Audience 1st

In this episode, Dani Woolf shares her journey from being a digital and demand gen marketer to founding an agency focused on helping cybersecurity companies understand their buyers. Dani discusses the importance of building trust with IT buyers and provides insights into why they are skeptical. She emphasizes the need for marketers and sales professionals to shift their mindset from profits over people to people over profits. Dani also presents a framework for building trust with IT buyers, including nurturing curiosity, empathy, and likability, as well as delivering value. She shares valuable experiences and insights from conversations with IT practitioners and offers practical tips for acquiring and retaining customers. Key Takeaways IT buyers are skeptical due to the complexity of B2B buying processes, the abundance of information and products, and negative experiences with aggressive or outdated marketing and sales tactics. Building trust with IT buyers is crucial for reducing risk, establishing lasting relationships, and providing peace of mind. To build trust, marketers and sales professionals should nurture curiosity, empathy, and likability, and be transparent, reliable, accountable, and resourceful. Active listening, understanding, and authentic connection are essential for acquiring customers and delivering value that aligns with their goals and business outcomes. Avoiding buzzwords, focusing on customer stories and industry trends, and providing clear and concise information can enhance messaging and resonate with IT buyers. Retaining customers and turning them into loyal advocates requires consistent support, responsiveness, and engagement throughout the customer journey. Taking feedback to heart and continuously improving based on customer insights can lead to second chances and long-term relationships with skeptical IT buyers. Join Audience 1st Newsletter Today Join 1700+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/newsletter

In this episode, Dani Woolf interviews James Farrow, co-founder of Cyft, about his journey from cybersecurity sales to building a solution that TRULY helps IT buyers and MSPs. James shares his change moment when he realized the importance of understanding customers as people and the challenges they face in the buying process. He discusses the insights he gained from conducting customer research and how Cyft is evolving to better serve the IT community. James also highlights the role of AI in enhancing the sales process and the importance of transparency in vendor-buyer interactions. Key Takeaways: Understanding customers as people and approaching sales conversations with empathy can lead to better outcomes and stronger relationships. The gap between the way cybersecurity products are sold and how IT buyers want to buy creates challenges and confusion in the market. Cyft is focused on helping MSPs and value-added resellers serve their customers by providing tools that streamline the sales process and enable better communication and collaboration. AI can be a powerful tool for sales professionals, allowing them to capture and access important information quickly and easily. Transparency and accessibility are key factors in building trust and improving the vendor-buyer relationship. Join Audience 1st Newsletter Today Join 1700+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/newsletter

Experienced B2B marketer Dani Woolf joins Demand Gen Therapy to discuss overcoming industry challenges. Highlights include the importance of qualitative customer understanding, navigating obstacles for marketing insights, and the need for a sense of purpose in marketing. The conversation emphasizes moving away from generic personas and focusing on individual human beings.

In an industry whose goal is to protect people, purely profit-driven marketing makes no sense - and certainly doesn’t work. After over a decade of running digital marketing for high-growth B2B technology startups, my guest, Dani Woolf, realized marketing is wildly different in information security.  It took her four years after joining the cybersecurity industry in 2018 to create Audience 1st, a customer research agency built on four pillars:  curiosity to truly understand audiences empathy to listen first and identify cybersecurity buyers' pain points dedication to provide insights that promote growth and honest connection to establish authentic relationships with buyers.    Dani Woolf continues to do meaningful work for people who care as the Creator and Host of the Audience 1st podcast and the WTF Did I Just Read? Tech Sales and Marketing Edition Podcast.  Throughout this conversation, Dani shares her thoughts on marketers' role in cybersecurity, her "mission before money” mindset, and why repetition and messaging consistency are crucial in this space.  You'll also hear why we need leaders who choose peaceful and kind ways of communicating and why Dani believes the creative tension between old-school and modern marketers in cybersecurity is a good thing.  Additionally, Dani explains how she uses honesty to get real, deep insights from tech and IT pros, why she doubles down on being pragmatic and practical, and more ways to create positive change. Listen to this episode to learn: Why Dani advocates for slowing down and opening our hearts in cybersecurity (3:00) How to avoid leaving people out through black-and-white approaches in communication (7:50) Why having creative tension is a good thing (14:40) How marketers can make a meaningful contribution to cybersecurity (18:30) How to set expectations to have in-depth conversations with tech and security leaders (27:00) Why it’s crucial to connecting with audiences beyond data (34:00) Which benefits come from being pragmatic, practical, and prescriptive (41:20) Listen to the original episode at Cyber Empathy.

