Episode 181: Charting Your Presales Career Path with Miriam Graf

In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James welcome Miriam Graf, a presales veteran with 20 years as an individual contributor and 10 years in leadership roles. Miriam shares invaluable insights on navigating career growth in presales, from speaking up about your aspirations to recognizing when leadership is and isn't the right path for you. She discusses the evolution from being "the hero" to becoming a leader who helps others shine, and explores the diverse career opportunities available beyond traditional management roles.

This episode is sponsored by Elvance. Find out more about them at https://elvance.io/

Follow Us

• Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/

• Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/

• Connect with Miriam Graf: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriamgraf/ or email [email protected]

Links and Resources Mentioned

• Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack

• Presales Podcast: https://www.presalescollective.com/podcast

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome

06:53 Lessons to learn earlier

10:38 IC vs leadership

16:42 Expensive experience lessons

22:46 Variety of expertise is good

28:27 Focus on your industry and keep learning

Key Topics Covered

1. Speaking Up About Your Career

   • Why waiting for someone to notice doesn't work

   • How expressing interest puts you on the radar for future opportunities

   • The importance of taking initiative on projects you're passionate about

2. The Transition from Hero to Leader

   • Why being the top SE doesn't automatically translate to leadership

   • The emotional shift from personal accolades to team success

   • Understanding if management is actually the right path for you

3. Alternative Career Paths Beyond Management

   • National expert or technical specialist roles

   • Product management and product marketing opportunities

   • Customer success, implementation, and demo engineering

   • How presales skills translate across multiple disciplines

4. Essential Skills for Career Advancement

   • Soft skills: passion, communication, empathy, and listening

   • Business acumen: understanding the "so what?" for your audience

   • Technical skills: continuous learning and adaptability

5. Learning Through Experience

   • The value of trying roles outside presales

   • How diverse experience makes you a better SE

   • Why failures and tough feedback lead to growth

6. Industry Expertise

   • How to quickly learn an industry's key challenges

   • The value of becoming a vertical expert

   • Building credibility without years of industry experience