BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THE “HOW” QUESTION

Your sales team has made the pitch and the customer is swinging.  They want your solution.  Then the customer throws a curve ball of their own:  “How do we buy from you?”  Too often, that’s a question that stops sales teams in their tracks.  Momentum, and possibly a piece of business, are lost.  Make sure your team is prepared with several options when the customer asks “how”.  Your GSA Schedule contract is one possible purchase vehicle, but so, too are other IDIQ contracts you might have.  Open market or set-aside contracts might also be good options, depending on your company.  Assume that your federal customer does not know the best way to access your solutions.  You must have this knowledge in order to be successful because you’re the one who’s trying to sell.  Be prepared to walk your customer through the process.  Similarly, don’t be “contract agnostic”.  If you do have multiple vehicles, recommend the top two or three you think make the most sense for that specific customer.  Companies that know “how” set themselves up to be more successful than those who only know “what”.