How to Design Your Government Marketing Strategy

Many businesses want to pursue government contracts, but getting one is not easy and most of the time   many entrepreneurs end up taking wrong decisions and suffer the loss for an extended phase of time. Are you one of them?   If yes, here’s a look at what’s going wrong with your government marketing strategy and how to get over it.



Government Contracting is a Difficult Ball Game

Okay, imagine that you just received your HUBZone Certification or 8a Certification. Yes, it took you 9 months to get it, but now that you have it, do you know how to do business with the government? You’re HUBZone or 8a Certification is just a verification process indicating that you meet certain criteria to be part of the set-aside business development programs. It doesn't mean that you know how to do business with the government. The average companies will take about 36 months to lay a good foundation in the public sector before they become proficient. Sometimes small industries or the startups do not have enough resource or knowledge go through this for a long time.   

Government needs Qualified Contractors

Government marketing comes with a plethora of steps and several considerations come into play before a business is granted the project. Their warrant is their license to award contracts. They must protect their warrant or risk losing their license. In addition, they understand that the government is risk adverse. One of the chief goals for the government is to minimize risks. The government does not want to award contracts to the "incompetent, unproductive, con-artists and fraudsters," as spoken by in a Senate hearing. That is why it is very hard for new companies to break into the government arena. KO's are prone to award contracts to the incumbent or only to those with strong past performance or relevant experience.

Are You Comfortable in Foreign Language

The public sector is very different from the private sector, and  you  must  keep in  mind  when  you are doing  government marketing.    As businesses transition into the government market, they realize that there are new rules, regulations, jargon, cultures and languages to learn. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is 1,933 pages long. Each agency has maintains their own buying patterns and sub-cultures. The fiscal buying cycle is different. The procurement process can be long and tedious.



Always Be Self Sufficient

When you are marketing your products and services to the government, be sure that you have to stick with your contract officer for an extended phase of time.  In the government agencies, officers are over worked and the departments are under staffed. The capability statements must  be  attached  in  the proposals. Do you think they have time to meet with every potential vendor? Do you think they have time to return your phone call or email?

Final Thoughts

To be successful in the government market, companies must review the reasons of why they have chosen to embark in the government market.

 

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