Introduction
Master the Micro-Engagement Principle, and discover five ways to become top of mind in your Federal buyer’s busiest season…and all year round.
The Micro-Engagement Principle
Micro-Engagement is based on proven science. Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio studies activity in the human brain. He discovered that when we make decisions, the part of our brain that lights up is that part that manages emotions.
If it feels uncomfortable (or even impossible) to imagine making an emotional connection with a Federal buyer, you’re not alone. You don’t need to get squeaked out by the idea. Here’s what you need to know to make that easy, natural, and genuinely enjoyable – for you and for them.
One of the most powerful neurochemicals in the human brain is…dopamine. Our brains generate a rush of dopamine — that “woo hoo!” — when we feel pleasure. That’s why we are all motivated to do more of the things that experience shows bring us success. In short, our brains – and our buyers’ brains – love to win.
Try this. Think back to how you felt when you achieved one of your most cherished accomplishments: earned that degree; got married; had your first child; founded your company; maybe even a giant contract win. Climbed Mount Kilimanjaro? Or even Everest (a friend of mine has done both)?
How long did your spike of exhilaration last? It’s usually not nearly as long as we imagined it would be. We move on to “What’s next?” pretty fast. But research also shows that the rush of dopamine we get from reaching a major life goal is nearly as much as from a tiny accomplishment like “found my car keys!” or “got to my daughter’s soccer game on time!”
Our brains are natural motivation engines that learn to reward us for doing and seeking the things that experience suggests will help us thrive.
Now that you know this, you’ can engage someone’s natural motivation engine to help them reach their goals as well as yours.
How Micro-Engagement Works In GovCon
Imagine what would happen if we were to give our Federal prospects and buyers a constant stream of small wins every time we’re in touch with them.
The secret to creating those constant wins is called Micro-engagement Momentum. Make sure every call, voicemail, email, brings something that gets them just a little closer to where they need to go.
They learn that every time we call, something good happens. Our voicemails are always cheerful and useful and appreciative. We’re the call they want to return. They get to know us and what we do. We become top of mind, no matter what they want. Even if we don’t have the answer, they call us because we know someone or something that can help.
When you apply this idea of Micro-Engagement to our PALM – The Players And Layers Methodology®, you start creating opportunities instead of waiting for them: exactly what you need to be doing during the year-end spending surge.
The Contracting Officer’s Perspective
Career Federal contracting professional Shauna Weatherly, CEO of FedSubK, gives a great example of just how to do this in her LinkedIn post. Read the whole post here! MORE >>
Even more research behind why this works. When you engage consistently, politely, appropriately, and with small, focused “asks” that give you and your Federal buyer momentum toward your goals, you build trust. Brene Brown likens trust to a jar of marbles: each positive interaction helps fill the jar. MORE >>
Ta-Da! Five Simple Micro-Engagement Tactics
Most importantly, play the long game. Micro-engagement is about building relationships over time. You can adjust your Micro-Engagement cadence as your Federal contact warms up to you.
- Stay Connected: Create a plan to be in touch at least quarterly, no more often than monthly (unless they engage with you and ask you to follow up sooner). Whether a call, voicemail, webinar invitation, or email, every touch with content customized to their role and responsibilities puts you back to top-of-mind again.
- Showcase Your Value: When you call or write, highlight a unique strength or recent past success that aligns with your buyer’s everyday challenges. Your value also includes your network! Remind them that you don’t do everything, but you usually know someone who can help.
- Come with solutions, not problems. When you ask, “How can I help you?” you’re giving them more work. Instead, begin “How I can help you…” begin “How I can help you…” Show how well you know their challenges, and come with small, low-risk, ideas specific to their needs and let them get to know you.
- Leverage Technology: Use leading, security-compliant, digital tools including webinars, short video, virtual meetings, or other online demos as appropriate to showcase your expertise quickly and with high impact.
- Be Responsive: Quick and efficient responses to inquiries can set you apart. Show that you are reliable and ready to assist.
Make Those Relationships Easier!
Explore our proprietary PALM – The Players And Layers Methodology® resource hub. You’ll find resources for the whole team, including complimentary videos, tactical infographic, and our popular GovCon Personas Guide.
When is the best time to start?
Honestly, right now…but remember, this is long term strategy, not a lightning push.
Sure, the “Q4 Skew”can offer powerful opportunities for GovCons that have past performance and current relationships with Federal buyers.
Federal contract spending surges in the last quarter of the Federal fiscal year. Example: in Federal FY 2023, between July 1st and September 30th, Federal buyers used Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) to award a total of more than $11B in contracts for goods and services. 40% of their SAP spend for the whole year happened in just 12 weeks.
RELATED: Tap my new on-demand webinar for fresh data and details about how Simplified Acquisition is strategic for wins both under and over $250,000. MORE>>
A Word About Gifts To Federal Buyers
Some GovCons are great natural gift-givers who are frustrated by the gift limitations in FAR Part 3 on ethics. Good news: five no-cost choices keep you on the right side of the FAR, cost nothing, and can last a lifetime. Learn more about how to give Time, Touch, Thanks, Talk, and Tasks. MORE >>
Become A Micro-Engagement Engine.
As you get deeper into calls, and get to know your Federal buyers, they’ll start to tell you more about themselves. Listen closely. Take good notes of what’s on their minds, and in their hearts.
They quickly learn that “Monica always lets me know when there’s a sale on the chairs I told her I love.”
Or “Sam remembered to ask about my aunt in North Carolina who’s going through chemo.” Or “Jackie shared the link to that great virtual conference I would have missed.” Or “Elena left me the nicest voicemail to say she’s thinking of me at this crazy time of year – and she didn’t even ask me to call her!”
That leads to top-of-mind experiences like these:
“Kris showed me why her monthly e-news might help my team. I said we’re too busy to look at it right now. Because she didn’t spam me, but listened to me, I called her a couple weeks later, when I was ready to tackle my next batch of year-end projects.”
“Marsha always starts our calls by asking, ‘Is this still a good time to talk?’ How thoughtful!”
Finally, sometimes, the win isn’t just what you do but how you do it.
For example, reliability is one of the seven elements of trust Brene Brown outlines in her Braving Inventory.
When you do what you say you’re going to do, and you do it consistently, your buyer comes away thinking, “Hey, Alex was already there when I logged on for the meeting.”
Or, “David sent the report he promised right after we finished the call.”
In Closing…
Jumpstart your Federal buyer’s natural Micro-Engagement Engine by bringing them constant wins. The positive momentum you create is the proven way to become top-of-mind so that you’re the one they call when they need something.
Including when they need you.
Related Resources
There’s never a bad time to brush up on Simplified Acquisition Procedures and how Federal buyers make Micro-Purchases for services and products. These two complimentary on-demand webinars can help the whole team today!
Judy Bradt is CEO of Summit Insight. She serves established companies who want a private program for 2-6 people who are ready to implement an account-based, relationship-centered approach to grow their Federal business. Find out more here – or use this link to book a call.