Ross Haleliuk joins the Audience 1st Podcast to discuss his background and his work in the cybersecurity industry. He shares his motivation for creating his blog, Venture in Security, and explains how he aims to simplify complex cybersecurity concepts for readers. Ross also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the industry, including the need for better evaluation methods for security tools. He highlights the importance of building relationships with security practitioners and the need for more diversity of experiences in the industry. Ross concludes by introducing his new book, "Cyber for Builders," which provides insights and guidance for building cybersecurity companies. Key Takeaways: Ross Haleliuk's Diverse Roles: Ross discussed his multifaceted involvement in the cybersecurity world, including his positions at Lima Charlie, Venture in Security, and an angel syndicate for security practitioners. His diverse experiences provide a well-rounded perspective on the industry. Cybersecurity's Complexity: Ross shared his initial hesitations about entering the cybersecurity field due to its complexity. He eventually embraced the challenge, finding a passion for demystifying cybersecurity concepts for broader audiences. Creation of Venture in Security: Motivated by a desire to simplify cybersecurity knowledge, Ross started Venture in Security. He aims to make complex topics accessible to various stakeholders in the industry, including founders, marketers, salespeople, and practitioners. Breaking Down Complexity: Ross emphasized the importance of simplifying cybersecurity topics. He believes in making the industry understandable to those new to the field and those from different professional backgrounds. Vendor-Practitioner Dynamics: The conversation touched on the challenges between cybersecurity vendors and practitioners, highlighting issues like stigma, accessibility, and the one-sided nature of many vendor-practitioner interactions. Asymmetry of Information: Ross pointed out the significant information asymmetry in cybersecurity, where buyers struggle to assess the value and effectiveness of security tools, and sellers often make unverified claims. Bridging Industry Gaps: Ross suggested ways to bridge the gap between vendors and practitioners, emphasizing the need for building authentic relationships, and better understanding the needs of practitioners. Evaluating Cybersecurity Tools: The interview discussed the necessity for improved methods to evaluate cybersecurity tools, highlighting the challenge in assessing the effectiveness and value of these tools. Cyber for Builders Book: Ross announced his book, "Cyber for Builders," which serves as a comprehensive guide to building cybersecurity companies. The book covers industry understanding, trend evaluation, team assembly, fundraising, and go-to-market strategies. Join Audience 1st Newsletter Today Join 1700+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/newsletter

In this episode, host Dani Woolf is joined by Sue Bergamo, James Azar, and Chuck Herrin to discuss the challenges of API security in the context of digital transformation. They highlight the lack of visibility, tools, and control in organizations when it comes to API security. The panel emphasizes the importance of understanding the data flowing through APIs, having a clear ownership structure, and implementing secure development practices. They also discuss the impact of regulations and compliance on API security and the need for organizations to educate themselves and align their language with developers and application owners. In addition, the guests stress the importance of communication, collaboration, and education in addressing API security challenges. Guests at a Glance: Sue Bergamo: Sue Bergamo is a longtime CIO and CISO who currently works as an executive advisor for BTE Partners. She advises innovative CEOs on cybersecurity and is passionate about protecting and securing data. James Azar: James Azar is the CTO and CSO of AP4 Group, a critical infrastructure company. He is responsible for the internal technology and security practices of the company and works with power plants, oil and gas companies, and aviation organizations. Chuck Herrin: Chuck Herrin is the CTO of an API security company called Wib. He has decades of experience as an attacker and defender and has served as a CISO multiple times. He is passionate about API security and helping organizations protect their data. Key Takeaways: Lack of visibility, tools, and control are major challenges in API security. Organizations need to understand the data flowing through APIs and implement secure development practices. Ownership and accountability for API security should be clearly defined within organizations. Regulations and compliance frameworks are starting to specifically address API security. Security vendors should focus on eliminating false positives and providing guidance on addressing API vulnerabilities. Communication and collaboration between security teams and application owners are crucial for effective API security. Join Audience 1st Newsletter Today Join 1700+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/newsletter

In this episode, Dani Woolf interviews David B. Cross, the Senior Vice President and CISO for the Oracle SaaS Cloud. They discuss the importance of organic and dynamic conversations in podcasts, David's background in cybersecurity, and his passion for helping customers. They also dive into the challenges and opportunities in the cloud security market, the maturity of professionals in the industry, and the decision-making process for cloud security solutions. David shares insights on the preference for all-in-one solutions versus specialty tools, the importance of understanding the customer's business, and the need for collaboration and shared defense in the industry. Key Takeaways: Organic and dynamic conversations make podcasts more engaging and valuable for listeners. The cloud security market is crowded and confused, with challenges in education and understanding the changes that come with moving to the cloud. The maturity of professionals in the cloud security market varies, depending on the industry and verticals. Decision-making for cloud security involves partnerships and collaboration between different departments and roles within an organization. All-in-one solutions and specialty tools have different appeals depending on the size and resources of the organization. Understanding the customer's business and pain points is crucial for vendors to provide effective solutions. Integration, flexibility, and compliance tie into the decision-making process for cloud security solutions. Sovereignty and the ability to run in different clouds and regions are becoming important factors in the cloud security market. Join Audience 1st Newsletter Today Join 1700+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/newsletter

