Illustrative case study | Managed security services
How DemandAxis would build a repeatable route to new business for a small-to-medium UK managed security provider selling into mid-market organisations.
Illustrative scenario. The organisation is hypothetical and no client results are claimed. Market and regulatory facts are sourced at the end.
Founder-led UK MSSP with around 40 staff
24/7 MDR, Microsoft 365 security and Cyber Essentials support
UK organisations with 50 to 500 employees
Loyal customers. New business relies on referrals and the founder.
The challenge
of medium businesses report outsourcing cyber security to an external provider1
Where deals stall today
A stronger capability claim is not always enough to overcome the perceived risk of switching.
The commercial insight
The buyer is paying for the ability to answer three people with confidence.
Is cyber risk under control?
Which controls are in place?
Searching questions in its supplier questionnaire
The provider that helps answer those questions earns the conversation.
Reasons to act now
Each is used accurately. A buyer who catches one overstated claim will discount everything else.
Government guidance setting out what boards and directors should do to govern cyber risk.
52%of medium businesses report board members or trustees with responsibility for cyber security1Build a board-level argument on assurance, incident readiness and reporting
For new assessments, cloud services can no longer be excluded from scope, and missing MFA where available is an automatic failure.
Prioritise accounts where certification has commercial weight and open with readiness
Lords third reading completed. MPs now consider the Lords amendments before Royal Assent. As drafted, it would bring medium and large managed service providers into the NIS regime.
Explain the provider's own readiness before buyers ask
Ask about insurance renewal timing and confirm what each insurer requires
The decision
Asks the buyer to accept the whole switching risk in the first conversation.
For accounts where certification matters to customers or insurers. A small, useful piece of work that lets the buyer judge the provider first.
Used alongside the review where the end date is known. On its own it leaves most of the market waiting.
Why
The review lowers the cost of saying yes. The buyer sees how the provider works before the larger decision, and the provider learns about the account before proposing.
What would change the recommendation
Proposed approach
Review real wins, losses and departed customers. Confirm onboarding capacity.
OutputICP, exclusions and switching storyEach account carries its source and what is still unknown.
OutputResearched account listA low-risk first step and a clear transition plan.
OutputEntry offer and onboarding narrativeOne buying case, written for each decision-maker.
OutputPersona messaging and sequencesAgainst a standard agreed at the start.
OutputQualification criteria and handover templateDecision criteria
An interested reply is a contact, not an opportunity. One missing answer means more discovery, not a lost account.
Who decides
There is often no chief information security officer at this size. The IT manager owns the service day to day but rarely holds the budget.
IT manager or head of IT
Select a person on the map.
| Stakeholder | Needs to believe | Evidence that moves them |
|---|---|---|
| Managing director or CEO | The business can show the board, insurers and customers that cyber risk is governed and that an incident would be handled. | A plain-English summary of coverage, incident response commitments and board reporting. |
| Finance director | The cost is predictable and justified against the current contract and the alternative of building capability in-house. | Scope, pricing structure, contract terms and a like-for-like comparison with the incumbent. |
| IT manager or head of IT | The service reduces out-of-hours burden and noise, the move will not disrupt the business, and they stay in control. | Transition plan, escalation process, integration with existing tools, a clear split of responsibilities and sample reports. |
| Operations or compliance lead | Certification and customer questionnaires become easier to pass, and stay that way. | A mapping of the service to Cyber Essentials controls and common supplier due-diligence questions. |
What we would measure
Meetings with a decision-maker present
Opportunities with a confirmed trigger and known contract end date
Progression between agreed stages
Recorded reasons for stalls and losses
A monthly review feeds the language buyers use back into targeting and messaging, and checks whether the entry offer is leading to core-service conversations.
Illustrative deliverables
Every engagement is led by the founder of DemandAxis, who would own research, positioning, outreach and qualification. The provider keeps responsibility for technical accuracy, pricing, delivery and contracts. No meeting volume, pipeline value or revenue outcome is promised.
Sources1DSIT, Cyber security breaches survey 2025/2026, 30 April 2026. 2IASME, Important update: changes to Cyber Essentials for April 2026. 3UK Parliament, Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill: stages. 4GOV.UK, Cyber Governance Code of Practice, 8 April 2025. 5GOV.UK, Bill factsheet: relevant managed service providers, updated 3 November 2026. Prepared November 2026. Regulatory positions are summarised for commercial context only and are not legal advice.