NAS vs. SAN Training Initiative for Global VAR Audience
Client Challenge
A network monitoring software company invited me to deliver a training session during their global online event. The twist? This wasn’t meant to be a sales pitch. Because the event was sponsored by multiple vendors, I had to remove all branded collateral and create content that was educational, vendor-neutral, and credible with a technical sales audience. The audience included 65 participants from 14 Value-Added Resellers (VARs) worldwide—mostly sales reps, with a handful of SEs present to gauge my technical credibility.
My ApproachÂ
I asked myself: What if someone put me on the spot with a technical question, like “What’s the difference between NAS and SAN?” Instead of giving a surface-level answer, I built a comprehensive training narrative that tied back to the core value of monitoring—without drifting into a product pitch.
To support the webinar, I created an eBook: NAS vs. SAN: Key Differences and Why Monitoring Matters
It broke down:
File-level vs. block-level storage use cases.
Network and performance differences (Ethernet vs. Fibre Channel/iSCSI).
Why monitoring matters: performance, security, reliability, and redundancy.
This resource let attendees walk away with a reference guide they could use in real customer conversations, while still keeping the training vendor-neutral.
Outcomes
Engagement: 65 participants attended live, representing all 14 global VAR partners.
Practical Value: The eBook gave VARs a ready-made resource to educate their customers without relying on a product brochure.
Credibility: The technical depth (IOPS, latency, redundancy, and monitoring strategies) reinforced my expertise, earning credibility with SE-level attendees while remaining accessible to sales teams.
Channel Enablement: The project helped the client strengthen their VAR network through education instead of sales pressure, positioning them as a trusted partner.
Key Takeaway
By transforming a simple technical question into a structured training + collateral package, I delivered value at multiple levels: for the sponsoring company, their VARs, and ultimately, their customers.
đź”— Get the eBook
đź”— Check out the case study.
