There’s never been more demand for skilled cybersecurity firms, but your business might still be having trouble finding work. Clients want professional cybersecurity services that provide excellent protection against a dynamic threat environment.
If you’ve been struggling with landing clients, here are the top 10 tips to get your foot in the door, instantly build credibility, and get business.
#1: Get Certified
A cybersecurity business without the proper certifications isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. While you may not need all of the certifications, you should work on getting some of the biggest, like CompTIA’s Security+, Certified Information Security Manager, or CCNA Security.
Depending on what types of networks you work on, you might explore many different certification paths. The point is, in the cybersecurity world, certifications are tangible proof that you’re serious about your craft, and your clients will run the other way if you lack them.
#2: Know Your Target Market
To get business, you have to know what to offer potential clients. To do that, you have to know your target market. You should have a pretty specific idea of what types of clients you’re looking to support, and you should research those industries to know what threats they face.
Once you have an idea of the threats, you know what you need to offer your clients. You have to know what they do, what data they have, and what their networks look like. You have to know what they worry about.
#3: Go to Conferences
As you’ll see in the next tip, the cybersecurity business is all about relationships, not products. You’re trying to build trust with potential clients.
One great way to meet potential clients and build good relationships is to head to conferences. These meetups all over the country can provide valuable insights into new trends in the cybersecurity industry.
They also put you squarely in line with others in your profession as well as the people looking to hire you. Conferences give you a way to get your foot in the door, and your company’s budget should include at least a few every year.
#4: Focus on Relationships
With your cybersecurity business, you’re offering clients peace of mind and a reasonable protection against cyber threats.
To build trust, you have to focus on building relationships with your clients, rather than trying to sell them a product or service. With a relationship, you get to know potential clients better. You gain insights into what they’re looking for out of a cybersecurity partner.
You’re also able to build relationships with others in the same space. Many times, your offerings might not be what a customer is looking for, but you may know another great company that can help them.
Getting a customer to the right service provider builds your credibility both with the client and with the other firm. You gain a reputation for putting the client’s needs first, instead of the sale. By doing so, you’re playing the long game.
#5: Publish Content
Building credibility requires you to publish some content so people can see you know what you’re talking about. Their blog provides both useful information while simultaneously showing potential clients they’re experts in their field.
You’re not just limited to written content; making useful videos is another way to get your name out there in front of prospective clients.
#6: Know What You Offer
Your cybersecurity business isn’t going to be a one-stop shop, and that’s ok. Very few companies can provide everything a customer needs, and many customers prefer to work with a few vendors.
Rather, focus on knowing what you can do well, and provide that information to your clients. Being upfront about what you do builds trust and rapport. https://cybri.com/penetration-testing-services/ is a great way to start.”
#7: Focus on Value, Not Fear
There are quite a few people in the cybersecurity industry who try to use fear of the threat to sell their product. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t a great strategy. Businesses already know what they face, and they know the stakes of getting it wrong.
Instead, focus on the value you provide, and the peace of mind you deliver. Your clients will thank you for telling them how the money they pay you will give them actual results.
#8: Charge What You’re Worth
You can take a look at pricing strategies for a variety of cybersecurity offerings, but at the end of the day, you need to charge what you’re worth. Price yourself too high and you’ll put your offerings out of reach for a lot of viable clients.
Price yourself too low and people won’t trust your business, or they’ll think you’re less-than-credible. Instead, figure out the average market price for what you’re selling and go from there.
#9: Have a Plan
You won’t get clients without having a good business plan. Follow the steps above, codify them as a plan, and present that plan to prospective clients.
#10: Adapt to the Threats
Once you’ve built a reputation for offering great service at a great value, you have to stay constantly abreast of the changing threat environment. You can do that by attending conferences and keeping up with cybersecurity industry reports and publications.
