Understanding Security & Resilience Buying Patterns: A Practical Guide

Many security and resilience providers focus heavily on their service quality while overlooking a crucial element of success: deeply understanding how their target customers actually buy. Here’s a practical guide to uncovering the real patterns behind security purchasing decisions.

Start with Reality, Not Theory

The most valuable insights come from studying actual, recent purchase decisions. Instead of asking hypothetical questions, request detailed walkthroughs of recent security purchases. “Show me the last three major security investments you made and walk me through exactly what happened” reveals more than any theoretical discussion. Focus particularly on understanding why they chose certain providers over others, and what nearly derailed the purchase.

Follow the Money Trail

Security and resilience spending often flows through complex channels. Map out who actually holds relevant budgets – it might be Security, but could also be Facilities, Operations, IT, or individual business units. Understand budget cycles, what requires board approval versus departmental sign-off, and how ROI is calculated for security investments. Crucially, identify what triggers unplanned or emergency spending, as these often follow different patterns.

Map the Cast of Characters

Security purchases typically involve multiple stakeholders with varying priorities. Beyond the obvious (Chief Security Officer, Security Director), consider who else influences or can veto decisions. Legal might focus on liability, Procurement on cost and terms, Operations on implementation impact, and Finance on ROI. Understanding each stakeholder’s primary concerns and who holds real power (versus titular authority) is crucial.

Document the Timeline

Security purchasing cycles can be surprisingly long and complex. Track how long evaluation typically takes, what tends to slow down decisions, and what can accelerate purchases. Know when different stakeholders get involved – for instance, when Legal typically enters the process and what they require. Understanding these patterns helps you plan resources and forecast more accurately.

Study the Triggers

What prompts organizations to start looking for new security solutions? It might be incidents, audit findings, regulatory changes, insurance requirements, or executive mandates. Each trigger tends to drive different decision patterns and timelines. Understanding these triggers helps you identify opportunities earlier and position your offering more effectively.

Get Inside the Process

If possible, shadow actual buying processes. Attend security committee meetings when permitted. Study how RFPs are constructed and evaluated. Understanding the formal and informal evaluation criteria helps you position your offering more effectively. Pay particular attention to how organizations assess and compare different providers – what really matters versus what they say matters.

Learn from Lost Opportunities

Failed sales attempts often provide the most valuable insights. When prospects choose another provider (or decide not to buy at all), conduct detailed post-mortems. What really drove their decision? What concerns weren’t adequately addressed? What aspects of the process could have been handled differently?

Build a Pattern Library

As you gather insights, document patterns across different types of organizations and purchases. What differs between emergency versus planned purchases? How do patterns vary across industries or organization sizes? These patterns become invaluable for forecasting and planning your distribution strategy.

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Remember, the goal isn’t just to understand how decisions are made, but to identify opportunities to influence those decisions ethically and effectively. This knowledge should inform everything from your initial market approach to your sales process and relationship building strategy.

Finally, recognize that buying patterns evolve. Regular check-ins with clients and prospects help you stay current with changing priorities, new stakeholders, and emerging concerns. The most successful security providers maintain this deep understanding as a core competitive advantage.

The investment in truly understanding buying patterns pays dividends far beyond improved sales. It helps you develop more relevant solutions, build stronger relationships, and ultimately deliver more value to your clients.

Marshal helps Security, Resilience & Defence stakeholders scale their Sales & Marketing and Operational capability dynamically across conflict zones to cyberspace.