Trusted Advisors understand products and their key differentiators. However, their knowledge of technology must interweave with their knowledge of business functions in order to devise technology- based solutions that successfully resolve business problems. Their strategies are, therefore, highly consultative, and Trusted Advisors seek an ongoing and direct line of sight into each customer’s needs. They typically have a technology or vertical specialty that spans multiple technologies, although most will offer an array of services in allied sectors, either directly or via partners. How those specialties align, combined with the resources and footprint of the company, generally determines the portion of the market they serve, ranging from small business to large enterprise. Trusted Advisors specializing in the technology-of- interest are generally the first step enterprise decision makers take in their acquisition process. Copyright © 2021 AVANT Communications, Inc. AVANT | SASE 6-12 Report | 23