Requirements are unclear
The buyer knows the problem but the actual requirements have not been structured.
Solution Consulting & Pre-Sales
Turn complex technology requirements into a clearer commercial solution.
Complex technology opportunities rarely move forward on product features alone.
I help technology companies understand business requirements, structure solution discussions, shape the right approach and turn complex opportunities into commercially clear proposals.
The objective is to create better alignment between what the buyer needs and what the technology provider can actually deliver.
The Problem
Complex opportunities become difficult when business needs and technology solutions are not clearly connected.
A prospect may have a genuine business problem but struggle to explain exactly what they need.
At the same time, technology companies may understand their own capabilities but find it difficult to translate those capabilities into a solution that makes sense to the buyer.
Too much focus on features
The conversation becomes a product discussion instead of a business discussion.
Multiple stakeholders are involved
Business, technical, operational and commercial stakeholders may have different priorities.
Solution scope is unclear
The proposed solution lacks enough clarity around what is included, assumed or required.
Proposals are difficult to understand
Technical information does not always translate into a commercially clear proposal.
Sales and delivery are not aligned
What is discussed during sales can become difficult for the delivery team to interpret later.
What This Service Does
Connect the buyer's business problem with a commercially clear technology solution.
Solution consulting sits between the buyer's business requirements and the technology provider's capabilities.
The work helps structure discovery, requirements, solution direction, scope, assumptions and commercial communication so both sides have a clearer understanding of what is being proposed.
Business Discovery
Understand the organisation, business context, current situation and commercial problem.
Requirements Discovery
Identify and structure the functional, operational and business requirements relevant to the opportunity.
Stakeholder Discovery
Understand the roles, priorities and concerns of the people involved in the buying process.
Solution Shaping
Translate requirements into a practical solution direction using the technology provider's existing capabilities.
Scope Definition
Clarify what the proposed engagement includes, what it depends on and what remains outside scope.
Proposal Development
Help structure proposals so the business problem, solution approach, scope and commercial logic are easier to understand.
Commercial Progression
Support the opportunity as stakeholders evaluate the proposed solution and commercial engagement.
Delivery Handoff
Create better continuity between what was discussed during pre-sales and what needs to happen after the opportunity is won.
Business Discovery
Start with the business problem, not the technology feature list.
Good solution consulting begins by understanding why the buyer is looking for change.
The discovery process can explore the current situation, business problem, existing process, desired outcome, stakeholders, constraints and timing before discussing the final solution.
Current Situation
What is happening today?
Business Problem
What is not working or what needs to change?
Desired Outcome
What does the buyer want to achieve?
Commercial Context
Why is the initiative relevant now and what needs to happen next?
Requirements Discovery
Turn conversations into structured requirements.
Requirements are often spread across meetings, emails, documents and stakeholder conversations.
The work can help organise those requirements into a clearer view of what the solution needs to address.
Business Requirements
What the business needs the solution to accomplish.
Functional Requirements
What the solution needs to enable users or teams to do.
Process Requirements
How the solution needs to fit into existing workflows.
Integration Requirements
What systems or data may need to connect.
Operational Requirements
How the solution will be used and managed in practice.
Constraints & Assumptions
Known limitations, dependencies, assumptions or conditions affecting the solution.
Stakeholder Alignment
Different stakeholders can define the same problem differently.
A technology purchase may involve business leaders, operational users, technical stakeholders, finance, procurement and other decision participants.
Understanding their different priorities helps create a more complete view of the opportunity.
Business Stakeholders
Business goals, outcomes and commercial priorities.
Users
Workflow, usability and operational requirements.
Technical Stakeholders
Systems, integration, security or technical considerations.
Commercial Stakeholders
Budget, procurement, contracting and decision process.
Solution Shaping
Translate requirements into a solution that makes commercial sense.
Once the business problem and requirements are clearer, the next step is to connect them with the technology provider's actual capabilities.
The goal is not to oversell features. It is to create a solution direction that is understandable, relevant and realistic.
Requirement to Capability
Connect identified requirements with relevant product or service capabilities.
Solution Approach
Explain how the proposed technology approach addresses the business problem.
Scope & Assumptions
Clarify what is included, what depends on further discovery and what remains outside scope.
Commercial Relevance
Connect the solution to the buyer's business situation rather than presenting technology in isolation.
Proposal & Pre-Sales
Make the proposed solution easier to understand and evaluate.
A strong proposal should help the buyer understand the problem being addressed, the proposed approach, the expected scope and the commercial path forward.
The exact proposal structure depends on the opportunity and the technology provider's existing sales process.
Possible proposal components include:
- Business context
- Current situation
- Identified requirements
- Proposed solution
- Solution approach
- Scope
- Deliverables
- Assumptions
- Dependencies
- Client responsibilities
- Implementation considerations
- Commercial structure
- Next steps
Legal terms, contractual language and final commercial agreements remain the responsibility of the relevant parties.
How It Works
From business problem to commercially clear opportunity.
- 01
Discover
Understand the business situation, problem, stakeholders and desired outcome.
- 02
Structure
Organise requirements, priorities, constraints and relevant information.
- 03
Shape
Connect requirements with the technology provider's capabilities and define a practical solution direction.
- 04
Propose
Translate the solution into a commercially clear proposal, scope and next-step structure.
- 05
Progress
Support stakeholder discussions, questions, clarification and commercial progression where scoped.
Complex Opportunity Model
A clearer path through complex technology sales
Each opportunity can require a different depth of discovery and solution work.
The process should adapt to the complexity of the buyer, solution and commercial decision.
