Like many companies, you would undoubtedly like to add federal government revenues to your 2004 commercial sales. It is the time of year for the proverbial resolutions; we would therefore suggest the following if you are new to the federal market.
In the first week of January, arrive at a decision as to whether your company really wants to tackle this market. By making the decision early in the year, you and your sales staff will not be distracted by this issue throughout the year. The negatives involved are that it can take significant sales dollars and a year or more to crack the market. If you are inclined to take a stab at entering the market, you must recognize the patience and dollars needed to network the federal buyers. The possible rewards associated with federal sales are worth the investment your company makes. The two keys to being successful in this market are persistence and perseverance. Don't consider entering the marketplace if you aren't willing to accept both of these ideals.
If the decision is a go and your company is one that sells services, focus your efforts initially on just one agency. If you sell products, limit your focus to only a couple of agencies. In doing so, you will have increased your likelihood for success. Bore deep into the agency - the buyers are there. Avoid the inclination to take a cursory look at the agency only to decide that there are no opportunities there for your company.
Once you have identified an opportunity, you must make the sales call. If you are fortunate enough to have a networking connection, have that person make an introduction for you. If you do not, you must make the proverbial cold calls. As we all know, a vast majority of us do not like cold calling. If you are like most, we recommend setting a rigid schedule and making the cold calls early in the business day. Sales calls left to later in the business day have a way of getting moved to the next day.
Most agencies do not have their 2004 fiscal year budget approved yet. Therefore, January is a critical time to start your federal sales initiative as contract expenditures will be pushed to the end of the year (September 30th). Decide now if your company intends to pursue the market and start the sales calls now.
Fedmarket.com offers the following GSA schedule programs:
GSA Schedule Professional Services:
http://www.fedmarket.com/services/gsa-proposal-services.shtml
GSA Schedule Seminars:
http://www.fedmarket.com/seminars/gsa-schedules.shtml
GSA e-Lab:
http://www.fedmarket.com/seminars/gsa-proposal-elab.shtml
