Almost all newcomers to the federal market make the mistake of thinking that a sales opportunity arises when a request for a proposal or bid is published. In reality by the time a bid is published, the sale has probably already been made. Successful vendors have long-standing relationships with the end users and contracting officers with whom they work, and in many cases help identify problems and solutions before any thought of issuing a contract has arisen.

How many vendors will be selling the same opportunity? It depends on both the size and type of opportunity: The bigger the opportunity, the more vendors will be going after it. Some vendors will have the opportunity on their wish list but will burn out in the proposal-writing phase. Others may want to bid but simply haven't laid enough groundwork to be serious contenders. Others will be dead serious, focused, have a relationship with the end user and the willingness to spend the time and money it takes to win a bid opportunity.

The number of serious contenders depends on the size of the opportunity. Expect to see one or two for a $200,000 opportunity, three to six for a $5 million opportunity, and ten or more for the megabuck contracts, some of which can easily exceed several billion dollars. The bigger the project, the larger the pool of vendors attracted to the opportunity. Gigantic contracts are really only open to the top fifty prime contractors, and they're usually working in teams.

The amount of competition also depends on the risk perceived by the end user; does the government know if there is a practical and economical solution to their problem? The more uncertainty the more likely the procurement will be competitive.

Federal Sales 101: Winning Government Business

Participating in the federal sales game can be an extremely frustrating and overwhelming endeavor. Chasing down leads often turns into an exercise in trying to negotiate your way through a maze with many, many dead ends. Our seminar "Federal Sales 101: Winning Government Business" will put managers and sales people on the right path to establishing immediate relationships and closing government business. The seminar is led by Federal Sales Academy Director and "On the Sales Firing Line" columnist, Eileen Kent. Read more...

Sign-up today for the next "Federal Sales 101: Winning Government Business" class!

To learn more about this seminar, call 866-519-4482, Ext. 110 for assistance.

A GSA Proposal Solution Designed Specifically for Small Businesses

GSA Schedules eLab - Develop your GSA proposal in 3 days at our eLab. Fedmarket provides you with a Request for Information (RFI) prior to your arrival at our eLab. You are instructed to bring the requested corporate data with you to the course. Attendees should, with the assistance of our GSA staff, complete their GSA offer prior to the end of the eLab's third day. Many attendees complete the process and leave with a completed proposal within two working days. If you are unfamiliar with the proposal process, the GSA eLab is the solution for you. The GSA eLab is offered monthly at the Federal Sales Academy in Bethesda, Maryland. Read more...

Sign-up for our GSA Proposal Preparation eLab today!

To learn more about our GSA products and services, call 866-519-4482, Ext. 110 for assistance.

Call Fedmarket's sales staff at (888) 661-4094, Ext. 8 with questions concerning these or any other products or services Fedmarket offers. E-mail inquires may be sent to the following: sales@thefederalmarketplace.com.