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GSA Schedules

Federal Sales Training

Proposals

Sales Tools


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...
  • The downside of GSA Schedules
    GSA schedule contracts are an ideal vehicle for selling products and services to federal vendors. This is particularly true for small- to medium-sized businesses that cannot afford to obtain more than one multiple award schedule contract...
  • Does Competition Exist Among GSA Schedule Holders?
    Is there competition among GSA schedule holders? Like everything else in federal sales, the answer is yes, no, and maybe depending on who you talk to...
  • Negotiating GSA Prices
    The General Services Administration (GSA) appears to be placing more emphasis on obtaining the lowest possible price when negotiating GSA schedule contracts...
  • GSA the World's Biggest Customer
    The most confusing aspect of a GSA proposal is the requirement to disclose your discounting practices. GSA uses the disclosures to negotiate a discount equal to or better than the best discount you have extended to your commercial customers...
  • The Similarities and Differences Between Commercial and Government Sales
    Most people outside Washington, D.C., view the federal market as strange and unique. The truth is, it is and it isn't. On the sales side, the federal market is identical to the commercial market...
  • 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...
  • The Hard Part: Establishing the Customer Relationship
    Like commercial sales the key to success in federal sales is establishing a customer relationship. Finding and convincing new customers that you are the answer to their prayer can be an arduous process because the government can be resistant to new faces...
  • Emergency Contracting - Disaster Contracting
    Recently, I heard about a company who went to the news media to complain that they had the ultimate solution to the Gulf of Mexico oil clean up. It was just proven in someone's pool to be a great solution to cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico...
  • The Thick Wall
    Establishing relationships with federal customers can be a long, arduous process that can often take a year or more...
  • 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...
  • 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...
  • The New Administration and Federal Sales
    These are chaotic times for the federal market; the good, bad, and the ugly of a change in administration amidst an economic crisis. Fortunately most of the developments in the market are good...
  • Internet Posting of Legislation and Stimulus Projects is a Good Thing But...
    The Obama administration is keeping its promise of more transparency in federal contract and grant spending. At the state and local level, grants may become contracts; we hope. The status of stimulus project funding legislation will be posted at recovery...
  • Obama and Federal Sales
    Your crystal ball is as good as mine. Mine says the following will happen to federal contracting under the new Obama administration. War spending will go down, slightly impacting DOD contractors negatively...
  • Green Your Revenue
    The Obama administration announced recently that the proposed infrastructure initiative will include: Information Technology for school systems Internet access for rural and underserved communities Green technology for federal facilities The info...
  • 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...
  • Options for Closing Federal Sales
    In the previous installment we discussed making federal sales up to the point of transacting the deals (signing a contract). Transacting or closing the deals can be done in several ways...
  • Don't Get Caught without a Closer
    Here's an example of how the federal sales game is really played. Let's suppose a federal agency has the money to fund a large information technology project, creating a potential, although as yet unidentified, sales opportunity...
  • 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...
  • Importance of Direct Sales
    Many companies looking to win federal contracts spend large portions of their annual budgets on marketing, business development, and capture planning...
  • Searching for Sales Opportunities
    Products, services, and technology-based solutions are sold through relationships in both the commercial and federal sectors...
  • When the Sale Takes Place
    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...
  • 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...
  • Act Immediately to Add Federal Revenue to Your Company
    We have repeatedly stressed in prior newsletters that the federal market is recession proof and an ideal source for additional revenue. Naysayers will although the market may be recession proof, it has a long sales lead time...
  • Turn Apprehension About the Economy Into Positive Action
    Anyone who reads the business news knows that the economy is slowing down and the probability of a recession is increasing. While we all hope that an economic downturn will not occur, smart business owners should position their companies in case one does...
  • 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...
  • Distinguishing Messages Win in the Federal Market
    Everyone thinks their competitors are worthless and that they alone have the best product or service known to man. Federal end users have heard "we are the best" so many times that it makes them scream when they hear it...
  • Retaining Your Crown Jewels
    The crown jewels of any federal service contractor are the company's existing service contracts. Existing service contracts are so valuable that they are virtually irreplaceable...
