Right now, a must-win recompete is slipping away, and you are the last to know, not because of performance, pricing, or competition but because of something that has lost more recompetes than all these factors combined. This silent growth killer lurks behind every hallway wave or surface-level discussions, costing you the customer intelligence needed to win – but by the time you recognize it, it’s often too late.

Many professionals, including engineers, SMEs, PMs, and Contracts personnel, struggle to effectively engage customers beyond routine conversations.

The Engineer Who Almost Lost It All

Eric was a brilliant engineer. Years of program execution had earned him his customers’ trust. But when his PM asked him to help win the recompete, he worried about how this would damage his credibility.

“That’s BD’s job,” he thought, “I don’t sell.”

In customer meetings, his mind raced. What would he say? How could he change the topic without sounding awkward? Then came the perfect opening: his customer mentioned modernizing their infrastructure. Without thinking twice, Eric passionately covered several innovation ideas for how the team could support a modernization effort.

When recapping this ‘excellent’ meeting, Eric’s PM asked, “What did the customer say about why they need to modernize?” Eric suddenly felt anxious – he hadn’t thought to ask. The PM continued, “You probably gave a great capability briefing, Eric, but without knowing what they need, you might have done us more harm than good.”

Eric was stunned. He thought he’d done everything right, but obviously, he hadn’t.

To help, the PM recommended that Eric attend a customer engagement training program. He reluctantly agreed, but the Masterclass he attended changed everything. It provided a repeatable engagement process and role-playing exercises that helped build his confidence and intel-gathering skills.

More importantly, it shifted his mindset: engaging customers in discussion beyond project tasks wasn’t ‘selling’—it was caring enough to spend the time required to understand their needs and ensure they got the best solution possible to ensure mission success.

The Break Through

Eric’s big breakthrough came in his next customer conversation. When they mentioned hardware frustrations again, Eric was ready, and instead of launching into a capability monologue, he asked:

“Why are you frustrated?”

Those four words changed everything. The customer opened up, sharing consolidation plans and other emerging operational changes that would strain their network hardware. Eric resisted the urge to talk; instead, he listened and asked follow-up questions. Soon, Eric realized how little he understood about their emerging needs and how badly his premature solution missed the mark.

When the RFP dropped, it was clear that the modernization plan Eric and the customer had discussed was their preferred solution. They won the contract, and during the debrief, the customer simply said: “No one understood our needs like your team.”

This lesson taught Eric that real engagement wasn’t about being the smartest person in the room or having the quickest solution. It was more about human connection, listening, and caring more about the customer’s success than his own – and the team knew they would win long before announcement day!

Why SMEs Hold Back

When program managers, engineers, and subject matter experts don’t engage customers beyond project discussions, it’s often fear—fear of damaging professional reputations, being seen as pushy, and rejection.

The Cost of Fearing Customer Engagement                                                 

Fear of engagement from those closest to the customer leads to:

• Vague, unreliable, or assumptions about customer needs
• Poor understanding of changes to procurement strategies and requirements
• No vetting of potential solutions or shaping customer thinking

Limited customer intelligence leaves your capture and proposal teams blind, relying on assumptions instead of validated customer intelligence, limiting solution options and teaming partner decisions. The result? Misaligned proposals, missed opportunities, lost recompetes, and millions in missed revenue.

The Solution: Overcoming the fear of engagement

The Hi-Q BD Masterclass transformed how Eric approached customer engagement. Once he understood that gathering client intelligence was simply part of understanding and meeting customer expectations, he was more confident to:

• Strengthen customer trust by showing genuine care
• Ask questions that uncover real requirements without feeling like a salesperson
• Listen more intently about their needs
• Protect—and even enhance—his technical reputation by communicating differently.

This training isn’t about turning SMEs into salespeople. It’s about giving them the tools and confidence to engage in ‘growth’ focused conversations that enhance professional relationships and deliver customer value. When teams learn how to engage without feeling like they are selling, resistance fades, and they see growth as an opportunity to impact the success of the customer’s mission.

The result? Confident, authentic, customer-focused meetings that gather the type of customer intelligence needed to win and that your competition just can’t get.

Real Results

Addressing this “silent growth killer” immediately improves customer relationships and intelligence. Improved intelligence reduces assumptions and makes your capture process more effective – resulting in better qualification, solutioning, and teaming decisions.

When SMEs like Eric improve their engagement skills and mindset, their confidence improves, as does their ability to positively impact organic growth with the customer driving (asking for help.) – potentially adding millions in new opportunities to your pipeline,

Every conversation becomes an opportunity to ask more questions and gather additional intel. SMEs become receivers rather than givers of customer intelligence, program managers shape solutions around client priorities, and even contract personnel learn to leverage their customer relationships.

Take Action

Don’t let your team’s fear of engagement hold your growth hostage. Use Hi-Q Group training to give them the tools (advanced people skills) to confidently engage customers. Like Eric, they can learn a customer-focused engagement method that helps them build relationships, win recompetes, and uncover opportunities that drive growth— without compromising their values or relationships.

Are you ready to unlock your team’s full potential? Schedule a time to learn how Hi-Q Group can help you overcome your growth challenges. Schedule a time to chat