Are You Ghosting Your Customers After They Buy?

Who is Christopher Elliot?

Christopher Elliott is the Director of Security Operations Center (SOC) at SoFi, where he leverages his extensive background in cybersecurity to protect sensitive financial data.

With a career that spans various high-profile roles, Christopher previously served as the Director of Corporate Security at SoFi and held a Senior Manager position in Security Operations at Disney Streaming.

His impressive resume includes leadership roles in security for The Walt Disney Company and Collectors Universe, as well as military experience as a Plans and Operations Officer at the NATO Communications and Information Agency.

Christopher's military background also includes serving as a Network Enterprise Center Operations Chief in the U.S. Army, where he honed his skills in managing complex security operations.

An active member of the cybersecurity community, he serves on the Advisory Board for the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), where he contributes to shaping industry standards and practices.

An no, his office isn’t in the SoFo Stadium.

Pro Tip for Connecting with Christopher

Skip the cold calls and bring your human side.

Meet him over tacos or a beer and start the conversation with genuine interest in his challenges—not a hard sell.

Show up consistently, stay authentic, and be ready to roll up your sleeves.

Insights and Key Takeaways

Relationships Drive Results, Not Transactions

Insight: The best vendor relationships are built on authentic, consistent engagement—both pre- and post-sale.

Chris emphasizes that transactional relationships don’t cut it in cybersecurity. To drive customer retention, vendors must prioritize genuine, consistent engagement. Successful vendors go beyond the initial sale by showing up regularly, offering support, and actively checking in on how their tools are performing in real-world settings. This type of relationship isn’t about quarterly upsells; it’s about building trust and providing continuous value.

Retain Customers Through Proactive Post-Sale Engagement

Insight: If your engagement is limited to renewal time, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Many vendors assume their job ends at the point of sale.

But Chris makes it clear that retention relies on proactive, ongoing support.

Vendors need to be present, responsive, and willing to address emerging challenges as they arise.

For marketing and sales teams, this means creating post-sale strategies that focus on solving problems, improving performance, and demonstrating consistent value.

It’s about staying engaged long after the ink has dried.

Solve Alert Fatigue with Automation

Insight: Addressing alert fatigue through automation is critical to improving operational efficiency.

Chris’ biggest challenge is dealing with the overwhelming volume of alerts his team receives, many of which are false positives or routine business-as-usual (BAU) alerts.

For GTM teams, this means highlighting how your product can reduce alert fatigue through automation.

Be clear about how your solution minimizes noise, identifies critical alerts faster, and allows security teams to focus on complex threats that require human intervention.

Build Adaptable, Integrated Solutions

Insight: CISOs prioritize solutions that can easily integrate with existing tech stacks.

When pitching your solution, emphasize its adaptability and ease of integration.

Chris’ evaluation process is heavily focused on how well a tool fits into the existing ecosystem, from ticketing systems to EDR platforms.

Providing case studies and real-world examples of seamless integrations can strengthen your pitch and demonstrate your product’s compatibility.

Cut the Cold Calls and Foster Real Conversations

Insight: The best conversations happen over casual settings, not cold calls.

Cold calls and persistent emails often damage vendor relationships before they even start.

Chris prefers vendors who take a more personal, human approach—whether that means meeting for a burger, having a beer, or having a laid-back chat.

This approach creates space for open dialogue, trust-building, and genuine problem-solving.

GTM teams should aim to make initial connections as personal and casual as possible to set the stage for meaningful conversations.

Check for “Street Cred” Through Peer Insights

Insight: CISOs trust their peers more than marketing material.

Before making purchasing decisions, Chris relies on recommendations from his peer network to gauge the credibility of a tool.

For GTM teams, this underscores the importance of customer testimonials, case studies, and community engagement.

Encourage current customers to share their positive experiences, and make it easy for prospects to connect with your existing user base to hear real stories of success.

Avoid Backdoor Sales Tactics

Insight: Nothing turns CISOs off faster than backdoor sales tactics.

Chris has experienced vendors who try to use backdoor tactics to push sales.

These approaches not only damage trust but also sever the possibility of future relationships.

Instead, focus on building transparent, straightforward sales strategies that prioritize the customer’s needs over immediate transactions.

This creates a foundation for lasting trust and credibility, making CISOs more likely to stick around.

Speed and Empathy Make All the Difference

Insight: Fast response times and genuine empathy build trust and loyalty.

Chris emphasizes that quick, empathetic support is a major factor in vendor retention.

Responding promptly to customer inquiries and providing timely solutions can significantly enhance the customer experience.

Empathy also plays a crucial role—showing that you genuinely care about the CISO’s challenges can create a deeper level of trust and loyalty.

TL;DR

Building lasting relationships with CISOs like Chris isn’t just about closing deals—it’s about showing up consistently, addressing challenges, and being a true partner.

Here’s how to keep it real:

• Lead with authenticity—focus on helping, not just selling.

• Solve alert fatigue by demonstrating how your solution automates routine tasks.

• Emphasize integration and adaptability to fit into existing environments.

• Make engagement personal—swap cold calls for genuine conversations over casual settings.

• Provide fast, empathetic support to build trust and loyalty.

Retention isn’t just about renewals; it’s about real relationships.

Until next time,
Dani