Marketing the Government for Profit
Steps and tips on marketing your business to the government. Fact: Federal, state and local governments buy over $450 billion combined in goods and services each year. Part of that can be yours if you know how to get it. Fact: Federal procurements under $25,000 never go through the bid/RFP process. The only way to earn these government procurements is to market your business wisely. You probably know there are huge opportunities for any business to earn government contracts. But how will YOU win them? It's easy to think of the government as a thing, an entity of inanimate form, but actually, the government is made up of people, hard-working business minded people just like you. With that in mind, marketing to the government is actually branding your name in the minds of the many thousands of government people who buy what you sell. If you will be doing business with the Federal government, the first step is to become registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). The CCR is a vendor database that collects and distributes data about potential contractors to government buyers. It helps Government Buyers know who you are and that you're a valid contractor. You can find it on the internet at: www.ccr.gov. Your next step is to find the right people. Numerous government buyers purchase different things. Some buyers only purchase supplies, while others are responsible for everything needed in their division - from property to paper clips. Do some research to find out who buys what you are selling. It really is all about who you know. Once you find the name and contact information of the right person, its all a matter of getting to know them and giving them an opportunity to know you and your business. This is when you educate buyers about your wonderful products and services. Get in touch through mailing advertisements, e mails, and telephone calls. But be careful, you don't want to risk being blacklisted as a spammer or be fined for unreasonable fax usage. Call buyers to inform them about your services, then ask if you can send them a fax or e mail. Also, call to schedule a meeting to discuss business opportunities with their agency. Don't forget to do your homework. Regularly check resources like fedbizopps.gov to find current federal procurements. The Small Business Administration website (www.sba.gov) also lists valuable information like prime contractors who are looking to subcontract with small businesses. Visit procurement fairs and conferences if your calendar and budget permits. Many resources are available to you including local SBA offices, Small Business Development Centers and Procurement Technical Assistance Centers. Thousands of Small Business Representatives and Liaisons from every government agency are available to assist you. Find the Small Business resource in the agency you want to work with and let them point you in the right direction. Stay in touch! Maintain the relationships you begin with people in the government. Call and e mail regularly. You want to be in the front of their minds when they think about purchasing in your industry. Let them know when you introduce new products or services. Also, find out what their needs are, you may have just what they are looking for. Remember! Government employees are under strict ethical rules and are not permitted to take gratuities. However, nominally-valued samples available to the public are permitted. Finally, don't get discouraged. The government feels like a maze of organizations, agencies and divisions. It can be a challenge to find the right people. Take advantage of the resources that are available to you and learn as much as you can about the procurement process. Be confident in your products, your systems, and in yourself. The government buyers are like any other buyers; they want to work with people who offer value for the money. Your persistence and dedication to customer satisfaction is the best way to show government buyers that you mean business. About The Author Melanie Corbett works at TargetGov, helping businesses do business with the government. She can be reached at 410-579-1346 or mcorbett@targetgov.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Forgotten Market
There are a great many online business people who are
forgetting the potential that this particular forgotten
market can be providing them. The forgotten market I
am referring to is the off-line market and as for the
potential, it could prove to be quite profitable for you.
What you need to do though, is take the blinders off
and focus on "all potentials" NOT JUST the one track
mindset of setting up campaigns geared towards the
online market.
Marketings Nuclear Weapon
Three seconds. That's what you have to convey your message. Creativity is the strategic weapon that allows us to capture those few precious moments of attention from busy consumers in our increasingly competitive, time-crunched environment.
Top 5 Design Tips to Create Eye-Catching Marketing Materials
Great graphic design looks effortless, but it requires
lots of attention to details. Think back to an
eye-catching advertisement, publication, or flyer you
saw recently. Do you remember why you liked it?
Perhaps it was something specific like the use of a
cool graphic or font. Or, more likely, the layout and
the words worked together to create an
eye-appealing, memorable message that you're still
thinking about today.
5 Ways to Upgrade Your Existing Marketing Materials for Practically Nothing!
In addition to direct marketing strategies you want to be
sure your existing passive, or indirect, marketing activities
are as effective as possible. When is the last time you took
a good look at your existing marketing activities?
