learn. It’s not just the direct, functional manager. Talk with the sales manager, the HR manager, the CFO, operations, etc. Use your contacts or the previous person you interviewed to network you to the next person.
6. Get to the profit-center leader (PCL) or the ultimate funds releaser for government – and it’s not the CFO or comptroller. Be sure you conduct the above meetings with the execs before approaching the PCL. You’ll need their insights and information base of needs and ideas because if they are doing their jobs, they’ve already had conversations with PCL about them. Besides they will have to support any proposals or suggestions you’ll eventually offer to the PCL. Build you base before you go to the top. You’ll understand the PCL better and be able to converse at a higher level. Besides the more supporters the better.
Conduct the interview in the same manor as above similar questions about concerns, what would s/he do, magic wand, etc.
7. Wrap-up all your conversations with your appreciation of their time spent with you and that you’ve got a lot of information that’s creating lots of ideas and you’d like to review it with other experts in your organization and network and put together an information piece for you to present and them to review. Ask if s/he would be interested. If yes, set up a date to get back or for the review. This is where you’ll start enticing them to start spending. There is nothing like knowing what people want and then showing how they can get it if they spend a little money. Unfortunately it’s a process. You can’t assume you know what they want, offer it up and they buy. They have to go through their own process of buying also – hopefully with your help.
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