The most interesting and effective presales professionals often have one thing in common: they aren’t one-dimensional. They bring experiences, perspectives, and skills from diverse interests into their work, creating a unique approach that stands out in a crowded field.
On my Beyond Presales podcast, I had a chance to chat with presales professionals about what makes them unique and stand out.
The Power of Being a “Serial Hobbyist”
In my conversation with Ron Whitson, Sr Director of Solutions Consulting, we discussed the lifestyle of being a serial hobbyist. It’s important to have a lifestyle of curiosity that bleeds into your professional life. While conventional wisdom might suggest focusing solely on deepening your technical knowledge, research indicates that breadth of experience creates cognitive benefits that depth alone cannot provide.
A key to success in presales is a continued pursuit of knowledge and understanding. Stated more simply: Curious people make better SCs. Switching between different domains improves adaptive thinking in all areas of life, and often ideas from one domain can spark ideas in another.
Additionally, in presales, where connecting with different stakeholders is crucial, having a broad range of interests can be particularly valuable. Your ability to engage authentically on diverse topics creates relationship depth that technical knowledge alone cannot.
Finding Your “Something to Look Forward To”
One powerful insight from the podcast discussion with Liz Anderson, most recently the Director of Learning at Presales Collective, was the importance of having “something to look forward to” every week. It’s not enough to just have that vacation or time off, but you need something that takes away the grind of your work and brings in excitement and expectation. You need it every week, or every day if you’re fortunate enough!
This regular anticipation serves several purposes:
- It provides psychological momentum through difficult periods
- It creates natural boundaries around work time
- It ensures regular mental refreshment
- It develops skills and interests that make you more well-rounded
The specific activity matters less than its ability to engage you fully. Whether it’s a weekly D&D session, tennis match, book club, or cooking class, the key is that it completely absorbs your attention and provides a break from your work routine.
The Personal Development Advantage
I had the priveledge of speaking with my long-time friend Paul Krauss, Clinical Director at Health for life Counseling in Grand Rapids,MI, and host of the Intentional Clinician Podcast. Research that Paul cited shows that personal development activities, including those unrelated to your specific job function, consistently improve work performance metrics. Activities have been tied to increased goal attainment, enhanced self-efficacy, greater job satisfaction, and improved work outcomes.
This happens because personal development expands your intellectual capacities and self-awareness in ways that narrowly focused professional development cannot.
Creating Your Renaissance Plan
To cultivate this renaissance approach to presales, consider these steps:
- Do a quarterly self-assessment: What’s working in your life? What needs adjustment?
- Take a skill inventory: What abilities from your hobbies might transfer to your work?
- Find time for new hobbies: Schedule regular exposures to new activities
- Practice reflection: Journal about insights from different domains of your life
Remember that the goal isn’t to add more obligations to your calendar. The goal instead is to create a rich, multifaceted life that makes you both happier and more effective in your presales role and beyond.