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GSA Schedules
- GSA Proposal Wizard
Do-it-yourself GSA proposal writing. - GSA Proposal Templates
Individual GSA proposal sections ready for inclusion in your proposal . - GSA Proposal Wizard
Template with step-by-step instructions to write your own GSA proposal . - GSA Schedules: The Path to Federal Contract Dollars
A book giving you insights on GSA schedules from a long time player in the federal sales game. - GSA Compliance System
Implement a compliance system to maintain the integrity of your GSA Schedule contract. - GSA Contract Modification
Change your GSA contract to fit your evolving business needs. - 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.
Proposals
- GSA Templates
Templates to help you complete your GSA proposal.
Sales Tools
- Federal Opportunties Database: Facilities
Federal Business Opportunities for Design, Build, Energy and Maintenance Companies . - Federal Sales Book Series
Get on the "inside" track with the Federal Sales Book Series by Richard White.
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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - 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... - Small Businesses and Federal Sales
The following question often surfaces at our seminars, "What procedures should be followed by small businesses eager to participate in the federal market?" The answer to this question is that a small business should implement an aggressive federal s... - 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... - Think of Proposal Writing As the Last Step in a Sale
Our federal sales seminars stress that your sales efforts and proposal-writing process should be one, highly-structured undertaking... - 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... - Should You Have a GSA Schedule?
A common comment from attendees at Fedmarket's Federal Sales Academy seminars is: "Long time federal customers are now telling us we need a GSA schedule to do business with them... - 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... - GSA and Most Favored Customer Pricing
A recent newsletter discussed that the General Service Administration (GSA) has encountered procurement problems and has initiated a "Get It Right" campaign to improve acquisition regulation compliance... - Guard Against Audits
The General Services Administration (GSA) is increasing the number of pre-award audits of vendors with GSA schedule contracts up for renewal... - Get a GSA Schedule Contract or Stay Away
In our previous installments, we have repeatedly stated that small- to medium- sized businesses must have a GSA Schedule (pre-approved price list) to sell in the federal market... - GSA Visits Contractor Sites
GSA will visit you to make sure you're tracking your GSA sales properly. GSA's auditors will also pay close attention to whether you have offered better pricing to the "basis of award group" defined under your GSA Schedule contract... - Is There a Magic Bullet?
We recently received a call from an engineering company that hasn't entered the federal sales market... - 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... - GSA Schedule Rejections
The task of preparing proposals for submittal to the General Services Administration (GSA) has always been a difficult one for those unfamiliar with government contracting... - GSA Schedules and Small Businesses
As reported in earlier installments, the federal government's use of multi-vendor contracts to buy products and services is steadily increasing... - GSA Schedule 30 Day Proposal Evaluation Program
The General Services Administration recently implemented a new GSA Schedule 30 day proposal evaluation program called the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Express Program.... - Get Your GSA Schedule Now Before it is too Late
In previous installments we stated that GSA Schedules are the sales closing mechanism of choice for small businesses. They are always open for bid and they cover all major industries; two critical characteristics unique to GSA schedules... - GSA Schedule Competition in Real Life
For political reasons the federal government takes the position that competition for federal contracts is 'full and open"... - Eliminate GSA Schedule Audit Risk with a Compliance Program
Many contractors get an award of a GSA Schedule contract and think that their work is complete. The reality is that the tough work has really only begun. Compliance issues are of critical importance and are often overlooked or even ignored... - Those Who Prefer GSA Schedules
Most, but not all federal buyers, like working with GSA Schedule contracts... - Is Your GSA schedule Contract in Danger of Cancellation?
The following clause is contained in every GSA Schedule contract in one form or another: A contract will not be awarded unless anticipated sales are expected to exceed at least $25,000 within the first 24 months following contract award, and are e... - Applying for a Schedule Contract
In order to get on the inside government sales track with a Schedule contract, a vendor must go through an arduous application process... - 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... - GSA: It's All in the Details
GSA Schedule solicitations are unique in that they are always open and a vendor may submit a proposal at any time. Normally, federal solicitations for products and services have a closing date for proposal submittal... - 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... - What Drives Companies to Pursue GSA Schedules?
