marketing to win how to identify the real decision makers ... tools required • perfect...
TRANSCRIPT
Marketing to Win: How to Identify the Real Decision-makers and Tailor Your Message
Gloria LarkinPresident, TargetGov
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©TargetGov2016
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Agenda• Disappearingact
• Firstimpressions
• Mitigatingrisks
• Identifyingrealdecisionmakers
• Layersofdecisionmakers
• Howandwhytheychoose
• Marketingandpositioningtools©TargetGov 2016
Disappearing Act?
• In2000,$200BillioninContracts– Over100,000contractingandacquisitionstaff
• In2013,$500Billionincontracts– Fewerthan23,000contractingandacquisitionstaffemployed
• In2015,governmentexperiencinga23%retirementofbabyboomersinContractingandAcquisition
• Cannothiremoregovernmentemployees
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©TargetGov 2016
Decision-makers vs. Spending Years 2000-2015
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Take-away?
Decision-makershavenotimeto(waste):• Educatevendors• Developuniquecontractvehicles• Researchvendors
Decision-makersneedinformed,solid,strong,stable,experiencedvendorsnow!
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GovernmentRecommendations
©TargetGov2016
First Impressions are Critical
• Be professional– Ex: email, website, typos– No clip art, stock graphics
• Know your niche!• Do not try to be all things• Lead with your expertise• Prove it!• Mitigate risk
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10 Steps to Mitigating Risk1. PerfectregistrationsinSAMandSBDS2. Createastrongnichestatement3. Practicea20secondelevatorpitch4. UseapowerfulCapabilityStatement5. Pastperformanceisking!6. Financialstability7. Capacity8. Partners9. CraftstrongRFPresponses10. Debriefing- winorlose
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Perfect Registrations?
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Today,howdoesyourfirmlookintheeyesofyourfederaltargets?
SAM.gov and SBA Profile at dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs
©TargetGov2016
TypicalscoringonSAMandSBDS• A =clearlysetyourselfapartfromcompetitors,
notrisky,memorable Less than 2%
• B =possiblechance• C=average=failure• D=lifesupport• F=deadinthewater
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98% will fail the first cut
Perfect Registrations?
©TargetGov2016
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Source: “Inside the Buyers Brain” (email me for entire book as PDF) Published by Hinge Research Institute
©TargetGov2016
The Impact of Customer-Based Research
• GovernmentContracting:StrictProcessaspertheFederalAcquisitionRegulations(FAR)
• Not Top-Down• Threelayersofdecisionmakers• Sizeofpurchasedeterminesdecisionmakers• Eachlayerhasdifferentpurposeandresponsibility
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Identifying The Real Decision Makers
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ContactsHaveDifferentRoles/Concerns
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• SmallBusinessRepresentatives:
TheSupport(OSDBU,SBRep,PCR,CMR)
• Whatassistancedoyouneed
• Whathaveyoudonealready
• WhatCertificationsand/orSet-AsidesExists
• OSDBU’sareNOTYOURSALESFORCE
©TargetGov2016
ContactsHaveDifferentRoles/Concerns
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• ContractingOfficers(CO)or(KO)- TheRules
• Doyouknowtherules?
• Streamlinedpurchasingaccess:vehicle
• Whatisyourpastperformance(relatedtoopportunity)
©TargetGov2016
ContactsHaveDifferentRoles/Concerns
• ProgramManagers(PM)- TheWork• Yourknowledgeofouragency’sproblem• Yourabilitytosolvetheproblem• Yourabilitytooffervaluetoyoursolution
• EndUsers- TheSource• Sourceofinformation• Howarethingsdonecurrently• Howcouldyoursolutionbenefitthem
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How Decision-makers Choose
• 50-80++companiesreachingouteveryday• Can’tmeetwitheveryone• Howtonarrowdownthelist• Choosebestcandidates• Spendwhatlimitedtimetheyhavetomeetwithqualifiedvendors
• Developtrustedrelationships
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Know How the Government BuysPurchaseVehiclesMakeiteasytodobusinesswithyou!
• CreditCard:P-card,purchasecard• GSASchedule• GWACs• BPA• IDIQ• HUBZone,8(a),WOSB,SDVOBCertifications
©TargetGov2016
Size Matters to Decision Makers• Under$3,000pertransaction
– Immediatecreditcardsale(anyone)• Under$25,000pertransaction
– 3bids, samedaydecision (CO)• Between$25,000and$150,000
– Advertised,bestvalue(CO&PM)• Over$150,000
– Competitivebid,3-6+months (CO,SB&PM,entireteam)
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Where to Get NoticedPersontoperson§ Conferences§ Vendoroutreachsessions§ Agencyandbaseevents§ Matchmaking§ Associations,socialevents
Virtual§ Email,blog,Facebook,§ Twitter,LinkedIn,Google+
Referral§ Fromdecision-makers
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©TargetGov2016
Marketing Tools • Governmentregistrations
– SAM,SBDS,Agencies• Yourbusinesscard• YourtargetedCapabilityStatement• Yourwebsite• Casestudies• Whitepapers• PublicRelations• CRMsystem• Contractvehicle• Advertising(?)• Leadgenerators(no!)
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ActionStep:Reviewyourmarketing toolsforeffectiveness
©TargetGov2016
Business Card• Usebothsides• Notcoatedpaper• CompanyName,Name,Title• Allcontactinformation:phones,address• Whatdoyoudo?Isitclear?• DUNS• NAICS• Certifications• Contractvehicles
Actionstep:Updateyourbusinesscard
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Positioning Tools Required• Perfectregistrations• Opportunityidentifier:Past,present,future• 1pagetargetedCapabilityStatementtoidentifyyour:
– CoreCompetencies– PastPerformance– Differentiators– CompanyData
• Bid-no-bidprocess• Quicklyidentifythedecision-maker,her/hisresponsibility&levelofinterestinyourbusiness,targetthemessage!
• Contractvehicle• CRMsystem
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Audiences for Your Capability Statement
YourTargets:• Agency• PrimeContractor• TeamingPartner• JointVentureToobtaindecision-makermeetings!
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Remember the Government Recommendations?
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PerfectRegistrations?Today,howdoesyourfirmlook
intheeyesofyourfederaldecision-makers?
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ContactTargetGovforaReviewandRecommendationsofyourrecords.ü CapabilityStatementü SAM.govü SBAProfileEmailfordetails:[email protected]
©TargetGov2016
Session Evaluations
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ReminderPlease complete the Speaker/Session Evaluation Form located in your program guide and place the form in the basket in the back of the room.
Questions?
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GloriaLarkin• President,TargetGov• Author:TheBasicGuidetoGovernment Contracting• FAST™ProcesstoAccelerateFederalSalesContact:[email protected]:866-579-1346
www.TargetGov.com
©TargetGov2016