How security reviews slow sales cycles
Security review is rarely why a deal is lost. It is often why a deal slips a quarter, and a slipped quarter is expensive.
Security reviews slow sales cycles at predictable points: waiting for the SOC 2 report under NDA, waiting for a questionnaire to be completed, waiting for answers to follow-up questions, and waiting for a call with someone technical. A trust centre removes the first wait entirely and shortens the others. The way to know how much time reviews cost you is to measure it in your own CRM, not to rely on an industry average.
Where do deals wait on security?
| Wait | What causes it | What shortens it |
|---|---|---|
| Report request | No owner, NDA review, finding the file | Self-serve NDA request on a trust centre |
| Questionnaire | Engineering time, no reusable answers | Answer library, pre-completed SIG or CAIQ |
| Follow-up questions | Vague first answers | Specific, dated statements on the trust centre |
| Technical call | Reviewer cannot find what they need | A named contact and a clear public page |
How do we measure it?
Add two dates to opportunities in your CRM: when security review started and when it was cleared. Track the gap for a quarter. Then look at deals that slipped a period and check how many were still in security review. That gives you a real number to weigh against the cost of a platform or a managed trust centre, and the security review cost calculator puts the hours in CAD.
What should sales do differently?
- Send the trust centre link at the first sign of a security question, not the report.
- Ask early whether security review is required and who runs it.
- Start the review in parallel with commercial negotiation, not after.
- Pass review requests to one owner the same day.
Common questions
Does a trust centre shorten sales cycles?
It removes waits at the start of a review and often shortens what follows. How much it helps depends on how many reviews you face and how slow they are now, which is why measuring your own pipeline matters.
When should security review start in a deal?
As early as the buyer allows, in parallel with commercial work. Waiting until pricing is agreed puts the slowest step at the end.
Take security review off the critical path
Set up a trust centre, or have one run for you.
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