← Sophos
Sophos role-play cheat sheet
For the mock cold call at the end of most SDR interviews.
What they sell, in one line
Cybersecurity company selling endpoint protection, firewalls and managed detection and response (MDR) for organizations of all sizes.
Who you'd be calling
IT managers and directors at small and mid-sized businesses, and security leaders at larger organizations.
Your opener
“Hi Chris, this is Alex from Sophos. I know I'm calling unannounced. I help IT teams who don't have the people to watch for threats 24/7 and want expert help catching attacks. Do you have a quick minute?”
Problems you solve for them
- Small IT teams can't watch for threats around the clock
- Ransomware and phishing attacks keep getting more advanced
- Too many separate security tools that don't talk to each other
- Hard to find and keep skilled security staff
Discovery questions to ask
- Who watches for security threats on nights and weekends?
- What would happen at your company if ransomware hit tomorrow?
- How many separate security tools is your team managing?
Objections they'll throw at you
“I'm busy.”
→ Of course, I'll be brief. Can I ask one question about who covers security after hours, then let you go?
“We're not interested.”
→ Understood. Out of curiosity, are you comfortable with your current coverage if an attack happened at 2 a.m.?
“We already have a security vendor.”
→ That's good, you're ahead of many. Do they actively investigate threats for you, or does your team still handle alerts alone?
“Send me an email.”
→ Sure. Which would help most, info on endpoint protection, firewalls, or managed monitoring? Could we set 15 minutes next week to review it?
Competitors worth knowing
CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet
Interview tips for this company
- Sophos sells to all sizes, so ask the interviewer which segment the team calls and adjust your language.
- Learn what MDR, endpoint and firewall mean in one plain sentence each, since the buyer may test you.
Written from public information about Sophos to help you practice. Ask an insider what their role play looked like; it's the best prep there is.