DACH TACTICS #7: Compliance (AI Act & DORA)

Welcome to DACH TACTICS

Each week, I’ll send you 3 real tactics that actually help you break into Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Not vague “localize your pitch” advice, but buyer psychology, tested outreach moves, and what no one tells you unless they’ve been in the room.

Here’s what to expect in every edition:

✅ 3 tactical insights

✅ upcoming events

✅ 1 tool, strategy, or cultural edge to help you sell smarter

Let’s get started!

This Week’s 3 Brutal Truths: AI Act & DORA

The EU’s AI Act and DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) are here. They sound like “tech laws,” but here’s the catch: they don’t only hit IT vendors.

• AI Act applies to any company building or using AI in the EU, including manufacturers using AI in robotics, quality control, or HR software.

• DORA targets banks, insurers, and fintechs, but also their vendors (if you sell IT or digital services to financial institutions).

If you’re in production or manufacturing, don’t think you’re safe. German automotive buyers, Austrian industrial groups, and Swiss pharma companies are already screening suppliers for compliance readiness.

Here’s how buyer psychology plays out:

1️⃣ Germany: “If it’s not documented, it doesn’t exist”

German buyers (whether in IT, automotive, or manufacturing) want proof on paper. If you use AI in your processes, they’ll ask how it’s classified under the AI Act. If you supply OEMs, they’ll ask for ISO 27001 or TISAX certifications.

What they think: “If they don’t show compliance now, they’ll fail us later.”

✅ What to do instead:

• Prepare a simple one-pager: where your AI fits under EU categories.

• Show ISO/TISAX readiness, especially if you’re targeting German manufacturers.

• Use German buyer language: safety, transparency, process.

💡 Pro tip: In Germany, compliance is part of the supplier onboarding checklist.

2️⃣ Austria: “Protect me from headlines”

Austrian buyers worry more about reputation than fines. If you’re a digital vendor to banks under DORA, or a manufacturer using AI in production, they’ll screen you for risk.

What they think: “If something goes wrong, I’ll be the one in tomorrow’s newspaper.”

✅ What to do instead:

• Share resilience stories (how you handled incidents).

• Balance compliance with visible social responsibility.

• Highlight both the technical and human side (workplace safety, diversity, sustainability).

💡 Pro tip: In Austria, compliance is reputation insurance.

3️⃣ Switzerland: “Weak compliance = weak leadership”

Swiss corporates, especially in finance and pharma, see compliance as a governance test. If your frameworks are sloppy, they’ll assume your management is too.

What they think: “If they improvise here, they’ll improvise everywhere.”

✅ What to do instead:

• Show who in your company owns compliance.

• Link compliance to stability and efficiency.

• Use recognized standards (GRI, TCFD, ISO) for instant credibility.

💡 Pro tip: In Switzerland, compliance is a proxy for governance.

Where the Right People Meet

🇩🇪 DMEXCO – Digital Marketing Exposition & Conference (Cologne, Germany)📅 September 17–18, 2025Europe’s leading digital marketing & tech expo. If you're in MarTech, AI, or SaaS, this is where partnerships are made.

👉 dmexco.com

This Week’s Edge Tool: Cybee.ai Your Swiss-Grade Compliance & Cyber Protector

In DACH, compliance and security aren’t just checkboxes, they’re trust levers.

Cybee.ai packages both into one slick platform that blends automation, clarity, and psychological comfort.

Why German, Austrian, and Swiss buyers will sit up and take notice:

1. One-Click Compliance, Full Visibility

Cybee.ai automates compliance for 27 frameworks, including GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and even DORA, transforming weeks of audit prep into real-time, one-click reporting. It continuously monitors your systems, collects evidence, flags gaps, and generates audit-ready documents instantly. No more scrambling for documentation.

2. 360° Security, Swiss-Quality Peace of Mind

Beyond compliance, Cybee.ai delivers enterprise-grade cybersecurity tailored for SMEs:

• Endpoint & cloud protections (Office 365, Google Workspace, Slack, GitHub, and 150+ integrations) with AI-driven threat detection and real-time monitoring.

• AI-led Virtual CISO assistant that explains risks in plain language and guides you, not your CTO.

3. Built for Non-Tech Buyers, Loved by SMEs

With Swiss privacy as its backbone, Cybee.ai handles everything in just 5 minutes' setup no technical team needed.

That ease, combined with transparent pricing and a Virtual CISO, speaks direct to the German preference for clarity and Austrian and Swiss reputation sensitivity. 👉 cybee.ai

Trust builds quietly. So does reputation. Let’s keep building, one smart move at a time.

See you next week!