From Remote to RTO and how Presales Teams rediscovering Traditional Presales

Five years ago, working from home was an occasional luxury, yet the pandemic quickly turned remote work into the norm. This shift, driven by hedonic adaptation, explains why people rapidly embraced the convenience of remote work but now struggle to return to traditional office routines under new RTO [return-to-office] policies. According to research, human beings adapt to new settings and resist reverting back, especially after prolonged periods of change. The cognitive inertia that develops during this adaptation causes mental resistance to switching back to old routines, such as working in an office. Businesses are now facing a challenge as employees, accustomed to the benefits of flexibility, experience friction in returning to office environments

Organisations are pushing for employees to return to the office because they see it as an opportunity to regain the collaborative and innovative edge that physical presence offers. In-office environments naturally foster spontaneous interactions, team cohesion, and a more connected company culture — elements that are hard to replicate in remote settings. Employers believe that in-person collaboration leads to better creativity, quicker decision-making, and a stronger sense of shared purpose, which can often be diluted in virtual environments. Moreover, businesses are looking to restore a structured work environment, where managers can have greater visibility into project progress, team dynamics, and accountability. This shift addresses challenges like employee isolation, reduced engagement, and the need to reclaim the collaborative energy that traditionally thrived in office spaces.

In-person client meetings have always been essential for building trust, building stronger business relationships, and engaging in off-the-record conversations that lead to valuable discovery. These face-to-face interactions allow for deeper engagement, spontaneous discussions, and the personal connections that virtual meetings struggle to replicate. However, the pandemic-driven shift to remote work has made it difficult for companies to bring clients back into the office, as many have grown accustomed to the convenience of virtual interactions.

How can businesses that rely on growing Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) targets upsells and renewals when virtual engagements, which lack the critical off-the-record moments, personal touch, and trust-building opportunities, are increasingly being phased out in favour of in-person meetings, as enterprises return to office environments to rebuild deeper connections?

Firstly, comfort in the status quo. People often prefer familiar situations where they feel competent and avoid the discomfort associated with the effort and uncertainty of pursuing bigger goals. This links to risk aversion, where the fear of potential loss or hardship outweighs the perceived benefits of success. Additionally, personal lives—whether family commitments, financial responsibilities, or health challenges—can often take precedence over career aspirations. These real-world factors can reduce the drive to chase ambitious goals, as many individuals prioritise stability over the uncertainty that comes with pursuing significant achievements. Balancing personal obligations and career growth can sometimes lead to settling for smaller, more manageable achievements.

It’s no surprise that after a day filled with 8 to 10 back-to-back virtual meetings, we’ve gradually lost the ability to prioritise our own personal interests and well-being. The fast-paced nature of constantly being “on” in virtual settings leaves little room for reflection or self-care, and it’s easy to feel as if the day has slipped away without any time for yourself. When every minute is scheduled, the mental and emotional bandwidth for pursuing personal passions or even taking a moment to recharge is diminished. Over time, this constant state of busyness can erode the balance between our professional and personal lives, making it harder to reconnect with the things that truly matter to us outside of work.

The constant cycle of virtual meetings has caused us, as presales professionals, to forget what our roles were like before 2020. The personal, face-to-face client engagements that once defined our work have been replaced by back-to-back video calls, leaving little room for meaningful connection. If you weren’t working in presales back then, you might not know how much those in-person interactions mattered—building relationships through spontaneous conversations, body language, and personal touch. This virtual fatigue has dulled the dynamic nature of presales, making it harder to create the same impact we once had.

Last year, in 2023, it was still common for meetings to be split evenly between virtual and in-person formats. However, this balance no longer holds true. While in-person meetings haven’t necessarily increased dramatically, the frequency of virtual meetings has sharply declined. This shift is leading to fewer overall meetings, as businesses are becoming more selective about how they engage with clients and teams. The convenience of virtual meetings, once seen as essential, is now giving way to a more deliberate approach, where fewer but more meaningful engagements are taking place. The drop in virtual meetings is reshaping how organisations think about client interactions and internal collaboration, impacting how frequently teams are connecting overall.

As the frequency of meetings—both virtual and in-person—declines, businesses are beginning to reassess their operational investments, particularly in mature markets where proactive engagement from presales teams is not as visible. The reduced number of client interactions signals a need for more initiative within presales teams, as their ability to actively seek out opportunities and drive client engagement appears to be waning. This shift has led some organisations to re-evaluate headcounts, focusing on the effectiveness and return on investment of presales functions. In mature markets where growth is often more challenging, the lack of proactive outreach from presales could influence decisions around team structure and resource allocation, as businesses weigh the value of maintaining larger teams in regions that require more strategic and intentional engagement.

The concept of “traditional presales” has largely been forgotten since late 2019, as the shift to remote work and virtual meetings reshaped how presales teams operate. While many presales professionals claim they are ready and willing to travel to visit customers — at least that’s what they convey to their account executives — the reality often tells a different story. Account executives themselves have fallen into a status quo of relying on virtual engagements, leaving the push for in-person meetings to the presales teams. This creates a situation where, instead of waiting for opportunities to emerge, presales professionals must actively drive the initiative, urging their technical counterparts and account teams to prioritise face-to-face interactions. Without this proactive push, the deeper client engagement that once defined traditional presales risks being overshadowed by complacency and the convenience of remote communications.

