Mastering the Art of Selling Managed Security

Written by N-able Guest Blog 2
September 18, 2014

Many smaller businesses download the latest antivirus or malware software and live with a false sense of security. Others take advantage of a seemingly reasonably priced, easy-to-use “all-in-one” security offering, thinking they’ve got the bases covered, and then go about business as usual. In either scenario, the customer remains vulnerable, and is an easy target for malicious hackers, viruses and other cybersecurity attacks.

One of the challenges faced by many MSPs is that customers don’t know what they don’t know. And that’s a big problem–especially when it comes to IT security.

Many smaller businesses simply download the latest antivirus or malware software—typically, a traditional signature-based AV solution–and live with a false sense of security. Others take advantage of a seemingly reasonably priced, easy-to-use “all-in-one” security offering, thinking they’ve got the bases covered, and then go about business as usual. In either scenario, the customer remains vulnerable, and is an easy target for malicious hackers, viruses and other cybersecurity attacks.

To combat these click-to-security purchases, many MSPs will pepper the customer with alarming statistics and examples of horrendous security breaches. Unfortunately, selling against general fear isn’t your best bet. In order to sway the decision, MSPs need to take a more personalized approach that highlights the key points of vulnerability within the SMB’s current approach to security protection.

Sure, it may take a little homework, but here’s a good starting point: Have an open discussion with your prospect around IT security. During the chat, work in a few questions about the security product they’re now using, with the objective of leading them to the conclusion that what they have in play isn’t cutting it.

Here are a few examples:

“Are you using a standard antivirus tool across the organization?” If the prospect is using several solutions, find out how they ensure that the products are kept up to date and how frequently they are being updated.
“How does your security product stand up against all the industry regulations and compliance requirements?” Stress that SMBs in the healthcare and financial industries are mandated by law to show that their network is properly protected–and that auditors often like to see third-party outsourced vendors managing networks rather than internal IT departments.
“Are your users/employees able to turn off their security protection or scheduled scans, or is that controlled from a central command center?” Let them know that an antivirus solution cannot detect threats if it has been cancelled or turned off by users, and that an organization is only as strong as its weakest link. If your users are turning off or failing to update their AV protection, then their ship is going down. Fast.
“If it all hits the fan, how long can the business afford to be shut down in order to resolve an outbreak or problem?” By asking this question, you’ll find out if the client is aware of the revenue or productivity losses they will incur if their network goes down for a few hours or half a day or more.
“What type of reports are you getting from the current security vendor?” Are the reports showing threats that were averted, detected or quarantined? Are they customized and easy to understand? And will they hold up to compliance requirements?

As the informal discovery process unfolds, it will become apparent to your client that their vulnerabilities are serious, and that a new, more comprehensive solution/service is needed.

Making the Business Case for Managed Security

With managed security, control is the name of the game, and as an MSP you’ll have complete control of your client’s approach to AV protection. Users will no longer need to make security updates themselves, because with the right remote monitoring and management (RMM) solution in place, updates are made automatically–across all your clients’ endpoints. The result is a solid line of defense against modern attacks and elimination of your weakest link in the security chain.

An important SMB advantage of managed security over signature-based AV protection is that it’s proactive–not reactive. Clients taking a reactive approach are often so busy protecting against today’s threats that they don’t stand a chance planning ahead for tomorrow’s.

Another advantage to managed security is that it also covers complete protection — spanning heuristic algorithms, for detecting previously unknown viruses and all the variants they may have; behavior-based intrusions, for detecting deviations in normal or expected behavior of the system and its users; and application control, for blocking unauthorized application and code. Signature-based AV protection covers just a fraction of these attacks, and doesn’t provide a line of defense against modern threats and ransomware, such as CryptoLocker.

What’s more is the speed and scalability that managed security brings to the table. With managed security, MSPs can easily automate the rapid deployment of protection updates and solutions across the entire client network. That translates into simplified management for MSPs, and expedited protection for your clients. Add compliance reporting, analytics and value reporting into the mix, and you have a managed security offering that will allow you and your clients to sleep easy at night, with clear insight into the threats you’ve already overcome. It also gives way to a rock-solid compliance strategy and a game plan for what you need to continue to do to strengthen and secure the network.

As some of the world’s largest organizations are being hit by data breaches left and right, and SMB threats continue to escalate, IT security is a top priority now more than ever. To gain and maintain the trust of your SMB clients, while upholding the reputation of your business in the market, it’s important to use the most advanced and comprehensive technology available. When you play your cards correctly, managed IT security is an easy in for MSPs targeting the SMB—delivering the utmost value to customers.

Mike Cullen is vice president of worldwide sales and business strategy for N-able by SolarWinds. He brings over 20 years of corporate sales experience to his MSP customers, and has assembled an equally experienced sales force. Prior to joining N-able, Mike was vice president of sales (Ottawa Branch) and interim president of the Québec region for IKON Office Solutions. He grew the Ottawa business to $24 million in just five years, resulting in the Ottawa office’s recognition as the branch office of the year in 2000. Mike joined IKON in 1995 as a result of an acquisition of Fulline Office Products, an office equipment company Mike co-founded in 1988.