Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Location: The Federal Sales Academy in Bethesda, MD
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Cost: $500 per person |
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Many of our clients who attend the "Winning Government Business" class want us to travel to their company and train their team.
While we're happy to offer that service to you, we've also created an exciting class to provide you with the materials to train your own sales team on the culture of doing business with the government.
Itinerary:
| TIME |
TOPICS |
| 9:00 - 12:00 |
Continental Breakfast
Power Point Presentation Breakdown "The Time is Now: Selling to the Government from Your Own Backyard." We will review every slide while you follow along on your own computer. You will be able to modify the presentation to fit your business |
| 10:30 - 10:45 |
Break |
| 12:00 - 1:00 |
Lunch Provided |
| 1:00 - 4:30 |
"Advanced Winning Government Business" booklet and highlights. |
| 2:30 - 2:45 |
Break |
| 4:30 - 5:00 |
Questions & Answers (One-on-one discussions with speakers) |
"The Time is Now - Selling to the Government From Your Own Back Yard"
The Power Point presentation covers everything you need to know about selling to the government, and answers these questions:
- Where do I begin to look for leads?
- What are the roles of the Contracting Officer, the end-user of your product or service, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and Freedom of Information Act Officers?
- How do I build a relationship that will result in a contracting officer inviting me to bid on an opportunity?
- What are the roadblocks to closing a business deal, and how can I address them?
- Are contracting officers permitted to award contracts without competition?
- How can I build a relationship with federal agencies and military bases in my area?
- Don't I need to be in Washington, D.C. to make money from the government?
- What do I say when I get a potential buyer on the phone?
- What are GSA, IDIQ, BPA and MAS contracts?
- How do I develop a strategy to begin selling to the government?
- I'm a small company; what are the advantages and disadvantages to pursuing sales to the government?
- How do I build a team of people who can successfully sell to the government?
- What do I need to do to close a business deal today?
- What is the culture of doing business with the government?
Our ultimate goal is for you to train your team to unseat the company currently holding a contract you want!
Advanced Winning Government Business Topics Covered:
Time, the Downside of Relationship Sales
- The Acquisition Cycle
- The Selling Cycle
- Time is Often Secondary
Sell to the Customers Self Interests
- Value of SBA, Congressmen, etc.
- How Contracting Officers and End Users Think
- Following the Rules
Making Successful Sales Calls on the Phone and Face-to-Face
- Identify the Pain as the Customer Sees Feels It
- Price Versus Best Value
- Risk Aversion and Trust
Identify and Communicate Your Closing Vehicle Early
- Ensure Fund Availability
- Tell Them How Can They Buy Quickly
- Working with the Contracting Office
Help Buyers Identify Sources
Your Competitors' Weaknesses are Your Strengths
- The Geographic and Expertise Ploys
- The Specifications Ploy
The Federal Markets: Size Counts
- Why the Size of the Deal is Critical?
- Credit Card Market and Open Market
- Public Market
Working Backwards Through the Contracting Office
- What Contracting Offices Know
- What They May or May Not Tell You
- Drill Down to the End User
The Stacked Deck
- Who Holds All the Cards?
- Why Your Lack of Cards Can Be Advantageous
The Stacked Deck
- Size of Market is in Your Favor
Become a Trusted Contractor
- The Overworked Contracting Office
- Know the Rules and Play by Them
- Gain Their Confidence as a Player
How to Sell When You've Already Lost the Deal
- Debriefings as a Sales Opportunity
- Every Buy Has Losers
- Every Past Buy is a Future Opportunity
Networking and Relationship-Based Sales
- How the Prime Contractor's Do It
- The Key to Avoiding Cold Calls
- One Relationship Begets Another
The Federal Networking Environment
- Federal Incentives to Network
- Ask for the Government Referral
- Ask for the Acquaintance Referral
Networking Events
- Government Technical Conferences
- Government Vendor Events
- Professional Events
Vendor to Vendor Networking
- Partnering
- Vendor Events
- Mutual Respect Pays Off
Vendor to Government Networking
- The Customer
- The Government Acquaintance
- Ask the Contracting Officer
Ask and You Shall Receive
- Build Your Base
- Be Proactive
- Ask for Assistance
Returning Calls
- Always
- Be Ready to Help
- Leave Some Chits Behind
Give to Get
- Give First
- Give Again
- Ask for Help
How to Get Your Federal Network Started
- Attend Events
- Keep Your Costs Down
- Assist When You Can
Your Networking Database
- Your Outlook Files
- Keep It Simple
- Graduate to a Database
Firstgov.gov and its role in targeting agencies
- What is firstgov.gov?
- How to use it
- Geographic searches
Using agency web sites
- What is in them?
- The good and the bad
- Using them to take the next steps
Agency roadmaps; how to compile and use
- What is an agency roadmap?
- Sources of information
- Compilation techniques
Agency sales plans
- An agency based sales plan
- The business developer
- The sales person
Implementing an agency sales plan
- Make the calls
- Persistence is a must
- Walking away too early
Geography as a sales focusing mechanism
- Blue pages
- Blue pages and the Internet
- The hidden installation/office
Agency directories
- Internet based
- Public information offices
- Value added directories
Working through contracting organizations
- How to find them
- Purchasing histories
- Calling contracting offices
Selling military bases
- Where are they?
- What information is available?
- How to start
Selling non-military installations and centers
- Where are they?
- What information is available?
- How to start
Additional Materials Provided and Covered:
"Selling to the Military" A Word document that includes direct links and URLs to all Department of Defense (DOD) websites containing budget information, procurement reference links, DOD Headquarter Organizations including the Pentagon, DOD Research, Development and Testing information, federally-funded Research and Development Centers, SBIR Program Information, Defense Logistic Agency (DLA) links and bidding opportunities, Cage Code, National Stock Number and Military Logistics websites and much more!
"Selling to Homeland Security" A Word document that includes direct links and URLs to all 22 agencies affiliated with Homeland Security, their procurement and regional offices. This document includes Leadership information, budget summaries, public information, DHS Acquisition Offices, Public Bid sites, management challenges, procurement regulation changes, order thresholds, emergency contracting procedures, Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects, Grant Programs, IT Opportunities, Sales Opportunities, and Market Advantages and Disadvantages.
Who Should Attend and Why?
"Training the Trainer" provides you with the knowledge and advice you need to understand the government sales process. You'll gain understanding and synthesize the vast amount of information available on federal sales and entering the U.S. government sales markets. You'll have the materials and tools you will need to pass this knowledge along to motivate your sales staff and increase your federal sales profits.
At a tenth of the cost of having one of our seminar gurus speak at your next sales meeting, you could be trained and ready to get your team excited about doing business with the government. The back up material can be used for follow-up sales training or you can arm them to hit the ground running immediately.
Price:
Cancellations & Rescheduling:
Cancellation notification must be received one week prior to the seminar date. Upon notification, your registration fee will be refunded less a $100 non-refundable processing fee. Any cancellations beyond the one week period are non-refundable. You may reschedule at anytime; if you reschedule to attend another seminar, we will apply your payment toward your new registration fee. Personnel substitutions may be made at any time. Payment must be received prior to the seminar date. No-shows are liable for the full seminar fee.
