Solution Heroes: Gregg Aldana on Ushering in a New Era of Solutions Consulting

In Solution Heroes, I’m sitting down with some of the top leaders pushing the Solutions Consulting (SC) profession forward, with a candid look at what works and what doesn’t. 

We’re talking wins, lessons learned, and even failures and how you bounce back.

Our guest this month is Gregg Aldana, VP and Head of Global Solutions Consulting at Appian. A visionary leader, Gregg is spearheading the SC 2.0 movement—an evolution of Solutions Consulting that prioritizes proactive customer engagement, storytelling, and business impact. 

With over 25 years of experience advising Fortune 500 executives and building world-class presales teams at ServiceNow and Appian, Gregg is shaping the future of Solutions Consulting.

In this conversation, Gregg breaks down the six pillars of SC 2.0, shares the leadership lessons that have defined his career, and explains why storytelling—not just technology—is the key to success in presales.

The interview below has been edited for length and clarity, but you can watch the full video interview here:

Early Tech Passion Projects: From WarGames to KISS

Chris: You’ve been in the game for 25 years, advising over 200 CIOs and business leaders annually. Your career spans ServiceNow, FDIC, and the U.S. Selective Service System, where you led major modernization efforts. How did your journey into technology begin?

Gregg: It started way before my professional career. In third grade, I saw the movie WarGames, and I begged my dad for a computer. I wanted to hack into the Department of Defense—of course, not really—but I was hooked on technology. Since then, I’ve always been fascinated by solving real-world problems with tech.

Chris: So, you had passion projects early on?

Gregg: Oh yeah. I managed my baseball card collection with software and even published an underground magazine on the rock band KISS. It was all about using tech to make things better.

The Presales Profession: Misconceptions and Evolution

Chris: You’ve been in presales for a decade. What’s the biggest misconception about the profession?

Gregg: There are a few. First, the term “sales” scares people. They think we’re just here to generate invoices and negotiate like car salesmen. Second, many see presales as just demoing software—the “demo monkey” stereotype. In reality, that’s the smallest part of what we do. The biggest impact comes from influencing business strategy, shaping deals, and driving transformation.

Chris: That’s such a crucial shift. I’ve been in places where presales was just about educating users on the product, when in reality, the role should be influencing board-level metrics.

Gregg: Exactly! Once people see it in action, they can never go back.

SC 2.0: A New Era for Solutions Consulting

Chris: Let’s dive into SC 2.0. What is it?

Gregg: When I joined Appian, I noticed we were too technology-focused—talking about features, but not outcomes. That had to change. SC 2.0 is about next-generation Solutions Consulting, with six core pillars:

1. Proactive Customer Engagement and Expansion: SCs need to be involved from Stage 1 (discovery) to Stage 7 (post-sale expansion), not just during the demo phase.
2. Value-Based Storytelling and Demonstration: Every SC must publish at least one solution story per quarter. We lead with outcomes, not features.
3. Quota and Pipeline Ownership and Growth: SCs should own pipeline growth like small business owners. Many didn’t even know their quota—over time their quota can change their lives financially.
4. Strengthening Sales and SC Collaboration: The best solutions consulting teams operate in sync, finishing each other’s sentences.
5. Building Foundational Processes and Scalability: We need repeatable frameworks for long-term growth. One example is a consistent demo repository.
6. People Management and Talent Development: Training leaders, coaching talent, and creating career paths.

If we’re not working on something in one of these boxes, we shouldn’t be doing it.

Chris: That’s a playbook every presales leader should follow.

Gregg: Absolutely. It’s about evolving from technical experts to trusted business advisors. SC 2.0 is about not just helping our customers, but helping sales, product, marketing—all of these different areas that we work with. When you help people, not only are you more successful, but you’re going to be brought into a lot more conversations.

Getting Started with SC 2.0

Chris: For leaders who want to implement SC 2.0, where do they start?

Gregg: Here’s what I suggest.

1. Assess your current state. Don’t wait for a perfect strategy—just start.
2. Define a vision. Give your team a North Star or a vision statement for what you want to do.
3. Find their motivation. What’s in it for them? SCs want to be more valuable. Sales teams need bigger deals. Show them the why.
4. Appeal to pain points. People spend 10x more on painkillers than vitamins. Solve their pain.
5. Lead with storytelling. Take a well-known success story and frame it in a powerful way.

Chris: I love that. Show people what good looks like instead of debating theory.

Gregg: Exactly! Just do it. Don’t wait for buy-in—demonstrate success, and others will follow.

Chris: You emphasize storytelling a lot. Why is it so critical?

Gregg: Because we’re selling a vision, not a product. Think about buying a house—does the real estate agent start with plumbing details? No. They show you the backyard cookout you’ll have. Presales or solutions consulting is the same. We paint a vision of success.

Hot Takes and Solutions Consulting Leadership Lessons

Chris: Quick-fire questions! What’s the one skill every go-to-market leader should master?

Gregg: Energy and inspiration. People follow leaders who inspire them. If you don’t have that, drink some Red Bull!

Chris: Worst advice you ever got?

Gregg: “Slow down.” Someone told me to fit into a stagnant culture. Bad move. I found success by speeding up—creating my own opportunities instead of waiting. Life is short—go get it!

Chris: Best advice?

Gregg: “Find your voice.” Rather than trying to emulate what you think a caricature of a really smart tech guy should be, speak from the heart, be passionate, and be yourself. 

Chris: Any last words?

Gregg: This is the best time to be in technology. The AI boom is bigger than the cloud and mobile revolutions combined. Presales and solutions consulting professionals are at the front lines of this transformation.

Let me leave you with a story: At Appian, we helped a company reduce autism care approval times from six months to less than 10 days using AI. That’s the kind of profound impact presales can have.

And by the way, we’re hiring—so if you want to be part of SC 2.0, reach out!

Related reading: A Presales Leader’s Guide to Influencing Sales Strategy