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Relationships Win Government Contracts

In government contracting, it’s not what you know or even what you can do - it’s who you know and who knows you. The best technical solution loses if the decision makers don’t trust the company proposing it. Stakeholder mapping helps you figure out who really matters and how to build the relationships that win contracts. The uncomfortable truth: By the time the RFP is published, 70% of the decision is already made. Winners spend their time building relationships during the capture phase, not just responding to requirements.

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The Six Types of People You Need to Know

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Who Actually Decides

  • The Real Decision Maker: Often not the person with the fancy title. May be a trusted advisor or technical expert who the official decision maker always asks.
  • The Influencer: Doesn’t decide but the decision maker listens to them. Could be a senior engineer, budget analyst, or respected program manager.
  • Your Champion: Someone inside who actively wants you to win and will advocate for your solution.
  • The End User: People who will actually use your solution. If they don’t want it, it’s hard to win even with official support.
  • The Gatekeeper: Controls access to decision makers. Could be an executive assistant, contracting officer, or program manager.
  • The Threat: Actively prefers your competitor or opposes your approach. Can kill your chances if not managed properly.

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How Strong Is Your Relationship?

Rate yourself honestly (1-10 scale):
  • 1-3: They don’t know you or actively dislike you
  • 4-6: Professional relationship but they wouldn’t go out of their way to help you
  • 7-8: Strong relationship where they trust your expertise and would consider your recommendations
  • 9-10: Champion-level relationship where they actively advocate for your company

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How to Map Your Stakeholders

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Step 1: Find Out Who Really Matters

Start with the obvious people, then dig deeper:
  • Look at the organization chart, but don’t stop there
  • Ask your contacts: “Who do you go to when you need a decision on something like this?”
  • Research LinkedIn profiles, conference presentations, and industry articles
  • Find out what they care about personally and professionally (budget constraints, technical innovation, career advancement)

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Step 2: Figure Out Who Has Real Influence

Power doesn’t always match the org chart:
  • Who does the official decision maker ask for advice?
  • Who has the respect of the team and gets listened to in meetings?
  • What are their hot buttons and priorities? (Cost savings? Innovation? Risk reduction?)
  • Who are the natural coalition builders that other people follow?

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Step 3: Grade Your Relationships Honestly

Don’t kid yourself about where you stand:
  • Rate your relationship strength with each person (1-10 scale)
  • Document every interaction you’ve had and how it went
  • Identify people who could introduce you to key stakeholders
  • Research what relationships your competitors have (LinkedIn connections, past employment, industry associations)

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Step 4: Build Your Engagement Plan

Focus your time where it will have the most impact:
  • Prioritize high-influence people you can actually reach
  • Develop specific messages that resonate with each person’s priorities
  • Plan concrete engagement activities (one-on-one meetings, industry events, technical demonstrations)
  • Create a schedule to maintain and deepen relationships over time

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Turn Your Map Into Wins

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Build Your Coalition

Find people who naturally want what you’re offering:
  • Identify stakeholders who share your vision (modernization advocates, cost-cutters, innovation champions)
  • Connect like-minded people who can reinforce each other’s support
  • Use your relationships to get warm introductions to other influential people
  • Coordinate your messages so everyone hears consistent themes from multiple trusted sources

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Neutralize the Threats

Deal with opposition before it kills your chances:
  • Identify people who prefer the incumbent or a competitor
  • Understand their objections and develop responses that address their concerns
  • Build counter-coalitions of supporters who can balance negative voices
  • Monitor changes in stakeholder sentiment and adjust your approach accordingly

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Work Your Advantages

Leverage existing relationships to build new ones:
  • Use your champions to introduce you to decision makers
  • Have satisfied customers speak to similar stakeholders about your performance
  • Get technical experts to engage with their counterparts on your behalf
  • Position your team members who have existing relationships to lead engagement efforts
Example Success Story: Your company has a strong relationship with the CTO but the program manager favors the incumbent. You use the CTO to arrange a technical demonstration for the program team, where your solution’s innovation wins over several team members who then advocate for you with the program manager. Ready to learn about managing government POCs?