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. Small business specialists aren’t going to make sales for you. Lobbyists ask for large retainers and ex-military circle for money. Spend your sales dollars on in-house sales people if [...]
Fedmarket recently released a complimentary eBook titled “Government Contracting for Donkeys.” Using poker as a metaphor the new eBook provides practical how to information for companies considering entry to the government contracting market. In the introduction Richard White states that in poker donkeys are inexperienced players who think they know how to play the game. [...]
Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts generally run for terms from 3 to 10 years although recent research done at FedBizOpps indicates that 5 and 10 year periods of performance are becoming much more common. For the most part, competitors in the market covered by the IDIQ are shut out for the duration of the IDIQ. [...]
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., a dedication to hiring a sales person or assigning an existing sales person to work exclusively on federal sales ); A [...]
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. My definition of marketing includes distributing press releases, advertising, participating in conferences and trade shows, conducting seminars, and employing targeted direct [...]
Once you make a sale, you can use your company’s stellar performance on a federal project to leverage more sales. Federal contractors working on-site at a federal facility are essentially getting paid to sell to agency customers and to generate profit at the same time. Their billable staff sits with the customer every day and, [...]
The manner in which a federal purchase is completed depends on the size of the transaction. Credit card buys under $2,500 can be single sourced by the end user and can be transacted without the contracting officer’s involvement. More liberal credit card limits apply in emergency and national security situations. For purchases in the $2,500 [...]
Contracting officers are dedicated in their responsibility to follow federal purchasing rules. The rules allow less than full and open competition depending on the size of the purchase and the need for speed and efficiency in making a buy. Responsibilities of Contracting Officers Legal responsibility for a contract (signs contract) Ensuring that requirements for competitive [...]
