Successful federal contractors know what they do well and, more importantly, what they do not do well. They have a succinct description of what they sell and how it solves problems for the government.
Don’t bore your potential customers with a generic statement that could describe anyone in your industry. Make it a compelling read that clearly describes what you do and makes it easy for the client to see how what you offer will fit into their mission.
Read MoreThe federal government represents the largest marketplace in the world buying just about every product and service you can imagine. The possibilities for an entrepreneur are endless. Unfortunately for newcomers, the government prefers vendors with a track record and not new ones and almost any federal market segment has someone occupying it that has that work history. To beat out those incumbents the newcomer needs to understand clearly their value to buyers and how they are different from the other options.
There are 3 questions that are critical to developing a strategy.
The GSA Schedule can be a great way to enhance your marketing efforts in the federal contracting arena. But this mechanism is not for everyone. Do you homework before you invest the time and effort to get a contract. GSA expert Jennifer Schaus offers 5 questions you should answer before you dive into a GSA contract.
Read MoreIn this article, I describe a brilliant framework for getting potential clients to open up and share what is on thier minds, so you can then figure out how to solve thier problem.
Read MoreAs we move from the pedal to the metal period of proposal writing of the 4th quarter of the federal sales cycle into a more methodical marketing plan for Q1, we want to figure out where to focus limited marketing resources. We don’t want a strategy that spreads out over a too large target and neither do we want to limit the number of opportunities that we focus on. Photography offers a good metaphor for this process.
Read MoreGetting into the federal contracting space takes clear thinking and patience to succeed. This post is about how to set up the staff and infrastructure to have the capacity to succeed.
Read MoreHow do you know if you are ready to make the plunge into federal contracting?
In my 7 years as a business development consultant, I have had the pleasure of meeting owners of companies of different sizes, shapes, and offerings. When they ask me if they should you get into federal contracting, I bring up a few facts.
Read MoreOne of the most challenging decisions I have had to make as an independent consultant is to decide how much I should charge.
What do I need?
What will people pay?
If I lower my price will I get more business?
Am I leaving money on the table?
In my first blog post I recounted how I got started with my consulting business. I soon found out that it is a long slog from that brilliant idea I started with to a sustainable business.
In this second post, I recap how I balanced what customers expect from a consultant against what I think they need. I started a business with a passion about something, but what if I am passionate about something that no one wants to buy?
For 20 years, I was a happy salaryman in large federal contractors. There was always someone in my office who dreamed of the day that they could get out of the 9-5 rat race and start their own company. Be their own boss. Do what they want! That person was NEVER me. Being an employee worked for me. Until it didn’t. Then I started my own company. This is the first of three blog posts on how I did it.
Read MoreConsistent winners are not the ones with the snappiest writers or the best graphics (though those help). Nope, the winners are those who have a well-thought out capture and proposal process that positions them above the rest for intelligence gathering and being the most efficient in getting the product out the door. Based on my 20+ years of doing this proposal thang, here are my 5 “Top Tips” for making the "W" happen. You can listen to the webinar on this as well.
Read MoreNobody likes to have rules imposed on them. Such was my feeling about the Federal Acquisition Regulations that govern all purchases by Uncle Sam. Yet over time, I have come to appreciate how these rules are put together and the value in understanding them fully.
Read MoreHere is the challenge: You have found a federal decision-maker or key partner that can help you win that next contract. No one responds to my emails. My voice mail messages go into a black hole! How do you get their attention without becoming a pest or losing your dignity in the process?
Read More2 weeks out from the submission date and everyone on the team sends you their draft sections.
You put them together and it is a hot mess.
Why is it such a struggle to get a good first draft out of talented people?
One of the toughest moments in proposal development comes when the proposal you’ve been working for 2 weeks suddenly is a “No-Bid.” Under what circumstances should you ABANDON SHIP!!
Read MoreFiguring out what an RFP is asking for can be daunting. There are internal inconsistencies, puzzling requests and downright errors in the typical solicitation. When should you ask a question and how should you do it to get the best answer?
Read MoreThe data that are available to you about what your target agency buys; how, when, from whom they buy it is remarkable. If you are not tapping into these data to make business development decisions, you at a disadvantage because your competitors DO use them.
Read MoreYou have a lot on your plate. You’ve got projects to staff, client review meetings and making sure you get paid and meet payroll. Who has time to market your name and get your company noticed? You do! Here are 4 ideas to think about.
Read MoreIt’s no longer enough to respond to an RFP with a compliant proposal. Unless you have actively involved yourself in helping the buyer shape that RFP, the chances are good that your compliant proposal will be nothing but answers to questions that were written by two or three of your competitors.
Read MoreHow do you get a government client to answer the phone? The answer is that you must have a reason to meet-- and it must be about their needs, not your pipeline.
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