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GSA Schedules
- Webinar: GSA Schedules 101 - Demystifying GSA Schedules
What is a GSA schedule and why do I need one? Get your answers here.
Federal Sales Training
- Webinar: GSA Schedules 101 - Demystifying GSA Schedules
What is a GSA schedule and why do I need one? Get your answers here . - Federal Sales 101: Winning Government Business
Fedmarket's most popular course, eight-years in the running. Whether you are new to the marketplace or a seasoned veteran this class will jump start your sales endeavors. - Bid Protests
How To Keep The Deals You Win And Get The Ones You Lose. - Webinar: WOSB Get Ready to Win Set-aside Contracts
Be the First to Win Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) Set-aside Contracts. - Trade Agreements Act and Buy American Act Rules
Learn fundamental rules that every government contractor should know in navigating through country of origin requirements . - WOSB eCertify Workshop
Complete the documents to obtain WOSB status in 1 day . - Webinar: Understanding IDIQ, BPA, BOA, GWAC and GSA Contracts
Define the types of contracting vehicles available to contracting officers that will help them award you a contract quickly, and within the rules. . - 2-Day Executive Session on Winning Federal Contracts
12 one-hour segments given by experts from the legal and federal contracting community . - Winning Federal IDIQ Contracts
Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) multi-award contracts are the wave of the future . - Managing Federal Contracts for Continued Revenue
Keep your federal revenues rolling in.
Sales Tools
- WOSB eCertify Workshop
Complete the documents to obtain WOSB status in 1 day .
Articles
- What is a GSA Schedule?
A GSA schedule is an unfunded, five-year contract listing the prices the federal government has agreed to pay for a vendor's commercial products and services... - Rules of the Road for GSA Schedules
The rules governing GSA schedules are set out in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 8.4. They can be accessed at: http://www.arnet.gov/far/farqueryframe... - Why Buyers Like GSA Schedules
In essence, a GSA schedule is a pre-approved price list for use by any federal buyer. Pre-approved (pre-negotiated) pricing is the key. In making a buy, GSA schedules allow: Unprecedented speed and minimal paperwork... - Why Vendors Like GSA Schedules
GSA aggressively promotes the use of GSA schedules to buyers across all federal agencies using the war chest accumulated from the industrial funding fee charged to GSA vendors... - Be Proactive to Win Federal Dollars
Proactive methods have governed sales approaches for products and services since the days of Willy Lowman. The same basic principles remain the keys to success in federal sales... - Closing a Sale Part Two
Companies holding multi-vendor contracts minimize the amount of competition they face since a public bid isn't necessary... - Closing a Sale
The manner in which a federal purchase is completed depends on the size of the transaction. Credit card buys under $2,500 can be single sourced by the end user and can be transacted without the contracting officer's involvement... - People Buy, Not Agencies
Contrary to popular belief, people buy in the federal market, not agencies. The only way to make a federal sale is to contact a buyer through a direct sales call... - Start Now If You Want Stimulus Funds
How much of the nearly $800 billion stimulus package will end up funding federal contracts? No one is sure yet, but some predict from $50 to $100 billion. Like everyone, you would probably like to increase your revenue with stimulus dollars... - Federal Marketing Activities that Work for Small to Medium Sized Businesses
The previous installment warned that some federal marketing activities can be too expensive for small to medium sized businesses. You probably can't afford to sponsor a golf tournament in Washington, DC... - The Role of the Contracting Officer
As indicated above, federal contracting officers have far more influence on a purchasing decision than commercial purchasing agents... - Make it Easy for Federal Buyers
Once you've hired the full-time sales person, made the direct sales calls, established a relationship with the end user, and sold your product or service, you figure you're done, right? No... - Learn to Play the Federal Sales Game Like an Insider
How do you play a game where the rules are stacked in favor of insiders? Learn to stack the deck for yourself or don't play. Playing in the federal market is a game in the same sense that selling in the commercial market is a game... - Multi-vendor Contracts in the Federal Market
The federal government has put an increasing emphasis on a type of pre-negotiated contract that is awarded to a number of vendors before specific purchasing requirements are known (called a "multi-vendor contract")... - Become an Insider in the Federal Market
Consider becoming an insider and share in the fruits of the world's largest market. Remember, the insiders were outsiders at one point in time and the game is not that tough to play once you understand it... - Federal Sales and Self Interest, the Contracting Officer
The previous installment discussed the motivation of end users in the federal purchasing process. This installment looks at the motivation of contracting officers... - The Role of Best Value in Federal Purchasing
What does the term "Best Value" mean to a sales person selling in the federal market? In short, it means that federal buyers do not have to select the vendor with the lowest price... - Guidelines for Companies New to Government Contracting
Sales people take note. You are free to meet with and sell federal end users. Federal purchasing rules not only allow it but encourage it... - Get Out in Front to Win
The book of rules governing federal purchases is called the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) which can be found at http://www.acqnet.gov/far/... - Pre-selling and Competition
In buying services and solutions federal buyers need to meet with vendors to determine the intangible aspects of what they are buying including feature, benefit, and risks... - Is the Federal Playing Field Level?
