S2E12: Sarah Thomas, Closing The Biggest Deal in Company History
How the Deal Was Done | Sarah Thomas, Strategic AE at Verkada
Sarah Thomas closed the biggest deal in Verkada history. 1,000 retail franchise locations, a skeptical new champion, a botched proof of concept, and a three-party sell across customer, integrator, and Verkada internally.
The deal nearly died over a scope miscommunication that put her integrity on the line. She revived it by owning the mistake, renegotiating the structure, and rebuilding trust at every layer.
In this episode:
- How to run parallel prospecting threads across a channel deal
- What to do when your pilot surfaces a broken promise
- How to beat a cheaper competitor on total cost of ownership
- Why selling year four matters more than winning year one
- How to structure staggered licensing around implementation reality
Key Quotes
"The customer said we had communicated one thing in the sales process — and during the POC it looked different. My integrity was challenged. But we owned our part of it."
"How do they trust us year two, year three, year four? Not just buying equipment — truly partnering."
"Can you even spend this money? It's uncomfortable asking, but maybe not as soon as I should."
Resources MentionedFanatical Prospecting — Jeb BlountGong — deal intelligence and call reviewGemini — prospecting and account research
Connect with SarahLinkedIn: Sarah Thomas, Strategic Account Executive, Verkada
How the Deal Was Done | Host: Matthew KlingnerFor senior AEs, founders, and GTM leaders who want to close bigger, more complex deals.
