© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
How to Improve Your Federal Revenue Capture Process
Walter WiseBPI Strategy Group and
Northeast Veterans Business Resource Center
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Copyright Information
The following presentation is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, redistributed, presented, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, in person, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of NEVBRC and the BPI Strategy Group.
Additionally, it is for internal company use only and cannot be used for external consulting directly or indirectly by recipient or a third-party.
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Retired from the USAF in 1995. 23 years as a linguist, C-130 navigator and program manager.
• 20 + years as a CEO, Senior VP, Regional VP, VP of Business Development, Program Manager for 8a, VO, SDVO and small businesses
• CEO/Marketing Strategist
– BPI Strategy Group in Merrimack, NH
– CEO Northeast Veterans Business Resource Center in Lawrence, MA (www.NEVBRC.org)
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Selling to the Government is not a shoot from the hip process
– Requires hard work and preparation
• There is no Genie in a bottle, secret sauce, magic pill or secret handshake
• Government employees do not have time or patience for unprepared visitors
• Above all, be smart and use your head
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Five Myths
• Quick, easy and lucrative
• Register with SAM, get your certifications and GSA Schedule and your phone will ring
• What works in B2B will work in B2G
• Name recognition will drive Government customers to us
• All we need to do is send a few emails, make a few calls and write a couple proposals
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
An Unscientific Poll – Biggest Issues
• Winning the work
• Writing proposals
• Finding opportunities
• Getting a meeting
• Getting a call back
• Teaming
• Transparency
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Why No Results?
• Don’t understand the market
• Firm is not known
• No plan, strategy or focus
• Don’t give enough time to be known
• Don’t know how to “sell” to Government
• No Business Development plan or process
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Why the Government Buys
and From Whom?
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Why Does the Government Buy?
B2B
– Increase revenue.
– Decrease expenses.
– Better manage business risk.
– Be agile and able to respond to customer requirements.
B2G
– To fill an operational need or requirement.
– To reduce costs.
– To better manage risks.
– Quickly respond to citizen needs.
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Who Do They Buy From?
• The Government buys from those they know and trust.
– Have to get your name and capabilities known
– Have to determine who buys what you sell and how they buy it
– Have to understand how to write a good proposal, concentrate on writing fewer, high quality proposals
– Don’t be afraid to get outside help
• Even the big guys hire consultants
• All Rolodex, no results
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Questions to answer:- Why do your customers buy from
you?
- Why do they NOT buy from you (why
do you lose)?
- What differentiates you from your
competition?
- How do you create value that
prospects believe?
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
How To Grow Your Federal
Business
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• You must make a long term COMMITTMENT
• You must have a STRATEGY and GOALS
• You must have a PLAN
• You must have a PROCESS
• You must have a scalable SYSTEM
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Commitment
• 12 - 24 months to get your first contract.
– 2011 American Express Survey – 19 ½ months
• Establish a strategy and goals
• Measure with metrics
– Set up a Federal Revenue Capture Scorecard
to track results at least quarterly
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Commitment
• Competitive Analysis
– Identify 3 to 5 target agencies
– Identify who your competition is selling to,
what vehicles and $$$ values
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Commitment
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
– Many small, medium and large firms do
and it is generally well worth the
investment
– Companies > $5 M in revenue spent on
average $267,559
– Subcontract first, then Prime
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Business Development process
• Capture and Proposal process
• Pricing strategy and process
• Don’t forget about on-going training
Process
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Work 6 – 24 months out
• Build knowledge and trust
– Build the relationships
– Find opportunities
– Meet the right people
• Gather intelligence
– Problems, favored contract vehicles, key
incumbents, major influencers
– What makes them solve their problems
• Participate in the proposal process
Business Development
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Bid / No Bid decision points
• Information gathering
• Proposal team
– Technical solution, price, reviews
• Teaming strategy
• Pricing Strategy
• Debrief – win or lose
Capture and Proposal
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Don’t assume the doors will open magically
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© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Registration and Certification
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• SAM.GOV
– System for Award Management
• Realistic NAICS based on Core Capabilities
• Update quarterly at a minimum and before
every proposal submittal
• VetBiz.GOV
– SDVOB certification if selling to VA, State, or
Agency requirements
Register and Keep it Current
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Small Business Association (SBA)
Dynamic Search
– Most forget this step
– First or second place Contract Officers
go
• Your website is the other
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Know Your Target MarketYour Business Development Process
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Competitive Analysis
– Who buys what you sell
– What contract vehicles they use
– Who is your competition
– Who is selling your product or service now,
at what price, to whom
• Identify 3 - 5 ideal agencies
• Learn Agency budgets
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
•What keeps them awake at night
– Pain points
•What forces them to solve the problem
•Budget
•Current contractors
– Satisfied or not
•Solutions and Innovations they look for
•Any business trends or additional capabilities
needed
•Who are the decision makers
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• How Agencies spend their money
- USASpending.gov is one source of info
• Preferred contract vehicles
• Contract history
• Procurement cycles
• Procurement preferences
• Culture of contracting team
• Competitors/Incumbents
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Look 6 to 24 months in advance
• Dollar value in line with company
capabilities
• Partner with other firms
(small/medium/large)
• Be a subcontractor to get in the door
• Databases
– FedBizOps, GovWin, FedMine, BidSpeed,
Bloomberg Government, etc.
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Read/study agency strategic plans
– Whitehouse.gov/OMB
– Agency websites
• Attend Industry Days in the LOCAL area
• Visit agency OSDBU Offices
– (Office for Small/Disadvantaged Business
Utilization)
– Attend Outreach sessions
• LinkedIn – Identify the people
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Top 5 primary competitors?
