Pre-Sales Unplugged: Leadership Playbook

Arvi Carkanji
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Pre-Sales Unplugged is the show for anyone serious about winning in modern GTM across SaaS and tech. Hosted by Arvi Carakanji, founder of Elite Talent Recruiting and one of the most vocal champions for Pre-Sales and Post-Sales as revenue functions, not support functions. Each episode goes deep on the conversations that actually move the needle. From hiring and leadership to revenue strategy, sales execution, and what it takes to level up as an individual contributor, we cover the full picture of how today's best GTM teams are built and run. Honest conversations with the founders, operators, revenue leaders, and individual contributors shaping the future of sales. People who have actually done the work and are willing to share what it really took. Whether you're a CRO building a Pre-Sales team, an SE growing into leadership, or a founder figuring out your GTM motion, this one's for you. Past guests include CROs, VP of Solutions, Authors, Founders, and individual contributors from across the SaaS world.

  1. 3d ago

    Ep. 22-How to Lead a High-Performance Sales Org Without Owning Every Deal with Alice Heiman

    Give us Feedback on this episode Most revenue problems in SaaS are leadership problems and most leaders don't see it until it's too late. If your team isn't closing, your pipeline is unpredictable, or you're still the one saving every deal, something in your leadership motion is broken. I'm sitting down with Alice Heiman and one of the most respected voices in B2B sales strategy for senior leaders and executives. Alice has spent decades helping C-suite leaders and founders of high-growth companies build the strategies, teams, and culture needed to drive consistent revenue.. without being the bottleneck. We're going deep on: Why senior leaders unknowingly stall their own revenue motionWhat modern GTM leadership actually looks like in 2026How to get your team generating pipeline without cold outreach that goes nowhereWhat it takes to build a sales org that performs with or without you in the roomIf you're a CRO, VP of Sales, founder, or GTM leader trying to figure out why your revenue isn't scaling the way it should -- this one's for you. Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.  We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.  They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.  We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.  If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos. Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/ Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/  All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

    1h 7m

  2. Jun 3

    Ep.21- A Friendly Human in Pre-Sales: The Behaviors That Actually Win Deals with Ron Whitson

    Give us Feedback on this episode Most pre-sales pros are incredible at the demo. But the demo isn't why deals die. This Tuesday I'm sitting down with Ron Whitson, an author, speaker, and one of the most experienced pre-sales leaders in the game. His book "A Friendly Human in Presales" breaks down the 7 timeless behaviors that separate good SEs from the ones who actually move the needle, and why most technical sellers are leaving influence on the table without realizing it. We're going live on LinkedIn and covering: Why the best SEs struggle to influence upwardThe Forward Deployed Engineer trend and is it helpful or hurtfulHow AI is reshaping the SE role (hint: you won't be replaced, but someone will)His 4-pillar leadership framework and how to actually build influence as a pre-sales leader If you're an SE trying to grow, a leader building a team, or a founder figuring out your GTM motion, this one is for you. Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.  We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.  They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.  We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.  If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos. Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/ Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/  All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

    1h 1m

  3. May 27

    Ep.20- How to Hire Fast, Onboard Right, and Scale an SE Team Without Losing the Culture with Diana Cappello

    Give us Feedback on this episode Most SE leaders are not ready for what fast growth actually demands. You land the budget. You get the headcount approved, the team is crushing it and the company is growing. And then the real work starts. Hiring decisions that have to stick. Onboarding that actually produces reps who can perform. A culture that does not fall apart the moment 20 new people walk in the door. Diana Cappello is living this right now. She joined Yoodli as a team of 2 and is scaling to 6 in H1 alone. She is not just building SE onboarding. She is building the AE and SC programs too, while still carrying a bag and leading the team. On this episode of Pre-Sales Unplugged, we are getting into: How to scale fast without changing everything that made your team goodWhat real onboarding looks like and where leaders consistently fail new hiresHow to get hiring committee consensus on what good actually looks likeWhat is coachable vs. what is not, and how to tell the difference earlyHow to stay an effective leader when you are also still an individual contributorThis one is for SE leaders, GTM managers, and ICs who want to understand what it takes to build and scale a high-performing pre-sales team the right way. Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.  We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.  They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.  We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.  If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos. Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/ Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/  All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

