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Federal Sales Training
- 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. - 2-Day Executive Session on Winning Federal Contracts
12 one-hour segments given by experts from the legal and federal contracting community . - Sustainability Acquisition Reporting
Special Netcast Pricing Available Per Connection Invite unlimited viewers for one low price, call 888-661-4094, Ext.2 to register More about netcasts...Whether you are a Big Business, Small Business, Woman Owned Business or GSA LogWorld Contract Holder,...
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... - 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... - Stimulus Program Works for Federal Contractors
An article in the Washington Post recently summarized how federal departments are paying firms to help spend stimulus money. The stimulus program is working well for federal contractors for two reasons... - Multi-vendor Contracts Explained
Multi-vendor contracts limit competition and make purchasing faster and cheaper. The government, when using a multi-vendor contract, need only solicit bids from three vendors holding the type of contract in question... - Creating Green Federal Facilities Will be an Endless Process
A recent article at Government Executive entitled GSA Officials Say They Are Off To A Fast Start On Energy-Efficiency Projects indicates the potential for revenue opportunities for facility maintenance contractors holding GSA schedule 03FAC Facilities Mai... - 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... - Jobs, Jobs, Jobs Quickly
Job creation is at the center of the Obama administration's stimulus package. The focus on rapid job creation is discussed in the press daily... - 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... - Recent Developments in Federal Contracting
State and Local Government Use of GSA schedule Contracts: Recently the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) recommended that Congress authorize state and local governments to use all of the 53 GSA schedules in making purchases... - The Value of Federal Marketing
Some believe that marketing is a critical component to having success in the federal market. Marketing efforts make the public, official buyers and end users aware of your company and your products or services... - Competitiveness of Multi-vendor Contracts
Multi-vendor contracts limit competition and make purchasing faster and cheaper. The government, when using a multi-vendor contract, need only solicit bids from three vendors holding the type of contract in question... - 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... - 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... - Alliant: Better Late Than Never
Editor's Note: The Alliant Small Business procurement questions and answers were published this week at FedBizOpps and the due date for proposals remains November 17, 2006... - 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... - Procurement Problems and GSA Schedules
Federal procurement is being attacked from all directions. The General Services Administration (GSA) was recently called to task by federal auditors and Congress for alleged "scope of work" violations... - Electronic Representations and Certifications
The federal government is now requiring that prospective contractors complete electronic annual representations and certifications at http://orca.bpn.gov (ORCA) in conjunction with registration in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database... - 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... - 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 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 Recovery Purchasing by State and Local Government
Until recently, the use of General Services Administration (GSA) schedule contracts by state and local government was limited to Schedule 70, Information Technology... - 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... - GSA Schedule Buying Scenario
Let's assume that your company is an information technology service business that has sold a web site development project to an end user at a military base in your area... - GSA Says it All in Using Schedules for Stimulus Contracting
GSA recently published the following information at GSA.gov: The GSA Schedules program can help federal agencies meet their economic recovery goals... - You Can't Do Government Business Without One
Government agencies cannot operate without a way to buy quickly and efficiently in the same way as commercial companies. But competition is still required under public procurement laws. GSA schedule prices are pre-negotiated with the vendor... - Schedule-Speak: A New Foreign Language
Small businesses new to federal contracting almost always find the language in GSA Schedules mysterious, confusing, and impenetrable... - 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... - 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... - Firing Line Success Story
Small 8(a) Security Personnel Agency Learns the Contracting Game and Wins $1... - 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 ... - 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... - 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... - If You Think There's Red Tape, Check Out What Leaders in the Military Think
A recent October 19, 2005 article, written by Frank Tiboni and published in FCW.com, entitled "DOD Acquisition Under Fire," reports that numerous leaders in the military have called for change and innovation to fix a growing problem... - 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: Marketing IT to the Government
In this article, we define marketing as activities to make the public, official buyers and end-users aware of your company and your products or services... - Selling IT: Buyer's Duty to Search Across Schedules
In this installment of Selling IT to Government, we touch on an issue -- keywords -- that is of particular importance to federal multiple award schedule contractors. Yes, that's right -- keywords... - 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)... - 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... - Public Bids as a Source For Bussiness Development Information
Does this sound familiar? "I do not have time to look at the public bids at FedBizOpps every day because we seldom respond to them unless we have ‘pre-sold’ the opportunity... - 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 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 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... - 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)... - Using the GSA Schedule Program to Develop Your Multiple
