We recently had a very successful 30-minute scheduled 1-on-1 discussion with the Government, directly following an Industry Day. I wanted to share a few tips that helped us nail ours. I can assure you the championship winning GovCon teams take these steps to prepare for their 1-on-1s. It’s not that difficult, and you can do it too.
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  1. Get as much information as you can about the 1-on-1s before-hand. I talked to other people who had been at a 1-on-1 with this exact customer. They gave me the full run-down of the agenda, flow, attendees, what questions were asked, etc. We even had a screen recording of the 1-on-1s to refer back to.
  2. Research the attendees before hand. (This applies to customers and competitors). Capture the email addresses from Industry Day and put them in a spreadsheet. This will allow you to research on Linkedin the customers (their roles, experience, where they went to school, who they follow, what they care about, etc). You can also see which competitors will also be talking to your customers in their 1-on-1s.
  3. Decide what you One Objective is for having this 1-on-1. Do you want it set-aside for a particular small business socioeconomic category? Do you want them to know that the winning contractor MUST have a particular qualification?
  4. Be customer-centric. Remember this One-on-One is as much for them, as it is for you. So if (based on your research) you see they’ve lived in that local area for a long time, be sure to talk to your commitment to stimulating that local economy. If you see they are former military, talk about your commitment to veterans. Make sure to craft your messaging so that you can meet your One Objective by the end of your time together.
  5. Practice. Set up a few dry runs. Prepare questions for the Government. And have someone role play the Government’s role and what they may ask you.

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I sincerely hope these tips help you nail your next 1-on-1 session!