During our federal sales seminars a predominant question from attendees is: "Is the federal playing field level?" The answer to this question is yes, in theory, but no in practice... - The Best Closing Mechanism
GSA Schedule contracts are the best closing mechanisms for small and medium-sized businesses that cannot afford to hold several multi-vendor contracts... - How to Close a Federal Sale
Making sales in the commercial sector can be difficult but closing a sale usually isn't... - People Buy Not Agencies
Contrary to popular belief, people buy in the federal market, not agencies. The only way to make a federal sale is to contact a buyer through a direct sales call... - Playing the Federal Sales Game
The federal market can be an alien and confusing world. Many would-be contractors firmly believe that federal bureaucracies are governed by strange and convoluted procurement rules designed to confuse and even intimidate... - Play by the Federal Purchasing Rules
There is no getting around it. The federal government is a monstrous bureaucracy. The federal rules concerning competition for contracts and how the federal government buys have changed significantly over the past ten years... - Let the Light Shine In
A huge problem that newcomers face when trying to enter the federal market place is that it is enormously difficult to find end users (the person with money who needs what a company is selling)... - Shoot the Messenger
Fedmarket's Federal Sales Academy was prominently featured in the April 15, 2006 issue of Government Executive Magazine in an article entitled, "Contracting 101" by Kimberly Palmer... - Insights on Closing a Federal Sales
The commercial and federal markets are basically identical in that you have to make one-on-one sales calls to end users in order to sell your product or service... - Stepping Over the Line
Our newsletters and sales seminars continually emphasize the importance of customer relationships; building solid relationships with your customers is the core of a successful federal sales program... - The Customer is the Key to Winning Proposals
Most successful federal contractors understand relationship sales and sell the customer before writing customer driven, defensive proposals. Yet we hear over and over: "we are new and they won't meet with us"... - Proposal Writing Is Not Going to Go Away
Most owners of small and medium-sized federal contracting companies wish that writing proposals was not a requirement of doing business with the federal government... - Don't Get Stuck as a Subcontractor
Small businesses need to get their first federal contract to become part of the club of insiders - those companies with contracts - that the federal government favors when it buys products and services... - Templates Rule in Efficient Proposal Writing
Almost everything in a federal proposal can be viewed as a template except the proposed solution itself: resumes, corporate experience descriptions, and management plan sections... - Best Value: A Sales Person's Dream
In a previous installment we discussed the rules governing GSA schedules that encourage "Best Value" selection of vendors... - How a GSA Schedule Sale is Made
Most federal sales are relationship based. People buy in the federal sector, not agencies, and they need to know everything about what you are selling... - Submitting Proposals to the 'New GSA'
In our previous installment, we discussed how the General Service Administration (GSA) is becoming more stringent and rigid with respect to its review or evaluation of GSA Schedule offers... - Those Who Prefer GSA Schedules
Most, but not all federal buyers, like working with GSA Schedule contracts... - How GSA Orders Are Placed
GSA Schedules are unique in that purchases are transacted directly between the federal agency requiring a product or service and the contractor... - Fitting Schedules to Companies Part II
GSA created a Consolidated Schedule (00CORP) for companies needing more than one Schedule to cover their offerings. It's a step toward a single GSA Schedule for all products and services, but it falls short in its coverage... - Full and Open Competition
Public bids under the federal government's "full and open competition rules" are horrendously inefficient. End-users and official buyers do not like to use public bids... - GSA: The Rules Governing GSA Schedules
The rules governing GSA Schedules are set out in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 8.4. Hopefully, this newsletter will keep you from having to read Subpart 8.4... - Selling to the Feds
Federal end-users, such as human resource program managers, engineers, or facility managers, make most purchasing decisions. As the term implies, the end-user is the person who will actually use the service... - Report from the GSA Expo, San Antonio, TX 2006
GSA Schedule holders, GSA employees, government buyers and end users descended upon San Antonio, TX the week of May 14, 2006 for the GSA Expo... - Firing Line Success Story
Small 8(a) Security Personnel Agency Learns the Contracting Game and Wins $1... - The Government Buys Everything
It is now August 2005 and the federal government will be closing its accounting books in September 2005. Your business contacts are just finding out now how much money they have to "use or lose... - Small Businesses, Take Note...
