Implementing the Go-To-Market Plan By Tom Basile and Al Pines Part 3 of 3 In Part 1, we discussed “Communities of Interest” where your product or service has a place it fits best. These are the people, places and/or families of programs that share a common interest in what you offer and can be defined in a way that allows you to make your presence known in an efficient manner. In Part 2, we discussed development of a Go-To-Market Plan that addressed where and how to market and sell your services and/or products. The goal of the plan is simple: increase your revenue by developing a focused marketing, business development and capture program on the procurements where you can best leverage your Communities of Interest presence. Here, in Part 3, we address implementing the plan through a series of refined and detailed tactical approaches that are prioritized based on your company’s available resources. During the Discovery Phase of the plan we outlined two key questions: 1. Who is buying what you are selling? With your Communities of Interest defined; “who” are the people that will develop the programs and spend the money.  2. How are they buying what you are selling? The “how” addresses the purchasing organizations’ preferred method of buying your services and/or products. With these questions answered, it is time to implement the plan with a set of activities for each Community of Interest. We have outlined some you may want to consider: Task 1: Tailor your marketing materials based on your assessment of the Communities of Interest you are targeting. That assessment needs to include their language (how they speak), their needs and how they measure mission success. Using these inputs you make sure their interests are reflected in your web site, white papers, case studies and brochures. The government buyer must understand your value proposition and be able to find it easily. Remember, your marketing materials will be the first “product” you deliver; it needs to be of the highest quality, leaving no doubt in the customer’s mind that they can be confident doing business with you. Task 2: Develop a marketing program specific to each Community of Interest in order to brand your company. This involves a range of activities including dissemination of promotional materials, attendance at industry forums and conferences, development and distribution of white papers, writing and publication of articles, and arranging meetings with both government officials and potential teaming partners. Task 3: Construct a pipeline management process that allows visibility into all opportunities, provides transparency in terms of progress (to support your bid/no bid decisions), and permits management to set appropriate parameters to assure growth. Yes, before you actually begin to work at capturing opportunities you need to think about how you will manage the business development/capture management/proposal process. While the basis of success in selling government business is relationship building, the overall business picture is driven by the numbers and a disciplined management process. Task 4: Develop a capture strategy for target programs. For prime contract opportunities, this will include activities such as positioning your company as a qualified bidder in the eyes of the customer (many subtasks here) and developing teaming relationships with other companies to strengthen your bid. For deals that have your solutions embedded as part of a larger program, identify the top two or three companies that are positioned on the deal and secure a subcontracting position with identified role, responsibilities and work share. If there is an incumbent be sure to evaluate their position carefully; they are always stronger than the competition believes. Task 5: As part of answering the question “how does the customer buy” you may have identified certain companies that would be a good strategic partner. Separate from any individual procurement opportunity, you need a plan for introducing yourself to these people. Keep in mind: Companies are not interested in relationships that are not beneficial to them. Study their business so you can answer their primary question: “What’s in it for me?” It is important to recognize that in the government space relationships are often more important than your skills or product. If the strategic partner is a large prime contractor, their primary interest will be in “who you know.” So be sure you do Task 1 and 2 well, before you look for partners. Task 6: In addition to strategic partners there will be strategic contract vehicles. These are usually GSA Schedules, GWAC and IDIQ contracts that do not generate direct revenue; rather, they provide you with a mechanism for your customer to reach you and they provide you with access to business opportunities that you would not otherwise have. These vehicles need to be appropriate to your Communities of Interest—and even though they only produce the opportunity to bid on task orders (they are revenue neutral in your Pipeline Plan) you need to pursue each one with a Capture Strategy as robust as any other part of your pipeline. Simple enough, right? OK, perhaps it took a three-part series to just go over the highlights because it is not so simple. But it is necessary and it does work. So follow the process, and call if you think you need some help. Good hunting! For more information, contact Tom at tbasile@govbusdev.com.