In Part 1, I discussed some the reasons that contractors feel they need access to the Federal Government personnel. In this article, I will describe some of the factors that impact the amount and type of contact you really need. As with most other aspects of business, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. One must look […]
Blog Archives
Why Federal Contracting is like Shrimping (My Forrest Gump Epihany) – Part 3 of 4
Dec 22
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Sorry for the long delay getting Part 3 out. I promise I will not take so long to get to Part 4. However, true to form, the Government got active just before the holidays so that contractors have something to do while they are out 🙂 In Part 1 and Part 2, I discussed topics […]
Why Federal Contracting is like Shrimping (My Forrest Gump Epihany) – Part 2 of 4
Dec 5
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This second in my series on comparing federal contracting with shrimping addresses the market. Part 1, which I published last week, provided some background and discussed three important concepts: #1) be where your customer is so they can get to know you and you can get to know them; #2) don’t rely on “conventional wisdom” – […]
Finding the Hidden Gems
Nov 28
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The question I often get asked is: “How do you find significant contracts that offer real return on investment?”. Although I hate to admit it, in my case it has been being in the right place at the right time. This should be the focus of every company’s business development effort. I speak to many […]
Tell Them Three Times – Are you sure?
Nov 22
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All of us have heard the saying: Tell the audience three times: Tell them what you are going to tell them; tell them; and tell them what you said. I think this is Presentation for Dummies – dummies who make presentations as if they were presenting to dummies. I prefer to treat my audience as if […]
Book Reveiw: Why Business People Speak Like Idiots
Oct 27
Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: A Bullfighter’s Guide by Brian Fugere, Chelsea Hardaway, and Jon Warshawsky “If your heart is set on informing and not impressing people, you’ll avoid the Obscurity Trap – jargon and evasive language – without trying. If you have a message in your heard that you really care about, you won’t […]
Four Stages of Federal Business Development
Oct 18
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Business development is a process that begins with nothing and ends (hopefully) with winning some new business. From my experience, I categorize the business development process into the following four stages: Stage 1: Figuring out what you want to chase (AKA Strategic Planning) Stage 2: Finding opportunities compatible with your goals (AKA Identification and Qualification) […]
Ten New Rules for Building Business with the Feds
Sep 29
Despite what many would have you believe, the Federal Government is changing drastically in how and what it buys. Granted this process is slow for some Agencies, but it is inevitable. This is more a response to the outside world than to internal recognition that change is good, but it is happening. As the “old-timers” […]
The Business Development Funnel
Sep 29
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If I had a nickel for every time I’ve had the term “funnel” used in the discussion, I would be a rich man. Yes, there is a natural funnel associated with the business development process. Unfortunately, the funnel is an often misused tool. Many managers talk about the “numbers game.” They would like to think […]
Shotgun or Rifle Approach
Sep 29
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I am not a sportsman, but the topic of whether to take a rifle or shotgun approach to business development is one that I often encounter. Like most strategic decisions, this is not an either/or decision, but one that must be considered as part of your overall federal strategy. The argument is over whether it is better […]
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