While 2005 is starting to 'ramp up' to be a successful year for savvy federal contractors and prime vendors, we all know that we need to continue to fill the pipeline through brand identity and face time in front of our potential federal buyers and ... - The Only Way To Uncover Government Business is to Focus, Focus, Focus!
How did you feel when you first considered selling to the government? I always thought I was looking into the face of the "Great and Powerful Oz." It seemed overwhelming and a little frightening... - Cold Caller Adventure: State of Colorado
During the week of August 15, 2004, I was teaching a "Winning Government Business" at the Burnsley Hotel at Grant and 10th Street... - Top Ten Mistakes, Relationship Killers and Wastes of Time
Should your company try one of the approaches outlined below while trying to do business with the government, you will end up at a dead end and will have a seriously demoralized federal sales team. My Top Ten List of Mistakes is as follows: 1... - GSA Schedule Holders Take Note - GSA Might Compete Against You for Business!
A short time after my company was awarded its GSA schedule contract, I was out in the field visiting an agency client to deliver our products and services... - Goal for 2006 - Focus, Focus, Focus
How did you feel when you first considered selling to the government? I always thought I was looking into the face of the "Great and Powerful Oz." The process seemed overwhelming and a little frightening... - Help The Government Solve Problems
Although the federal government is made up of hundreds of agencies, the few that we seem to hear about in the news are the Department of Homeland Security, the military and the Intelligence Community... - State and Local Governments Have Their Rules Too!
Although Fedmarket's installments and newsletters tend to focus on the federal government, I would like to take the time to address state and local government business. Many companies have approached me with questions about this marketplace... - Remember Two Simple Concepts and You'll Win Federal Business
1. Follow the Rules The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is the purchasing bible for federal contracting officers and all buying agencies. The rules are very specific about purchasing thresholds and the procedures to be followed... - Selling IT: Sales and Marketing Basics
Company managers new to government sales often view governments as bureaucratic bodies from another world, imbued with strange and mysterious procurement rules, rules designed to confuse and even intimidate... - Selling Open Market Items
In past installments we talked about how a contracting officer who wants to buy off the GSA Schedule will sometimes choose to issue requests for quotes (even though the FAR doesn't require it) when: She's not quite convinced yours is the best soluti... - Selling IT: State and Local Buys off of GSA IT-70
The state and local market for goods and services is very large, over twice the size of the federal market. Yet for companies with a track record of selling to the feds, the state and local market can be mysterious, often daunting... - "Getting On" the GSA Schedule
So you're thinking about putting your company's products or services on the GSA Schedule? Maybe you find yourself being pushed and prodded by the "stick": more and more, your government customers are asking you when you'll be getting on the Schedule... - GSA Schedules from the Viewpoint of the Buyer
Imagine that you’re an overworked official federal buyer, and an end-user requests your services in making a buy... - GSA Schedules from the Vendor's Viewpoint
Imagine that you have been doing some aggressive selling at a military base near you. The end-user thinks you're the answer to his prayers and wants to get you onboard quickly to solve a major program problem... - GSA Schedules and the Over $25,000 Market
The over $25,000 market used to be thought of as the "public market", but GSA Schedules have changed that. Now buyers think of the public market as a place to be avoided... - People and the Federal Sales Process
As we have mentioned repeatedly in this series, people drive the federal sales process. The very lowest level in the proverbial food chain is you (the commission-hungry, federal salesperson and your revenue-starved boss)... - Selling Products Directly Using GSA Schedules
Expensive and complex (for example, technology-based) products are ideal items to sell directly to the federal government. In fact, use your own sales force to make such sales... - Proposed Small Business Rule Changes
Small businesses are being squeezed out of the federal market due to contract bundling and an ever-increasing interest on the part of large businesses to enter into the market... - Responding to Public Procurements