Sales numbers for a particular Schedule may be interesting to look at, but the numbers are all large and not particularly useful to individual companies... - Contract Management and Pricing Compliance
In plain English, the GSA Schedule Price Reduction Clause says: GSA negotiated a Basis of Award customer(s) with you. You specified in your proposal and during negotiations the discounts you give to your Basis of Award customer(s)... - GSA Schedule Price Reduction Clause (PRC) Compliance
Our previous newsletter discussed the importance of identifying price reduction clause compliance early before the potential money claw back risk piles up... - 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... - GSA Expo
The GSA Expo 2005 is coming up May 3-5, 2005 at the San Diego Convention center and anyone with a GSA schedule should at least try to make it a point to at least attend the show and meet up with your key contacts at breakfast, lunch, dinner or even ... - How to Make them See You - Creating Urgency
Message left at 10:00 a.m."Hello, this is Eileen Kent and I’m in town today. My understanding is that you’re responsible for continuity of operations... - Do You Want To Win Government Business? Do Not Respond to "Public Request for Proposals"
When I started selling to the government, I thought it made sense to see where all of the opportunities were being posted. I found a great spot online: Fedbizopps.gov. I could simply search by word, agency, procurement type, dollar amount, location... - Getting Embedded in Government Sales Circle
One of the keys to success in the government is to develop a strong relationship at an agency. My contention is to take it another step: you need to become not just an insider, but embedded... - Is Selling to the Feds Worth the Hassle?
Is it worth doing business with the government? This is a question all of us ask ourselves daily... - 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... - Formula for Government Sales Success Depends On Many Factors, But The Number of "Impressions" Each Week is The Manager's Key
Business owners are constantly challenged with the issue of what to expect from their government sales executives in terms of time management, goals and actual results... - 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... - How Can You Kick Out the Incumbent?
Companies with Key Relationships on the Inside Are Winning Government Business. How Can You Kick Out the Incumbent? Understand Your Customers and Solve Their Problems... - 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... - Small Business Goals Missed
In an article published in Federal Computer Week, October, 2005, Michael Hardy reports that a report card was released showing federal agencies missed their goals for small-business contracts... - There is A Fine Line Between Assertive Sales and Aggressive Sales -- What Is It?
In my "Federal Sales 101 - Winning Government Business" class, many sales people ask me, "When am I being too pushy?" My take is that the government employee hardly ever comes out and tells you so... - FEMA States It is "Ready for Hurricane Season 2006." Are You Ready to Help Them?
If you haven't visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) web site lately, it has been updated (see http://www.fema.gov/)... - 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... - Finding and Selling to End-Users in the Government
In past installments, we talked about finding the "right" agencies, namely the ones that are interested in buying your company's products or services... - 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... - Selling IT: Teaming to Win Government IT Sales
Government buyers often look for "complete solutions" off of multiple award schedule contracts, such as the General Service Administration's Federal Supply Schedules (FSS)... - "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... - The Realities of the Federal Market
Let’s say you’re a medium-sized information technology company from a Midwestern city and your commercial sales are flat... - Commitment and Focus in Federal Contracting
In the last installment you learned about some of the realities of federal sales. In this installment you will learn about the need for commitment and focus to overcome the inherent barriers to entry. First, you must commitment to the market... - Making the Sales Call to Federal Government Agency
Companies new to the market ask us, "How do I find potential buyers to call on." Finding potential buyers can be difficult and will be the subject of the next several installments in this series... - 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 Schedule Return on Investment
The cost to obtain a GSA Schedule can range from $10,000 to $50,000 depending on the type and number of products/services involved. The cost is generally commensurate with the size of the company... - GSA Schedules and the $2,500-$25,000 Small Purchase Market
The $2,500-$25,000 small purchase market is large and important from a volume of transaction viewpoint. In this market buyers make the bulk of the basic purchases required to operate federal programs... - The Over $25,000 Public Bid Market
Although public bids are being used less frequently, the over-$25,000 public bid market is still large and important. Annual expenditures in this market average $30-35 billion... - 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... - 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... - Use of GSA Schedules for Selling Products under Participating Dealer Agreements
You may recall that last week's installment discussed selling directly to the federal government through GSA schedules... - The Use of Letters of Supply for Sales to a GSA Schedule Holder
For a variety of reasons further explained below, product vendors may choose to become suppliers to another company that holds a General Services Administration (GSA) schedule contract...
