The Salesman at My Doorstep: What Cybersecurity Can Learn from Siding Repair

Today, a general contractor rang my doorbell. I wasn’t expecting company, and immediately, my guard went up. He stood on my porch smiling, ready to sell me something. I was already out. Not because I didn’t need the service—in fact, I do have siding panels that need replacing—but because he showed up uninvited, in my personal space, at the wrong time. He killed his sales opportunity right there.

As he talked, I stayed on defense. But the truth is, he saw something that needed fixing. He knew his company could solve it. And still, I wasn’t open to hearing it. Why? Because the approach didn’t make it easy for me to say yes. It made everything harder.

This got me thinking: I’m also the salesman when it comes to cybersecurity. I walk into conversations where a company has a security vulnerability, and I know I can help. But how do I avoid triggering that same defensiveness? How can I approach clients in a way that respects their space while still clearly communicating the value?

We’ve all thrown away flyers. Deleted emails. Ignored door hangers. The issue isn’t just about timing—it’s about clarity. If someone sent me a note that felt genuinely tailored to me—"Hey, I see your siding is cracked, we can replace it for X dollars in Y time"—I’d be more inclined to respond. No estimate rigamarole. No five-step sales funnel. Just a clear solution to a clear problem, priced and packaged in a way that respects my time and intelligence.

So why is it so rare?

That’s the challenge we face in cybersecurity too. The estimate process feels like a trap. Clients don’t want a discovery call that leads to another meeting that leads to a maybe. They want to know: can you fix my issue, how long will it take, and what’s it going to cost me?

Yes, there’s nuance. Especially when we’re talking SOC 2, HIPAA, or other compliance projects. Promising SOC 2 certification in 30 days? Sure, some companies say that. But they leave out the context: size of environment, current controls, staffing, budget, leadership buy-in.

Realistically, good work takes planning, customization, and dialogue. But maybe we can do better. Maybe we can create entry points that lower the barrier to engagement. Clear tiers. Transparent pricing. Reasonable timelines. Let clients opt-in instead of feel hunted.

The guy at my door? He never had a chance. But it wasn’t because I didn’t need help. It was because the process didn’t make it easy for me to say yes. And in my business, I want to remember that. Because the first step to helping someone is making them feel safe enough to say yes.