BY C. Lee Smith
What are the Unique Demands of Cybersecurity Sales?
In the cybersecurity industry, solutions may be product or application based. Solutions range from data protection to managed security services providers to cloud native application protection platforms. One factor all solutions share is that the market changes rapidly.
Continuous Threats
The best cybersecurity sales professionals continuously monitor threat developments. They also understand exactly how their solution can protect a prospect’s business against the latest identified threat.
Multiple Decision-makers
Many lead decision-makers will not have current information on which bad actors have launched fresh attacks on under-protected businesses. But they will want to purchase a solution to protect themselves. Sellers will likely encounter multiple team members on the buying team. To succeed, they’ll need to convince the tech-savvy IT team members on the benefits of their solution.
Government Regulations
Federal and state government agencies regularly update laws about customer data. Businesses are on the hook to protect this information. They are also expected to encrypt data. And when the worst-case scenario happens, they should have a plan for how to respond.
The best cybersecurity sales professionals stay current on legal requirements. And they often have information about specific data leaks to share with prospects who are deciding which system to invest in. Hiring assessment tools can reveal which sales position candidates possess the traits needed to stay current in the industry.
What Talents Do Top Cybersecurity Sales Reps Possess?
In the rapidly changing cybersecurity sales industry, top sellers possess unique skills. Hiring managers should look for these skills during the recruiting process. Specifically, these sellers are:
- Technically Adept
- Willing to Stay Educated on the Latest Trends
- Excellent Communicators
Technically Adept
Whether they are self-taught or hold a four-year college degree in a related field, the best cybersecurity sales reps know technology. They understand where a prospect’s business data is most vulnerable. They know how their solution, and that of the competitors’, will reduce the prospect’s exposure to big threats.
Willing to Stay Educated on the Latest Trends
As soon as a vendor develops a solution to protect against infiltration, cybercriminals are busy developing the next hack. Your top seller will take these industry trends in stride as they track what’s happening and communicate with prospects and clients.
Excellent Communicators
CEOs do not have time to understand the nuances of the latest cyberthreat. They only need to understand what is at risk and how a proposed solution will serve them. Top sellers in the cybersecurity industry are excellent communicators who can explain complex ideas in easily understandable terms.
How to Hire the Best Cybersecurity Sales Talent
Cybersecurity is a growing industry. Venture capitalists are still heavily investing in solutions providers, a sign that they expect growth to continue. To hire the best sales talent, you may be competing with well-funded companies. That doesn’t mean you should rush into hiring the first candidate who applies.
The best way to find the talent you need is to use hiring assessment tools. TeamTrait offers a comprehensive psychometric assessment. In addition to analyzing a candidate’s sales acumen, the platform scores candidates on key soft skills such as empathy and responsiveness.
Industry Fit
One critical requirement for top cybersecurity sellers is the need to stay educated on industry developments. With TeamTrait’s assessment reports, you’ll know which candidates have the highest scores for wanting to learn new things.
Communication
Because communication is an important part of selling in cybersecurity, the best hiring assessment tools screen for this skill. In particular, you should see a high score for how well they present data. In addition, more sellers use AI-generated data in their presentations. With TeamTrait, you’ll know how well your top sales candidate will leverage AI in their preparation process and how they will balance it with critical thinking.
Summary
The right hiring assessment tools will help managers find top sales talent in the competitive cybersecurity industry. They provide the data needed to reduce emotional decision-making and optimize outcomes.