    58 min

  4. May 18

    Ep.19- From Sales Engineer to VP: How to Builds Teams People Actually Want to Come Back To w/ Tamir Verthim

    Give us Feedback on this episode Most leaders lose their best people and never get them back. The ones who do? They built something different: a culture where people don't just work for you, they want to work with you again. This week I'm sitting down with someone I've genuinely loved working with as a client, not just because he gets results, but because he's the kind of leader that makes people want to come back. Meet Tamir Verthim, VP of Customer Experience at Apono, the cloud access management platform helping companies like Intel, HPE, and Monday.com move fast without compromising security. Tamir's career has taken him from Sales Engineering at HP all the way to leading CX at a company that is disrupting the cloud access management space. And along the way, he's built something most leaders never learn how to crack: a reputation so strong that the people he's led keep finding their way back to work with him again. We're going deep on:  → What it actually takes to build a team people want to return to  → Leadership that drives results without killing culture  → How great CX and great SE leadership overlap more than you think  → What Apono is solving in the cloud security space.. and why it matters for GTM teams → How to build a winning culture and team that drives results in this competitive market. I know I’m going to be taking a ton of notes here personally.. BUT whether you're a leader trying to build something worth coming back to, or an IC trying to figure out what separates good managers from the ones who change careers..make sure you don’t miss this one!  Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.  We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.  They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.  We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.  If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos. Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/ Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/  All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

    47 min

  5. May 15

    Ep.18- The GTM Plateau Is a Leadership Problem. How to Break Through and Build a Winning Team with Mike Simmons

    Give us Feedback on this episode Most SaaS teams blame the market, the tool, the AI craziness, but they are overlooking one VERY IMPORTANT factor about why their company might be plateuign: Mindset - of the founder AND the team. This Thursday, May 14th at 11AM ET, I'm going LIVE with Mike Simmons, consultant, operator, and someone who's helped companies from early-stage startups to enterprise giants like Walt Disney and Lockheed Martin break through growth plateaus. Mike has a refreshingly simple framework that most leaders ignore: Mindset → Skillset → Toolset. Most companies do it backwards. We're diving into: Why your leadership team might be the thing killing your growthHow to identify and build the next generation of leaders from withinThe 5 core leadership skills every GTM team needs right nowAnd why communication is silently destroying execution at your companyIf you're a founder, CRO, or leader trying to scale past that next plateau.. or an IC trying to understand what separates good from great — you need to be in this conversation. Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.  We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.  They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.  We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.  If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos. Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/ Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/  All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

    52 min

  6. May 8

    Ep.17- How to Treat Customer Success as a Revenue Growth Lever and Not Post-Sales Babysitting with Ivan Stefanovski

    Give us Feedback on this episode Most SaaS companies treat Customer Success as a post-sales cleanup crew. The handoff is messy, expectations are misaligned, and by the time CS gets involved.. the damage is already done. On our next episode, I'm bringing on Ivan Stefanovski,  a CS and Partner Success leader who's managed 50+ stakeholder enterprise accounts and built the kind of relationships where clients text you on Slack when something breaks. We're going deep on: → Why CS needs to be in the room before the deal closes → How to manage enterprise accounts with dozens of stakeholders → The metrics that actually matter (hint: it's not revenue) → Sales vs. CS — and why confusing the two kills retention → Partner Success as a CS strategy most companies are sleeping on If you're building a CS function, leading one or trying to figure out what great post-sales looks like in 2026 Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.  We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.  They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.  We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.  If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos. Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/ Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/  All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