A frequent reader of our installment series has no doubt surmised that we highly recommend getting on the GSA schedule as a potentially lucrative sales vehicle... - Doing Business with Prime Contractors
We are frequently asked by small or medium-sized businesses whether they should attempt to sell directly to federal end users or sell to prime contractors through subcontracts... - The Guidelines for Winning Public Bids
The success of the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule program and the increased reliance by federal agencies on other Indefinite Quantity Indefinite Duration (IDIQ) contracts have reduced the number of public Requests for Proposals (RFPs... - 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... - Picking the Low-Hanging Fruit - Federal Sales
During the dot.com boom, venture capitalists turned up their noses at companies doing federal business... - Mastering the Foreign Language Known as the GSA Schedules
Small businesses new to federal contracting almost always find General Services Administration (GSA) schedules mysterious and confusing... - 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... - Yet Another Contracting Vehicle
In a previous installment, we discussed the wide range of contracting vehicles used to close federal sales. We define the term in its broadest sense; a contract vehicle is a method under which a company may pursue and close a sale... - GSA eOffer
The General Services Administration ("GSA") recently launched eOffer, an online tool developed for use in the GSA schedules programs... - Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Government Contracts
Overview of the Process The General Service Administration's Federal Supply Service (FSS) operates the federal supply schedule program. The program leverages the purchasing power of the U.S... - 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... - Blanket Purchase Agreements
A blanket purchase agreement (BPA) is a simplified acquisition method that government agencies use to fill anticipated repetitive needs for supplies or services. Essentially, BPAs are like "charge accounts" set up with trusted suppliers... - Commercial Gaining, Milspecs Waning
Ever hear about that 25-page military specification for chocolate chip cookies? It described more detail than you can imagine about what the cookie had to taste like, look like, etc... - Why Federal Proposals Exist
Why do proposals even exist? Contrary to popular belief, proposals are not written so federal evaluators can select the best, high-value solution to their problem... - Blanket Purchase Agreements
Federal agencies can establish Blanket Purchasing Agreements (BPAs) under any GSA Schedule contract... - Riding Someone's Schedule
To satisfy complex agency needs with a minimum of effort, federal buyers often seek "complete solutions" through a single purchase, rather than multiple buys... - Think Big and Team up with Other GSA Schedule Holders
GSA encourages teaming arrangements among schedule holders to satisfy complex agency needs. Federal buyers often seek "complete solutions" through a single purchase, rather than multiple buys... - GSA Hourly Rate Dilemma
Most companies offer services to GSA on an hourly-rate basis. And then federal customers demand fixed-price bids based on your awarded hourly GSA rates... - GSA Schedules: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
GSA Schedule contracting has always been plagued by the impracticality of the "most favored customer pricing" concept and the restrictiveness of the Price Reduction Clause... - Proposal Writing: Know When to Fold Them
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... - The Next Two Years in Federal Contracting
The Next Two Years in Federal Contracting: Some Uncertainties and Business as Usual The next two years in federal contracting will be uncertain in the information technology and defense system sectors and business as usual in others... - 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... - Rebuttal: Are Small Business Advocates Helpful?
In a previous newsletter, we questioned the usefulness of federal small business advocates. We received the following response from a reader which illustrates why companies must perform aggressive, direct federal sales in-house... - Looking at the Federal Market Through a Crystal Ball
What is happening to the federal market? Our crystal ball is no better than anyone else's but here's our take. The budget crunch will have a negative impact... - Contracting with Federal Civilian Agencies is Easier Than Defense Agencies
The Washington press announced recently that thousands of defense jobs may be eliminated, including those related to large defense contracts. This is clearly very bad news for defense contractors... - PRC Compliance; the Most Misunderstood GSA Schedule Requirement
Non-compliance with the Price Reduction Clause (PRC) clause (violating disclosed discounting practices) can result is return of money to GSA and the dollar amount can pile up if the non-compliance is caught late in the contract period... - GSA Contract Compliance; Do it Right from the Start
The most important aspects of contract compliance are: Compliance with restrictions on discounting practices (the biggest risk factor financially) Paying the GSA Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) on time Making best efforts to subcontract according to yo... - 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%... - Are Your GSA Schedule Prices Up to Date?
GSA Schedule prices can be increased according to the terms of a schedule contract. Seems simple but many GSA contractors do not increase their prices during the entire five years of their contract... - The Sensitivity of GSA Schedule Contract Modifications
GSA Schedule contract modification requests are comprised of a series of specific documents required by GSA to change a GSA Schedule contract, e.g., product or service updates, price changes, and name change... - 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... - More Small Business Opportunities Under GSA Schedule Contracts
Effective November 2, 2011, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) was amended to allow federal buyers who want to purchase through GSA Schedule contracts to set aside opportunities for small businesses... - Do Not Open Yourself Up to Whistle Blowers
A whistle-blower exposure caused the federal government to claw back $200 million dollars from the Oracle Corporation for GSA schedule Price Reduction Clause violations...
