By Eileen Kessler
My company, OmniStudio, is within blocks of the White House and many Federal agencies. We're in an excellent position when Federal procurement proposals request bidders within 50 miles of the capital. While location is an important factor, it's not the most critical.
Just as with private sector business development, strong relationships with your customers are the key to success. Those great customer relations and communication skills you bring to commercial work will be equally valuable for growing government business. People want to work with vendors who are responsive, friendly and knowledgeable—people they can trust.
Since you may find that it takes months to secure your first contract, make sure you have the financial resources to get you there. Ideally you should dedicate at least two people to pursuing work-one who devotes time to research, administration, and setting up appointments, and another who is your face-to-face representative, following through on in-person meetings and proposals. Eventually you may want to dedicate another person to writing proposals.
If you have to limit sales efforts to one person, I recommend that it's the CEO or one of the owners of the company. You'll stand out from other companies as someone who has a vested interest in giving the government the best value and service.
Your sales efforts should include talking to fellow business professionals who have been successful in the government arena. There are organizations that can help you connect with other contractors, such as The American Small Business Coalition (ASBC). The ASBC sponsors weekly breakfast meetings for networking and education. These sessions will also introduce you to companies that are looking for partnership arrangements. Teaming up with another firm, especially a very experienced one, is a great way to make headway into government work.
For many government agencies the most important factor for awarding contracts is not price, but past performance. Be prepared to provide case studies and references. Talk to your best customers before giving their names as references. Their comments to the government may be deciding factors for an award.
It's smart to begin researching agencies that have the ideal type of work for your business. Most agencies have procurement forecasts that detail what products and services they plan to outsource for the upcoming year. For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's future procurement plans are categorized on its Web site by cost, dates and sub agencies.
It's best to focus on one agency at a time and give it your total attention. Request a meeting with an agency's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSBDU). These offices are staffed with small-business experts, and they will have suggestions for specific programs to pursue. Most agencies also have vendor days where they present their small business procedures and provide one-on-one meetings with agency buyers.
And don't forget to tap into your local LGBT Chamber for resourceful people who want to help you. The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is working with federal agencies to recognize LGBT status as part of their supplier diversity programs.
In Washington, the Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CAGLCC) is planning to hold programs on contracting, and is looking to establish stronger ties to the Federal GLOBE, an alliance of LGBT government employees. Once you begin looking into government sales you'll discover new opportunities every day.
Many people shy away from government sales because they fear the red tape, slow payment schedules, or simply feel overwhelmed by the bureaucracy. I believe this is a costly mistake for companies whose products and services are a good fit for the millions of Federal dollars waiting for them.
This is second in a series of columns about working with the Federal Government by Eileen Kessler, President, OmniStudio, an NGLCC-certified communications business in Washington, DC. Part I can be viewed here.
