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Federal Sales Training
- Bid Protests
How To Keep The Deals You Win And Get The Ones You Lose.
Proposals
- Proposal Writing Services
Fedmarket writes your proposal for you. - RFP Templates
Templates for standard RFP responses.
Sales Tools
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Develop a strategic marketing plan lead by federal business development professionals. .
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 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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, 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - Selling Services to Federal Agencies
Our newsletters repeatedly emphasize the need to establish a relationship with end users when selling in the federal market... - Keys to Success in Federal Sales
Attendees at our federal sales seminars frequently ask us to summarize the keys to success in federal sales. Successful federal contractors all possess the following traits: * A willingness to invest in direct sales (i.e... - 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... - The Eagle Has Landed
Multiple Award Schedule Contracts (MAS) are master contracts that allow the companies which receive an award of such a contract to compete for task orders over the term of the contract... - Those Who Prefer GSA Schedules
Most, but not all federal buyers, like working with GSA Schedule contracts... - Ease of Use
Making a purchase through a Schedule contract is relatively easy. A federal buyer interested in a particular product or service sends a Request for Quote to companies holding a GSA Schedule contract for the desired product or service... - 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... - GSA VETS GWAC To Open Opportunities For Service-Disabled Veteran Businesses
Note from the Author, Eileen Kent: In past "On the Sales Firing Line" articles, Fedmarket.com revealed that veteran groups have been asking for more contracting dollars since DOD has awarded $514 million a year, or only 0... - "On the Sales Firing Line" Columnist Explores the DHS Website and Headlines for DHS Opportunies
The following are snippets or summaries of stories that sales executives should read to see if there are any areas in which your company can be "of assistance" to the Government. When you read these stories, don't read them as a citizen... - Four Cold Calling Tactics
Many readers of "On the Firing Line" have asked about my thoughts on whether it is possible, in the post-September 11th world, to make personal cold calls on federal buyers... - 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 ... - Michigan Sales Executive Networks His Way to Success in Washington, DC
October, 2004 -- Stuart Newman, Sales Executive, of 3 Leaf Group from Oak Park, MI says he made it his mission to meet key federal government decision makers at a recent government human resources conference in Virginia... - OMB reports over use of "Name Brands" in Specifications
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reports over use of "Name Brands" in Specifications from the Sales Firing Line, Eileen Kent Says, "Surprise, Surprise!"Challenge to Government Contracting Officers: "Don't Use Name Brands in RFPs" A memo was sen... - 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... - 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... - Selling IT: Introduction to the Government IT Sector
Governments at all levels are becoming citizen-centric in delivering services, e.g., developing Internet portals that provide single points of entry for citizens and businesses... - 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... - GSA Schedule BPAs
A BPA is a simplified method of filling anticipated repetitive needs for supplies or services by establishing charge accounts with qualified vendors... - Government Contract Awards Data
Contract awards data is the most misunderstood source for business development. It comes from two vastly different sources. Plus, it's sometimes inaccurate, and often untimely and incomplete... - GSA Schedule Teaming
The General Services Administration (GSA) has become a sales and marketing machine. The thrust of its pitch is that the agency makes things "easy" for everyone,especially government buyers and end-users... - GSA Schedules and the Prime Contractor Market
As dictated by federal law, prime contractors subcontract over twenty percent (20%) of their business. Billions of dollars of subcontracted products and services are bought annually in this market (e.g... - Use of GSA Schedules for Selling Services
GSA schedules are very powerful tools for selling services. In recently adding services to the list of available GSA schedules, the federal government recognized the reality of how services are purchased... - Entry by Small Businesses into the Federal Market
Small businesses often have a limited sales budget. For those located outside the Washington metropolitan area, selling inside the Beltway is too expensive and the competition too intense -- even if the sales dollars are available... - Government Contract Vehicles
