Texas Government Go-To-Market Advisory

Texas Government Go-to-Market. Simplified.

Connect Consulting helps technology vendors and consulting firms build accurate, actionable strategies to win, expand, and operate across State of Texas agencies.

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Who We Are

Texas-focused advisory for vendors and consulting firms.

Connect Consulting is a strategic go-to-market advisory firm that helps technology companies and consulting partners identify, position, and pursue executable growth opportunities across the Texas public sector.

We operate at the intersection of public sector sales strategy, procurement, and executive engagement. Our work centers on clarifying where you can win, aligning your messaging to agency priorities, and ensuring your team shows up prepared for the conversations that matter.

As a boutique firm, Connect Consulting provides senior-level advisory support only—no junior handoffs, no noise, and no generic lead generation. We are brought in when accuracy, trust, and narrative discipline are non-negotiable.

Focus Areas

We specialize in technology vendors selling into:

State CIO / CISO / CDO offices Cybersecurity & data Case management & licensing Cloud & infrastructure AI & automation Public safety & justice

Owner, Founder & Principal

About Darla Malone

Helping technology companies align go-to-market strategy, positioning, and revenue execution to the realities of the Texas public sector.

Darla Malone brings more than two decades of experience driving technology growth across the Texas public sector, with leadership experience across Fortune 50 and other prominent enterprise technology organizations, including Dell, VMware, and Gartner. Her background spans strategic sales, government consulting, market development, and hands-on advisory for technology companies navigating the Texas public-sector landscape.

Her go-to-market strategy expertise is grounded in a practical reality: most public-sector growth problems are not simply pipeline-generation problems. They are qualification, procurement, timing, and decision-authority problems. Darla helps enterprise technology and emerging govtech firms identify executable revenue opportunities, prioritize the right agencies, align with procurement and funding realities, and build the operating discipline required to advance complex pursuits.

Darla also specializes in product and business narrative refinement—helping companies determine what to say, how to position their capabilities to state agencies, and how to translate technical offerings into credible executive-level value. Her work brings clarity to market positioning, partner strategy, agency messaging, and high-value conversations where accuracy and credibility are essential.

Senior Advisor

About Jeff Dickert

Public-sector growth, procurement, capture, and professional services leadership across New York and state and local government markets.

Jeff Dickert brings nearly 30 years of experience engaging with the public sector in New York and other state and local government markets. He has led business and relationship development and professional services delivery for some of the world’s leading management consulting, systems integration, and technology companies, including Deloitte, Accenture, IBM, CGI, and Oracle.

Jeff has also served as an executive with regional systems integrators, including as a U.S. SLED industry leader. In these roles, he guided transformational growth journeys, rapidly scaling public-sector practices and supporting entry into new state and local government markets across the United States.

He is an expert in seller-side procurement and sales strategy in the state and local government marketplace. Jeff has led end-to-end business development for some of New York’s most transformational IT and management consulting engagements across multiple agencies. His experience spans marketplace intelligence, contracting, opportunity capture, win-strategy development, partner teaming, lobbyist management, proposal development, competitive analysis, and contract administration.

Jeff has been a member of the New York State Forum for more than 15 years and currently serves as co-chair of its IT Procurement Workgroup.

Why Connect Consulting

Why organizations work with us.

Clients bring in Connect Consulting when they need clarity, executive presence, and a realistic path to outcomes in Texas.

Clarity in a complex market

We separate signal from noise—prioritizing agencies, programs, and initiatives where your solution can win, grounded in budgets, appropriations, and stated priorities.

Messaging that lands with executives

We translate features into narratives that resonate with CIOs, CISOs, procurement leaders, and program owners. Your team shows up aligned, confident, and ready.

Strategic, not transactional

Introductions are not the product. When they support a qualified strategy, we advise on stakeholder sequencing, preparation, and relationship pathways that move credible opportunities forward.

Scope of Services

How Connect Consulting engages.

We support both technology vendors and consulting firms through structured advisory, GTM design, and executive enablement.

GTM Strategy

Texas GTM Strategy & Market Entry

Market assessment, agency prioritization, buyer mapping, and 12-month Texas go-to-market plans aligned to real budget and procurement realities.

Messaging

Messaging, Positioning & Sales Enablement

Texas-specific narratives, CIO/CISO-ready storylines, agency one-pagers, and meeting scripts that elevate your executive presence.

Advisory

Strategic Introductions & Relationship Support

Guidance on stakeholder pathways, timing, and executive preparation, with selective introductions considered only when they support a qualified opportunity and an intentional market strategy.

Procurement

Procurement & Budget Alignment

Interpretation of DIR, DBITS, COOP, TEX-AN and alignment to appropriations, program funding, and RFO/RFP timing.

Deals

Deal Acceleration & Executive Coaching

Deal reviews, win themes, stakeholder mapping, objection handling, and executive prep for high-value meetings.

Partner Support

Strategic Partnerships

Connect Consulting delivers Texas-focused GTM strategy, appropriations alignment, procurement guidance, and executive-level insights while independently collaborating with select partners to accelerate client results.

Go-to-Market Framework

A clear, repeatable approach for Texas.

Without revealing proprietary details, this reflects how we structure go-to-market work for Texas-focused efforts.

01 • Assess

Assessment & Alignment

Understand your offering, current traction, and how it aligns with Texas agency needs, funding, and strategic priorities.

02 • Prioritize

Agency Prioritization

Identify high-probability agencies and programs based on fit, timing, and procurement pathways.

03 • Message

Narrative Development

Build Texas-specific narratives and executive messaging tailored to CIO, CISO, procurement, and program leadership.

04 • Ready

Readiness & Roadmap

Translate strategy into a practical GTM plan, enable the sales team, and align materials to key conversations.

05 • Execute

Execution & Momentum

Support targeted outreach, strategic introductions, and opportunity development in priority agencies.

06 • Advise

Ongoing Advisory

Provide continuous senior advisory, deal acceleration, and refinement of the GTM plan as the landscape evolves.

Contact

Let’s talk about your Texas strategy.

Whether you’re a technology vendor or a consulting firm looking for Texas depth, Connect Consulting provides senior-level advisory with a commercially grounded, strategy-first perspective.

Contact Details

Connect Consulting LLC

Austin, Texas

Founder and Principal Advisor:
Darla Malone

Inquiries: info@connectconsultingtx.com

Engagements available on a retainer, fixed-fee, or subcontract basis for qualified partners and vendors.

Start a Conversation

Tell us where your company is today, what you are trying to accomplish in Texas, and where the current go-to-market motion is getting stuck.

Email Connect Consulting

Qualified inquiries receive a direct response from senior leadership.