In the last few years, the rapid expansion of the digital world has had an ironic effect. While many people may be working eight hours a day online only to be tethered to their phones on weekends, a dramatic increase in digital connectivity has also brought with it a proportionate increased desire to embrace experiences on a human scale, experiences that are emphatically unmediated by digital technologies.
There are very real material consequences to this desire for unmediated experiences. In the last year, bicycle sales, for example, have soared to record highs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. And municipalities like Austin, which just announced a $22.9 million Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, are actively reshaping the communities in which we live to increase walkability and bikeability and reprioritize activity and interaction at the personal and local level.
Likewise, the shift to remote and hybrid models of work has made the need for human connectivity in the workplace abundantly clear. This is perhaps most pressingly the case in a field like sales — where establishing meaningful connections with customers is critical. In the era of automated communications and remote work, successful sales teams are making cutting through the noise and establishing interpersonal connections a priority — however they are achieved.
That’s the case with CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm and cloud-native platform that protects endpoints, cloud workloads, identity and data. Read on to learn how sales leaders at that organization prioritize building relationships in order to better broach sensitive areas of discussion and service clients fulsomely.
Why is it important to you and your team at CrowdStrike to prioritize building meaningful connections with customers?
People buy from those they trust and like. In order to build trust, you need to form a relationship, which takes time and requires a lot of listening. During the time you spend with critical decision makers, it is important to listen to their concerns, needs and even personal objectives. I like to understand where they are trying to take their career and how we might help get them there. I consider who among my other customers I can introduce them to in order to grow their network.
Once a customer trusts and believes you understand them, a big component of building a meaningful connection is to have them look forward to spending time with you. Humor can build a bridge and reduce friction. Cybersecurity can be a stressful topic for customers, and if you can make someone laugh, you can make the situation feel more comfortable. When you make a true connection with your customer, you can present the solutions they need and help guide the changes that will really benefit their business.
What is one method or approach you've successfully used to create memorable interactions with customers? What was the outcome?
Every month I write a newsletter for my customers with the latest updates and events happening at CrowdStrike. I use funny images, contests for free swag and a personal picture at the end — usually of my golden retriever Luka, who’s a fan favorite. These extra touches keep my customers engaged so they actually read about our new offerings, and it also helps them to feel connected with me on a personal level. My customers consistently give me great feedback on these newsletters, and it’s been a fun way to stay top-of-mind and bring value to them.
When you make a true connection with your customer, you can help guide the changes that will really benefit their business.”
Tell me about a time when you or a member of your sales team made an impact because of a focus on human connection.
I had a customer who was facing several challenges in his cybersecurity stack. There was no visibility into their environment. A lot of shadow IT was happening, and his provider at the time was missing critical detections. We sat down to put together a business case resulting in a consolidation of these solutions to CrowdStrike Falcon Complete.
I learned about his company’s environment, but he also opened up about how this work stress was affecting his personal life and how Falcon Complete could help him sleep better at night and give him more time with his family. He tells me to this day that he doesn't know how he could do his job without CrowdStrike and how much time we have given him back. We talk regularly, and I connect him with local IT leaders in similar industries to grow his network to reach his ultimate goal of becoming a chief information security officer.