A "contract vehicle" is a broad term meaning different things to different people. We define the term in its broadest sense -it is a method under which a company may pursue and close a sale... - Best Value Analysis A Salespersons Dream
In seeking price quotes from vendors, federal buyers are now encouraged to think beyond price and conduct a "best value analysis... - Comparing the Commercial and Federal Markets
The commercial and federal markets are more similar than some would think. In both the federal and commercial sectors, people buy products and services. Many tend to think of the government as a faceless behemoth... - Selling to Government Cardholders
A number of important changes came out of the federal Procurement Reform Era of the mid 1990s. Perhaps the most significant of these was the emergence of widespread government credit card purchasing... - Small Purchase Government Market Segment
In this installment we talk about small purchases, defined here as government buys in the $2,500 to $25,000 range. We've touched on this subject in past installments. This time we devote an entire installment to it, and get into a bit more detail... - Focus and Commitment Necessary in Doing Business with Government
Throughout the series we've talked here and there about "focus" and "commitment", a couple of words that are easy to toss around: "You've got to be focused." "You must be committed... - Invitations For Bids
Publicly-advertised fixed price procurements are made using either a sealed Invitation for Bid (IFB) or a Request for Quote (RFQ)... - Publicly-Advertised RFQ Market Segment
Requests for Quotes (RFQs) Since the advent of major procurement reform, the federal government and selected state and local governments are now using requests for quotes (RFQs) to buy commercial products and services... - Publicly-Advertised Negotiated Procurements
The publicly-advertised negotiated procurement market segment is a new world for companies that have not bid on negotiated procurements using requests for proposal (RFP) procedures. Responding to RFPs is unique for several reasons... - 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... - Past Performance
Federal, state and local governments have engaged in performance-based contracting for a long time. We've witnessed a dramatic upswing, however, in the last few of years, especially at the federal level... - 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... - 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... - The Government Acquisition Cycle
Good salespeople think about buying cycles. They anticipate the dates that they're likely to cash in. And if times are lean now, they plant the seeds for a bountiful crop later... - OMB Circular A-76 Changes
In a previous installment we talked at some length about contractor outsourcing opportunities that arise out of the FAIR Act and OMB Circular A-76... - Become an Incumbent Contractor
Once you make a sale, you can use your company's stellar performance on a federal project to leverage more sales... - Are End Users and Contracting Officers Moving Apart?
Those of us at Fedmarket have noticed that, at least in some federal agencies, the contracting office is moving away from the end users... - Does the "M" in the new 8(M) Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program Mean Money?
Answer: Yes and then some... - Peripheral RFP Requirements
Welcome to our series called "Proposal Writing." This newsletter is the latest installment in a series of rotating weekly e-mail newsletters about GSA Schedules, proposal writing, and federal sales... - Federal Procurement is Getting Messier by the Day
The federal procurement system is going south fast. Contracting offices are understaffed and experienced contracting officers are defecting to the private sector... - Ride the Wave of IDIQ Contracts
This newsletter is the first in a series of five newsletters about the federal government's increasing reliance on multiple award contracts. The use of Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts is becoming more prevalent by the day... - GSA Schedule Changes May Significantly Increase Small Business Contracting
The federal government has not met its stated goal to send 23% of all federal contracting dollars to small businesses. The shortfall represents around $5 - $6 billion annually... - 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... - IDIQs Keep Getting Bigger as More are Issued
Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity contracts (IDIQs) are funded when individual task orders are issued for competition among the companies that have received awards... - Which Flavors of IDIQs Should Our Company Seek?
The federal government doesn't actually know the number of active IDIQs but rough estimates are that the number exceeds 2,000 and is increasing at an annual rate of approximately 30%... - More on Selecting the Best IDIQ
With thousand of IDIQs out there, developing a sales strategy can be a tangled mess. However, it may not be as challenging as you might have originally thought... - 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... - Selling Using an IDIQ
Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts vary from agency to agency and there are a number of different types...
