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VMware vSphere Optimization Assessment (VOA)

How to Plan a One-to-Many VOA Event

What is the vSphere Optimization Assessment?

 The vSphere Optimization Assessment (VOA) is a proven sales acceleration tool that shows customers the value of
Operations Management in 4 easy steps: engage, install, show and sell
 You install an evaluation trial that easily converts to a full license sale when your customer sees what they gain with
VMware Operations Management via the report you provide – often in less than 30 days
 The VOA has a 30% close rate, a 3x higher average deal size, and VOA deals have significant drag, resulting in sales of
storage, hardware and networking. In addition, the VOA will improves your relationship with your customers, as you become
even more of a trusted business advisor by solving critical business problems. The VOA increases your sales, improves
margin and assists in driving future business
 Go to www.vmware.com/go/vsphereoptimization to get everything you need from Partner Central

Steps needed to plan and execute a successful VOA group seminar or webinar:
6 weeks before the event
 Select a date and location for the event, solidify the details: it is important to have an informal, engaging setting
 Create an invitation and registration page or reply email address
o Don’t have access to an event registration system? Ask your VMware Partner Marketing Manager for assistance
 Target customers with VMware® vSphere® – “naked” vSphere licensing customers without a management solution
 Send the email invitation to your target customers at least 30 days before the event
 Follow up with a phone call to explain the event and the benefits of the VOA
o Visibility into Health, Risk and Efficiency of their virtual environment
o A free vSphere Optimization Assessment Report
 Acknowledge registrations with a thank you
o Limit registration to no more than 15-20 end-users
 Lock in your presenters, determine who will act as host/moderator, invite your VMware contacts
o Typically a Sales Engineer presents, or a Sales Director and Sales Engineer can tag team

Two weeks before the event

 Check RSVPs to determine your attendee count
 Order food and beverages
• Send an email or call to let your attendees know that they will each need to install (or you will install for them) an evaluation
copy of vCenter™ Operations Management Suite™ Standard Edition
o Each customer will need to come prepared with two (2) IP addresses and DNS entries allocated prior to install
o Customer needs administrative access to vCenter 5.0, 5.1, or 5.5
o Customer needs to download the vApp prior to the VOA install

One week before the event

• Send another reminder of the event to all attendees
• Confirm date, time and place details, mention again the installation technical requirements listed above

The day of the event:

• Include a slides of VMware Management products in a rotating slide deck in your lobby, and set it up the day before event
• Post signs to show the way to the event if needed
• Set up the room and have it ready at least one hour prior to the event

PARTNER NETW ORK / 1

 LEARN

How to Plan a One-to-Many VOA Event

During your event

 Provide an opportunity for introductions amongst the group
 Provide a vSphere® with Operations Management™ / vCenter Operations Management Suite Quick Start Guide and solution
overview for all attendees
 Identify your customers’ pain points
o You will want to show how Management solves those pain points
o You have the ability to pitch SDDC products and features
o Your VMware sales and marketing managers can assist you with the slides and the flow of the event
 Install the evaluation software for each attendee or help them with the installation, begin the demo process

The day after a successful VOA event

 Register each customer opportunity using the code “VOA-INSTALL-REG” in the Project Field
 Send the entire attendee list a thank you and follow up with a phone call to start closing the deal
 Send those who could not attend a “sorry we missed you” email and include a date for the next event
 Schedule 15 and 30 day checkpoints, and coordinate with your VMware account team

Day 15 after a successful VOA event, for each individual customer

 Demo the cool product features – heat maps, performance settings
 Maintain the momentum of the evaluation by discussing health and workload analysis as well as troubleshooting capabilities
o Capacity and optimization metrics need to collect a while longer
 Assess customer BANT and GPCT (Goals, Plans, Challenges, Timeline)
 Tee up the optimization conversation for the 30-day checkpoint

Day 30 after a successful VOA event, for each customer

 Create your customer’s customized VOA Report.
o Follow the instructions in the template to create the final report. Prepare hard or electronic copies of the report to
leave behind
 Work with your customer to set a date and time for the report presentation meeting, follow up with a confirmation email
o Consider inviting decision makers from a variety of functional groups: C-level, Finance, Operations
 Consult with your SE and your VMware account team when deciding on the right solution for the customer
o Prepare a quote for the solution you recommend, attach suggested services
 Send an email or call with a reminder the day before the Sales Presentation

The Day of the VOA Report/Sales Presentation

 Arrive early to set up the meeting room
o Set up the projector and screen, place a report, notepad and pen at each attendee seat
o If you are meeting is a webcast, load your slides early to make sure everything is working
o Record the session for those who cannot attend
 Provide an opportunity for introductions amongst the group
 Explain the purpose of the assessment and the key findings in the report
 Close the sale or set a follow-up date

The day after a successful VOA Report Presentation

 Send each person who attended a personal thank you message
 Work with your contact to finalize the details of the deal
 Report the deal as CLOSED WON in Ad+

CONGRATULATIONS!!! See how easy that was? Now go schedule your next VOA Event!

VMware, Inc. 3401 Hillview Avenue Palo Alto CA 94304 USA Tel 877-486-9273 Fax 650-427-5001 www.vmware.com
Copyright © 2013 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property laws. VMware products are covered by one or more patents listed at
http://www.vmware.com/go/patents. VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of
their respective companies. Item No: Item No: VMW_14Q3_CS_VOA1:MANY 09/14