Zenity’s Trust-First GTM: How One Security Startup Won Fortune 100 Customers Without Using FUD
Selling security software to Fortune 100 companies typically follows an unwritten rule: emphasize the fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) that comes with cyber threats. But in a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Ben Kliger revealed how Zenity won over some of the world’s largest enterprises by completely rejecting this approach.
The Problem with Traditional Security Sales
The standard security sales playbook focuses on scaring prospects into action. It’s effective, but it creates a problematic dynamic: security becomes the department of “no,” constantly blocking business initiatives in the name of risk reduction.
Zenity faced this challenge head-on when addressing the rise of citizen development in enterprises. “Citizen Development today is a core strategy to make sure that organizations can really advance and continue to digitally transform their businesses,” Ben explains. Rather than position security as a blocker to this transformation, they chose a radically different approach.
Flipping the Security Narrative
“What’s very unique about our story is that it’s a story of enablement,” Ben shares. “People or citizen developers are not building stuff to harm the organization or exposing the organization to risks. Organizations need Zenity for a win situation in order for them to feel comfortable to make sure that they empower their end users.”
This positioning wasn’t just marketing – it was grounded in market reality. As Ben notes, “Gartner estimated that by 2025, 75% of development in enterprises will be carried by citizen developers, not by professional developers.” By focusing on enabling this inevitable shift rather than blocking it, Zenity created immediate resonance with enterprise buyers.
Building Trust Through Knowledge Sharing
Instead of leading with threats, Zenity built credibility through deep knowledge sharing. “We believe that we need to show value to our prospects clients, whether it’s with their thought leadership activities, content, publications that we’re doing participation in respectful security organizations, top leadership organizations such as OWA, such as Mitre,” Ben explains.
This approach generates quality inbound leads while establishing expertise before sales conversations begin. “We never try to scare people off. It’s not the way that we operate at Zenity. It’s not like a FUD motion,” Ben emphasizes.
The Enterprise Feedback Loop
Rather than treating enterprise feedback as a sales tool, Zenity made it central to their product development. “When you talk to these leaders and it’s not like just, ‘hey, I want to sell you this and that,’ when you actually listen to what they have to say, to their feedback, especially when you’re early in your journey, that helps you get better,” Ben shares.
This iterative approach creates a virtuous cycle: better product-market fit leads to stronger customer relationships, which generates more valuable feedback for future development.
The Results: Fortune 100 Trust
This trust-first approach has helped Zenity win over major enterprises. “The ICP for us today, we target very large enterprises, I want to say a Fortune 1000 type of organizations who are relying heavily on major SaaS platforms,” Ben notes. Their success with these demanding customers validates their contrarian approach to enterprise security sales.
Lessons for Enterprise Founders
For founders selling to enterprises, especially in security, Zenity’s experience offers several key lessons:
- Lead with enablement instead of fear
- Build trust through knowledge sharing before selling
- Use customer feedback as a product development tool, not just a sales tool
- Position security as an enabler of business transformation
- Focus on the customer’s strategic objectives rather than tactical fears
The key insight is that enterprise trust isn’t built through traditional sales tactics – it’s earned through consistent value delivery before the sale ever happens. As Ben puts it, “When you actually listen to what they have to say… that helps you get better.”
For founders building enterprise security companies, these lessons challenge the conventional wisdom of leading with FUD and pushing for quick sales. Instead, they suggest a longer-term approach focused on knowledge sharing, enablement, and genuine value creation.
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