The short-term answer is yes. When the SDR model is implemented effectively, it works. So what’s the problem? Two of your most important jobs as a leader are:Do right by your employees.Do right by your customers.The SDR model doesn’t do either. It’s a very unpleasant job. For every successful connect, you’re ignored or curtly dismissed many, many times. Nobody likes it. It’s a foot in the door and a stepping stone to something better. Meanwhile, security buyers are obsoletely inundated with c...

The short-term answer is yes. When the SDR model is implemented effectively, it works. So what’s the problem? Two of your most important jobs as a leader are:Do right by your employees.Do right by your customers.The SDR model doesn’t do either. It’s a very unpleasant job. For every successful connect, you’re ignored or curtly dismissed many, many times. Nobody likes it. It’s a foot in the door and a stepping stone to something better. Meanwhile, security buyers are obsoletely inundated with c...

Are chatbots a way to fix our broken SDR model? I think the answer is: no. Chatbots have been a hot trend in marketing over the last few years. They’ve also come a long way in their usefulness, as companies like Drift have elevated them from tactical website widget to strategic marketing tool. But I’m not a believer. At least not for B2B cybersecurity. I’m sure there are unequivocal success stories with chatbots. But here’s my own experience with them:I usually ignore them, because (fairly or...

Are chatbots a way to fix our broken SDR model? I think the answer is: no. Chatbots have been a hot trend in marketing over the last few years. They’ve also come a long way in their usefulness, as companies like Drift have elevated them from tactical website widget to strategic marketing tool. But I’m not a believer. At least not for B2B cybersecurity. I’m sure there are unequivocal success stories with chatbots. But here’s my own experience with them:I usually ignore them, because (fairly or...

You might be surprised by this given that product marketing consulting is what I do for a living, but I don’t think the answer is an emphatic “yes.” The best product marketers have deep industry and product knowledge that can only be built through focus, experience, and relationship-building with a company’s sales, product, and technology leaders. I’ve worked very hard to do this over the last few years that I’ve been consulting. But it’s very challenging when you’re context-switching between...

You might be surprised by this given that product marketing consulting is what I do for a living, but I don’t think the answer is an emphatic “yes.” The best product marketers have deep industry and product knowledge that can only be built through focus, experience, and relationship-building with a company’s sales, product, and technology leaders. I’ve worked very hard to do this over the last few years that I’ve been consulting. But it’s very challenging when you’re context-switching between...

I’ve been thinking about what it would take for a buyer to want to talk to your company. Like, instead of you needing to hammer them into submission with increasingly desperate emails and phone calls, they would actually seek you out. Sounds improbable, right? But consider the trend of vendors hiring industry analysts to be “field CTOs.” It’s happened a bunch of times. But the best example in security was when Palo Alto Networks hired John Kindervag (aka “the creator of Zero Trust”) away from...

I’ve been thinking about what it would take for a buyer to want to talk to your company. Like, instead of you needing to hammer them into submission with increasingly desperate emails and phone calls, they would actually seek you out. Sounds improbable, right? But consider the trend of vendors hiring industry analysts to be “field CTOs.” It’s happened a bunch of times. But the best example in security was when Palo Alto Networks hired John Kindervag (aka “the creator of Zero Trust”) away from...

Most B2B technology companies employ sales development reps (SDRs). The general premise is that even when marketing teams execute flawlessly (pause for laugh track), there is still a need for an army of go-getters to hammer the phones, email, LinkedIn, and every other available communications channel to prospect for leads – and turn the garbage leads that marketing generates (pause for rim shot) into something that a more senior salesperson can run with. Many aspects of this model are inheren...

Most B2B technology companies employ sales development reps (SDRs). The general premise is that even when marketing teams execute flawlessly (pause for laugh track), there is still a need for an army of go-getters to hammer the phones, email, LinkedIn, and every other available communications channel to prospect for leads – and turn the garbage leads that marketing generates (pause for rim shot) into something that a more senior salesperson can run with. Many aspects of this model are inheren...

As I eluded to in yesterday’s email, creating a tight video script can be tricky. If you have an articulate subject matter expert wing it on a video without a script, it will be too long. If your subject matter expert writes their own script, it will probably:Still be too longAssume that the viewer knows things they don’tTry to fit too way many complex concepts into one videoIf you let a video agency run with the script, it will probably be excellent in many ways but also:Sound a lot like som...

As I eluded to in yesterday’s email, creating a tight video script can be tricky. If you have an articulate subject matter expert wing it on a video without a script, it will be too long. If your subject matter expert writes their own script, it will probably:Still be too longAssume that the viewer knows things they don’tTry to fit too way many complex concepts into one videoIf you let a video agency run with the script, it will probably be excellent in many ways but also:Sound a lot like som...