In previous installments we discussed how to sell in the publicly-advertised IFB, RFQ, and RFP markets. In this installment we discuss how to respond (prepare a bid) to bid requests... - Oral Presentations for Government Proposals
When government agency personnel notify you that they would like your company to make an oral presentation, it’s a very good thing... - Debriefings and Protests in Governement Proposals
In this installment we discuss the rules regarding debriefings and protests using the federal acquisition regulations as a model... - Overall Government Contract Evaluation Process - Past Performances
In selecting winning vendors, federal, state, and local governments have typically looked at past contract performance information as part of their overall evaluation processes... - Women-Owned Business Contracting
Congress has established a 5-percent government-wide goal for awards to women-owned small businesses (WOSBs). Yet year after year, federal agencies fail to meet this goal. In fact, in 2001, the government awarded just 2... - Minority-Owned Business Contracting
In the prior installment, we talked about women-owned business contracting. This week, we discuss the 8(a) Business Development Program and the Small Disadvantaged Business Certification (SDB) Program... - Federal Acquisition of Foreign Supplies and Services
Throughout this installment series we've tried to unravel some of the tangled rules and conventions of government contracting. There is perhaps no topic, however, that is a better candidate for unraveling than today's... - Record Retention Requirements for Federal Procurement Laws
In the wake of Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing and other corporate scandals, corporate requirements and practices are under the microscope. Among the more important issues are those involving record retention... - Suspension and Debarment
Suspension and debarment actions prevent companies and individuals from participating in government contracts, subcontracts, loans, grants and other assistance programs. The effect of federal suspension and debarment is government wide... - Best Value
We've covered a lot in the previous 40 installments of this series, "Doing Business with Government... - Contract Bundling
The number of bundled contracts awarded by federal agencies has reached a 10-year high, hurting small businesses, according to a recent report by the Small Business Administration (SBA)... - Outsourcing Opportunities - Fair Act & OMB Circular A-76
Twenty-two agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Treasury Department, and NASA recently announced that over 75,000 jobs are eligible to be performed by private companies under the rules of the Federal Activities Invent... - Federal Contracting Legal Issues - Handling Gratuities
Let's say you've developed a working relationship with a federal agency program manager. The agency has purchased your company's products in the past and will likely do so in the future... - Update on Contract Bundling
Recently, the Bush administration released new reporting requirements and proposed regulatory changes designed to curb the practice of bundling... - Process versus Content in Federal Proposal Writing
Proposal writing involves both process and content. Effective writing processes are important but proposal content rules over process... - Defining Prices for a GSA Schedule Offer
The single biggest problem in making an offer for a General Service Administration (GSA) schedule contract is defining prices... - What is Happening in Federal Contracting?
The news: The Obama administration is, as part of its initiative regarding federal contracting, pursuing an agenda of (i) increasing competition for federal contracts, (ii) promoting openness of competition, and (iii) eliminating fraud and abuse... - Only One Way to WOSB Certification
The SBA's stated goal when announcing the new Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program was to expeditiously implement the policies, procedures and regulations necessary to ensure that federal contract dollars would immediately start t... - Selling in the Federal Marketplace
Up until the actual close of a sale, selling in the federal market is essentially the same as selling in the commercial market... - Squeezing the Procurement Sponge: IDIQ Contracts Limit Competition within the Rules
This in the first in a series of six (6) newsletters about federal Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts and their growing importance in the federal market... - We Won an IDIQ, Now What
Our previous newsletters discussed the trend in the federal government towards the use of Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts to speed up the federal buying process... - Proposal Writing Costs
The costs associated with writing a federal proposal are increasing as the federal government adds more red tape to the procurement process...
