Garrett Berry reads government contracts the way a chef might read a recipe. The words within are second nature to him.

The Little Rock-based Account Representative specializes in federal, state, and local governments, which means that he lives, breathes, and sleeps government contracts. He understands the rules, he feels the pains, and he lives in the world of the agencies and departments he serves.

And there’s a lot cooking for him in the Arkansas arena right now because of it.

Garrett’s spent the past 8 years of his professional career working in the government space. At Hewlett Packard, he did Federal sales in Washington D.C. So he understands the importance of familiarity and expertise in the arena.

At Datamax, for customers to be able to “focus on their forte,” we have to focus squarely on their world. If our mission is getting back to what matters most … their business, we have to have the ability to know their space like it's our own, to truly speak their language. Or, in Garrett’s case, read their verbiage.

“I took it upon myself, maybe six months ago, to divulge myself into these contracts (such as NASPO). To read it, to understand it, and at that point, you’ve got it. You can speak to it,” Garrett said. “And now, once I know this language, I become part of their world.”

5 Focus Points: Garrett Goes Vertical in Government

1. Immerse Yourself in their world.

For Garrett, that very much means knowing the rules of procurement in and out. When he has a conversation with an end user who wants to purchase equipment, one of the first questions he asks is: “Do you know how this state contract works?”

Some don’t at all. So this is a teaching point for him, an opportunity to become that trusted advisor.

Some do. In that case, this is an opportunity to dig further into the details … and opportunities for the prospect.

“Because I know the rules, I know how the game is played,” Garrett says.

To better serve prospects, he also works to “find out where the money is.” For example, the state police falls under the Department of Safety, and he knows what that approval process looks like for those entities.

“The important thing here is, a lot of times agencies will send something into a black hole. It’s a huge pain point. So understanding that process, and taking it off the hands of the end user, that is how you win.”

In short, Garrett jumps into the weeds so his customers don’t have to.

2. Ask a ton of questions – even ones that seem outside of “the norm.”

For Garrett, a simple upgrade based on the entity’s current equipment is never enough. It's important to go deeper.

He finds the extra time to ask more questions – many of which have nothing to do with the contract itself. Questions like: “Do you print on 11X17?” “I see that you have this model – do you use all these capabilities?” And “What is the application is for this particular project for this machine? Timeframe?”

Garrett describes it as “peeling the onion back when you don’t think there’s anything left to peel.” He asked one agency a week ago to describe the application for a project they are working on, and learned that it was only a couple of weeks that certain capabilities would be necessary.

“So once I discovered that, the conversation becomes, ‘let’s find you a used machine until we see what you’ll be doing long term.”

3. Hone in on real needs (and challenges).

The biggest challenge Garrett has witnessed this year with his accounts is COVID-19. Government employees are largely out of the office, and don’t know when they will be back.

“Challenge? Yes. Opportunity? Yes,” Garrett says. “You flip it. You say, ‘OK, right now you have X copier that does X amount. Let’s consider something on a shorter term, and then, when you are back in the office, we’ll reevaluate what your needs are.”

The only real way to hone in on needs and challenges? Again, continue to ask questions.

4. Sell beyond the sale.

Garrett often tells people that the minute we sell the machine; this is where the real work begins.

“Essentially, we are selling a team approach. We’re not selling a box with blinking lights, but rather a concept,” Garrett says.

That includes himself, who is “always here, and will always have my phone.” It also includes superior back end service and support, a common disconnect for government employees based on previous experiences.

“It comes down to, ‘your job is to get three bids. My job is to tell you why I went with the proposal and solution I did, and what makes Datamax different as a technology partner,” Garrett says.

5. Show passion about what you’re doing.

When end users speak to Garrett, they sense his passion.

“If you believe in something so much, it’s easy to explain it,” he says. “You don’t have to try, and I think people sense that. If something seems scripted, most people will be out. But if I call someone and say ‘I’ve got great news! I know that this is going to help you,’ they’re willing to hear you out.”