Securing the Public Sector: GTM Strategies For High-Impact Growth

How to Succeed in Public Sector Cybersecurity Sales: Key Insights

If you’ve ever considered selling technology or cybersecurity solutions to the public sector, you know it’s a unique challenge. Government agencies operate differently from commercial enterprises, with more regulations, longer timelines, and motivations that extend well beyond quarterly numbers. In a recent episode of Security Revenue LIVE, host Taylor Wells sat down with Jordan Burris, Head of Public Sector at Socure, to talk about go-to-market strategies for the public sector—and why building relationships, understanding agency needs, and delivering value are the heart of long-term success.

Here are the top takeaways and actionable tips for anyone wanting to break into or thrive in public sector cybersecurity sales.

1. Public Sector Is a Different Beast

Right out of the gate, Jordan Burris makes it clear: the public sector isn’t just another vertical in your CRM. “It’s its own animal, its own beast,” he says. Laws, procurement rules, and even what’s considered a ‘win’ can be dramatically different between states, agencies, and the federal government. You might face more red tape to gain approval to sell in one region than it takes to close multiple commercial deals.

Key Point: Don’t underestimate the complexity or diversity within the public sector. What works for one agency or state may not apply anywhere else.

2. Relationships Are Everything

Unlike many commercial deals that can be quite transactional, public sector sales are deeply relationship-driven. Government personnel switch roles, move between agencies, or may be tomorrow’s decision maker for a federal contract, even if they’re “just” an intern today.

Jordan notes, “You may meet someone once, and then 10 years later they pop back up… they will remember that first impression.” It’s crucial to treat every point of contact—no matter their seniority or current influence—as important.

Actionable Takeaway: Focus on building and nurturing genuine long-term relationships. Reputation and trust carry weight that far outlasts a sales quarter.

3. Understand Government Buyers’ Motivations

One of the biggest mistakes companies make, Jordan says, is missing the mark on what matters to public sector buyers. Agencies aren’t chasing quarterly ROI or demoing flashy features—they’re judged by their ability to serve the public, maintain compliance, limit risk, and deploy resources responsibly.

It’s common to hear public sector leaders say, “I’m just trying to do something that’s good enough,” not chase the last 10% of efficiency. Why? Because every innovation or migration comes with public scrutiny, workforce retraining, and operational reliability concerns. If your solution introduces too much risk or requires heavy change management, it can be more of a headache than a benefit—no matter how great your pitch.

Pro Tip: When selling to government, center your messaging on stability, support, broad accessibility, and direct benefits for the end user (i.e., the public).

4. Adopt a Consultative, Value-First Approach

Jordan emphasizes the importance of pre-customer value—finding ways to contribute or support even before closing a deal. Sometimes this means offering advice, connecting prospects with useful resources, or helping them scope out the right project—even if it doesn’t involve your product (yet).

This mindset builds trust and positions you as a genuine partner, not just a vendor. As Jordan notes, “When you help people—especially unconditionally—there’s long-term satisfaction and often future business that comes from it.”

Tip: Make your first instinct to help, not to sell. The more you act as a partner and problem solver, the more likely you are to become the trusted advisor agencies turn to.

5. Invest in In-Person Connections

Despite all the digital transformation in the world, the most effective way to build government relationships and opportunities is still face-to-face. Jordan is clear: “You have to be in person.” That might mean industry events, roundtables, or just showing up at a partner’s key moments—both before and after the deal.

Seeing and being seen helps foster the type of trust that online interactions struggle to build, especially in a world where purchase decisions are high-stakes and multimillion-dollar mistakes are headline news.

Actionable Step: Prioritize in-person events and meetings, even over digital outreach, especially when launching your public sector strategy.

6. Think Beyond the Sale: Post-Sales Success and Adaptability

Signing the contract is only the beginning with public sector clients. Agencies may lack the specialized engineering resources commercial customers have, so be prepared to assess readiness, help with onboarding, and load-balance resources to ensure a smooth path to value.

Jordan’s teams assess each agency’s implementation capabilities and adapt plans to fit—not the other way around. “The faster we can help them solve the problem, the happier they’re going to be—and the more the public will benefit.”

In Summary

Breaking into public sector cybersecurity sales means playing the long game: investing in relationships, deeply understanding your buyers’ world, and measuring your success by their success. As you shape your go-to-market approach, remember that the fastest path to growth is often the one built on trust, empathy, and genuine value.

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