Longer Conversations With The Right Prospects Leads to More Cybersecurity Sales Appointments
Most cybersecurity sales appointments are set by lead generators or sales reps who understand that the longer you can keep a prospect on the phone, the more likely it is you’ll be able to secure an appointment with the decision maker.
However, this is only accurate when you’re talking to a prospect who already sees value in cybersecurity.
A long conversation with a business owner who doesn’t see any value in cybersecurity is a waste of your time, and a waste of theirs.
Cybersecurity sales appointments are scheduled when there is a sales opportunity. Cybersecurity sales education can be done using email, one to many virtual events, and live events. One to one cybersecurity sales appointments are for selling, not teaching.
How Do You Know When Your Prospect Sees Value In Cybersecurity?
It’s much easier to identify the companies that don’t see value in cybersecurity. They tell you using many different objections. Convincing someone to change IT providers is a very different sale than convincing someone to buy cybersecurity. Everyone knows they need computers. Most people know they need their computers to work well. It’s rare to come across a company that isn’t already buying some kind of IT. If everyone is buying IT support, shouldn’t everyone also be buying cybersecurity to protect their networks?
“We Don’t Need That!”
One of the biggest objections you will hear when you are trying to sell cybersecurity to small business owners is an absolute belief that they just don’t need it. Their business is “too small”. More than half of small business owners don’t believe they’ll ever experience a cybersecurity incident.
“Nobody would care about my business!”
Trying to educate a small business owner on the difference between a targeted or an opportunistic attack is a waste of sales time. Education is a marketing role. When a business has their mind closed to a solution, there’s not much a sales rep can do to make them listen.
If They Won’t Listen, Will They Talk?
When a prospect’s initial reaction is to decline to have a conversation using an objection like either of the above, you may not be able to convince them to listen to you, but most people do like to talk. They especially like to talk about themselves, and their achievements. Moving the conversation forward using open ended questions can begin building the rapport you need to sell to this prospect after they have started consuming some educational content.
One Question You Can Use To Keep Your Cybersecurity Sales Prospect Talking
“Mr. Prospect, how many years did it take you to build your business?”
How Do Questions Help Create More Cybersecurity Sales Appointments?
- Questions like this give you an idea as to how this person became a business owner.
- Is this a business someone inherited from a family member?
- Did they start it themselves and bootstrap it? Was the business purchased from a partner?
Building a business is hard. Any way you do it, it’s not a walk in the park. When someone tells you they started their company themselves, and how many years they’ve been in business, this is your best opportunity to have a bigger conversation about cybersecurity.
Joe’s Technology Journey
Joe started his manufacturing company 33 years ago. He didn’t even use a computer back then. He sold things using a rolodex and notebooks. He had a ledger for accounting. He made phone calls. He reviewed catalogues he received in the mail when he was selecting parts. He met new vendors for major equipment purchases at events. They took him to elaborate dinners and treated his family to holidays.
Now, many years later, Joe’s company is reliant on technology that Joe doesn’t really understand. Things have changed a lot. But Joe’s company has grown year over year. It’s profitable. He wants to retire soon, and he is planning to exit to a competitor.
The Story
Once you’ve learned about the business and the business owner, you can tell them a story.
“It took you 33 years to build a successful company. One employee opening one email could destroy your business in less than three minutes. It doesn’t sound like this is a conversation you want to have today, but I’d like to send you some information about how you could prevent something like this from happening.
You’re only a few years away from retirement – a small investment in security software can protect your 33 years of work. You may not believe this is a necessary investment, especially since you’re going to be done soon. I understand that. I don’t like paying for house insurance. I’ve had my house for 20 years, I’ve been paying for insurance for 20 years and my house has never caught on fire. God willing, It probably won’t. But the $100 dollars a month I pay gives me a ton of peace of mind.
Now my house is almost paid off. I could stop buying house insurance, I am not legally required to carry it once I don’t have a mortgage. I’ll keep paying for insurance, though – I spent 20 years paying off this house and I don’t want to be left with nothing if a freak incident happens. This house is part of my retirmenent strategy, and without the money from the sale of my house, I won’ t have a comfortable retirement. Retirement is probably five years away for me – the odds on my house burning down before then are pretty slim, but it could still happen, and I’m not going to take that kind of risk.
Think of cybersecurity software like house insurance. You may not need it, but if you do, you’ll be glad you bought it.”
It’s good to have a story for all types of businesses, and all types of business owners. Practice telling them with appropriate energy and well timed pauses. Stories should never be read from a piece of paper. We’ve found using bullet points to keep us on track to be far more helpful than reading a word-for-word story or script.
“Thanks For Taking My Call Today!”
Your story is the end of the conversation this day. Next, do this:
- Thank them for taking the call.
- Get them off the phone.
- Send them a templated email.
- Get them into the right marketing funnel.
- Show your work and schedule your follow up activities.
- Make your next call.
Suspects Need Education, Prospects Need Differentiation
Stop spending time trying to convince your prospects that they should be doing the obvious. Your next prospect may be further along in their buying journey, and a much better sales prospect. You need to show prospects why your solution is best, not teach them why they need that solution to begin with.
Don’t waste your selling time on companies that don’t value security.
Managed Sales Pros Can Help!
Interested in learning more about scheduling more cybersecurity sales appointments? Managed Sales Pros can help! Fill out this form, and we’ll get back to you right away! Not a fan of filling out forms? Our bookings page can get you right onto our calendar at a time convenient to you.
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