How To Turn a CISO Into a Loyal Advocate

Insights and Key Takeaways

New ARR Obsession is Undermining Long-term Growth

Insight: The overwhelming focus on acquiring new customers (net new ARR) is a prevailing strategy among cybersecurity startups. However, this obsession comes at a cost: diminished customer advocacy, which is essential in a trust-driven industry.

Cybersecurity sales strategies often emphasize speed, rapidly moving from Series A to Series B funding while showcasing new logos to impress investors.

This fast-paced approach tends to sideline relationship-building, a critical component in a field that thrives on trust.

Sustainable growth relies on long-term relationships with satisfied customers who turn into advocates.

Vendors that prioritize trust-building over logo-chasing achieve greater customer retention, a crucial metric for enduring success.

Instead of focusing solely on new logos, companies should allocate resources toward fostering advocacy, which has been shown to reduce churn and increase account expansion.

Authentic Customer Stories are the Most Powerful Advocacy Tool

Insight: Vendors often struggle to produce genuine customer stories due to legal restrictions, privacy concerns, and buyer hesitancy. This makes traditional advocacy models, like testimonials and case studies, difficult to obtain.

Customer stories are a goldmine for validation, but extracting them is complex.

Many cybersecurity buyers are reluctant to publicly endorse a solution due to security risks or compliance policies.

Even anonymized stories often lack the credibility of named endorsements.

The solution?

Shift from a transactional model to a relational approach.

Roundtable discussions, private Q&A sessions, and peer-to-peer exchanges offer a safer space for CISOs and security practitioners to share their experiences.

This strategy not only captures valuable stories but also strengthens community bonds.

Trust, Transparency, and Vulnerability are the Building Blocks of CISO Relationships

Insight: Effective engagement with CISOs requires vendors to be transparent and willing to admit shortcomings. CISOs value honesty and vulnerability, as these qualities align with the core principles of trust and partnership.

Many vendors fear that admitting failures will tarnish their reputation. In reality, demonstrating accountability for mistakes can strengthen trust.

CISOs expect problems during deployment; what matters is how vendors respond to and resolve these issues.

CISOs don’t expect perfection, but they do expect vendors to be reliable partners.

Vendors who openly address problems and offer solutions are seen as trustworthy allies, not just solution providers.

This approach not only builds trust but can also convert CISOs into vocal advocates.

Advocacy Programs Should Prioritize Long-term Relationships, Not Transactions

Insight: Advocacy programs that focus on short-term wins—like getting one CISO’s testimonial—often fail to create meaningful impact. Instead, the focus should be on building a consistent, programmatic approach to advocacy.

A sustainable advocacy program emphasizes continuous engagement, regular check-ins, and support throughout the customer journey.

Effective advocacy isn't about “bagging” a CISO and moving on; it’s about nurturing relationships that contribute to broader customer success.

Vendors should shift their mindset from transactions to programs.

This means consistently engaging advocates, whether through customer success managers (CSMs), community-driven events, or tailored support programs.

A well-structured advocacy program can lead to better product feedback, higher retention, and increased sales through referrals.

Engaging CISOs Requires Personalized and Human Connections

Insight: CISOs, like any other buyers, want to be treated as individuals, not as just another sales target. Understanding their personal preferences and goals is critical to successful engagement.

CISOs have varied preferences when it comes to engagement.

While some appreciate steak dinners, others may prefer a simple coffee chat to discuss roadmaps.

Effective engagement starts with knowing the buyer’s personal preferences and building rapport over time.

Tailor your outreach and engagement to the individual’s preferences, not just the company’s agenda.

This requires a personalized approach and an understanding of where the buyer is in their journey.

Building authentic, long-term relationships requires consistent communication, mutual respect, and genuine interest in the buyer's success.

Customer Success Managers Are Essential for Retention and Advocacy

Insight: Customer Success Managers (CSMs) play a pivotal role in retaining customers and converting them into advocates. A sales team alone cannot handle both acquisition and retention effectively.

CSMs are the bridge between sales and customer satisfaction, ensuring that deployed solutions deliver the promised value.

This role is crucial in preventing solutions from becoming “shelfware,” a common pitfall in the cybersecurity space.

A robust CSM function is necessary to manage the post-sales experience, drive engagement, and maintain advocacy.

Without dedicated CSMs, the sales process is incomplete, leading to a high risk of churn.

The Role of Directors and VPs in Customer Advocacy

Insight: Focusing solely on CISOs may limit advocacy efforts. VPs, directors, and architects often drive the decision-making process and can be valuable advocates themselves.

While CISOs are often the primary targets of advocacy programs, focusing on directors and VPs can yield significant results.

These roles are closer to daily operations, understand the technical nuances, and can influence decisions at the CISO level.

Advocacy programs should not just focus on top-level executives but include those who play key roles in product evaluation and implementation.

Building relationships at multiple levels ensures stronger advocacy and a more holistic approach to customer success.

TL;DR

Advocacy is not about bagging the big names—it’s about nurturing relationships that sustain your business.

CISOs want partners, not vendors, and the same goes for directors, VPs, and engineers.

It’s time to shift the mindset from transactions to sustainable programs that drive value for both vendor and customer.

Your business—and your advocates—will thank you for it.

Until next time,
Dani