Tag: mastermind monday

Mastermind Monday: 5 People You Need to Meet Using the Players and Layers Method

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Want to get in front of the right people sooner? Learn the Players and Layers Method and start knowing these five people you need to meet!

5 PEOPLE YOU NEED TO MEET

1. Small Business Specialist

These people are the easiest to meet because their responsibilities essentially include talking to industry people.

This is why these small business specialists go to a handful of conferences and are holding different outreach briefings. 

Apart from that, they are also the people that require their specific federal agency to reserve contracts for small businesses. 

Basically, their job is to meet small businesses and help answer questions about how to do business with that agency and what are the opportunities that these businesses can take advantage of. 

2. End Users

End users are the people who are defining the requirements on what are the products or services that will get purchased.

In this case, your end user is not a specific agency, but the people who are making the purchasing decision in that agency.

These people can be their program manager, their facilities manager, or any other individuals who have those long job titles.

In looking for these end users, you can just easily look for their job titles on that federal agency’s employee directory.  For others that don’t publish this directory, you can also look for these job titles on LinkedIn. 

Just remember that these end users will talk to you with regards to what they need. However, this will not happen if you don’t even want to get to know them and are just asking for bidding opportunities.

3. Primes

Prime contractors can either be your competitor or your competimate. 

In most cases, if you are a small business contractor, it is recommended to team up with the huge primes because like the end users, these people need to also meet a certain work percentage for small businesses.  

However, if you have been frustrated by large primes who take your paperwork and never call you back, then you might need to stop coming for them asking for a free handout.

Rather, start providing them value on what you can offer and not what you can get from them.

4. Contracting Officer

Contracting officers are the people who have the authority to manage and administer contracts and run competitions.

They have the legal authority to bind your company to the government in an agreement to provide products and services within a specific price and under specific terms and conditions. 

However, unlike small business specialists, these people can be hard to reach because they are risk averse.

Consider that they are holding contracts that are worth thousands or millions of dollars, so they are really careful in terms of the acquisition process as one mistake can lead to a lot of things that costs more than it’s worth. 

This is why you need to always take your time in building relationships with these people. 

5. Stakeholder

Stakeholders are the people who mainly lead a specific government agency. 

These people are the ones who make the big speeches at the conference, such as the base commander or the cabinet secretary.

However, they are not your buyer, so you should not talk to these stakeholders asking to be introduced to the specific people buying your products and services. 

“They care about your eyes and ears, but don’t beg them to award you things. It doesn’t work that way.”

ADVICE IN USING THE PLAYERS AND LAYERS METHOD

1. Take advantage of these agencies’ strategic plans.

Apart from a forecast list, almost every federal agency also publishes a strategic plan.

These are usually five year plans that highlight the language the agency uses to talk about their missions and their problems, aside from their spending priorities.

So, if you want to learn more about your specific federal buyer, then take advantage of these plans because this will enable you to come into the conversation speaking the language of that agency.

2. Lower these people’s risks.

Under the Federal  Acquisition Regulation part 13, contracting officers are encouraged to seek competition and to actively seek out offers from more than one contractor.

However, also consider that these decision-makers have so much on the line when they choose you, so perform the contract flawlessly and make sure that they get the best value. 

In fact, even on the market research phase, get their interest by providing your case studies, success stories, and those things that really show how you shine and why you can outperform your competition. 

What are those best values? What are those extraordinary things that are quantifiable?

This way, it makes it easier for them to choose you because you’ve been warming them for months on how you can lower their risks and increase their odds of success.

3. Identify the agency needs.

One way to identify your federal buyer’s needs is by looking at past federal contract data which will show you who’s buying products or services similar to yours.

The truth is your federal buyer may have already bought something like your product or service from someone who’s not you.

Now, there are a handful of variables why these agencies didn’t choose you. This might be due to your location, pricing, expertise, among others.  

However, instead of focusing on these reasons, why not put yourself in that individual federal human’s shoes and take a look at the people who are already supplying them? 