Developing a Contact List- Part One
One of the most essential things to successful networking is your Contact List. When you start a business, developing one is the first step in promoting and marketing your company. As you write your business plan, it is helpful to make this list to start to develop an idea of who your customer base will be.
The Seven Keys to Marketing Genius: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Marketing IQ
How smart is your marketing? Do you follow the crowd or set your own standards? People are attracted to innovative leaders, not copycats. Besides, most companies throw thousands of dollars down the drain on ineffective advertising- can your budget afford such waste? Start your education today- follow these seven keys to increase your marketing IQ and outwit your competition.
A Jack Of All Trades Is Often The Master of None
You've heard variations of that saying your entire life.
Marketing, Lead Generation, and Research: A 3-in-1 Solution
I Hate Cold Calls
10 Steps To Getting Paid For Your Marketing Materials
How many times have you heard the same sound bites come out of your mouth to your clients, prospects, and audiences, almost boring yourself to tears in the process? Imagine generating money directly from those sound bites, from those pearls of wisdom that effortlessly trip off your tongue. Yes, it is completely possible, and here's how to do it.
The Key to Success
Good business is about communication... not just what you say but...
Service Marketers; How?s Your Packaging?
When a shopper picks up a product in a store, what's the first thing they notice? The packaging, right? The same holds true for someone buying a service.
Beyond Repair: The Fixed-price Model
Don't get me wrong. I certainly don't think the majority of vendors who use a fixed-price model are trying to rip you off. In fact, when I started my business that's the way we worked-which is why we have such great insight into the flaws in the system. But there needs to be a transparency to the work. You need to know exactly what you're getting, how long it takes, and how much it costs. You need to know that you're only paying for time actually spent on your account. And you need to know that no risk will ever be taken with your system just to maintain your contractor's profitability. The inherent structure of fixed pricing makes this kind of transparency an impossibility. Here's why:
Lead Generation: What Is It worth?
Our business environment has changed dramatically. Companies must now be disciplined and market-driven if they want to stay alive. They must do more - much more - than create a buzz, or have a well-known brand. Just read the papers: the stock and balance sheets of brand names have plummeted faster, in some cases, than the unknown companies.
Small Business Pricing: Setting A Price For Your Product / Service
The importance of pricing can not be underestimated as incorrect pricing can often result in the failure of a business. New businesses often make the mistake of either charging too little or too much for their product or service. So to help you avoid making one of these mistakes, the following section will outline some of the guiding principles of price determination. Price is a key part of marketing. Setting prices is called pricing.
Census Data Mapping for Small Business
When studying the demographics of an area for a business venture or expansion you need to not only understand all the data, but what it means to your individual business model. Census data and Census projection charting for MSDA's has become very accurate over the years. One company that uses ESRI's ARC Info has data, which it sells called Tiger Files (Census Blocks). This is data by 650 household areas. Tiger files are the estimated growth of regression of an area based on the previous trends and generally is fairly accurate out about five years. This is extremely beneficial for business planning. Many things can in fact happen in five years such as BRAC military base closing, large factory closing, natural disaster or new trend impeding the projected trends. Generally however the data is very accurate at 2 to 3 years and pretty accurate at 4 to 5 years out. Since all other government and easy to get demographic data can be pin pointed in an area on a map with boundaries such as:
CD ROM Business Cards - Offline Marketing For Online Promotion
It's a great concept, - and it has a 'cool factor' of 300%!
Marketing to Success on a ZERO Budget
TOP 10 TIPS TO GET YOU MARKETING TO SUCCESS ON ZERO DOLLARS!
Do You Know Where Your Marketing Dollars Are Going?
We all know the importance of marketing to increase
sales and bring in new business.
The M-Word
It was a real eye-opener to hear the perceptions people have about what it means to market professional services, as well as the anxiety the "m-word" (marketing) conjures up. It reminded me that, just because professional service providers have a lot of expertise in their chosen field, it doesn't mean they have the same level of understanding about the business of growing a practice.
Marketing Apathy Solutions: 10 Solutions for Overcoming Apathy Beginning Today
Are you suffering from feelings of indifference or a lack of concern when it comes to marketing your business? Do you lack the passion that's necessary to attract customers to your business?
|
