Tapping in to What C-Level Executives Care About - Preston Polk

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, hosts Amanda and Tim sit down with Preston Polk, a seasoned C-level executive and former business unit CEO at Wells Fargo, who’s made hundreds (thousands?) of buying decisions over the course of his career. Preston brings a no-nonsense, candid perspective on how executives think, what they really care about, and how salespeople can earn their time—and their trust.

With decades of experience across finance, tech, and SaaS, Preston unpacks why most sellers fail to gain access to senior decision-makers, and how you can stand out by delivering value in the first 30 seconds. From building a focused sales story to navigating the internal buying committee, this episode is a crash course in selling to the top.

Tune in to learn:

The three doubts in every C-suite buyer’s mind—and how to address them
Why you must show capabilities, outcomes, and impacts (in that order)
How to avoid getting delegated down or dismissed within minutes
The right way to open with a compelling vision—and earn the next 5 minutes
Preston’s “Five Whats” framework for winning executive-level deals

Links and Resources:

Connect with Preston Polk:   / prestonpolk  
Connect with Amanda:   / adevlugt  
Connect with Tim:   / tim-riesterer  
Learn more about Swanlaab USA Ventures:   / swanlaabusa  
Learn more about Glyph Consulting:   / glyph-consulting  
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Learn About Preston Polk
Preston Polk is a dynamic business leader who wears multiple hats as a Senior Business Partner at Swanlaab USA Ventures and Managing Partner of Glyph Consulting, while also serving as a Consultant in the Executive Practice at Corporate Visions. Preston's impressive track record includes serving as CEO of a $175MM revenue business unit at Wells Fargo, leading a $2B revenue improvement initiative, and spearheading the acquisition of a $20B merchant processing portfolio that generated $50MM in annual revenue. As an early pioneer in the SAAS industry, he launched and successfully sold one of the first SAAS companies in 1999. A Harvard MBA graduate with an engineering degree from Swarthmore College, he brings a unique blend of strategic vision and operational excellence to help both emerging and established companies scale.

Learn about Amanda DeVlugt
A veteran of global learning and development, Amanda DeVlugt spent 15 years at Hilton crafting leadership programs and revenue growth strategies that transformed operations across international brands. Her expertise in delivering impactful training has reached over 5,000 professionals through 400+ workshops, while her innovative approach to learning has produced more than 200 educational videos on leadership, engagement, and technical processes. As a trusted advisor to top management companies and a skilled facilitator of agile methodologies, Amanda combines her passion for continuous improvement with a talent for creating transformative learning experiences that drive organizational excellence. Amanda is Director of Member Experience and Success at Emblaze, the revenue leaders’ community powered by Corporate Visions.

Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.