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?