Scenario One: You have an appointment to meet with a government Program Manager. This Program Manager is responsible for a major procurement that is coming up and your firm wants to win this contract. This is your firm's first meeting with the Program Manager and he has scheduled 30 minutes for your meeting. What do you do in these thirty minutes?

Most firms in this situation (or a similar situation) will prepare a presentation introducing their firm and describing their capabilities. They will augment with several brochures or marketing pieces to leave with the Program Manager. Today, the presentation will most likely use Power Point slides and may use a computer projector in the actual presentation. Since this is a very important meeting in the overall sales campaign for the target contact, this will probably be a very well organized and professional presentation.

It is also likely to be a total waste of the Program Manager's time and leave a less than good impression of your firm!

What should you do in this situation? Conduct a strategic interview! Knowing how to conduct an effective strategic interview is the single most important sales capability that your firm can have. Without the ability to conduct strategic interviews it is unlikely that your firm will win a high percentage of your proposals or build consistent, long-term revenue growth.

Scenario Two: Your super-duper technical wizard, the guy who is a recognized leader in one of your firm's core competency technologies, comes to see you. He wants you to authorize preparation of a proposal for a government contract that he has just read about on the Federal Business Opportunity (FBO) web site. The proposal is due in six weeks. The scope of work is sharply focused in his technical domain. His argument for preparing and submitting a proposal - "We can do it - as a matter of fact, we can do it as good as or better than any other firm!" Therefore, we should submit a proposal.

Wrong - Ability to perform a contract is not a reason to prepare and submit a proposal!

Your ability to perform a contract is only one of the ten critical criteria that should be satisfied before a decision is made to invest your firm's bid and proposal dollars.