Selling Cybersecurity: Overcoming Sales Objections That Are Common

As with any industry, overcoming sales objections is something marketing and sales teams should expect in the cybersecurity space. This is in large part due to the fact that many potential customers are unaware of the seriousness of cybersecurity threats, and/or don’t realize how detrimental a cybersecurity breach could be to their business. With that in mind, below we’re sharing some of the best advice for handling objections to the most common grievances we hear.

1. My company is too small to be attacked by a cybercriminal.

If we had a nickel for every time we’ve heard this one… you know the rest. The sad reality is that size doesn’t matter to a cybercriminal. In fact, malicious actors are counting on the fact you think you’re too small to be breached. The best method for handling objections related to company size is data such as this – CNBC reported, “Forty-three percent of cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses, but only 14% are prepared to defend themselves.”

2. No hacker would care about my data.

With financial incentive being the top reason cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities, the simplest method for handling objections like this is to explain that all data is valuable to someone. Malicious actors can sell everything from credit card numbers to street addresses to passport numbers. As Real Trends says, “No matter who you are, your personal information has value to criminals.”

3. I can’t afford cybersecurity support.

The best advice for handling objections is to share statistics like these from CSO Online: “$17,700 is lost every minute due to phishing attacks,” and “Data breaches cost enterprises an average of $3.92 million.” The simple truth is, most companies can’t afford not to purchase cybersecurity support.

4. I have a firewall, antivirus software, or some other technology.

While it may seem like this is enough security to some people, the best method for handling objections like this is to help your potential customer understand that there is more than one way to breach a business. Though CSO Online said, “94% of malware is delivered via email,” they also state, “60 percent of breaches involved vulnerabilities for which a patch was available but not applied.” These are two very different methods of breaching security.

Just because you have a firewall preventing some malicious traffic, doesn’t mean your website is protected from a hacker guessing your password. Similarly, a password-protected cloud storage system requiring multi-factor authentication to access it, won’t stop a malicious file from being uploaded and corrupting your network. Bottom line – relying on only one lock to your door won’t prevent a criminal from breaking in through a window.

5. My IT team is more than capable of handling our security.

Overcoming sales objections like this one can be tricky. However, a simple way to address this objection is to ask them if they are equipped with all of the tools they need to defend the business. After all, if you expect a hockey team to win the Stanley Cup, you need to provide all of the equipment to play. Only giving them pucks and forgetting the hockey sticks won’t do them any good. It’s the same for an IT team – they need all of the equipment to play the game if you want them to win.

Interested in partnering with a cybersecurity company that understands the market, and can help you with overcoming sales objections? Click here to learn about the SiteLock Channel Partners program.