Don’t Let the Big One Get Away
Selling Strategies by Maura Schreier-Fleming
In the world of fishing, there’s always the story about the big one that got away. In the world of sales, there’s one big customer that you don’t want to get away. In fact, you may not even be aware of how big this one really is.
Guess Who?
Is one of your prospects the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world? They might even be the best paying as they’re required to pay small businesses in 30 days. Do you even know who that prospect is? It’s the United States Federal Government.
Malcolm Parvey, (www.sell2gov.com) is a sales and marketing consultant who wrote the book Winning Government Contracts: How Your Small Business Can Find and Secure Government Contracts Up to $100,000. He works with companies that want to win government contracts.
If you’ve been in business for two or more years and know your product and service well, you might want to think about the government as a prospect. Parvey says, “There’s not much competition in this space. Government statistics show that less than 2% in any industry actively seeks out this market because they just don’t know how.”
For assistance in winning business, start with the Procurement Technical Assistance Center in your area. They are on-line at www.aptac-us.org/new. Another site sba.gov has more information for you.
To do business with the government you have to register your company at www.ccr.gov. Then start looking for sales opportunities for your business.
At website www.fedbizopps.gov/ you can see the hundreds of opportunities the government is listing every day. You can search back 8 weeks.
Don’t be alarmed at the length (over 50 pages) of a bid. Parvey says, “80% of what’s in a bid package is in every bid package.” He says to look for what the agency wants. He looks for the product, where, when and whether it’s for a small, minority or set aside.
The good news is that the government is very specific and clear about what they’re looking for. There are even government contact names, phone numbers, and emails to ask questions. Parvey suggests you communicate by email and be patient. Always reference the solicitation number when you have questions. If you do choose to call, make sure it’s at 6:45 AM or 3:45 in the afternoon. That’s when you’re most likely to catch someone at their desk.
If you want to find shorter bids, The DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS) is a web-based application that provides the capability to search for, view, and submit secure quotes on Requests For Quotations (RFQs) for Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) items of supply. Its address is https://www.dibbs.bsm.dla.mil/. Typically these are three page bids which are awarded by computer. You invoice when you ship and payment is sent electronically in 14 days.
Parvey finds that it’s realistic to get awarded 25% of what a competitive company bids. Unless you are competitive, you might get one bid awarded out of ten. He recommends you look at procurement history and determine if you can be competitive.
Price as if you are selling to your best customer to give yourself the best chance for success. Ask for the history if you don’t see it. Expect lots of paper and give yourself the time to prepare your bid.
Although price is a factor, it’s not the only factor. Parvey says that agencies are looking for the best value. You have to demonstrate your value in your bid. Make sure you follow up and learn the results. Parvey finds that most companies don’t give themselves a chance in this market. He suggests submitting ten bids, getting results and then evaluating your success.
Parvey says, “There is no product or service that the government doesn’t buy. They have supermarkets, barber shops, and movie theaters. The government has a budget of $3 trillion over the next three years.” I’ll bet you or your customers can find something to sell in that budget.
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