From orientation to purchase: The added value of your security expertise for potential customers

In cybersecurity, sales are primarily about building trust. A potential customer will only engage with you once they are certain that you are the cybersecurity specialist for them and that your solution addresses their problems or mitigates their risks. To reach that point, prospects need your guidance.

But how do you offer them that helping hand in a way that ultimately leads to a sale? In this article, I’ll share the best practices for guiding potential customers through their orientation and purchasing process.

Educate your clients?

“You have to educate your clients.” It’s a common saying in the marketing world. However, we see things differently. People aren’t actively seeking out educational content. They don’t necessarily want to learn something new about cybersecurity; they mainly want to understand what their risks are and how to solve them. That’s why we don’t think “education” is the right word—”guidance” fits better. Potential customers definitely need information and direction.

Various studies show that B2B buyers prefer to conduct their own research during their orientation and purchasing process. 90% visit 2 to 7 websites during this process, and most decision-makers review 3 to 7 different content pages before contacting an account manager. The marketing trend of following up every newsletter signup or whitepaper download with a sales call doesn’t sit well with these exploring customers.

They want to first—at their own pace—assess whether it’s even worth talking to a representative about the product, and to do that, they prefer conducting their own research. According to the Gartner B2B Buying Journey Report, 45% of buyer time is spent on self-directed research.

Add to this the fact that the average conversion rate of cold outreach is a meager 2%, and that millennials (the decision-makers of today) are quite skeptical of salespeople. From this, we can conclude that in a successful sales process, the customer’s needs must be central. This means offering information that helps prospects conduct their own research. You’re essentially guiding them toward the right solution for them. Guidance, indeed!

How do you guide potential customers through their orientation process?

When identifying B2B suppliers, potential customers primarily need detailed product information and specialized content. You can offer that content in various forms. A great way to build trust is by making your knowledge hub publicly accessible. The technicians at your potential customer’s company can then determine for themselves whether your cybersecurity solution is suitable for them.

We often hear that companies find this daunting—you’re, after all, revealing information about your product—but in practice, there’s no need to worry. Competitors aren’t going to copy your solution immediately. Additionally, they’re likely targeting a slightly different audience or have a different perspective on cybersecurity challenges and how to solve them. By publishing this kind of information, you stand to gain more than you risk losing!

Another way to offer potential customers a helping hand in their orientation process is by having a blog or resources section on your website. In written articles, you can describe the challenges your potential customer is facing—so they realize you understand their situation—and explain what possible solutions exist for these problems. Of course, in these types of blogs, you also mention the role your product can play. In essence, you’re answering the question: What jobs-to-be-done does your cybersecurity solution fix?

The type of content that best helps your potential customer depends on the audience you’re targeting. If you’re focusing on large organizations with complex cybersecurity risks—such as government agencies—and specialized IT teams, it’s most effective to share technical information, like the knowledge hub. However, if you’re targeting SMEs that don’t have an in-house IT team, you’ll need to take a step back and guide them through understanding the risks and explaining key terms.

Text or video?

Besides the substantive information you share, the format of your content is also important. Will you opt for text, video, infographics? There’s a lot to choose from! A combination of various content types is the smartest choice. Everyone consumes content differently. Some prefer reading, while others prefer watching videos. By offering your content both visually and textually, you cater to each individual’s needs, and you’ll see more impact from your guidance content.

Additionally, video is particularly well-suited for social media, while written articles are highly beneficial for improving your visibility on Google (SEO). With different content formats, you not only address your potential customer’s preferences but also achieve more success across various marketing channels.

In addition to readers and viewers, there’s a group of buyers who prefer to quickly get in touch with your organization to ask questions. That’s also a form of research. So, make sure you provide both guidance content to help your potential customer and an easy way for them to contact you with any questions.

Transparency is the magic word

Transparency is inextricably linked to providing guidance. If your “informative content” only highlights your own features and USPs, your target audience will likely perceive it as commercial content. And that’s where you miss the mark, because it doesn’t build trust.

You can avoid this by being transparent. In videos or blogs, for example, also mention in which situations your solution might not be the right fit. Be honest in phone conversations if you notice that your solution is too extensive for the customer’s needs. You can even point potential customers to other cybersecurity solutions. You might not gain anything from that immediately, but in the long run, it will absolutely generate new leads and customers.

Through your transparency, you’ll earn a good reputation as a reliable and honest cybersecurity specialist. In the end, referrals are the best form of lead generation, and your transparency encourages business owners and buyers to return the favor: recommending your solution to others.

Additionally, your transparent guidance ensures that only the organizations that truly benefit from your solution will engage with you. That means happy customers who will gladly share their positive experiences with others. A win-win situation!