In addition to Amazon, several major enterprises, including major banks, are also pushing for a return to office (RTO) policies. For instance, Citigroup, HSBC, and Barclays have been mandating increased in-office days, with some policies requiring employees to come into the office five days a week. This shift reflects a broader trend where businesses are eager to regain the benefits of in-person collaboration, creativity, and decision-making that remote work has often hindered.

For example, IBM now mandates three in-office days per week for U.S. managers. Similarly, Microsoft has adopted a hybrid model that encourages employees to spend at least half their time in the office, emphasising the benefits of face-to-face collaboration.

This return to in-person work offers presales teams a significant opportunity to pursue more face-to-face client meetings and strengthen their relationships, as many clients are also returning to the office.

It is crucial for both presales team members and leaders to track RTO trends, as they offer a chance to return to traditional presales practices and become Strategic Partners. By leveraging clients’ increased office presence, presales professionals can deeper, more meaningful engagements, moving beyond transactional interactions.

Over the past decade, the role of presales has evolved into a hybrid model, seamlessly blending remote work with in-office collaboration. As technology advanced, presales professionals adapted to engaging with clients virtually, while still maintaining the crucial face-to-face meetings that drive deeper relationships and trust. This hybrid approach allowed for flexibility in how presales teams operate, managing both remote engagements and in-person client interactions effectively. However, as companies re-evaluate their operational strategies post-pandemic, there is a renewed focus on striking the right balance between remote work and the return to office, reshaping how presales teams approach client interactions and internal collaboration.

In the context of presales, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), developed by Deci and Ryan, emphasises three essential elements — autonomy, competence, and relatedness — that drive motivation and well-being. While presales professionals may demonstrate focus and persistence in their remote work, building meaningful client relationships requires more than technical competence. Autonomy in managing schedules and mastering solutions is important, but true relationship-building cannot be achieved solely through virtual interactions. In-person meetings are crucial to establishing trust, rapport, and long-term connections, fulfilling the need for relatedness that remote engagements often lack.

As a presales leader, when you observe strong work ethic, persistence, and focus in your SEs — especially evident through successful customer work and effective cross-divisional collaboration — it’s important to recognise the momentum they’ve built. Interrupting this flow may not be ideal, as these efforts demonstrate a well-balanced approach to managing both technical responsibilities and relationship-building across teams. Disrupting such positive engagement, even if well-intentioned, could hinder the progress your SEs have made in developing critical customer connections and driving collaboration. Instead, it’s essential to support and nurture these behaviours, allowing the team to continue their strong contributions and maintain the effectiveness they’ve achieved through their focus and persistence.

On the surface, it may seem that nothing has changed for presales professionals, with virtual client calls and remote engagements still being the preferred mode for many customers. However, beneath this apparent continuity lies a more nuanced shift as Return to Office (RTO) policies come into play. While presales teams may not immediately feel the impact of RTO, it’s important to recognise that the business environment is subtly evolving. Organisations are increasingly returning to in-person operations, which may eventually reshape expectations for client interactions. Presales professionals must remain observant and adaptable, understanding that while virtual calls remain common for now, the move back to physical office spaces signals a potential return to more traditional, face-to-face engagement practices in the near future.

When working remotely, many presales people experience an improvement in work-life balance, as they gain more control over their schedules and eliminate time-consuming commutes. This flexibility allows for better integration of personal and professional responsibilities, fostering a healthier lifestyle. However, remote work also comes with the risk of blurring the lines between work and personal time, leading to increased work density — the opposite of the ideal work-life balance. This term refers to an overload of tasks concentrated in shorter periods, often leaving little room for downtime or personal interests.

The return-to-office (RTO) policies are a reality we must all face, but they also offer an opportunity for presales engineers to make a deeper impact. By embracing these changes and focusing on understanding our customers’ evolving challenges, we can position ourselves as true strategic partners rather than just solution providers. Our role in presales goes beyond selling—it’s about the value we bring to our customers and their end-users. It’s about solving problems, driving innovation, and ultimately making a meaningful impact. This is why presales exists: to empower customers and help them succeed in an ever-changing world.

As the Sales rep world is also transforming and changing, sales finesse has become more crucial than ever. It’s no longer about using aggressive tactics to close a deal but rather about subtly and skilfully guiding conversations to build genuine relationships. Sales finesse involves balancing persuasion with empathy, actively listening to understand the customer’s needs, and adapting your approach accordingly. By mastering this art, presales professionals can create an environment where customers feel understood and supported rather than pressured.

Unlike being “salesy,” which often feels forced or insincere, sales finesse requires emotional intelligence, patience, and timing. It’s about overcoming objections gracefully, presenting solutions naturally, and moving the conversation forward while ensuring the customer feels in control. In this evolving sales landscape, developing finesse is key to building trust and driving meaningful, lasting engagements.