How to market to the Federal Government?
What are your customers needs and expectations?
What are your customers having issues with?
Responding to RFI’s RFP’s?
What is your Value proposition?
What’s in it for your customer?
Do you understand the agencies needs?
Has your website been optimized for your customers?
Have you properly setup your DSBS profile?
Capability Statements
Your capability statement acts as a business card for the federal government. You must do your market research to optimize your capability statement and use the right keywords so that it will be familiar to the agency. You want your statement to speak the same lingo as the agency.
Your capabilities statements can be revised based on the agency you are targeting. It should be posted on your website, somewhere easily accessible for the government to access. You should also make a similar capability statement used for subcontracting with possible teaming partners.
RFIs,RFQ,RFP, Sources Sought
By responding to these, you will be allowing the Gov’t to get to know your company. If you respond well, the more chances you will be recognized, even if you don’t win or they don’t respond back to you. This is allowing the decision makers/evaluators to be familiar with your company, and how your company responds. It should go without saying that you shouldn’t respond to opportunities that are not within your capabilities. Remember, the strategy is not always to win but to be able to be recognized by the decision makers as a capable company that can perform the work. You will also be known as a company that does not give up quickly on trying to help the government with its mission. When responding to the government you are able to showcase your service matter expertise which allows them to have a level of trust in your business.
Industry Days and Agency Webinars
Attend an Industry day or agency webinar presented to you by your “targeted agency”. After doing your research, and you have in mind the person that you would like to meet, you will be able to put your company in front of the decision makers/influencers who can help your business along in the process of building relationships and promoting your business. You will also put your business in the same room with potential teaming partners, large and mid-level primes who are winning within the same agency.
Your Website
This also goes without saying that your website should represent the professionalism of your business. You will need a page dedicated to your Federal customers and Industry. This gives the gov’t and potential teaming partners easy access to your business info. Your website should be optimized and SEO’d with the agency lingo, very similar to your capability statement. Having a downloadable capability statement on your site is recommended as well.
DSBS (Dynamic Small Business Search)
All Federal Contractors should SEO their DSBS profile. This is where your business will be seen by the Federal Gov’t, this is where your gov’t customers go to research potential businesses that can perform the work needed.
Influencers/Advocates (PTAC/OSDBU)
The APEX Accelerator formerly known as the PTAC is a source that can help your business become known to potential opportunities, Primes, and potential teaming partners. The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) can assist in helping you promote your business to potential partners, helping you understand who you should be marketing your business to within that agency. All of these relationships should be researched and be given time to develop. Small Business Liaisons are within Gov’t and Industry Primes, these are people whom you can reach out, to let them know about your business to hopefully be utilized on opportunities as a subcontractor. These are within Gov’t as well and they serve a similar purpose with helping you to find your companies fit within the agency. All in all these people need to know about your company. If utilized properly they can be a huge asset in promoting your business.