Today is part three of this season’s 3-part kickoff series where Dani Woolf gives you all the lessons learned from a year and a half’s work doing deep qualitative customer research. In this episode, Dani and Clark Barron, Founder and Host of Demand Gen Therapy, explore the practical applications of customer insight in cybersecurity marketing. They emphasize the need for marketers to understand the language and needs of their audience, as well as the importance of building genuine connections and relationships with customers. They also discuss the challenges of the buyer's journey, the evaluation process, and the decision criteria, and provide recommendations for addressing these challenges as marketers who are faced with aggressive growth goals. Key Takeaways: Marketers should demonstrate that they care about the cybersecurity industry and understand the language and needs of their audience. Gamification, dynamic experiences, and real stories can help fuel the motivation of cybersecurity practitioners. Marketers should simplify complex security topics and provide clear and concise information to non-technical stakeholders. Playbooks, toolkits, and quick decision-making guides can help address challenges related to tech complexity and regulatory changes. Marketers should focus on building genuine connections and relationships with customers and providing transparent and clear communication throughout the evaluation process. Join Audience 1st Newsletter Today Join 1700+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/newsletter

Today is part two of this season’s 3-part kickoff series where Dani Woolf gives you all the lessons learned from a year and a half’s work doing deep qualitative customer research. We’re going to cover the top insights she learned from the 50+ buyers she interviewed. As a refresher, it’s absolutely crucial to understand what it is you want to know from your research. Setting up goals is important or else your research will go to waste. Going back to what Dani needed to know: What are the motivations for working in the cybersecurity industry? What are the biggest challenges they face in their role? What are the goals they need to achieve in their role? What are the triggers that cause them to even look for a new security solution? What are the constraints or barriers to buying? How do they do about searching for security solutions? How do they like to be treated by vendors specifically? What are big no-no’s when it comes to vendor relationships and customer service? Whether you're a seasoned pro or just dipping your toes into the cyber and infosecurity space, the insights distilled on this week's episode of Audience 1st Podcast will help you understand not just the 'what', but the 'why' behind buyer decisions and experiences. Join Audience 1st Newsletter Today Join 1700+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/newsletter

Dani is kicking off this new season of Audience 1st Podcast with a 3-part series on the lessons learned from a year and a half of deep customer research in the cybersecurity field. In this episode, we're diving into customer research mindset and methods that no one else in B2B marketing is really telling you about. Dani emphasizes the importance of cognitive shifts required to phase into a customer-centric approach, continuous learning, and adapting strategies based on evolving customer needs. The episode is rich with insights you aren't hearing from other B2B marketers on the most effective customer research practices and the importance of engaging directly with customers to gain deeper, more actionable insights. Key Takeaways: Mindset Shift Before Strategy Implementation: Focus on internal mindset changes before optimizing external strategies. The Importance of Direct Customer Engagement: Overcoming barriers and engaging directly with customers for deeper insights. Personal Accountability in Research: The necessity of defining and pursuing relevant research objectives. Real Conversations Over Metrics: Prioritizing genuine customer interactions over chasing unrealistic goals. Valuing Feedback for Improvement: Embracing and learning from customer feedback and criticism. Diversity in Customer Perspectives: Recognizing the importance of various customer viewpoints. Leveraging Different Qualitative Research Methods: Utilizing various platforms and tools for effective customer research. Budget Constraints Shouldn't Limit Research: Implementing cost-effective customer research methods. Initiative in Customer Research: Taking proactive steps in customer research without waiting for higher approval. Organizational Responsibility in Customer Research: Emphasizing the role of every department in customer research. Effective Use of Simple Research Tools: Maximizing the potential of accessible and user-friendly research tools. The Power of Open-Ended Questions: Encouraging detailed responses and deeper insights. Probing for More In-Depth Answers: Techniques to dig deeper during customer interviews. The Significance of Active Listening: Importance of fully understanding customer communications. Understanding Non-Verbal Cues: The role of body language in gaining comprehensive insights. Applying Research Insights: The necessity of putting research findings into action. Continuous Customer Research: Recognizing customer research as an ongoing, evolving process. Join Audience 1st Newsletter Today Join 1700+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/newsletter