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Welcome to the first episode of Hack & Hustle- the Cybersecurity GTM Podcast. We are pumped to have you here.
If you are building your career in cybersecurity sales or marketing, this is the place for you.
Here's what you can expect:
In time, we are planning on launching a slack channel and much, much more.
Here's the intro to our show
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But let's start with the good stuff. On our first episode, we were thrilled to be joined by the incredible Neil Saltman, a veteran sales leader who co-wrote the book on cybersecurity selling with Anthony.
🎥 Watch the full episode with Neil Saltman on YouTube
In an industry built on zero trust, the ability to build genuine trust with prospects has never been more valuable.
Anthony spent the last decade watching the cybersecurity sales landscape evolve, first as a CISO managing a $180M security budget at JP Morgan, and now advising security companies on their go-to-market strategy. One truth has remained constant: relationships matter, but not in the way most people think.
Here's what you hear in our space: The days of spray-and-pray outreach and fear-based selling are ending. Your success depends on your ability to adapt to a new reality where there is no easy button. (And that's completely right, BTW)
Here's what you see: People doing lots of the same old things.
So while it is true that the old tactics are losing efficacy, we are all finding our way in this new reality. One thing is true, however- relationships have always mattered, and they probably matter more today than ever.
Building relationships isn't about collecting LinkedIn connections or memorizing personal details. It's about genuine interest and authentic engagement.
As Neil shared from his experience, "I try to learn something new about each person. If somebody tells me they go skiing in Denver every year, if I see something, I remind them." This isn't manipulation - it's genuine human connection.
The key difference? When Neil texts someone about a shared interest, he gets an instant response. When he tries to sell something, it sits for three days. That's the power of authentic relationship building.
Gone are the days when CISOs were the primary decision-makers for every security purchase. The power has shifted:
This means your sales approach needs to evolve. You need deeper technical knowledge and the ability to sell at multiple levels within an organization. As Neil puts it, "You're finding the conversations taking place at a lower level. You're finding CISOs becoming more executives and managers taking on more responsibility."
Here's a reality check: Every vendor claims to be a platform now. But recent events (like the CrowdStrike outage) have organizations rethinking their consolidation strategies. Smart security leaders are asking:
The winning approach? Be honest about where you fit. Don't claim to be everything to everyone.