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Succeeding With the DoD

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Small Business Training Forum. SENIOR. EXECUTIVE. SERVICES, INC. ... Government needs innovation and to meet Small Business goals ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Succeeding With the DoD


1
AFCEA West 2008 Small Business Training Forum
  • Succeeding With the DoD
  • as a Small Business
  • Perfecting the Client Call
  • Bill James
  • Senior Executive Services, Inc.

2
AGENDA
  • Introduction
  • What is an Office Call?
  • Why Make Calls?
  • Value of the Visit?
  • Preparation
  • Execution
  • Follow Up

3
Whos He?
  • Bill James
  • EVP GM Senior Executive Services, Inc. (WOSB)
  • SES Inc. is kind of like a Small Business
    Advocate. We help primarily small medium
    companies
  • Grow and expand business by constructing
    successful sales strategies customized to the
    companys needs and capabilities
  • By assisting companies with capture and proposals

  • By recommending improvements to their internal
    sales organization
  • 20 years DoD Civil Service, GS-1 to SES
  • 10 years Business Development Executive
  • Litton-PRC (now Northrop-Grumman)
  • Computer Sciences Corporation
  • SI International
  • MTC Technologies

4
What is an Office Call?
  • Q What is a an Office Call?
  • A A formal opportunity in the clients office
    space for you to confirm (not learn) your
    understanding of the clients pain and offer a
    solution.
  • Hint Replace the word office with client
  • Exploit other client calls like golf outings,
    conferences, breakfasts, lunches, dinners,
    cocktail hours, chance meetings

5
Why Make Calls?
  • Why make client calls?

You cant shoot a moose while sitting in the
lodge. Clients rarely come to your office to han
d you a contract. Treat each call like an unsolic
ited proposal
Congratulations, you own an IDIQ gold mine!
Oops Where are the miners? In the IDIQ/GWAC con
tract environment (prime or sub role), you must
proactively find requirements and close task
orders.
6
Sea of Client Relationships
  • Know and Be Known by
  • DoD, Intelligence, Civilian Agency
  • Clients
  • Small Business Advocates
  • Contracts Offices
  • Small Business Administration
  • Systems Integrators (Prime/Sub Roles)
  • Product Vendors (Become a Sales Channel)
  • Media (FCW, GCN, Washington Technology, etc)
  • Professional associations (AFCEA, NDIA, etc)

7
Whats the point?
Standard capabilities briefings can be BORING.
  • Answer the question Whats the point?
  • Highlight a unique value or capability
  • Person, Place or Thing
  • Describe what makes you One of a Kind
  • Offer a solution to a client problem
  • Offer a Freebie
  • Trial run or demonstration
  • Training
  • Transition

8
Value of the Visit?
  • Government clients Go to the top? Maybe not.
  • Policy-makers versus money-spenders
  • Decisions often made at lower levels
  • Research and then prioritize your call plan
  • All Clients have urgent issues and need good
    solutions
  • Government needs innovation and to meet Small
    Business goals
  • Contracting Offices need to support their
    internal government mission clients
  • Large Businesses need Small Businesses
  • Product makers need more sales channels and feet
    on the street
  • Learn More
  • Help the client discover something new about
    his/her problem/organization
  • Both you and the client exchange information more
    effectively through person-to-person
    communication, especially non-verbal
    communication.
  • Build Trust
  • People generally prefer to do business with
    people they trust

9
The Military Client
  • Military Client Characterization
  • Very Busy Fighting a War
  • Direct, BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)
  • Mission Focused, Goal Oriented
  • Well Trained in Leadership and Management
  • Earned and Expects Your Respect
  • Wants Solutions
  • From Your Product or Service
  • Easily Usable Contract Vehicle
  • Available Funding

10
Preparation
  • Buy Sales Client Call training - Significant
    ROI
  • Review briefings given by the client at previous
    events (AFCEA)
  • Learn the client's chain of command - up and
    down
  • Get permission to request the client call at a
    networking event or from the client's boss,
    boss's boss, Service counterpart
  • Learn who the gatekeepers are in the client's
    office organization
  • Have a 3rd party critique your website before
    your client does
  • Dry run the drive to client site and security
    logistics
  • At least 2 days prior to the visit, send
    attendees biographies, agenda and one-page
    meeting summary to exec admin
  • Confirm client received the biographies, agenda
    and summary

11
More Preparation
  • Plan and rehearse the client call
  • How many should go to the meeting? (2, maybe 3)
  • What will your non-briefing attendees do or key
    on? (notes, body language, etc)
  • Find out how many other people will the client
    invite?
  • Can you determine the meeting room layout?
  • Devise seating plans Conference and coffee
    table
  • Prepare adequate handouts
  • Be prepared but be flexible

12
Showtime
  • Take the time to meet the front office
  • Exec
  • Admin Assistant/Secretary
  • Aide
  • Note magazines/newspapers in the waiting area
  • Peruse the sign in sheet - whos been there?
  • Ask the admin about your clients hard stop
    time.
  • What client issue is more important than you?
  • Have simple contracting approaches prepared for
  • How do I get to you?
  • Be Early - Arrive Early and Leave Early

13
Wolves in Sheeps Clothing
  • Surprise! Competitors may be in your meeting,
    too.
  • Who could be your competitors?
  • Other contractors
  • FFRDCs
  • Government employees
  • In house contractors sometimes
  • Monitor the front office calendar
  • Serve in gatekeeper roles
  • Feel threatened by invaders on their turf
  • Try to find out who will be in your meeting

14
During the Client Call
  • Assume the client has NOT read the read-ahead
    package
  • Review the meeting agenda and allow client to
    modify it
  • Assume all leave-behinds will be seen by your
    competition
  • Dont include secrets in leave-behinds
  • Do send messages to your competition
  • Use your 2 ears and 1 mouth in that ratio
  • Awkward silence is a powerfully good thing
  • Be respectful to your client and about your
    competition
  • Propose a solution to "What keeps him/her awake
    at night?"
  • Educate the client about something they dont
    know
  • Ask for the next steps to the sale
  • Finish early

15
After the Call
  • Telephone the admin assistant/secretary
  • Email the front office staff
  • Pen Ink a note to the client
  • Verbal attaboy to clients boss
  • Assess your teams client call performance
  • Follow up on action items
  • Maintain relationship with periodic updates

16
Questions?
  • THANK YOU!
  • QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION?
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