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For managed security service providers (MSSPs), cybersecurity sales mistakes often begin with discovery. There’s a dangerous disconnect when a provider pitches services, tools and capabilities before they understand the buyer’s actual business problem.
“Most MSSPs jump straight into capabilities before understanding the actual business problem,” said MJ Patent, chief marketing officer of Logically, an MSSP and IT solutions partner previously named to the MSSP Alert Top 250. “Buyers rarely wake up and say, ‘I need an SOC.’”
The strongest sales conversations are not built around fear or technical superiority, according to Stephan Tallent, chief sales officer of ArmorPoint, which was also a former MSSP Alert Top 250 honoree. They are built around asking the buyer what breaks first if the business is disrupted.
MJ Patent
For a manufacturer, that may be downtime. A stopped production line costs money by the minute. For a healthcare organization, the priority may be patient data and regulatory compliance. For a company facing a cyber insurance renewal, it may be proving that controls such as MFA, backups, monitoring and response are in place.
“The best discovery calls I’ve sat in on, security barely came up for 10 minutes,” Tallent recalled.
The fix is to establish outcome-led discovery. It sounds like Sales 101, but Patent said it’s commonly overlooked.
Make sure to:
- Ask the company about their needs.
- Identify what deadline or pressure is creating urgency.
- Find out what happens if nothing changes.
- Understand how the prospective client defines success.
Once that is clear, the MSSP can position its services as the path to a business outcome.
Don’t use the same discovery script for every prospect
Many cybersecurity sales mistakes result from using a generic discovery script. Buyers notice.
Although a healthcare company and a law firm may need similar solutions, they do not define risk in the same way. That means preparation and mindset are crucial.
“Buyers increasingly expect a personalized experience,” Patent said. “Between the amount of information available online and advances in AI, prospects expect you to understand their industry, business model, regulatory pressures and operational challenges before the first meeting.”
The clients’ questions often stay the same, but the conversation should evolve organically, Tallent added. “The talk track changes less than people might think: What’s your risk threshold? What breaks first if operational continuity gets interrupted, and who’s holding you to a standard? What changes is which one the buyers care about,” he said.
Personalization does not mean inventing a new pitch for every vertical. Instead, an MSSP should adapt discovery around the prospect’s reality. Develop a base understanding of the industry and client before walking through the door. Then, listen for the loudest pain points and lean into them.
Do not mistake interest for authority
Another common cybersecurity sales mistake is assuming the person who wants to talk is also the person who can buy.
Tallent said this often happens with IT contacts. They speak the MSSP’s language, are genuinely curious and may be eager to engage. But they may not oversee the budget or have the authority to approve the purchase.
“The fix is simple. Ask early who feels the pain and who pays to fix it,” Tallent said. “They’re rarely the same person.”
Additionally, ask stakeholder questions early instead of avoiding them, Patent recommended. Sellers need to know which individuals own the initiative, control funding, influence the decision, and ultimately who will be responsible for execution.
That does not mean you should sideline the IT contact. They can help explain what leadership cares about, where the budget lives and what objections will arise.
Create urgency without fear tactics
There are more effective ways to influence clients than dramatic tactics. “FUD (fear, certainty, doubt) selling leaves the customer scared,” Tallent said. “Education puts them in control.”
The same risk data can either make a buyer feel helpless or help them understand the next practical step. It’s all in how you spin it.
Rather than “Look how scary the threat landscape is,” the better conversation is, “What would downtime cost? What happens if the audit fails? How would the business respond if insurance coverage rates went up or could not be renewed?”
Fear may get attention, but confidence creates movement.
Do not overpromise and underdeliver
Stephan Tallent
Some promises make deals easier to close but harder to deliver. That is one of the most common cybersecurity sales mistakes MSSPs make.
MSSPs need to be careful any time guarantees enter the conversation, Patent emphasized. No provider can guarantee compliance, audit success, cyber insurance approval or complete protection from threats.
Compliance is a common example because it depends on more than the MSSP’s work. “Compliance isn’t a deliverable you ship; it’s something the customer has to maintain,” Tallent said.
An MSSP can provide controls, evidence, monitoring and guidance. But the customer still owns policies, training, internal decisions and ongoing execution. That makes language important.
Instead of saying, “We’ll make you compliant,” an MSSP can say, “We provide the controls and evidence that support your compliance program.” Instead of saying, “You’ll pass the audit,” it can say, “We help prepare the security evidence auditors commonly expect to see.”
The same discipline should apply to onboarding. Tallent said timeline promises are one of the easiest ways to create friction. “You’ll be up and running in two weeks” may sound good in a sales call, but the MSSP does not control customer responsiveness, access, approvals or internal resources.
Precision does not weaken the sale. It builds trust and prevents delivery teams from having to unwind expectations that should never have been set.
Know when to walk away
Not every deal should close. MSSPs should do their homework on the prospect before writing up a proposal, Patent said.
Be especially wary of:
- Unrealistic client expectations.
- Limited executive engagement.
- Chronic underinvestment.
- Constant haggling over price.
- A lack of internal accountability.
- A history of failed vendor relationships.
Tallent described the bad-fit customer as the one who “looks like easy money and turns into a second job.” Bad accounts tie up engineers, create support strain and distract from better-fit customers. “Saying no to an overly demanding partner isn’t lost revenue; it’s protected capacity,” Tallent said.
Put shared responsibility in the sales conversation
MSSPs create long-term friction when they allow customers to believe the provider owns everything. It is a cybersecurity sales mistake that may not show up until onboarding or well afterwards.
Tallent said shared responsibility should be built directly into the statement of work, not hidden in contract language. Create a clear table showing what the MSSP owns and what the customer owns.
Make shared responsibility part of the sales conversation early on. This prevents the I-thought-you-had-that conversation later. It can also reveal additional areas where the customer needs help. That might mean an upsell opportunity later on.
Summing things up
The biggest MSSP sales mistake is selling from the provider’s perspective instead of the buyer’s.
The top cybersecurity providers ask smarter questions, set clearer expectations and know when a prospect is not the right fit.
Counterintuitively, the goal isn’t really to sell. It’s to help buyers understand their risk, define what success looks like and see the MSSP as a partner in solving a business problem. When that foundation is set before the proposal, the deal is stronger, onboarding is smoother and the customer relationship is built on trust.
The conditions are set for long-term success.
Jonathan Browning is executive director of content and engagement for The ChannelPro Network. He has been a leader in the IT channel for close to a decade. He’s an avid fan and early adopter of technology. He believes that the Managed Services industry is the most important driver of economic growth and human innovation in today’s world.
Images: cherries – stock.adobe.com, James Ritchie/LinkedIn, Ajay Nawani/LinkedIn
