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The Amtower ReportVolume 5, #23, June 19, 2006(The Amtower Report is an e-journal on the Business-to-Government market featuring the opinions of Mark Amtower, and occasionally reader comments. This newsletter is only sent to those who request it. Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.FederalDirect.net and if you like this newsletter, please pass it along to your colleagues. To unsubscribe, see directions below. The newsletter is posted each Monday at www.FederalDirect.net, and the latest “Off-Center Observations” is on the home page. All back issues available at http://www.federaldirect.net/newsletterarchives.html)
Item: I am having some of my colleagues write some Good, Bad and the Ugly for me for the next month or two while I get used to hosting two radio shows – The Amtower Marketing Report Monday afternoons (this show covers the business of marketing and selling to Uncle Sam), and Amtower on Success, which airs Wednesday from 9-10 am. Both shows air on WBIS out of Annapolis. Archives for The Amtower Marketing Report will are at www.GovernmentExpress.com , and Amtower on Success archives will be at www.FederalDirect.com until I start another site. Item: The webinar I did with Eloqua was informative. If you are looking for ways to maximize the use of your web site, keep your eye on the Eloqua web site fro the link to the replay of this webinar. www.Eloqua.com . Item: And if you happen to be at the Entrepreneur magazine web site, yes, that is my first (of possibly many) articles for them. Check it out at http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,327994,00.html . And if you happen to be near a magazine stand any time soon, buy the July Entrepreneur magazine. Not that I have an opinion.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY: END OF FY End of FY advice from my friend Susan Milich as we approach busy season. Many successful commercial firms struggle to find success in their government sales programs while they learn the key differences of this unique market. Understanding federal acquisition regulations, the multiple parties represented in a typical sale (end-user, technical and procurement personnel) and distinctly mission- and power-driven decision-making, coupled with risk averse behaviors typify this environment. But there is one universal sales asset common across all markets... Relationship. Leverage this key asset to maximize government end-of-fiscal business for your company. Contact the program managers and contracting officers with > whom you have the strongest relationships and the greatest organizational knowledge. Whether you provide products or services, this is the time of year when unanticipated monies become available to those who are prepared to spend them. Be prepared to support your "customer" with budgets and specifications (products) or statements of work (services) for projects you have previously discussed. Think from the government perspective; offer a solution to a government problem. This is your BEST STRATEGY for success. Preparedness Peruse Ebuy and Fedbizops for low-hanging fruit. This option has a lower probability of success primarily because you are less likely to hold the knowledge necessary to prevail in these competitive bid situations unless they are shootouts for lowest price on commodity products and services. Nevertheless, during fiscal year end many "Priority B" requirements make it to the top of the acquisition heap. As a result, the rushed RPQ/RFP may not have been wired for your competitor. Be ready to quote quickly. Have boilerplate and template proposal documents for key offers. Sharpen your pencil to offer "value" in creative ways (enhanced warranty, rapid delivery, etc.) Check the online procurement centers more than once daily, as many opportunities will have extraordinarily short turn-around times. Promotion My first and favorite rule of marketing and sales: "People don't buy (stuff) they have never heard of from people they don't know." Promotion is an essential component of the successful marketing/sales plan. Develop an end-of-fiscal strategy which maximizes the probability for your organization to meet its goals and then deliver it to market using the most appropriate media for the time, message, and motivation. To Your Success!! Susan Milich EVENTS WORTH ATTENDING Beware of the schlock vendors, producing minimal value events, events that eat your money with no significant return! The events listed below are among those I think are worth your time, money and effort. Just because an event is not listed below does not imply it is not worth attending. If you want my opinion on a specific event or producer, call me. This topic is addressed more thoroughly in the members section at www.GovernmentMarketingBestPractices.com. June 20, GovCon, McLean Hilton, (all day) Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce June 21-22, 2006, FISC 2006, Colorado Springs, Colorado June 26, AFFIRM Golf Tournament, 11:00 AM registration. Manor Country Club, Rockville, MD. (benefits AFFIRM Intern programs for qualified college students within the federal government IT Sector.) www.affirm.org June 26-28, 2006, RIO Symposium (formerly U.S. ACE DIM/CIM), Miami, Florida June 27-30, 2006: 7th Annual Dept of Energy Small Business Conference, Seattle, WA June 28, 2006, U.S. Department of Transportation/FAA IA Training and Workshop Washington, District of Columbia June 29, 2006, U.S. Department of Transportation/FAA IA Training and Workshop Washington, District of Columbia July 6, GSA Federal Technology Day – NY, Javits Bldg, July 18-19 FBI Information Security Officer Training Symposium
The Amtower Marketing Report Monday 5-6 PM on WBIS 1190 AM (Annapolis Md, simulcast on www.WBIS1190.com ): Upcoming guests include… June 19: Chris Pickering, co-author of RFM Re-visited
Thanks The Amtower Report is published by Amtower & Company, and is written for companies targeting the government marketplace. The opinions expressed are those of Mark Amtower unless otherwise noted. Contact us at Amtower & Company, PO Box 314, Highland, MD 20777-0314 (301-924-0058). This material is copyrighted and may not be duplicated, reprinted or otherwise replicated without written permission of the publisher. Email subscriptions are free by request: sign up at www.FederalDirect.net |
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