Getting in front of prospective customers is an important part of every federal contractor’s game plan.  Too often, however, companies don’t take full advantage of meeting opportunities.  Being underprepared can diminish a prospect’s view of your company and make it more difficult to pursue business.  Indeed, businesses of every size and experience level should consider these three common meeting mistakes and take steps to avoid them.

1.  Talking Too Much:  We get it, you’re excited to finally be able to meet with a critical prospect and you want to make sure that this person knows all about your team’s solutions.  Fight the urge to dominate the discussion, though, and take time to listen to what the customer has to say.  They may end up having different needs or pain points than you thought, something that could take the discussion in a more useful direction if you listen.  You may still be able to offer solutions, though they may be ones that differ from what you were originally planning to lead with.

2.  Wasting People’s Time:  This is a big concern of federal executives according to discussions we’ve had.  Not wasting time starts with showing up on time, prepared for your meeting.  The old saying “if you’re on time, you’re late” may be a good reminder here.  Stay on point during the meeting and be respectful of the prospect’s time when the discussion must conclude.  Let the prospect decide if they need an extra 5 minutes.  Doing homework in advance to ensure that you’re discussing today’s need instead of yesterday’s solution is also important.

3.  Not Following Up:  You had the meeting.  You listened and were prepared.  The prospect even had questions they wanted you to follow up on.  Everything was going well until…you didn’t follow up.  While distractions happen, it’s important to never leave a prospective customer hanging.  Make sure you stay in touch with that person, even if it’s just to let them know that you’re still working on an answer to their last question.  Nothing kills momentum and makes a customer think twice than a company that doesn’t follow through.  Make sure you communicate consistently.  While these three steps may sound obvious, we can absolutely confirm that they’re real-time concerns.  No contractor should be complacent.  Make sure you’re prepared to take the right steps before, during, and after your meeting.