Audience 1st Dani Woolf

Join us for what may likely be the most brutally honest RSA Conference Truths you'll get from real security practitioners AND cybersecurity marketers. Whether you're a regular attendee, a first-timer, or someone who's always wanted to go but couldn't make it, this is your chance to hear it straight from the insiders.Here's how it's going down:→ We're going to kick things off by diving into the motivations behind our involvement in cybersecurity.→ For those who have always wanted to attend RSA or are gearing up for this year, we've got seasoned advice tailored just for you. Learn how to make the most of the conference, what to prioritize, and how to navigate the show.→ Ever wanted to just scream out your frustrations about RSA or cybersecurity events in general? Well, we're doing just that in a no-holds-barred segment where our guests and I let loose on everything from overhyped trends to the under-addressed issues that plague our field.→ There are things often left unsaid in the cybersecurity space—flaws and all. We're breaking the silence on these topics, discussing what's wrong and why it’s rarely addressed openly.→ Despite the challenges, there's always something to be hopeful for. We explore what's currently inspiring optimism in the world of cybersecurity and at the RSA Conference this year.
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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of B2B buying processes, the abundance of information and products, and negative experiences with aggressive or outdated marketing and sales tactics.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.

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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.

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In this episode, Clark Barron, host of Demand Gen Therapy, interviews Dani Woolf about the challenges and disillusionment faced by B2B marketers today. They discuss the importance of deep introspection and understanding customers on a qualitative level. Dani shares her experience of circumventing obstacles to gather the necessary information to improve her marketing efforts. They also explore the mindset of marketers and the need for a sense of purpose in the industry. The conversation highlights the importance of moving away from generic personas and focusing on individual human beings.
Key Takeaways:
B2B marketers often face disillusionment due to being measured on metrics that don't make sense and working with limited resources.
Deep introspection and understanding customers on a qualitative level are crucial for solving the existential crisis in B2B marketing.
Circumventing obstacles and conducting research can provide valuable insights to improve marketing efforts.
Marketers in the security industry are often driven by a sense of purpose and a desire to affect meaningful change.
Marketers should be selective about the organizations they work for and focus on understanding their audience on a deep level.

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.

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