December Sales Engineering Braintrust

The December Sales Engineering Braintrust is here to close out the year with an exciting roundup of new technology conversations, updated Pathfinder Matrices and IQAs, the latest Win Wire, and this month’s Engineering Spotlight!

Here’s a snapshot of what you can find in this month’s Braintrust:

• VMware Roundtable Webinar
• Pathfinder Updates
• New podcast
• Latest Win Wire
• Trusted Advisor Testimonials
• Engineering Spotlight

VMware Roundtable Webinar

Check out our exclusive roundtable webinar with AVANT’s Niko O’Hara and cloud experts as they dive into one of last year’s biggest industry announcements: Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware. Discover insights into the latest changes to VMware’s program, how this impacts customers, and what you can do to take advantage of it.

Refine your sales approach for VMware opportunities and stay ahead. Watch the webinar today!

Pathfinder Updates 

• The NEW VMware IQA, designed by Niko O’Hara and Chip Hoisington, helps Trusted Advisors navigate the recent changes to VMware’s partner program and licensing model following its 2023 acquisition by Broadcom. This tool offers a clear roadmap to assess each customer’s current environment and future needs, so you can recommend the best path forward for impacted clients.
• The CPaaS Matrix, developed by Amanda Bean, Brent Wilford, Dave Watson, and John Paullin, provides you with detailed insights into which business applications (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Zendesk) each platform integrates with natively. It helps you match the right CPaaS solution to your clients’ needs, ensuring they stay ahead of evolving requirements. Featured solution providers include 8×8, IntelePeer, RingCentral, Secured Communications, Sinch, and Vonage.
• The NEW Outbound Campaigns Matrix by Amanda Bean, Brent Wilford, Dave Watson, and John Paullin, helps you identify the best solutions to optimize your clients’ outbound campaigns and drive better results. Key features include notifications, reminders, multiple dialing modes, answering machine detection, automatic rescheduling, DNC list scrubbing, SMS/MMS, dynamic Caller ID, compliance support, and pre-built integrations. Featured solution providers include 3CLogic, 8×8, Acqueon, Dialpad, Firstfire.io, Evolve IP, Five9, Genesys, NICE CXone, Regal.io, RingCentral, Talkdesk, UJET, Vonage, and Zoom.

New Resources – New Technology Insights Podcast

• Building Cyber Resilience: Unmasking CTEM with Rick Mischka: Explore the future of cybersecurity and how resilience is transforming business continuity with Tia Hopkins from eSentire. This episode is a must-listen for Trusted Advisors and security leaders looking to stay ahead in the fast-evolving tech landscape, with key insights on proactive threat management and resilience strategies for their clients.

Win Wire with Dave Watson

The Breakdown

• Technology Category: Contact Center Analytics
• Customer Type: 4th largest U.S. health insurer
• Industry: Healthcare
• Size and Scope: 1,500 Contact Center agents (to start)
• MRR: $25,000
• Winning provider: SuccessKPI
• Competitors: Aceyus

The Details

What were the drivers for the client?  

The client initiated a transformation to modernize their contact center operations by replacing Cisco and Genesys Engage, consolidating legacy systems, and enhancing overall efficiency. The aim was to improve reporting, increase visibility, and optimize agent performance.

How did the Trusted Advisor close the deal? 

The Trusted Advisor began next generation contact center discovery in the fall of 2023. By spring of 2024, they were able to shape a larger digital transformation plan for the team, starting with centralized reporting. Through several strategic discussions, the Trusted Advisor established credibility, gained the client’s trust, and ultimately provided the confidence necessary for the client to commit to the solution.

How did AVANT support the win? 

Beginning at the discovery phase, AVANT Field Sales Engineer Dave Watson supported the Trusted Advisor, offering expert insights to help the customer build a phased approach for their digital transformation needs. It was determined that the initial phase would take the form of “overarching” Reporting, WFM, and AI to support several disparate contact center deployments across the organization. However, deal registration was initially denied as there was a previous engagement. AVANT Channel Manager Michael Hodge reached out to SuccessKPI’s channel team. He reintroduced the partner and showcased the value of Scien Group’s existing relationship with the customer, ultimately supporting the win alongside Dave.

Trusted Advisor Testimonials  

What are your peers saying about their experience working with AVANT Sales Engineers? 

“The Engineering Team’s expertise, insightful contributions, and unwavering support played a crucial role in navigating the complexities of the discussion. Their ability to address questions with clarity and provide valuable input truly made a significant impact.” – Kelly Jedrychowski, Dialogue Connect

“Finest engineers and tools on the planet!” – Mark Waldman, Tech-Gofer

“The AVANT engineers are well equipped for customer facing calls. They are knowledgeable and understand the sales process and technology well. I love having AVANT engineers on calls!” – Zach Crenshaw, Continuant

Our Engineers are ready for you to put them in the game! Connect with the team to find out how to leverage their support with your open opportunities.

Engineering Spotlight 

This month, we’re spotlighting Sarah Arnstein, Sales Engineer at AVANT.

Sarah graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Since then, she has held various roles, including Mechanical Engineer and Patent Engineer, with companies like Ford Motors and Hanley. Additionally, she has completed several certifications to enhance her expertise in SASE-related solutions. Currently, she serves as a Sales Engineer and is our in-house SASE expert, bringing valuable technical knowledge and experience in SASE, SD-WAN, UCaaS, and CCaaS to the team.

Here’s a bit more about Sarah, in her own words!

Tell us something about something you do for AVANT that TAs may not normally know.

At AVANT, I maintain both SASE matrices – SASE Portfolio and SASE Technologies. All the information in these matrices has passed through me. We do a full update once per year, and I add individual updates as things change throughout the year. This is probably more widely known, but I also have a SASE blog called Get SASE With Sarah. I write about different aspects of SASE and other technologies we sell!

What is something on your bucket list? Why is this something you’re hoping to do?

My ultimate bucket list adventure is a cruise to Antarctica. I love traveling to cold-weather destinations. I love penguins, and Antarctica just seems like the mecca for both of those things. Given the cost, it’s probably several years out. In the meantime, a few more immediate goals include visiting Japan, doing a motorcycle road trip through the South of France and rural Italy, and hiking the Maple Pass Loop trail in Washington.

What is an interesting fact or hobby you have?

I’ve gotten really into reading fantasy novels over the past year or so. I’m always excited to talk about “Fourth Wing”, “ACOTAR”, “Crowns of Nyaxia”, or any other series in this space. A few friends and I are planning a reading retreat at a lakehouse in January to celebrate the release of “Onyx Storm” (the third book in the “Fourth Wing” series). We’re planning to read for three days straight, and I can’t wait!

Ready to level up your sales game with expert guidance? Our Engineers are available for you to bring them into your opportunities! Get started by filling out an IQA on Pathfinder.