• Top 5 partners?
– Not necessarily large businesses
– What about medium size?
– What about other small businesses?
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Learn the language
•Government has its own
•Create your own government dictionary
– FAR, GSA, RFI, RFP, etc.
•Read pertinent magazines and journals
– Federal Computer Week
– Government Computer News
– Government Executive
– Washington Technology Daily
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
The Right Message
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
The Right Message
• Must be consistent throughout the
company
- Website, marketing, presentations, etc.
• Based on problem, solution and results
• Think in terms of WII-FM
- What’s In It For Me
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Elevator Pitch
• Short summation of what you do, what makes your firm unique and the problem you can solve
• Designed to capture the attention of your audience and show your value immediately
• Based upon Capability Statement and Agency’s needs
• Keep it updated and fresh
• Used company-wide
• Practice Practice Practice
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Capability Statement
• “Door opener” and main talking points for
a first meeting
• Provides the decision maker with the most
important information about your firm
• Clear and concise
• Reinforce it as much as possible.
• www.TargetGov.com has a really good
format and explanation
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Core Capabilities
• Establish what you do best
– No more than 3 to 5 specific areas of expertise
and specialization
– What problem do you solve for someone?
– What results do your customer get
• These set you apart from your peers
• Must be related to the prospect’s needs
• Becomes sources of competitive
advantage
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Key Differentiators
• How do you solve your prospect’s pain?
• How are you best suited for the needs of the agency or be a potential partner?
• What makes you stand out from the rest?
• Why is your solution better than any other?
• What really makes you different from all the other peddlers that your contact sees every day?
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Capability Statement - Format
• One, maybe two pages max
– Important info on the front
– Supporting data on the back
• To the point, no fluff
• Specifically related to your target’s needs
• Visually interesting
– Including company brand or logo
– Company colors and graphics
• Includes a POC – name, office number, cell number and email address
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
www.targetgov.com
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Capability Presentation
• No more than 10 slides
• No more than 6 bullets per slide
• No more than 6 words per bullet
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Capability Presentation
• Slide 1 – Who you are
– Qualifications and company data
• Slide 2 – Meeting objectives
• Slide 3 – Value proposition
• Slide 4 – Core capabilities
• Slide 5 – Key differentiators
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Capability Presentation
• Slide 6/7 – The opportunity to discuss or pain you solve
• Slide 8 – Past performance as it relates to the opportunity
• Slide 9 – Next steps and wrap up
• Slide 10 – Contact information
• Keep it updated and fresh
• Practice Practice Practice
• Presented by CEO, Senior BD Staff
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Consistency is key
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Have a Measurable Plan to
Deliver the Message
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Deliver your message- Over and over and over again
• Use the phone, email doesn’t work initially
• Use a multi-pronged approach– Agency Heads, C-level and Directors
– Project Managers• Control and manage the money
• Tougher to meet
– Contract Officers and Specialists• They handle procurements and manage contracts
• Easiest to see
– Influencers
– Users
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Meet with a minimum of 15 Government
people every 90 days
- Use your elevator pitch
- Use Capability Statement as your talking points
- Leave it as your hand out
- Tell them the pain you can solve and the results
- Ask about upcoming opportunities
- Talk in laymen’s terms, not techie
- Will take between 45 and 90 contacts to get
those 15 meetings
- Wear pastel colors
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Don’t forget Social Media
- LinkedIn is the primary
- Make sure key company executives and BD
staff are there
- Professional photo
- Proper profile
- Contact information
- Company page
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
• Qualify opportunities discussed
– Agency, Department, POC, Contact Info, Funding,
Timing, Incumbents, Competition, Type of
procurement
– Basic contact info
– Project details
– Customer intelligence
– Competitive intelligence
– Bid strategy
• Track status and measure results with metrics
– Simple spreadsheet or complex CRM system
– Spreadsheet, ACT, Salesforce, etc.
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© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
First meeting
– You are there to listen
– Present your capabilities using the Capability Statement –
tailored to the Agency
• Leave a copy with everyone at the meeting
– Then listen to what is being said. This is not about you.
– Generally no more than 30 minutes
– Set up a Capability Presentation
– No more than one hour
– Focus on how you can solve a particular problem and the results you
can achieve
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Have a Follow-Up Plan
• Quickly
• Frequently
• Email can work after the initial face-to-face, but
can be considered “Professional SPAM”
• Don’t assume the doors will open magically
• Typically takes between 7 and 30 “touches”
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Stay Focused on Your Goal
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Important Points to Remember
• It’s a long sales cycle
• Don’t be adversarial
• Be persistent
• Be patient
• Follow up
• Ask for referrals to other decision makers
• 85% of all executives (Government employees too) will visit your website before they make a buying decision
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Important Points to Remember
• Capability Statement is your primary communications device
– Should be the talking points as you introduce your firm
– It is also your “leave behind” document
– TargetGov.com for format
• Capability Presentation is the follow up
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
The number one reason
for little to no federal
revenue:
No Plan and No
Commitment
© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Recap
• Five Myths
• Steps to Improve
- Must be committed
- Must have a strategy and goals
- Must have a process
- Must have a consistent message
- Must have a plan
- Must identify a taget list of 3 to 5 agencies
- Must be properly registered and certified
- Must deliver the message
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© 2015 – NEVBRC / BPI SG
Contact Information:
Walter Wise
603-424-1191
www.bpi-calendar.us
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