Build, Diversify & Grow: 5 Key Takeaways from Emerging Tech Sales Workshops

In addition, trainers share valuable insights on other key technology categories that can unlock new opportunities, such as energy, managed services, SaaS, cloud, AI, solution engineering, and more. As an advisor it’s your opportunity to broaden your knowledge to expand the portfolio of solutions you offer to and drive growth.

Key workshop features:

• Compete in gamified challenges

• Unlock the potential of the AppDirect Technology Wheel

• Refine the ability to position emerging tech solutions effectively

• Navigate customer priorities

• Map out new opportunities

• Master questioning techniques for greater success

Using the Technology Wheel as a selling framework

The workshop explores the Technology Wheel concept, demonstrating how to integrate the eight key technology categories to spark meaningful customer conversations. Aligned with the AppDirect catalog, which spans thousands of solutions from 600+ technology providers, the Technology Wheel helps you navigate and connect customers to the right offerings across these categories.

Top 5 event takeaways

Here are five key takeaways from the ETSW, and how the event’s curriculum can reshape your approach to driving sales and maximizing client engagement.

1.Accelerate deal closures—The ETSW provides techniques to streamline the process of closing deals.

You’ll learn how the AppDirect team can help manage the more manual and technical aspects of the sales cycle for you, allowing you to focus on building relationships and growing your client base.

You’ll learn the best way to work with our team of 250 back office specialists, engineers, and architects who provide the accuracy and expertise you need during the quoting and ordering process. Discover how to engage with this team to maximize your success.

Solution engineers—your extended team of technology experts

• Create a smart IT roadmap for your customers—Our solution engineers and architects assess your existing infrastructure and goals, then suggest a customized roadmap to help you reach them.

• Sell new technologies more confidently—This team also provides education and training to enhance your knowledge and confidence in customer interactions and help your sales teams expand into new technology areas.

• Get personalized help—Our team can provide support in customer discussions, explaining options, and answering questions.

What this means for your growth: Relying on your extended team gives you time to focus on strategic growth and makes your business scalable.

2. How to use AI to enhance business outcomes—Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries, and it’s essential for advisors to understand how these tools can impact their clients’ operations. Just how big is the market? The Generative AI market is poised to explode, projected to reach a staggering $1 trillion by 2031.

At the workshop, you’ll dive deep into how AI-driven solutions can streamline processes—particularly in areas like HR, where automation and data-driven insights are becoming indispensable.

The team will also dive into how to use the AppDirect AI Marketplace & Creation Studio to streamline your sales process. You'll have the opportunity to try a handful of AI apps specifically for advisors. These apps make solution recommendations, service availability, and provide quoting and ordering assistance to accelerate the sales process.

What this means for your growth: You can build your own apps or chat with AppDirect AIs for expert advice, brainstorming, task delegation, or quick answers.

3. Consider the managed services opportunity—24x7x365 network availability is essential for businesses today. Downtime damages customer experience, brand reputation, and profits. Managed services offer a proactive solution, ensuring uptime, performance, and security. The market is projected to reach $410.92 billion by 2029.

In the ETSW, learn how to stand out by offering managed services like network management and monitoring. AppDirect’s 24x7 VNOC (Virtual Network Operations Center) team enables advisors to deliver security and reliability, ideal for businesses with multiple locations or complex operations. With advanced tools and expert support, you can help SMBs stay ahead of evolving needs and customer expectations.

The workshop will highlight the key challenges & solutions customers face in securing their network environment.

Why offer managed services:

• Customers have a resources and skills gap: Extend your team with proactive 24x7x365 NOC analysts and engineering resources

• Lack of visibility: Centralized view of network health (carrier and device agnostic)

• Lack of centralized tool: Integrated toolset (ticketing, monitoring and reporting)

What this means for your growth: Learn more about VNOC and how to generate a new revenue stream with AppDirect Managed Services.

4. A mental model for selling cloud & SaaS—ETSW leaders also teach a proven mental model for positioning SaaS and cloud solutions to customers. This framework is built from the common technology flow that’s often used when positioning traditional solutions, including: Network, Firewall, UCaaS/Voice, CCaaS/Contact Center, and Collocation. This updated cloud and framework complements this approach but focuses on these expanded technology areas: Email, Backup for Mail, Full Backup, Disaster Recovery, and Cloud Migration.

By starting customer conversations around email, for example, it’s a short leap to opening up conversions around other SaaS solutions. And, because nearly every business is using either Google or Microsoft, advisors can be well prepared for the conversation. Workshop leaders offer a framework and common questions for each step of this playbook. Common customer questions related to email include:

• Who are you buying from? (i.e., directly from Microsoft, a reseller, etc.?)

• Follow up: How is the support you've received?

• How many seats or users do you have?

• Follow up: When was the last time you dug into your mail licensing feature set? Are you leveraging all the items included in your subscription?

For more details about this mental model, you can also check out Part 1 & 2 of our blog series: How to Unlock Cloud Sales: A Starter's 5-Step Guide.

What this means for your growth: Provide greater customer value and increase Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) delivering in-demand cloud and SaaS solutions.

5. Expand your portfolio: Energy & Security focus—In a highly competitive channel environment, expanding into new areas like energy and security is also critical for advisor growth. The workshop offers advisors practical insights and tools to drive success in both categories. You’ll learn how to identify vulnerabilities and navigate the complexities of cybersecurity, compliance, and audits.

The event also highlights the AppDirect Security Sales Certificate that equips participants with a solid framework for evaluating your customers’ needs and articulating security options. Based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) cybersecurity framework the pillars covered in the course include: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Govern, and Recover.

Key security essentials highlighted

• Annual audits and firewall patching

• OEM support

• Mail security, encryption, and phishing training

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

• Security awareness training and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Top conversation starters with customers 

• How prepared is your organization for a cyberattack?

• What’s your incident response plan?

• How do you assess and improve your current security posture?

Capitalize on energy opportunities
With electricity demand projected to grow at 2.4% CAGR through 2030, energy presents a significant opportunity for advisors. Rising energy prices, driven by AI and data centers, open doors for proactive energy solutions. Advisors have the opportunity to guide clients in evaluating energy efficiency strategies, like on-site solar power, to help them manage future energy needs.

What this means for your growth: The rising demand for energy and security solutions gives you a chance to expand your portfolio and strengthen long-term business success.

Check out our training course Expanding into Energy to learn more. 

Unlock your potential with the AppDirect Academy

Check out AppDirect Academy to grow your skills and ROI with smart training for sellers. AppDirect advisors can access these trainings in the Marketplace; others, create a guest account to join. If you're new to AppDirect or registered for an upcoming Emerging Tech Sales Workshop, be sure to complete the prep course which includes an Advisor Onboarding learning plan.

You'll learn how to use the Technology Wheel to increase cross-sell opportunities and master essential technologies and trends. The onboarding session introduces advisor-centric tools and connects you with our expert team, covering key areas like team engagement, Provider Sales, SaaS quote creation, procurement, and customer management.

For those who have already attended an ETSW event, we also offer an Emerging Tech certification, which includes additional courses to help you close deals outside your current expertise.

Related AppDirect Academy courses 

• Tour the AppDirect Academy

• Advisor Onboarding learning plan

• Emerging Tech certification

• Managed Services VNOC course

• Security courses

See you on the road in 2025!

Stay tuned for our full lineup of featured in-person education events for the coming year! 

We're enhancing the ETSW slightly for 2025, introducing some new modules and dynamic elements designed to make it more impactful and powerful than ever. Stay tuned for details—you won’t want to miss it! Check back on our events page soon!