What do you think is the reason that they are doing business with huge companies like Deloitte? What do they find attractive in working with these companies which they can’t find in yours? 

Once you find out why, that’s your chance to reconsider your companies’ activities in building relationships with these people.

“These are real human beings. The way you approach them shows them that you’ve taken the time to get to know what’s happening in their world.”

4. Build a contact relationship management system.

When you are considering opportunities where you can bid, it is recommended that you start laying out a contract relationship management system of the people you know. 

In building this system, you can just easily use a spreadsheet to list down all of the industry and agency people you know and their website or contact information. 

Then, check who among that agency or company you’re missing or haven’t built a relationship with. 

You may or may not need to know the stakeholder, but you should know who they are and get a sense of how they’re shaping the needs of the organization.

“You want to make sure that if you’re going to bid something, you know you’ve got a contact, not just in the small business layer, but for sure, at the end user layer and at the contracting layer.”

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more about the players and layers method in order to meet the five key decision-makers above, then check our full Mastermind Monday video with Judy Bradt. 

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

5 People you need to meet & the Players and Layers Method

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo8_vSnvVVs&t=19s

Mastermind Monday: DOD Contractor Cybersecurity Requirements

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Adam Austin, CTO & Cybersecurity Lead of Totem Technologies, shares Department of Defense’s (DOD) Contractor Cybersecurity requirements!

RESTRICTIONS OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

When you win a huge contract, you have the freedom to share and brag a little bit about your numbers on social media. 

However, consider that there is some information in our contract that is not allowed to be shared in public. 

These include delivery orders, invoices, engineering drawings, and other technical information that is not publicly posted on sam.gov or any govcon database.

“All information generated by or for a contract that you would not publish to the general public, it can’t be on your website… on LinkedIn. You can’t be taking pictures of it and putting it on Instagram, Facebook. None of that.”

THE LIFE CYCLE DETERMINATION OF INFORMATION

Because we are working with different federal agencies, we need to consider that there is critical information that should not be read by the public. 

In order to make sure that this information is not publicly-shared, we need to analyze how we handle the information. 

We call this the life cycle determination. It helps determine the scope and the footprint of your IT system that has to be protected. 

The first thing to do is ask which agency did you receive this information from? Is it directly from the DOD, is it from the prime contractor, or do you generate it internally?

If you generate it internally, what IT components are being used and which of your staff members handle and generate this information?

Then, after receiving it, ask these questions: How do you store it? Do you store it on premise or in the cloud? How do you process it? Who comes in contact with it? Do you share it with 3rd parties, like your suppliers and vendors?

Finally, at the end of the information life cycle, how do you dispose of it? If it is on paper products, then you have to shred that paper. If it is on digital media, what do you do with those?

Once we have an idea or footprint of our IT system and where that information resides within our organization and how it’s handled, we can then look at the safeguards which we can use for our cybersecurity practices. 

“The very first step to our cybersecurity journey is to develop that catalog and then begin to manage that configuration to establish what looks normal in your environment.”

MSP AND MSSP

In order to make sure that we are following our cybersecurity practices and we are not leaking classified federal information, we should consider hiring MSPs and MSSPs? 

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) ensure that your IT systems are operational. Their jobs include the day to day IT stuff, like unlocking user accounts, resetting passwords, and managing your catalog of IT components. 

Meanwhile, Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) perform monitoring and maintain security operations analysis and security operations centers. They should be highly specialized in anomaly detection and incident response.

Most importantly, in hiring one, make sure that they at least have an idea of 800-171, DFARS, CMMC, and other federal government cybersecurity measures.

TARGET AT LEAST ONE LEVEL OF CCMC CERTIFICATION

 All DOD contractors will have to at least target a CMMC level 1 certification.

This includes lawn maintenance crews that mow the grass of the Pentagon or the waste management crews that have contracts to empty dumpsters at Idaho National Labs. 

We should target this because we all process some kind of contract information which is not available for the general public and deserve some minimum protections. 

Still, the level of CMMC you have to target depends on the type of information you process in your organization.

