How Forescout Scales Global Sales Coaching and Strengthens Discovery with Avarra
Forescout is a cybersecurity company that provides solutions to identify, monitor, and secure connected devices across IT, IoT, and OT environments. Its platform helps enterprises manage risk and enforce security policies across complex networks.
Cybersecurity
1000+
2000
San Jose, California, USA
Overview
Forescout is a cybersecurity company that provides visibility and control across managed and unmanaged devices throughout an organization’s network. Its platform supports the full cybersecurity journey, helping enterprises monitor, secure, and manage complex IT and operational technology environments.
Because Forescout’s solutions are technically sophisticated, sales teams must be able to clearly explain complex concepts and lead effective discovery conversations with enterprise buyers. To strengthen sales readiness and scale coaching globally, Forescout partnered with Avarra.
Challenge: Delivering Consistent Coaching Across a Global Sales Team
Before Avarra, Forescout’s enablement team relied on a mix of tools and manual coaching processes.
While the team worked hard to support sellers, scaling consistent coaching across a global organization proved difficult. Enablement leaders often had to prioritize a handful of reps who needed help most rather than delivering structured practice to the entire team.
“Our biggest challenge was that we had a lot of tools and a lot of manual processes,” said Renee Yttredahl, Director of Sales Enablement at Forescout. “It made it nearly impossible to deliver consistent coaching experiences at scale.”
Most solutions the team evaluated focused either on content delivery or coaching, but not both. Forescout needed a platform that combined realistic practice with scalable coaching insights.
The team also wanted flexibility: the ability to run large-scale simulations for global training while also creating targeted practice scenarios for specific customer conversations.
Solution: AI Simulations that Combine Coaching, Content, and Flexibility
Forescout selected Avarra to modernize its enablement strategy and introduce scalable practice into its training programs.
With Avarra, reps can engage in realistic simulations that mirror the types of discovery conversations they have with customers. These simulations allow sellers to practice messaging, refine qualification skills, and prepare for upcoming meetings.
The platform met several key requirements for the enablement team:
- Video-based AI simulations that replicate real customer interactions
- Scalable training scenarios that can be deployed globally
- Flexible simulations tailored to specific prospects or upcoming meetings
- Integrated metrics that give leaders visibility into rep performance
The rollout was smooth from both a technical and operational perspective.
“Onboarding was remarkably smooth,” Yttredahl said. “It didn’t feel like a project. It felt like we were adding a new capability.”
The platform integrated easily with Forescout’s internal systems and security requirements, allowing the enablement team to focus quickly on driving adoption and value.
Results: Faster Ramp, Stronger Discovery Skills, and Higher Rep Engagement
Since implementing Avarra, Forescout has integrated simulations into both onboarding and ongoing enablement programs.
Key outcomes include:
- Faster ramp time for new sales reps learning complex cybersecurity solutions
- Stronger discovery and qualification conversations in customer meetings
- Higher engagement with training programs across the sales organization
- Scalable coaching without requiring hours of manual role play
Reps quickly embraced the platform because of how realistic the simulations felt.
“The feedback from reps was that the simulations felt incredibly real,” Yttredahl said. “They actually looked forward to doing the next one.”
For the enablement team, the biggest impact has been scale. Leaders can now deploy training globally and quickly identify where reps are succeeding or where additional coaching is needed.
Future Applications: Building a Modern, Practice-Driven Enablement Engine
Forescout sees Avarra as a foundational component of its modern enablement strategy.
“It’s not just a tool,” Yttredahl said. “It’s really become the engine of how we want to learn and practice.”
By embedding realistic simulations into onboarding and ongoing development, Forescout is building a more scalable, data-driven approach to training its global sales teams.
What our customers are saying
Results from teams using Avarra
“Honestly, it helped me a lot. I just got off a demo and felt that my disco was way better. I def would love to use this for certifications / new products in the future.”
"The biggest behavior change Avarra has unlocked is for sales reps to own their own development more — they're no longer reliant on just their sales manager as their source of practice."
"When I first saw the Avarra pilot, I was completely amazed. Every time I spent 10–20 more minutes with it, I saw even more things — the AI had really ingested the content right into the agents."
"The onboarding and rollout was remarkably smooth. It didn't feel like a project. It felt like we were adding a capability, not taking on another project."
"Ramp time reduced from 18 months to 6 months — a 12-month reduction. And we are seeing a ~30% improvement in core selling skills. Reps significantly improved in discovery and objection handling."
"This gives us the confidence to hire faster — we’re planning to double our AEs.”
“I’m so crazy impressed with how fast the tool is able to evolve.”
“We’re using it across all AEs — and all of our AEs have made quota.”
“It was definitely helpful feedback… once you start to realize he interacts fairly realistically… it’s nice to have a ‘real’ role play scenario with feedback.”
