This article draws on the Vitaver Playbook’s approach to account development: verify the need, identify its owner, and agree on a concrete next step.
Start with a fact you can check
A job posting, an announced system replacement, or a planned contract end can give you a reason to investigate. Save the source and date. Decide what the evidence actually supports. A board packet may confirm that a modernization project was approved while leaving staffing, funding for a specific role, and the purchasing route unresolved. A posting may describe a real vacancy while vendor submissions are already closed.
Use that distinction in your first conversation. If the organization announced a system migration, ask whether the team expects to handle cutover support internally. If outside help is under consideration, ask what the person would own during the cutover and how the team would recognize a successful handoff. The answers tell you whether your firm has a relevant capability to offer.
Find the people who can move the work
Identify the manager who owns the delivery problem and can define the essential skills. Confirm who controls the budget and how the buyer can engage a staffing supplier. A program manager might be able to specify the work while procurement determines which suppliers may receive it. Ask who can authorize the search and which steps must happen before a candidate can be considered.
For public sector work, start with the current notice and any amendments in the relevant official portal. SAM.gov Contract Opportunities lists federal procurement notices, and the Texas Comptroller’s solicitation page points vendors to the state’s bid listings. Use the channel designated for questions about the specific opportunity. If the buying path is unclear, record that as an open question and resolve it through the published channel before committing recruiting resources.
Check that your team can deliver
Confirm when the person is needed, where the work happens, and which requirements genuinely determine whether someone can start. Ask what evidence the hiring manager would accept in an interview. A utility that needs launch coverage for a controls upgrade may need someone with specific commissioning experience who can be on site during an outage window. Establish those facts before assuming an available candidate can do the job.
At this stage, show how you would test for the required capability. Where appropriate, use anonymized examples and explain the evidence that makes them relevant. Keep names and résumés within the agreed submission process, and verify availability before representing it to the buyer. If the project cannot use your firm or your team cannot deliver within the constraints, close or defer the opportunity so your recruiters can focus on work they can fulfill.
Leave with a decision and a date
Imagine a company expects to replace its service desk platform but still has to decide whether its existing supplier will cover the work. A sensible next step is for the delivery manager to confirm the scope with procurement by Thursday. Follow up on that decision. Once the buyer confirms an approved need and a way for your firm to submit candidates, brief your recruiter on the outcome, the essentials, and who will evaluate the evidence.
For each opportunity, keep a short record of the verified need, the decision owner, the buying path, and the next action with a date. Mark assumptions as open questions. Update the record when the buyer decides to proceed, defer, or close. Anyone taking over the account should be able to see what has been established and what must happen before the team invests more time.