in a new tab) - Building Generative AI Applications | Free |
| Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python by MIT (opens in a new tab) or the same course from Harvard (opens in a new tab) | Coding | An entry-level course that teaches coding basics using Python, suitable for beginners. | free |
| IT Security Fundamentals by Microsoft (opens in a new tab) | IT Security | This course covers the basics of IT security, including key concepts and best practices. | free (76 EUR for Certificate) |
| Generative AI Learning Plan for Decision Makers (opens in a new tab) | Duration: 3 Hours. Courses: 3 - Introduction to Generative AI - Art of the Possible - Planning a Generative AI Project - Building a Generative AI-Ready Organization | ||
| Amazon Skill Builder (opens in a new tab) (learn programming on AWS) | Coding, AI, Machine Learning | ||
| StanfordOnline: Computer Science 101 (opens in a new tab) | Computer Science | Introduction to Computer Science for a zero-prior-experience audience. Play with little phrases of code to understand what computers are all about. | free |
| Intro to Artificial Intelligence (opens in a new tab) | AI | This course will introduce you to the basics of AI. Topics include machine learning, probabilistic reasoning, robotics, computer vision, and natural language processing. | Free |
| APIs for Beginners (opens in a new tab) | API | What exactly is an API? How do you use an API? We've just published a full beginner's course about Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) on the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube channel. | free |
| AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (opens in a new tab) | Cloud Services, API, https, etc. | This course is for individuals who seek an overall understanding of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud, independent of specific technical roles. You will learn about AWS Cloud concepts, AWS services, security, architecture, pricing, and support to build your AWS Cloud knowledge | free only registration on AWS needed |
| Learn about Lightning reports and dashboards (opens in a new tab) | Salesforce | Creating Reports and Dashboards in Salesforce | free |
| Microsoft Power BI (opens in a new tab) | Analytics | Various courses to learn Power BI | free |
Additional Must Watch Videos for PreSales
| Title & Link | Main Focus | Descriptions |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Qahtani - The Power of Words (opens in a new tab) | Speaking | Mohammed Qahtani's speech, "The Power of Words," is a powerful and inspiring presentation that won him the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking in 2015. In his speech, Qahtani emphasizes the profound impact that words can have on people's lives. Here are some key points from his speech: Influence of Words: Qahtani illustrates how words can change someone's mind, beliefs, and actions. He shares personal anecdotes to demonstrate how words have influenced his life and the lives of those around him. Positive and Negative Effects: He discusses how words can have both positive and negative effects. For example, he mentions how encouraging words can uplift and inspire people, while negative words can harm and demoralize. Personal Stories: Qahtani uses stories from his own experiences, such as how words affected his son and his friend, to make his points more relatable and impactful. Call to Action: He urges the audience to use their words wisely and to recognize the power they hold. He encourages people to use their words to make a positive difference in the world. |
| Charles Duhigg: The science behind dramatically better conversations (opens in a new tab) | Conversations | According to Charles' latest work, supercommunicators understand that whenever we speak, we're actually participating in one of three conversations: practical (What's this really about?), emotional (How do we feel?), and social (Who are we?). If you don't know what kind of conversation you're having, you're unlikely to connect. "Supercommunicators" know the importance of recognizing each kind of conversation and then matching it. They also know how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations, and deeply held beliefs that color so much of what we say and how we listen. He says our experiences, our values, and our emotional lives shape every discussion, from who will pick up the kids to how we want to be treated at work. That includes how we see ourselves and others. Learn why some people are able to make themselves heard, and to hear others, so clearly. |
| How to start a movement by Derek Sivers (opens in a new tab) | Storytelling, Leadership & Speaking | Great storytelling with a video. Easy to listen even if he speaks fast. |
| The art of persuasive storytelling by Kelly D. Parker (opens in a new tab) | Storytelling | "Storytelling is one of the most powerful marketing and leadership tools there is," says communications expert Kelly D. Parker. She explains how stories make proposals of all kinds more memorable, and shows how you can craft a compelling narrative to connect, persuade and drive meaningful action. |
| Julian Treasure: So talk so that others want to listen to you (opens in a new tab) | TED: Active Listening | Have you ever felt like you're talking but no one is listening? Julian Treasure comes to the rescue. In this useful lecture, the sound expert shows what you need to consider for a powerful presentation - from practical vocal exercises to tips on how to speak with empathy. A lecture that might help make the world sound more beautiful. |
| Brene Brown: The Power of Vulnerability (opens in a new tab) | Storytelling | Brene Brown studies interpersonal connections - our capacity for empathy, belonging, love. In a memorable, funny speech at TEDxHouston, she reveals deep insights into her research that sent her on a personal journey to get to know herself better and to better understand humanity. A speech worth sharing with others. |
| Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Perseverance (opens in a new tab) | Motivation | After leaving a prestigious consulting job, Angela Lee Duckworth taught math to seventh-graders in New York public schools. She quickly realized that IQ wasn't the only thing that separated the successful students from the struggling ones. Here she explains her theory about "perseverance" as a harbinger of success. |
| Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts (opens in a new tab) | Storytelling | In a culture that values sociability and sociability, being introverted can be difficult, even shameful. But, says Susan Cain, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to our world and should be encouraged and celebrated. |
| 10 ways to have a better conversation (opens in a new tab) | Communication | When your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have conversations -- and that most of us don't converse very well. Celeste Headlee has worked as a radio host for decades, and she knows the ingredients of a great conversation: Honesty, brevity, clarity and a healthy amount of listening. In this insightful talk, she shares 10 useful rules for having better conversations. "Go out, talk to people, listen to people," she says. "And, most importantly, be prepared to be amazed." |
| Do schools kill creativity? Sir Ken Robinson (opens in a new tab) | Storytelling | Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity. |
| Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness (opens in a new tab) | Storytelling | What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it's fame and money, you're not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you're mistaken. As the director of 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned (opens in a new tab) from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life. |
How Much Does Presales Training Cost?
It ranges from free to several thousand US dollars. Demo2Win's individual virtual training costs 2,195 USD per person. The PreSales Collective's PreSales Academy costs around 3,500 USD for a 10-week course. Most technical courses in the table above are free.
Is There a Presales Certification?
Some programs end with a certificate you can share. The PreSales Mastery course gives one after the final exam. Microsoft's IT security fundamentals course is free, and its certificate costs 76 EUR.
Do Presales Consultants Need Technical Training?
Yes. Basics in AI, APIs, cloud services, IT security and coding help you understand the customer's systems and answer complex questions with confidence. They also earn you credibility with the customer's technical team. The free courses in the technical table are a good place to start.
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In the course
- The PreSales MindsetMembers only
- Core Metrics for PreSalesMembers only
- Documentation & Knowledge SharingMembers only