I’m a big fan of video as a storytelling vehicle for security startups. But it only works if you can:Do enough of them to tell a substantive story in bite-sized servingsShowcase the personality and smarts of your teamToo often startups go to one of two extremes:Engage a video agency to do one or two high-end animated explainer videos that only tell a high-level story, lack any personality, and tear through so much time and budget that doing any more videos feels daunting.Thinking you can turn...

I’m a big fan of video as a storytelling vehicle for security startups. But it only works if you can:Do enough of them to tell a substantive story in bite-sized servingsShowcase the personality and smarts of your teamToo often startups go to one of two extremes:Engage a video agency to do one or two high-end animated explainer videos that only tell a high-level story, lack any personality, and tear through so much time and budget that doing any more videos feels daunting.Thinking you can turn...

If you’ve worked in the cybersecurity space long enough, you’ve seen the pattern repeat:Major new security vulnerability or incident breaksPotentially affected companies must act urgentlySecurity vendor sellers see opportunityMarketing scrambles to invent a story on the flyConfusing and deafening vendor noise hits security teams like a tsunamiAnd so it’s gone again with the Log4j vulnerability over the last month. Sometimes your company has the perfect answer for the moment, and it’s time to ...

If you’ve worked in the cybersecurity space long enough, you’ve seen the pattern repeat:Major new security vulnerability or incident breaksPotentially affected companies must act urgentlySecurity vendor sellers see opportunityMarketing scrambles to invent a story on the flyConfusing and deafening vendor noise hits security teams like a tsunamiAnd so it’s gone again with the Log4j vulnerability over the last month. Sometimes your company has the perfect answer for the moment, and it’s time to ...

When I was writing yesterday’s note about log4j noise, I thought of a second recommendation besides being the “helpful communicator” during a crisis. It was “lift up an alliance partner.” But I left it out because:I’m trying (with limited success) to keep these emails brief.It felt like it might be a bit of a pipe dream.Startups regularly do joint press releases with complementary technology partners. Many are irrelevant fluff. But some could unlock tremendous value if anyone invested the tim...

When I was writing yesterday’s note about log4j noise, I thought of a second recommendation besides being the “helpful communicator” during a crisis. It was “lift up an alliance partner.” But I left it out because:I’m trying (with limited success) to keep these emails brief.It felt like it might be a bit of a pipe dream.Startups regularly do joint press releases with complementary technology partners. Many are irrelevant fluff. But some could unlock tremendous value if anyone invested the tim...

For the last month or two, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of interactive video sequences. But rather than trying to explain it, I just made a simple one:Scaling Star PowerNot seeing the video thumbnail correctly? 1. Click here to see the video. 2. Shoot me a quick reply to let me know. -Doug

For the last month or two, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of interactive video sequences. But rather than trying to explain it, I just made a simple one:Scaling Star PowerNot seeing the video thumbnail correctly? 1. Click here to see the video. 2. Shoot me a quick reply to let me know. -Doug

Is product-led growth the answer to our broken SDR model? I think the answer is: maybe. The VC firm OpenView has an excellent overview of the product-led growth concept, which includes this definition: Product-led growth (PLG) is an end user-focused growth model that relies on the product itself as the primary driver of customer acquisition, conversion, and expansion. Two of the best-known examples of PLG are products I use daily: Slack and Zoom. Both burst onto the scene well after “big vend...

Is product-led growth the answer to our broken SDR model? I think the answer is: maybe. The VC firm OpenView has an excellent overview of the product-led growth concept, which includes this definition: Product-led growth (PLG) is an end user-focused growth model that relies on the product itself as the primary driver of customer acquisition, conversion, and expansion. Two of the best-known examples of PLG are products I use daily: Slack and Zoom. Both burst onto the scene well after “big vend...

​As I mentioned yesterday, I think outsourcing SDRs is the way to go for most startups – at least early on. But my first couple of experiences with outsourced SDRs were actually kind of disastrous. It finally clicked with this high-level formula:Pick a firm that has experience and references in cybersecurity.Have product marketing own creation of an SDR playbook and messaging (with input from sales as well, of course).Treat the SDRs like valued members of the team.Understand and validate the ...

​As I mentioned yesterday, I think outsourcing SDRs is the way to go for most startups – at least early on. But my first couple of experiences with outsourced SDRs were actually kind of disastrous. It finally clicked with this high-level formula:Pick a firm that has experience and references in cybersecurity.Have product marketing own creation of an SDR playbook and messaging (with input from sales as well, of course).Treat the SDRs like valued members of the team.Understand and validate the ...