The value of SOC 2 compliance in sales

Picture it: you’re a sales rep at a B2B SaaS company targeting enterprise organizations, and you get a warm lead. Your sales calls go exceptionally well and the prospect is really excited to get their team onto your software. Great! Now, all that’s left is for them to sign the dotted line. 

Well…not really. 

A look at current procurement processes

Today, before they sign anything, most enterprises ask vendors to go through a pretty rigorous procurement process. This approach is used to assess vendors against a specific list criteria, and focuses significantly on their security and compliance posture. 

It makes sense. Enterprises have access to huge swathes of user data, and they need to be able to guarantee that any and all information they have about their customers is secure. Regulators are putting more pressure than ever before on organizations to have the right measures in place to protect that data and ensure that it isn’t misused or stolen. 

So, whenever an enterprise is on the market for a SaaS solution, they need to consider the vendor’s security posture and make sure they don’t pose any risk. 

When it comes to the procurement process, this requirement often takes the form of extensive questionnaires that probe the various security measures and controls the vendor has in place. Sales reps then have to coordinate with multiple people within their company, getting specific answers about the software and the infrastructure it’s built on, and taking these individuals away from the work they should actually be doing. 

Naturally, this can delay the sales process quite a bit—and it can often take weeks before the enterprise is finally ready to sign the contract put in front of them. And for sales reps, that can mean a delay in your hard-earned commission.

Where SOC 2 compliance can help

Yes, it takes a lot of time and effort to become compliant with SOC 2. Yes, you’ll have to make changes in your corporate culture that put security first. And yes, becoming compliant can also mean having to make a significant investment into your security infrastructure. But, it’s all worth it. 

From a sales perspective, being compliant with SOC 2 shows prospects that you’ve done that work—and gives you a competitive advantage. 

Sales can also benefit in a number of other ways: 

• There’s less time spent on deals. Instead of filling long questionnaires, you can quickly share your SOC 2 report and give your prospects and customers peace of mind. 
• Trust is established faster. Think of your SOC 2 audit report as a stamp of approval that makes it much easier for prospects to trust that you’re as committed to security as they are. 
• No more resentment from other departments. Now that you don’t have to pull people in to answer security-related questions as part of the sales process, your colleagues can focus on their core capabilities.

Having a SOC 2 report is a massive boon for sales reps, but it needs to be leveraged properly. 

How to make the most of your SOC 2 compliance

While ensuring compliance with SOC 2 might fall to your security and legal teams, there’s a lot the sales team can do to make the most of it once the audit report comes in. 

Be proactive in telling people your company is SOC 2 compliant

Enterprise B2B buyers are under increasing pressure to make sure vendors are compliant with the leading security standards, so let them know early on that you’re SOC 2 compliant. 

Outside of sales calls, take the time to promote your company’s SOC 2 compliance on your social and in any community engagement you’re doing. You can also talk to your marketing team about sharing this milestone across different channels.

Publish a trust page 

If your company doesn’t have a web page dedicated to trust and compliance yet, talk to your web team. This will be a great place to publish your SOC 2 badge, address your data retention policies, and point to any other standards you’re compliant with. 

Here, you can also consider having a form where prospects can request more information (like your SOC 2 report). 

Make the information sharing process seamless 

SOC 2 reports aren’t meant to be shared publicly, so choosing a tool that can share those docs securely (and seamlessly) will speed up the process and make you stand out from your competitors. 

Security and sales go hand in hand

There was once a time when sales reps were left to their own devices, operating as a siloed entity that didn’t really engage with the rest of the company. As long as they sold the product, they were on the right track. 

Now, things are changing. Successful B2B SaaS sales teams know that they can’t just sell the software. They need to be able to speak to what their company stands for, outline their business practices, and share specific details about their security posture. With that in mind, leveraging corporate milestones like SOC 2 compliance is a must. Not only will it enhance how enterprises see your company, it will also streamline how your team operates. And that’s a win win.

‍Pima.app does more to streamline procurement processes by easily and securely sharing your compliance reports. Learn more about how our customers use our tool.