In this episode of The Marketing Front Lines, we speak with Maria Urs, Head of Marketing at VirTra, a company creating immersive training simulators for law enforcement, military, and security personnel. VirTra builds 180-degree and 300-degree simulation environments that train officers on split-second decision-making, de-escalation tactics, and use of force scenarios. With 70-80% of their customers coming from law enforcement agencies across 46 countries, Maria leads marketing efforts in a highly specialized govtech niche where trust and human connection outweigh traditional B2B playbooks. Through her Google-trained discipline and hands-on approach, she’s learned that marketing to law enforcement requires abandoning cookie-cutter strategies and starting every campaign with a clear, audience-specific goal. Topics Discussed: - Marketing immersive training technology to law enforcement and military audiences - Building trust as the foundation of govtech marketing strategy - Leveraging trade shows and in-person product demonstrations for high-touch sales - Tailoring messaging across different security verticals (law enforcement, military, education, healthcare) - Managing a lean, high-performing four-person marketing team - International expansion strategy for training simulators across 46 countries - Optimizing website and CRM workflows to accelerate sales velocity - The role of human expertise vs. AI in products serving first responders - Why govtech marketing requires constant adaptability and cannot follow standard playbooks Lessons For B2B Tech Marketers: - Reject the Copy-Paste Playbook in Specialized Markets: Maria observed that most govtech marketers make the critical mistake of applying generic B2B SaaS playbooks across different audiences, assuming that if it works in one government context, it will work in another. VirTra abandoned this approach entirely. Instead, Maria starts every campaign by defining the specific goal and customizing messaging for each distinct audience segment—whether law enforcement, military, or education security—recognizing that each has fundamentally different motivations, procurement processes, and success metrics. - Optimize for Trial, Not Clicks: Unlike typical B2C or SaaS companies that optimize conversion paths from website to purchase, VirTra’s marketing prioritizes getting prospects into physical product demonstrations. Maria invests heavily in national and local trade show participation, viewing these events as the primary conversion channel. The marketing strategy accepts that law enforcement agencies will not purchase based on specifications and testimonials alone—they must experience the immersive training scenarios themselves. This insight led VirTra to measure marketing success by demo completions rather than traditional digital metrics. //  Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don’t Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role.  Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM