# Salesforce is testing pre-sale engineering to win deployments

Markdown copy of https://realalpha.app/s/salesforce-is-testing-pre-sale-engineering-to-win/ on Real Alpha, the best minutes from long interviews with the people building AI. Cite and link the page, not this copy.

- Speaker: [Marc Benioff](https://realalpha.app/builders/marc-benioff/) · Marc Benioff is cofounder and CEO of Salesforce. · Founded Salesforce in 1999, pioneering cloud computing and building one of the world's leading enterprise software companies.
- Host: [Logan Bartlett](https://realalpha.app/people/logan-bartlett/) · Software Investor, Redpoint Ventures · Backs enterprise software companies like Ramp, Cribl, Cyera and Legora.
- Show: The Logan Bartlett Show
- Episode: [Marc Benioff Predicts Half of Conversations Will be With AI Agents Next Year](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/), Aug 29, 2025
- Moment: 25:44 to 28:37 of the episode (3 min), playing on https://realalpha.app/s/salesforce-is-testing-pre-sale-engineering-to-win/; the episode from there: https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=1544

## Quote

> “our prices are so much better at lower cost and our technology is probably **so much easier to use deploy**”
> — [Marc Benioff](https://realalpha.app/builders/marc-benioff/) at [27:21](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=1641) · The Logan Bartlett Show

## Takeaways

1. Salesforce had not typically built applications before a contract was signed.
2. Benioff says Salesforce beat Palantir on a U.S. Army deployment.
3. He cites lower prices and easier deployment as advantages.

## About this segment

Marc Benioff says Salesforce is trying Palantir-style engineers who build applications before a deal is signed. He cites a public Army deployment win and points to price and ease of use.

From “Marc Benioff Predicts Half of Conversations Will be With AI Agents Next Year”, Aug 29, 2025. [Watch the full episode](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/)

## Transcript

From the transcript The Logan Bartlett Show publishes with the episode.

[25:51](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=1551) we're seeing in the private markets for startups I guess is this it may be a overused terminology but but adopting some of the nomenclature from the Palantir world of like forward deployed engineering which I think is being purpose felt purpose fit a little bit differently than what Palantir intends it to be and maybe it's a little bit more of I saw someone call it sparkling sales engineering or something versus in the past but I guess do you are you seeing more consultative relationships with customers that are helping or that are looking to you to help them more map the journey than you have in the past and therefore it is that required like different staffing or different utilization of resources internally I'm very inspired by Palantir you know they sell and they sell in parts of the market that I have not traditionally sold

[26:46](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=1606) and they also sell at prices that I've never seen and our price offer being sold at so I've very inspired by and they try and broker goals that you know rarely are seen as well right yeah and I mean yes the the federal US federal government sales force is largest customer and you know we run all the major you know civilian agencies like the veterans administration all is fully automated on salesperson and I would say that now you know when we look you know certain parts of the government we haven't sold into but in some areas you know we are you know selling in and the US army we just beat you know Palantir it's a public it was publicly announced you know on on a new deployment and I would say that we're going to do that because our prices are so much better at lower cost and our technology is probably so much easier to use deploy but when it comes to

[27:35](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=1655) forward deployed engineers this idea that we had salespeople and system engineers on the front lines that was always true we had professional services that was always true but early deployment engineers are for deployed engineers where you're starting to build the application before the deal is signed that isn't something you know that we've really ever done before I find that very inspiring and I'm definitely you know trying that out and seeing if that will help me you know accelerate you know customer acquisition I think it's a really cool idea and I'm very inspired not just by you know the hundred times revenue multiple that's inspiring to know that's inspired yeah but I'm also I'm inspired look you know I've been a four million dollar company a 40 million dollar company a 400 million dollar company I've also been a four billion dollar company like Palantir

[28:22](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=1702) and now I'm a 41 billion dollar company so I've been all of those stages and each stage is a little bit different but I can be inspired by everyone and anyone are there are there unique