Anyone who’s ever conducted a sales pitch knows that every word counts. You have 3 minutes to convince clients that your product or service is an absolute necessity to them, and a key argument these days is undoubtedly cybersecurity. The rise of cyberattacks and data theft is prompting companies to invest more and more in network security, not only to protect their integrity and confidentiality, but also to maintain the trust of their clients. This is what Vectac founder Martin Maheux observed when he showcased his prototype to potential clients.
Vectac is a platform launched in 2019 that establishes a direct connection between professionals and supplier databases, in order to quickly produce accounting documents. As you’ve probably guessed, the main clientele of Vectac is accounting firms — in order words, people for whom data security is of utmost importance. Unfortunately for Martin, this was a subject matter that was more nebulous to him when he started working on his product. Coming from an accounting background, he had that financial knowledge, on top of having learned any programming language that could be useful in the building of his platform. However, he hadn’t dedicated as much time to cybersecurity.
An oversight quickly corrected
After spotting this flaw, Martin rapidly called upon the cybersecurity expertise of a few of his relatives, who gave him a rundown of the basics. This step allowed him to reevaluate his approach and make a few changes to his platform that would increase its safety. Martin then went on to consult with IT experts, including programmers, to get a second opinion on it all. He also used this opportunity to ask if there was anything he had forgotten to include. “After having conducted numerous interviews with IT people, I now know that I have a solid solution that I can show to clients and defend in front of anyone,” says Martin. Once all changes were approved, oversights corrected, certain aspects improved — Martin did use this occasion to make the platform prettier and more user-friendly — and the product finalized, there was only one task left to do: revamp the pitch!
The new and improved pitch
“[In the past] I would explain the concept and people would be thrilled about it. Then, when we’d get to the security aspect, I would take about the same amount of time to talk about it — maybe even less — and now in hindsight I can see that people didn’t really feel comfortable with that. So what I do now is I explain my idea and then I immediately put the spotlight on the security aspect. I take a little time to expand on all the different pieces that I know apply to Vectac. [...] I’ve been noticing that people are much more at ease with this approach,” Martin explains.
By weaving the cybersecurity issue into his pitch, Martin is able to reassure clients on his platform’s safety and efficacy. He offers them solutions before they can even bring up their concerns, proving he has answers to nearly every question they could have, ultimately getting them comfortable enough to purchase his product.
Proof that adapting your pitch to your clients’ needs is a fundamental part of successful sales.
Customers first
In 2019, Martin took part in our Élan program, while Vectac was still in its infancy. We asked him back then what advice he would have liked to have known when he started out as an entrepreneur. Here’s what he answered: “No matter what market you’re in, you have to make sure you fully understand the users’ needs and you’re able to steer development that way. That’s how you ensure the income stream needed to keep your business afloat.”
Needless to say, it warmed our heart to see him apply this advice in such a successful way — Vectac progressed a lot in two years!
Make sure to check out our previous blog article detailing Martin’s experience in the Élan program and visit Vectac.com to learn more about his business. And if you wish to take part in our current incubation programs, you can learn more about them on our website or contact us directly!
