Ep. 27: Guest - Priyanta Dharmasena. Leadership Lessons; Diving & Demos

This Week's Episode: In this episode of 'Software Sales Simplified', hosts Kevin and Matt talk with with guest Priyanta Dharmasena, to explore the intersection of leadership, technical depth, and personal growth in the software sales industry. They discuss the importance of foundational skills in both diving and sales, the challenges of balancing technical expertise with management responsibilities, and the critical role of cybersecurity in today's technology landscape. The conversation emphasizes the need for continuous learning and adaptability in a rapidly evolving field, offering valuable insights for aspiring professionals.About our Guest - Priyanta Dharmasena:Priyanta Dharmasena has spent nearly two decades translating cutting‑edge cloud technology into measurable business value for customers at companies like Oracle, Seibel, Salesforce and beyond. Credited with spearheading complex wins as a lead Solution Engineer, Pri helped lay the groundwork for several record‑setting deals that still shape customer successes and trajectories today. Priyanta pairs deep technical fluency with commercial savvy, sharing practical perspectives on emerging topics such as AI security—most recently highlighting Skyflow’s new agentic privacy layer for the presales community. Guided by his personal motto “go beyond the impossible,” he is known for customer‑first storytelling, cross‑functional mentorship, and a relentless focus on delivering outcomes that matter. Priyanta is also an exemplary professional diver who teaches at the Master Instructor level. His diligence and discipline in his diving endeavors is well known and carries over to his selling activities. How to Find out More About Priyanta:You can find Priyanta's profile on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyanta-dharmasena/Chapter List:00:00 Introduction to Software Sales Simplified02:05 Exploring Leadership and Growth in Sales04:53 Priyanta's Journey: From Oracle to Cybersecurity07:55 Diving into the Basics: Lessons from Scuba Diving11:39 Balancing Technical Skills and Management16:55 The Mindset of Continuous Learning19:55 Career Paths: Management vs. Individual Contributor22:03 Personal Growth and Career Decisions24:08 The Evolving Landscape of Cybersecurity27:54 Data Protection and Security Strategies30:35 Understanding Business Pain in Technology Sales34:20 AI's Role in Cybersecurity37:48 Advice for Aspiring Professionals in Cybersecurity40:24 Like, Follow, Subscribe and See You Next WeekAbout Software Sales Simplified:Visit us at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.strategicsalesoptimization.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Linkedin:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/2tcx7mjx⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Send us your questions at ⁠- ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠"What is a Sales Engineer?" - Education Series on YouTube:⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxuHbkRfIWtVj_Hg1GYBIg-o5M-icJLn0⁠⁠⁠Get Your Copy of "Winning Faster"!Available Here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strategicsalesoptimization.com/move-book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Listen to Software Sales Simplified?Make Software Sales Simplified: MOVE to Success, your go-to podcast for mastering enterprise software sales through authentic customer engagement and actionable consulting insights. Join us for each episode as we break down proven strategies and real-world experiences to help you build trust, close deals, and drive long-term success along your Enterprise Software Sales or Consulting journey.Copyrighted Broadcast:Thank you for tuning in to Software Sales Simplified: MOVE to Success. This podcast is produced by and is the sole property of Strategic Sales Optimization LLC, copyright 2025. Reproduction or use of this broadcast in whole or in part without express written permission from Strategic Sales Optimization LLC is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.