- Business Problem
- Discovery
- Requirements
- Stakeholders
- Solution
- Scope
- Proposal
- Commercial Decision
Outputs
What the engagement can produce
Discovery Summary
A structured view of the business context, problem and desired outcome.
Requirements Framework
A clearer representation of relevant business and solution requirements.
Stakeholder Map
An understanding of the people involved and their respective priorities.
Solution Direction
A commercially clear connection between requirements and available technology capabilities.
Scope Definition
Clearer boundaries around proposed work, assumptions and dependencies.
Proposal Structure
A structured commercial proposal that connects business problem, solution and scope.
Pre-Sales Documentation
Relevant notes, discovery information and supporting documentation for opportunity progression.
Delivery Handoff Context
A clearer record of what was discussed and agreed before delivery begins, where applicable.
Best Suited For
When the opportunity needs more than a standard sales pitch.
Complex Technology Sales
The buyer needs a deeper understanding of the proposed solution.
Custom Software Opportunities
Requirements and scope need to be understood before a commercial proposal can be finalised.
Enterprise Technology Buying
Multiple stakeholders are involved in evaluating the solution.
Business Process Transformation
The technology needs to fit an existing or changing business process.
CRM & Automation Opportunities
The buyer needs help connecting business workflows with technology capabilities.
Solution-Led Sales
The commercial opportunity depends on discovery and solution alignment rather than a simple product transaction.
Not Always the Starting Point
Sometimes the opportunity needs a different GTM intervention first.
The right starting point depends on where the commercial constraint sits. Services can also be combined when the opportunity requires multiple capabilities.
ICP Is Unclear
Start with GTM & Market Validation.
Target Buyers Are Not Being Reached
Start with Pipeline Generation.
Sales Process Is Inconsistent
Start with Sales & GTM Engine.
The Company Needs Ongoing Senior GTM Support
Consider Fractional GTM Partner.
What Happens After This
Solution consulting should support commercial progression, not create another layer of complexity.
Depending on the situation, this work can connect with:
Sales & GTM Engine
Manage the opportunity through a clearer sales process.
Pipeline Generation
Create additional opportunities using a structured prospecting motion.
Fractional GTM Partner
Continue supporting complex opportunities and broader GTM execution.
Custom Engagement
Combine solution consulting with other GTM capabilities where required.
Clear Scope
What this service is not
Not Software Development
Rakesh can help understand and shape the commercial solution, but software engineering and development are not automatically included.
Not Technical Architecture
Detailed engineering architecture, infrastructure design or specialist technical implementation should be separately scoped with the appropriate technical resources.
Not CRM Development
The work can address business requirements and solution direction around CRM and automation, but platform development is separate.
Not Generic Proposal Writing
The focus is understanding the opportunity and shaping the commercial solution, not simply producing documents.
Not Legal Advice
Contracts, legal terms and regulatory interpretation remain with the appropriate legal or professional advisers.
No Guaranteed Deal Outcome
The service can improve structure and clarity around an opportunity, but final commercial decisions remain with the buyer and seller.
No One-Size-Fits-All Solution
The solution must reflect the buyer's actual business context and the provider's real capabilities.
Related Services
Related Services
GTM & Market Validation
Clarify market focus, ICP, buyers, positioning and GTM priorities.
Explore GTM & Market Validation
Pipeline Generation
Build a structured process for finding, reaching and qualifying relevant buyers.
Explore Pipeline GenerationSales & GTM Engine
Create a clearer sales process covering qualification, pipeline, CRM, follow-up and reporting.
Explore Sales & GTM EngineFractional GTM Partner
Provide ongoing senior GTM involvement across strategy, pipeline and commercial execution.
Explore Fractional GTM PartnerFAQ
Questions about Solution Consulting & Pre-Sales
It is the process of understanding a buyer's business problem and requirements, shaping a relevant technology solution and helping move the opportunity toward a commercially clear decision.
Yes. Requirements discovery can cover business, functional, process, integration, operational and other relevant considerations depending on the opportunity.
Yes. Customer discovery and stakeholder discussions can be part of the engagement where appropriate.
Yes. The service is designed to support opportunities where multiple stakeholders, requirements and solution considerations need to be brought together.
Proposal development can be part of the engagement. The proposal should connect the business context, requirements, solution approach, scope and relevant commercial information.
Yes. Scope definition can clarify proposed deliverables, assumptions, dependencies, responsibilities and areas that remain outside the engagement.
Yes. It can provide sales teams with a clearer approach to discovery, requirements, solution positioning and proposal development for complex opportunities.
The work can involve understanding technical considerations relevant to the commercial opportunity, but the primary focus is business discovery, requirements, solution shaping and commercial communication rather than engineering delivery.
Detailed technical specifications are not the default scope. The engagement can structure business and solution requirements, while detailed engineering specifications can be handled by the relevant technical team.
No. Software development, engineering and implementation are separate unless specifically included through an agreed scope and delivery arrangement.
Yes. CRM and business automation opportunities can involve significant discovery and solution shaping. The focus is on understanding the business requirements and connecting them with relevant technology capabilities.
Rakesh has experience working around the Salesforce ecosystem and CRM-led business processes. This service focuses on commercial solution consulting rather than Salesforce development.
Where scoped, support can include stakeholder discussions, clarification, requirement refinement and commercial progression.
No. The service is intended to improve discovery, solution clarity and commercial progression. The final buying decision remains with the customer.
No. Scope depends on the complexity of the opportunity, required involvement, existing sales process and deliverables. The engagement is defined after understanding the situation.
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