  • Trench Warfare in Federal Sales
    People on the outside do not realize what goes on when contracts worth millions to billions of dollars are at stake. Sales efforts can be likened to trench warfare and the meek inherit very little...
  • How Purchasing Decisions Are Made
    Like all of us, the people who make buying decisions in the federal government are influenced by their own biases, perceptions, and views of the world...
  • Who Sells in the Federal Market?
    The person who sells products and services in the federal market depends on the type of product or service being sold, the size of the company, and the dollar value of the procurement...
  • Federal Sales and Self Interest, Prime Contractors
    The previous installment discussed the motivation of politicians in the federal purchasing process. This installment looks at the motivation of prime contractors. The motivation of prime contractors is simple; their bottom line...
  • Federal Sales and Self Interest, Members of Congress and the White House
    The previous installment discussed the motivation of small business specialists in the federal purchasing process. This installment looks at members of congress and the White House...
  • Federal Sales and Self Interest, the Small Business Specialist (Advocate)
    The previous installment discussed the motivation of contracting officers in the federal purchasing process. This installment looks at the motivation of small business specialists (advocates)...
  • 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...
  • Federal Sales and Self Interest, the Federal End User
    The next four installments discuss how self interest impacts people involved in the federal buying process. Buyers in the commercial and federal sectors behave in the same manner...
  • 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/...
  • Become an Incumbent Contractor and Get Paid to Sell
    In a previous installment we discussed the need for direct sales and using best value to win a federal contract. Once you make a federal sale, you can use your company's stellar performance on a federal project to leverage more sales...
  • Can Others Help You Win Contracts?
    Winning federal contracts is an expensive and arduous process. It helps if you can find someone to pave the way. The best candidate would be someone, such as a business partner or personal friend, who has a federal customer...
  • Are Federal Bids Wired?
    A common perception about federal public bids is that they are "wired," implying that the bid is set up or rigged to favor a particular company...
  • 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...
  • Who Makes a Federal Sale?
    A general perception of companies outside the federal market is that the market is unique or special because the public's money is being spent...
  • 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...
  • More on Closing Federal Sales
    The last installment discussed various ways to close federal sales. Among all closing mechanisms, multi-vendor contracts are becoming the favored way to close federal sales if you are lucky enough to have one...
  • Public Bids as a Closing Procedure
    Why would the federal government select a public bid as the closing procedure of choice given the horrendous lead time and cost involved? Federal contracting officers do their very best to avoid them...
  • 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...
  • Should We or Shouldn't We
    Should you join the parade to grab some of endless flow of federal contracting opportunities? The federal government has always been an extremely lucrative market; world events are just making it more visible...
  • The World's Biggest Customer
    The federal government is the world's biggest customer; currently spending nearly $ 400 billion a year. Companies outside the market often have the misconception that the federal market exists only within the boundaries of the Capitol's Beltway...
  • Who Will Assist Me in Making a Federal Sale?
    A general misconception is that the federal market is unique or special because taxpayer dollars are being spent...
  • Finding Federal Buyers
    A huge problem that newcomers face when trying to enter the federal market place is that it is enormously difficult to find end users...
  • 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)...
  • Small Businesses and the Federal Market
    Knowing your customers is the key to sales success. This is true whether you're selling to public or private organizations...
  • Provide a Solution, Not a Sales Pitch
    The process of arranging meetings with federal procurement officials (end users) is not an easy one. End users are busy and vendors from countries all around the world are trying to sell the end users their wares...
  • Distinguishing Yourself
    You have a great product or service. Your price is where it needs to be. Perhaps you responded to an RFP once or you spent tons of time and money writing a proposal...
  • 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...
  • Developing a Federal Sales Plan
    How early should you identify a sales opportunity in the federal market? The answer is that an opportunity must be identified before anyone, including the customer, knows that an opportunity exists...
  • 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...
  • Entering the Federal Market
    You are a small to medium sized business located outside the Washington, DC area and you have decided that you want to enter the federal market. What should you do? 1...
  • 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...