Selling is not about taking orders (that is order-taking).  Selling is the act of engaging with customers, listing to their needs, addressing their concerns, and correctly responding to their objections.  Frequently, the simple seller with bow their heads and walk away at the first objection – or worse they will go to the historical sellers crutch – a deep discount.  We can do better and the key is BEING PREPARED for the question.

In this episode of Taking 5 with GDE, we talk with Jeff Miller, Director of Sales for Strategic Integrators (IBM), about the objection that is top of mind of IBM sellers – “what do I say when a customer tells me they do not need GDE because they have SELF-ENCRYPTING STORAGE?” – And how to prepare and respond.

Jeff tells us his strategy of success in responding that alleviates the objection and allows the deal to move forward – without discounting!  Join us!

Selling GDE through business partner channels requires not only a good product, but also coaching and education of those business partners.  One of the most important subjects that business partners should understand is the concept of COMPLIANCE and its impact on customers.  In this episode of Taking 5 with GDE, we talk with Dean Evans - IBM Portfolio Specialist on Guardium Data Encryption – about educating our sales channel/business partners on the subject area of compliance and how that is a pressure that all customers feel and is, a force that can be harnessed to drive GDE sales.

Many customers request work streams called POCs which stands for Proof of Concept (POCs). POCs are a demonstration to the customer that the product can address specific scenarios whose achievement can be objectively measured.  However, POCs can also muddy the sales plan if expectations are not properly set prior to beginning the POC.  In this episode of Taking 5 with GDE, we talk with Rob Pugh, IBM Security Technical Sales Specialist, who tells us about the advantage and disadvantages of POCs and how to prepare for them and maximize the probably of POC success AND win of the deal.

Also, here is a great book on improving your skills on giving a great DEMO.  It is worth the read:  https://www.amazon.com/Great-Demo-Stunning-Software-Demonstrations/dp/059534559X

Identifying opportunities does not mean just finding green field opportunities, but it also means making GDE part of another, pre-existing effort, such as a modernization project, that is already planned or underway with the customer.  Becoming part of an existing project reduces the need for upfront budgeting or qualification tasks that you may face with green field opportunities.   Enrique Gutiérrez, IBM Security Specialist, talks about his approach to making GDE part of modernization efforts in this episodes of Taking 5 with GDE.

How do you know where to find new opportunities for Guardium Data Encryption?  In this episode of Taking 5 with GDE, we talk with seasoned security professional, Jeff Miller, Director of Sales for Strategic Integrators (IBM), who shares with us his insights and methods for identifying opportunities for GDE. 

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky is known for his famous quote: “Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”  But where is the puck going with regard to encryption key management?  In this episode of Taking 5 with GDE, we hear from Leonor Jones, Director of CipherTrust Key Management at Thales, about the trends in key management and what that means to you, customers, and the market.  Don’t be left behind.  Join us!

How important workshops or health checks in finding new opportunities with customers? 

Max Melger is an IBM Subject Matter Expert around Digital Trust.  During this episode for Taking 5 with GDE, Max shares he thoughts on the importance of regular workshops with customers – helping them find new value in the products they own AND helping you collectively discover new opportunities in helping them product their data.  Check it out!

Are all regulations the same?  Is compliance with regulations the same across countries?  Do some countries take compliance more seriously than others?  How do the answers to these questions impact customer behavior regarding encryption key management?

In this episode of Taking 5 with GDE we speak with Leonor Jones, Director of CipherTrust Key Management, about the EMEA region and how countries in that region view regulatory compliance and why their perspective on compliance is driving adoption of centralized key management.

Are Proof of Concept (POC) engagements worthwhile?  IBM’s Max Melger talks to us about POCs and whether they are worth the effort and time that they require.  How do start them?  What are success criteria?  How to manage scope creep and change?  What expectations do we have of the customer?  Listen to this episode of Taking 5 with GDE to hear how Max makes POCs successful.

What is AWS-XKS and why is it important?  XKS is AWS’ new “HOLD YOUR OWN KEY” (HYOK) Service and is a supported integration of Guardium Cloud Key Manager (GCKM).  Leonor Jones, Director of CipherTrust Key Management, tells us about XKS, the integration between it and GCKM, and the value it brings to customers moving to the cloud.  Please join us on this edition of Taking 5 with GDE to learn more about the exciting opportunities of GCKM and AWS-XKS.

Reference Links:

https://cpl.thalesgroup.com/encryption/amazon-web-services-aws/external-key-store-xks

https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/announcing-aws-kms-external-key-store-xks/