For those who have actually sold or marketed...
... Into the security space, you know that this is NOT a typical selling arena. I smile a little when I read the "instructions" from some about how Wave has to do X to make sales. I'm sure the instructions are well-meaning and draw from experiences in EVERY arena except from SECURITY TECHNOLOGY sales. To say that interests are entrenched on the customer and vendor side is the understatement of all understatements.
I found this post (in an online forum for cybersecurity folks) from a small security company's executive quite revealing:
"There are significant culture problems in the "security space". Some of them are;
1) The big security companies actively suppress the smaller companies via a multitude of means. This harms innovation. They are also not buying innovation from the smaller companies so they are simply shutting the other guys out.
2) NIH - not invented here syndrome. Anybody else's products are crap.
3) Turtle complex - all issues within an organization must be concealed to prevent embarrassment or worse... questions.
4) Hollywood Simplex I - if you are a security vendor at a client, you are the only one doing anything of value. The others are there to try to steal your spotlight.
5) The Kids Clubhouse - if you are not a part of the *con speakers and/or attendees club then obviously you know nothing about security. Only people that attend or speak at conferences know anything worth while.
6) Power User Macho - even if you really have little understanding about what is going on: be aggressive. Ignorance is best concealed behind a good offense.
7) Megalomania - with this security product / concept / method - I shall rule the world. All others shall bow to me. Ah ha ha ha ha ha.
8) Monopoly mindset - it's better to stay on top and regularly fail than to let some punk small company show us up.
and perhaps the worst issues come from the customer
1) I can't have someone embarrass me by changing "my strategy". Therefore, the vendor needs to fit into my world concept
2) If people find out our problems I might lose my job... "So we are fine."
3) We don't do anything with jet fighters, therefore our problems are much smaller and very different.
4) We can't solve every problem, so we will focus on responding to the stuff that hits us.
5) We don't want to work with other companies. We want attackers to leave us alone and attack them.
6) Alphabet-soup - even though the letters and credentials have no track record of success. It is still mandatory. Letters are cool.
7) Job-dutious-abandoness - the more security stuff I/we do, the more likely it is to catch someone's eye and embarrass me/us. Wait for something bad, jump in and be a hero. Leaders are often shot in the back."
Best Regards,
c m
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