    54 min

  7. Apr 29

    Ep.16- The Future of Pre-Sales Isn’t Human vs AI with Joseph Lee

    Give us Feedback on this episode Joseph Lee, founder of Supademo, joins me live to break down how the buying journey in SaaS is rapidly changing and why traditional demos are no longer enough. We dive into his founder journey, the realities of bootstrapping, and how he identified a major gap in how buyers evaluate products today.  Joseph shares how self-serve demos are reshaping pre-sales, speeding up deal cycles, and helping buyers qualify themselves before ever speaking to a rep. We also get into one of the most talked-about topics right now: AI in sales.  Is it replacing pre-sales teams, or making them more effective?  Joseph gives a grounded perspective on where AI actually adds value .. and where it still falls short. If you’re a founder, GTM leader, or part of a pre-sales team trying to keep up with how buyers are evolving, this episode gives you a clear, no-BS look at what’s changing and how to adapt. Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.  We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.  They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.  We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.  If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos. Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/ Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/  All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

    40 min

  8. Apr 23

    Ep.15- How to Build a High-Performing BD Engine in 2026 with Danyal Cremerious

    Give us Feedback on this episode 2026 is more competitive than ever… and it’s not slowing down. Everyone keeps saying “personalize your outreach.” But AI made that easy. Which ironically made most “personalization” feel even more generic. So now the real questions are: Is AI replacing SDRs and BDRs? What’s actually working in outbound right now? And how do you build a BD engine that actually performs? These are the questions leaders are trying to figure out every day. I’m sitting down with Danyal Cremerius. He’s led and scaled outbound teams across Europe and the US, managed multi-region SDR orgs, and is now building and ramping a BD team from zero to performance. We’re breaking down: → How to build a BD team from zero → What top performers actually do differently → What’s working in outbound in 2026 → How AI is really impacting BD (not the LinkedIn version) → The tech stack behind high-performing teams → Metrics that actually matter vs vanity → BD + AE alignment and where it usually breaks → Europe vs US selling differences If you’re: • A founder trying to build pipeline • A sales leader scaling a team • A BD or SDR trying to break into top performance You’ll want to be in this one. Elite Talent Recruiting helps B2B SaaS leaders hire high performing Pre Sales and Post Sales talent when speed and quality actually matter.  We are on a mission to prove Pre Sales and Post Sales teams are just as crucial to revenue as offensive linemen are to quarterbacks.  They accelerate sales, fuel growth, and help SaaS companies win bigger deals faster.  We build SaaS GTM teams by headhunting top Pre Sales and Post Sales talent and delivering hires in 35 days or less, including Sales Engineers, Solutions Consultants, Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Technical Account Managers.  If your team is stretched thin, specialized roles are sitting open too long, or you are scaling fast and need reliable recruiting support that actually moves the needle, we help you hire the kind of talent that drives growth, innovation, and customer success without wasting months in interview chaos. Check out our website: https://elitetalentrecruiting.io/ Connect with Arvi directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvi-carkanji/  All other resources: https://linktr.ee/elitetalentrecruiting

    54 min
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About

Pre-Sales Unplugged is the show for anyone serious about winning in modern GTM across SaaS and tech. Hosted by Arvi Carakanji, founder of Elite Talent Recruiting and one of the most vocal champions for Pre-Sales and Post-Sales as revenue functions, not support functions. Each episode goes deep on the conversations that actually move the needle. From hiring and leadership to revenue strategy, sales execution, and what it takes to level up as an individual contributor, we cover the full picture of how today's best GTM teams are built and run. Honest conversations with the founders, operators, revenue leaders, and individual contributors shaping the future of sales. People who have actually done the work and are willing to share what it really took. Whether you're a CRO building a Pre-Sales team, an SE growing into leadership, or a founder figuring out your GTM motion, this one's for you. Past guests include CROs, VP of Solutions, Authors, Founders, and individual contributors from across the SaaS world.

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