In the all-digital world, smartphones have become almost ubiquitous in our lives. They have changed the way that we work, transact, and access information and services. However, the convenience provided by smartphones and mobile apps must come with the right level of security.
That’s why V-Key exists. Founded in 2011, the Singapore-based cybersecurity company helps organisations secure their digital experiences. It has been recognised as one of Singapore’s fastest growing companies and a trusted advisor to organisations worldwide.
V-Key’s ambitious journey from startup to a successful small business with global reach, has been backed by venture capital and driven by constant innovation.
Raymond Lee, Chief Operating Officer at V-Key, recently joined us to discuss the company’s journey. Here are key takeaways and tips from Lee on how to fuel business growth.
Listen to your customers and partners
At the core of V-Key’s offering is a patented technology called V-OS that acts as a security foundation for mobile applications. Demand for the technology sparked initial growth for the company. However, its ongoing success came from listening to customers and meeting more of their needs.
“Engaging with our customers, we realised they needed more than what we initially offered and that’s when we began to evolve our technology into the products and solutions we have today,” said Lee.
One of these solutions is a new Digital Trust Platform that is set to help customers in multiple industries stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape and deliver fresh digital experiences.
Lee said that it’s important to keep asking questions and listening to customers. Businesses should also seek input from partners who may own the customer relationship and can provide regional expertise.
“When you start to expand rapidly and move into new countries, you may not have the intimate relationships you had with your customers in the beginning. Then, you need to listen to your partners because they will have valuable feedback,” said Lee.
Take a macro and long term view
As a startup, winning new customers was everything to V-Key and it was easy in the beginning. The challenge was that it didn’t anticipate what it would take to keep winning.
“The pace of a startup is absolutely frantic. There are so many things you need to do and what you really want is to land new customers and expand to new countries. What you don’t anticipate is the kind of detail required to keep winning and to keep customers happy,” said Lee.
For V-Key to scale, it needed a solution to help it stay on top of sales and marketing activities. The company chose Salesforce and now uses both Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement. The first provides an invaluable source of truth for V-Key and helps to inform its aggressive growth strategy, while the second is used to nurture complex customer relationships.
“Executing tactically each quarter is one thing, but we also need to think about our plans for the next three years. Salesforce has helped us move from a micro view of what we need to do each week, to a macro view and helps us make better decisions,” said Lee.
The focus on long-term business goals instead of daily operational challenges also helps V-Key stay focused on what’s most important and act as a trusted advisor to its customers.
Foster the right culture
Transformation is innate in the cybersecurity space, and V-Key needs to stay on top of the threat landscape, the competition, and customer demands. V-Key has learned that having an agile workforce that’s ready to pivot and take on new challenges is critical.
“Our customers also have tremendous ambition and want to revolutionise the digital landscape in which they operate. There are no boundaries to the kinds of challenges they throw at us, which keeps us on our toes and makes sure we’re not complacent,” said Lee.
Salesforce helps V-Key foster the culture it needs to scale by connecting different departments on a single platform and helping them operate as one. This is especially apparent in sales and marketing, where teams use Salesforce to collaborate on opportunities.
“Salesforce reminds us on a daily basis that we’re all operating as one towards a common goal and that’s a game-changer,” said Lee.
Get more insights from V-Key on how to drive growth and success in a fast-changing environment. Watch the webinar How to find, win, and keep your customers for future growth and success.
