Advisor scales deal 10x in first-sale with AppDirect

Ancheta recalls a conversation he had with a peer, prior to working with AppDirect, “Based on what my friend knew about my business, he told me AppDirect was 100% going to be the right fit. He felt that they saw the market in the same way that I did, that certain things need to change for businesses like mine to be able to grow. I think a lot of partners see it as,‘If it's not broken, don’t fix it.’ Whereas AppDirect is always looking for opportunities in the channel that they can then fill with additional offerings.”

As Ancheta began talking with the AppDirect team, he realized the tremendous value of the catalog.

“What made me gravitate towards AppDirect was their software offering—it’s huge. AppDirect understands that customer interactions need to be multi-layered, multi-service, in order for them to be successful as opposed to selling a circuit, some voice solutions, and moving on with your day.”

First-deal success—Amplifying deal size to $61,500 MRR

Shortly after becoming an AppDirect advisor, Ancheta was onboarded, met with his Channel Sales Manager (CSM), and then began working on his first deal alongside telecom aggregator, NHC. The opportunity was initially valued at $5,500 in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), ultimately reaching an impressive $61,500 MRR.

Here’s the breakdown of the 10X jump in deal size. Starting with the initial purchase of aggregated broadband, the opportunity expanded to $9,000 as more business locations were included. Next, Ancheta and his team dug deeper into the catalog, identifying complementary solutions that matched the customer's strategic requirements. 

This led to an additional opportunity, providing the customer with MetTel wireless services, amounting to $45,000 MRR. Finally, the strategic introduction of Microsoft Teams voice, further added $7,500 in licensing fees to the original deal. In total, strategic cross selling contributed to an additional $61,500 in MRR, magnifying his initial sale tenfold.

Key Steps in Closing the Deal

1. Initial deal size $5,500 of NHC– aggregated broadband

2. Turned into $9,000 with the addition of more locations

3. Opened opportunity for $45,000 is wireless with MetTel

4. Additional opportunity created worth $7,500 for Microsoft Teams voice licenses

5. In total, Ancheta turned the deal into a $61,500 in MRR opportunity

From one trusted team to another

More than having access to AppDirect technology experts early in customer conversations, Ancheta credits the team for their support throughout, or whenever needed. His team is focused on completing a thorough discovery process so that by the time they reach the point of proposal, customer trust is already established.

“The more discovery work that is done, the higher the success rate. By asking a lot of questions throughout, my team helps continue to grow these accounts overtime, instead of us having a bank of one-off customers.”

“What I really liked was that my channel manager was on the sales calls with my customer whereas with other partners my channel manager was never involved. At AppDirect, I have someone who is adaptable enough to play a background or front-facing role, depending where they are needed most.”

A competitive edge: Diverse catalog, solution specialists, & the Marketplace

Ancheta continues to find new revenue opportunities through the diverse AppDirect catalog.

“Energy is an area we are less familiar with that I’d love to dive into. Given the availability of AppDirect product specialists, I’m confident we can learn a great deal about this category.”

Ancheta underlines the positive impact of the AppDirect partnership and the role of the AppDirect Marketplace in driving business growth.

“My guys love the portal. Even something as simple as the Connectivity Service Locator. Being able to generate fiber routes and share with a customer adds validity to the fact that we know what we're doing. It’s been great for us being able to quickly look up phone numbers with that as well has been huge for us when we're trying to prospect for services like UCaaS.”

Another AppDirect differentiator is that Endpnt customers get access to a digital procurement platform that helps them streamline their procurement of new technology services—at no additional cost. This includes managing their SaaS applications, and managing their workforce.

Business transformation support

Ancheta is also motivated by the spirit of flexibility at AppDirect, and the partnership-centric approach.

Prior to working together, Endpnt was solely operating as an AT&T reseller. Now as they diversify their offerings and revenue streams, the company can restructure its commission models across multiple providers.

“The biggest thing AppDirect has helped us with is coming up with creative ways to migrate business over to AppDirect without it hurting our cash flow, which is something that never seemed in the realm of possibility. As we went through the migration, the models have proven themselves to be effective, which is great.”

Advice for new advisors, or those looking to ‘make the jump’

Ancheta believes his curiosity and sales prowess fueled his journey as a technology advisor. At Endpnt, he guides new sales team members, starting as Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) and advancing to sales account executives. He sees ample opportunities for individuals transitioning to the role of technology advisor, shifting away from provider-centric sales opportunities.

Ancheta stresses the autonomy, flexibility, and competitive compensation are major selling points of a career as a technology advisor. He sees a promising future for new talent in the channel, and advocates for an inclusive, proactive, and adaptable approach.

“It's all about going headfirst into it and figuring it out as you go. If something doesn't work, don’t harp on it. Scrap it and shift it, taking a step to the left or a step to the right as long as you continue to move forward.”