Are government agencies requesting your services? If not, then they're working with your competitors and you're losing business.
Cold-calling agencies drains your valuable resources. And responding to an RFP without any prior contact with the issuing agency is almost always a wasted effort. To remain competitive, you need to build relationships with state, local and federal agencies before projects are announced and RFPs are released.
How would your sales strategies change if you had access to the future capital spending plans of state and local governments? Agencies begin budgeting for their capital improvement projects up to several years in advance. In this webinar, you'll learn how they create these budgets and manage projects from concept to contract.
By Irv Alpert
Executive Vice President, Onvia, Inc.
Companies that bid on government contracts often go about it in a costly and inefficient way. As your company prepares for a bid, you can minimize wasted effort and maximize your chances for the contract award with this targeted, three-step approach:
If you're a CEO who's just now beginning to pursue government contracting work, here's a quick primer on how best to proceed and what to watch out for:
The U.S. government purchases billions of dollars worth of goods and services each year. Competing for government contracts can be extremely profitable — if you know how to approach the right people. If you don’t have the right contact information for government decision makers or access to a good list of government agencies, you could be letting the competition run away with your share of the billions of dollars the government spends every year.
When pursuing government projects, you need to weigh your options carefully before you begin writing a response for an RFP. If part of the contract doesn’t match your company’s best interests or you can’t deliver on all the requirements, the smartest move may be to concentrate your resources elsewhere. So what types of questions should you ask yourself when deciding on writing a response for an RFP?
Selling to the government can be a tough venture if you don’t know how to approach government agencies and present your product. Before you think about contract management, prepare your company to sell to the government by checking off the following items:
By Irv Alpert
Executive Vice President, Onvia, Inc.
Marketing your business to a government prime contractor is much like selling to any other entity: You have to find customers who can use your goods or services and convince them that your company is a capable vendor.
After you’ve obtained a copy of a request for proposals (RFP) or invitation for bids (IFB), you’ll need every day before the deadline to prepare your proposal.
Start by dissecting the RFP or IFB, perhaps with the help of a few other staff members. Review your company’s past proposal examples. Make sure this is really a government contract that your company can fulfill and would benefit from winning.
By Irv Alpert
Executive Vice President, Onvia, Inc.
Government contracts often combine a variety of products and services under a single bid or RFP. If your company can't provide all of what's required in a contract, you don't have to give up on participating in it. Instead, consider partnering or teaming with another company.
