There are several federal government entities you can provide your services too. The question is, how do you get started? Before pursuing business with the federal government, the first step is to determine if they have a need for the products you sell, or the services you provide.
As with any venture, one of the most important tasks is to develop, and maintain a relationship with your prospective customer. It may take some time to determine which Government Project Manager or Contracting Officer Representative to contact. Start by looking at each organization as a classification of services. Begin reaching out to the agencies, regional offices, and local branches to find the project manager who is supervising the services you want to support.
How can you find the right Customer? There are several avenues:
- Attend Government Networking events in your area
- Search your local event boards, chamber of commerce, etc. to find these events
- Locate Partnership Opportunities
- There are several levels of partnership, including, one-time events and campaigns, ongoing campaign support, and full-service support.
- Work with large business that can mentor protégé, Subcontract Agreement
- Contact larger government contractors in your area who may be looking for sub-contractors.
- Make cold calls to prospective contacts
Cold calls can seem intimidating. Here are some tips for making them:
The first rule of thumb for making cold calls is to be polite. Mention that you are not sure if they are the correct person to speak with but hope they can help. This will open the dialog and the conversation will start to take place naturally. If they are not the right person, most of the time they will direct you to someone else who may be able to assist. If you ask for help instead of starting with a sales pitch, you will most likely find the information you are looking for, or information for another contact who can assist. Most Government employees (and people in general) want to help. Get to know them, and let them get to know you, before pitching your products and services.
Ask questions:
- What is your main purpose or mission?
- What types of companies currently support you?
- What are these companies doing right?
- What areas are they struggling with or need improvement?
- What issues have they not been able to resolve?
- What other areas do you need / wish you had support for?
In addition to the above, another avenue is the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). The OSDBU has several outreach activities. They provide training, set-aside opportunities, roundtables and procurement conferences.
Want more information? Please contact Revolutionary Solutions for all your questions.
