When I was 16 years old, I went to Washington DC to participate in a program called Close Up. Not only did several people in my group end up becoming celebrities, I learned a lot about how politics works both on and off the floor.
It was the first year of Hillary Clinton serving the state of New York. They were just leaving a committee session and a fellow freshman colleague of hers asked her how she knew so much. She laughed and told her that she was the First Lady of this country for eight whole years. She advised that the name of the game is not knowing what to ask but who to ask and that can be troubling because the federal government is so big.
Federal contracting can be the same way. I’m here to help with that.
Oh, I also have a Bill Clinton story that is very cool and shows how powerful the man is, but will leave that for the final paragraph just so you read what I have to say!
It’s Not Poker
Put your cards out on the table. Show them everything but how you make your product. You don’t owe them that. That being said, too much information is better than not enough. You are not selling to the federal government. You are providing them an opportunity to buy what you have and they are the biggest customer in the entire world. You want them on your books. They may need you on theirs. Especially, if you have a specifically unique product or they need to meet agency goals for the fiscal year.
Don’t fill out your paperwork just to get it done. Their solicitations are painstakingly detailed for a reason. Be painstakingly detailed back to them. Write a technical proposal even if you don’t have to. Write about your company history, the number of employees you have, the number of placements you’ve made, your management plan, your recruiting tactics, your payment practices, your awards and recognition practices, how you check for competency, what your turnover is and how you replace them as well as how you handle excused and unexcused absences.
When it comes to pricing data, be as current as possible. The spreadsheets that the government provides may appear daunting at first, but they are equipped with directions and definitions. Be as detailed as they are. Money matters. If you don’t have the price then you can’t play the game. In return, the government needs to know how that priced builds up to the fully loaded rate. That is called cost and certified pricing data. Some agencies negotiate it and some agencies don’t.
When it comes to negotiating, don’t be intimidated. You know your product and what it’s worth and you also have conducted market research to understand how your product plays in the Federal Market space. In short, you know more about what the government wants than they do but know that they hold the keys to the car because they have a phenomenal reputation and are the world’s premier power player. So, be nice but hold tight to what you know. Remember, the key to allowing the government to purchase your product is to be willing to sell five widgets for one dollar rather than one widget for five dollars. You’ll make a profit either way. Don’t be mad though because that isn’t the government strong arming you. That’s just the market dictating the price point and it’s a very huge market!
Mark Your Calendar
Not only do you need to save all of your documentation which includes revisions of your proposal as well as your award notice, you have several post-award requirements to attend to. Some are monthly in some agencies. Some are quarterly in some agencies. Some are annual in some agencies. Outlook has phenomenal functionality to do this for you.
Get Your Money Bag Ready
I’m not sure you know the power of the biggest buying market in the entire world. Simply being visible on GSA or having a reputation as a solid service provider for an agency gives you an opportunity to do more business and make more money than you potentially have ever dreamed of. Being visible on the GSA platform allows you to be seen by hundreds if not thousands of Contracting Officers all over the world. That’s not even counting knowledgeable veterans who contracted in the military and curious civilians who long to know what happens in our federal government and how they do things. Those people can buy open market. I know a female who buys military grade weaponry from the government and keeps it at home just because she can. Be aware on that though, because she gets regularly checked in with by the FBI.
I also have heard several stories from the desk and experienced myself on assigned projects that commercial companies can scrap their commercial plans and do business strictly with the government simply due to the fact that the government projects pay more in total. I’ve heard the shocking amazement in their voice when they figure this out. I’ve seen letters and emails from former colleagues showing inquiries of request to change contract data and information if applicable. You can explore the same opportunity!
Now you know who to ask. Now you know that I genuinely want you to succeed. This is how I establish a rapport with my clients, just as I established a rapport with my assigned vendors in the federal government. If you succeed using my knowledge, skills, ability and other services then I succeed. Even if you decide not to use my services then you still have access to the information that is shared within this blog post.
Now, the Bill Clinton story! First, a bonus story. In Close Up, I had the coolest group guide on the face of the Earth. Her name was Sabre and she knew everybody and everybody knew her. It didn’t matter if it was a Supreme Court Justice or a senator walking the halls. I know this because we got sent away from the Highest Court in the land when we open the door to listen to a hearing and the justices used her name. She also waved at Laura Bush and received a smile and a wave back as if they were going to lunch the next day. Now, the second bonus story. I don’t know who it was from DOD but he was in military uniform and scolded the dignitary he was talking to that he oversaw the entire aspect of federal contracting within the federal government and in no way was he going to settle for what he referred to as “Jehovah’s witnesses contracting“. Mind blown! Still is..
Now for Bill. Everybody thought he was walking the halls to support his wife. He just told everybody he was there to schmooze and catch up with old friends. He walked past a senator’s office in which the dignitary was speaking with a constituent in the front portion where the staffers usually sit. The senator was speaking to a disabled wheelchair-bound person who got fired from the National Park Service. The former employee could not maneuver around in the cubicle because maintenance continually super glued the office chair to the floor and the department Director refused to take disciplinary action or remove the chair from the cubicle. Clinton respectfully asked the senator if he could speak to the constituent. The constituent gave President Clinton the name and number of the department Director who fired them. Mr. Clinton promptly contacted the federal employee who abuse their power. Clinton promptly allowed the employee to properly identify themselves. Then Mr. Clinton promptly uttered the phrase made famous by a future colleague of his, “You’re fired!“ The federal employee retorted back, “You can’t do that! You are no longer in office!” Clinton just kindly said, “I can and I just did.” he left telling the senator that the best part about his actions was that the previous Director was a staunch conservative and that he would have his lawyers send over statute to send over to the Director in case any legal actions should arise. Then he just walked out of the door like he owned the place.
If you think I can help then email nicholas.s.robertson@outlook.com for your introductory email and free consultation.
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