RESOURCES ⇢ ARTICLE
Your PMs Have a Front-Row Seat to Growth. Don’t Let Them Miss the Show.
The CEO was frustrated.
“We told our PMs to help with growth. They nodded, agreed—then nothing. When I push, they say it’s not their job.”
I hear this all the time. And the PMs aren’t wrong. They just haven’t been shown another way.
They hear “growth” and think “sales.” They picture themselves pitching in a status meeting, watching the customer’s face go cold. So they push back. Not because they’re lazy. Because they’ve spent years building trust with these customers and they’re not about to wreck it with a sales pitch.
Smart instinct. Wrong conclusion.
You Have Assets Inside the Wire
Your PMs are onsite. They have the CAC card. The access. The relationships.
But when you ask them for intel, what do you actually get? Real insights? Or vague updates about “mission progress”?
If it’s the second one, they’re not failing you. They just don’t realize what they’re sitting on.
Liked vs. Trusted
Most executives think their PMs have great customer relationships. You see your PM chatting about football with the client and figure, “We’re good.”
You’re not. That’s friendly. It’s not trust.
Customers don’t hand out work to contractors they like. They hand it to contractors they trust.
And let’s talk about what actually drives your government customer. It’s not the mission statement on the wall. It’s not looking bad. It’s keeping their boss happy. It’s not getting embarrassed in front of peers. It’s protecting their career while trying to get something done.
When a customer really trusts your PM, they say things they won’t say to anyone else:
- The political pressure is coming down from leadership.
- The funding that’s about to disappear—or show up.
- Why the incumbent on the contract next door is actually failing.
You only get that kind of information when someone feels safe with you. Friendly doesn’t get you there. Trust does.
Three Signals. Same Meetings. Different Results.
Your PMs don’t need more meetings. They need to pay attention differently in the meetings they’re already in.
1. Scope Creep
Customer asks for something extra.
Friendly PM: Says yes to keep the peace. Eats the cost.
Trusted PM: Recognizes that the request is a symptom of something bigger. Says, “We can do that—but if we’re going to fix the real problem, let’s talk about a mod.” Turns a freebie into a growth opportunity.
2. Weird Vibes
Delivery goes fine, but something feels off.
Friendly PM: “Report’s done. We’re good.”
Trusted PM: Notices the customer tensed up when the Deputy walked in. Asks about it. Finds out there’s an audit coming and the customer is worried. Offers to help. Now you’re the partner who has their back—not just a vendor who hit a deadline.
3. Vague Complaints
Customer mentions they’re overwhelmed with what’s coming next quarter.
Friendly PM: Nods sympathetically. Waits for an RFP to show up.
Trusted PM: Asks questions. Learns what’s really going on. Helps shape the requirement before anyone else even knows about the funding.
Same meetings. One PM walks away with nothing. The other walks away with growth.
This Isn’t Sales. It’s Giving a Damn.
The PMs who drive the most growth aren’t thinking about growth. They’re thinking about the person sitting across from them.
What’s making their life hard? What would get their boss off their back? What would help them look good in front of their peers?
When your PM actually cares about that stuff, customers notice. They open up. They share what’s really going on. They ask for help before problems turn into RFPs. They introduce you to the person down the hall with available budget.
That’s not sales. That’s what happens when someone trusts you. Growth just comes with it.
Three Skills. All Teachable.
This isn’t about turning PMs into sales reps. It’s about helping them get better at what they’re already doing.
Emotional Intelligence — Picking up on what’s not being said. Noticing when something’s off.
Curiosity — Asking “What would make this easier for you?” instead of just “Are we good on the deliverable?”
Recognizing Opportunity — Hearing a customer vent about a problem and thinking “We could help with that” instead of “Not my job.”
No extra meetings. No awkward pitches. Just asking better questions and paying more attention.
Your PMs Are Ready. Are You?
Your PMs have access competitors would kill for. They hear things every week that never make it back to your team.
But only 28% of contractors give their PMs training in relationship building, emotional intelligence, and customer engagement. Everyone else hopes their PMs figure it out on their own.(they won’t)
That’s not a PM problem. That’s a leadership gap.
Want to know where your team stands?
summary
Growth strategies built on customer trust, not status reports. Where PMs recognize that “scope creep” is really an unmet need waiting to become a contract mod. Where intel flows from delivery teams who understand what customers actually care about—not looking bad, keeping leadership happy, protecting their career. Where growth happens in the meetings you’re already having, not from awkward sales pitches that kill relationships.
The Reality: Most GovCon growth gaps aren’t about BD capacity or capture process—they’re about a skills gap. PMs were hired for delivery excellence but never trained in the emotional intelligence, curiosity, and opportunity recognition required for customer relationships that drive growth. The result: your PMs are inside the wire every day, hearing things competitors would pay for, but walking away with nothing because they think growth isn’t their job. They’re right that being pushy destroys trust. They just haven’t been shown another way.
FAQ:
Why do PMs resist when leadership asks them to help with growth? Because they hear “growth” and think “sales.” They picture themselves pitching in a status meeting, watching the customer go cold. They’ve seen other contractors do it. They know how fast it kills trust. So they protect the relationship by staying in their lane. Smart instinct. Wrong conclusion. Growth doesn’t come from pitching—it comes from paying attention to what customers are already telling them.
What’s the difference between being liked and being trusted? Liked gets you friendly conversations about football and kids. Trusted gets you the intel that matters—political pressure from leadership, funding about to get cut or added, and why the incumbent next door is actually failing. Customers share that stuff with partners who make them feel safe, not vendors who make them feel sold to. Liked is comfortable. Trusted drives growth.
Why do PMs miss growth signals in meetings they’re already having? Because nobody taught them what to listen for. When a customer asks for something extra, most PMs say yes to keep the peace—and eat the cost. A PM who understands growth recognizes that the request is a symptom of a bigger problem and turns it into a mod. When a customer vents about next quarter’s workload, most PMs nod sympathetically. A PM who understands growth digs in and helps shape the requirement before competitors know the funding exists. Same meetings. Different eyes.
What skills do PMs need to drive growth without feeling like salespeople? Three things: (1) Emotional intelligence to read the room and pick up on what’s not being said, (2) Genuine curiosity to ask “What would make this easier for you?” instead of just “Are we good on deliverables?”, (3) Opportunity recognition to hear a customer problem and think “How can we help?” instead of “Not my scope.” None of this adds work. It makes the conversations they’re already having more valuable—to the customer and to your pipeline.
