Nodeware Sales Exec On The Key To Meetings: ‘Ask Questions And Listen’

‘You’re not there to sell anything yet. You’re there to gather information to decide if they’re a good fit for you as much as you are for them. Remember, they’re qualifying you too,’ says Matthew Koenig, vice president of channel sales at Nodeware.

As MSPs grapple with improving client relationships and sales tactics, one channel sales executive said the key to success is having conversations with potential clients and asking them where they are in their business before ever trying to sell or pitch a service or solution.

“Sales is a pain, but it’s necessary,” said Matthew Koenig, vice president of channel sales at Pittsford, N.Y.-based vendor Nodeware. “You get leads all the time, but then you have to go through that dreaded first phone call or in-person meeting. And that’s where things fall apart for most people.”

Koenig spoke to MSPs at CRN parent company The Channel Company’s XChange March event in Orlando, Fla., this week and said 99.9 percent of discovery calls with potential clients fail because of five common pitfalls in the discovery process.

They include the purpose of the meeting, assumptions, criticism, manipulation and frustration. To counteract these issues, he urged MSPs to shift their approach.

“The purpose of your meeting should be to ask questions and listen,” he said. “You’re not there to sell anything yet. You’re there to gather information to decide if they’re a good fit for you as much as you are for them. Remember, they’re qualifying you too.”

He took issue with the frequent use of fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) in sales tactics, especially when discussing cybersecurity.

“You’ve all heard it: Scare people into doing business with you,” he said. “Well, that doesn’t work. If you scare someone, you either [anger them] or paralyze them into inaction. The real challenge is building trust, not making them fearful of the consequences of ignoring cybersecurity.”

The key is about fostering genuine, meaningful connections and asking open-ended questions. Instead of rushing to pitch a better solution, open the door to productive conversations, he said.

He stressed asking key questions such as “What do you like about your current IT setup?” and “How do your employees show they care about the security of your organization?”

“At the end of the day, sales isn’t just about closing the deal,” he said. “It’s about building relationships and ensuring your clients understand the value of what you bring to the table.”

And it’s all about what clients value the most.

“You’ve got to know what matters to your customers,” he said. “Is it cost, time or quality? Once they tell you, you know where to go with the conversation.”

He also offered some practical advice for avoiding clients that are not a good fit. “Stop chasing the ones who want the most for the least. They’ll drain your time and resources, and you’ll end up having to walk them back out. Instead, focus on finding the right clients, those who truly value what you offer and are willing to invest in proper security solutions.”

Eric Bonett, owner of Marlboro, N.J.-based EVB Technology, said Koenig’s sales approach resonated with him as he tries to prioritize understanding clients’ needs and fostering genuine connections.

“People want to talk about themselves, not be talked to,” Bonett told CRN. “It reinforces what I’ve already seen in some things, and I will be trying more of it.”