Last week, we shared some insight from Todd Sodeman, CEO of Stratos Federal on how to enter the Government contracting market and the best way to market to the Government. If you’ve already begun the process of developing your positioning, consider the following five tips for effectively marketing to the Government.
1. Implement Your Positioning – You’ve reviewed your strengths and commercial past performance and determined how you may best position yourself to partners and the government. You’ve maybe also researched potential contracting opportunities and begun to reach out to your network to create partnerships. But implementing your positioning and messaging shouldn’t stop here. Your messaging is only as strong as its consistency. As you move into Government contracting, review your positioning and messaging frequently.
2. Standardize Your Collateral – Your positioning and messaging should be the blue print for your collateral. A cohesive brand will help your audiences remember you and your message, which is critical when marketing to the Government. Perhaps most important in regards to Government contracting is to develop style guidelines and standard templates for your proposals. Developing these ahead of time will save you stress and man hours during the final preparation of your proposal.
3. Deepen Your Understanding of the Government Buying Process – Research the appropriate NAICs codes for your business, keeping in mind that you may qualify for many of them. You should also have a working understanding of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Keep in mind that the sales cycle for the Government can be many months; you may need to apply for special certificates, develop reporting methods that comply with Government regulations, or implement security procedures, depending upon where you are pursuing business.
4. Evaluate Your Internal Financials – Government contracting has an inherently unique cash flow. You need to be prepared to pay your workforce prior to receiving payment from the Government.
5. Prepare a Forward Looking Marketing Strategy – Because the sales cycle is so long, when you enter into an engagement, you should be planning how to leverage this win into additional opportunities. Marketing to the Government hinges upon your ability to demonstrate your past performance and demonstrate your capabilities. As soon as you win a contract, advertise the win through traditional public relations methods, advertisements, and create an initial write up on the work your firm will be doing.
Government contracting can be a huge undertaking. Don’t let the amount of requirements delude your positioning and messaging or distract you from creating standardized accounting and marketing procedures up front. Creating your marketing plan and following the above tips will save you time and resources as you move further in the Government contracting process.
In the mean time, check out our free How Buyers Buy Management Consulting Report for more information.