For instance, if you process controlled unclassified information, you’re gonna have to target CMMC level 3. 

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more about the DOD cybersecurity requirements for contractors, then check our full video below. 

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

DoD Contractor Cybersecurity requirements with Adam Austin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K_Man02VZQ

Mastermind Monday: Why are you scared to be in the arena?

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Don’t be afraid to build a relationship and bid on government contracts!

BE THE MAN IN THE ARENA

Do you know what ITA stands for? Well, this stands for In the Arena based off of Theodore Roosevelt’s quote which is called The Man in the Arena:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

The reason why we highlighted this quote is because we want to encourage all of you to get in the arena. Talk to people in your space. Talk to our podcast guests and if you’re similar to them, build a relationship with them.

However, the problem is people are trying to do everything alone. They’re an island by themselves.

They are sitting at home on their computer trying to price jobs, but have no one to overlook their mistakes and do things that are a must for bidding and overall govcon activities. 

Just take our very own Maria Martinez for example. She is a kindergarten teacher who has no govcon background, but when she dive into the arena and started building relationships with others, she succeeded and won multiple contracts. 

“She did not let people say, the cynics, tell her that she couldn’t do it. She tried. What happened when she tried? She succeeded… So again, in the arena. The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena.”

So, what are you going to do now? Well, you need to do the activities. And with this, we have some advice below. 

ADVICE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

1. Learn from people. 

When you jump into the marketplace without learning the basics, it is very easy to get in trouble. 

However, you can avoid this if you are studying from people who are living and breathing all of this stuff every day. 

We actually did have a student that won a contract but his price is 20,000 lower than the production cost. This is a huge problem. Good thing he was able to talk to the manufacturer about this, but what if he wasn’t?

“Learn from people. Listen, learn, learn, learn, first.”

2. Do your market research. 

The government buys everything. The thing is they don’t always buy it the same way that you’re thinking. 

For instance, if you have a specific niche service and you looked it up on FBO but nothing comes up, that service might have been bundled with other services. 

The key is to know where to do your market research and not just rely on things posted on beta.sam.

So, what you’ll do is look based on your NAICS or PSC code and go to USASpending, FPDS, or to similar platforms that showcase past procurement data.

3. Just do the activities.

You need to start doing your govcon activities. This means not just bidding but doing your business development. 

As said above, Maria Martinez didn’t just get lucky, she does the activities. So, what you need to do is to start reaching out to people and building relationships with them. 

4. Be a subcontractor.

In this marketplace, we always do this all the time that if we cannot win a contract as a prime, we’re contacting the prime to be their subcontractor.

The way we do this is we just call them up and tell them that we looked at the project that they won and that we’re all aware of the scope of work that it entails, and with that, we can execute a piece of that work.

8. Stick with the experts.

Stick with the people in your industry that are doing this every day. You can learn from them through our podcasts, but we highly recommend that you build a relationship with them as it is much better. 

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more about how to build a relationship and bid on government contracts, then check our full video below. 

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

Why are you scared when bidding government contracts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDrHSxbIPdU

 

MasterMind Monday: What could hold you back as an entrepreneur?

Posted on by Eric Coffie

What holds you back as an entrepreneur? Let’s find that out through this Mastermind Monday with our guest Emily Harman!

BE SELF-AWARE

As business owners, we all do a lot of things, but you should also take a break for some time. Don’t just push, push, and push. You should also realize the things that you need to do to strengthen your self-awareness. 

Consider that the best leaders are self-aware. They understand themselves and they assess the things that hold them back. And with that, they know what are the things needed for the growth of their business, as well as themselves. 

“I’ve spent the past almost two years… becoming a lot more self-aware, and understanding myself. And, you know, we’re always growing, we’re always expanding, we’re always evolving into a new version of ourselves.”

POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE AND YOU2

Positive Intelligence is a book and a coaching program that makes an assessment of what your top 10 saboteurs are. 

If you visit the website, it will tell you about your saboteurs and identify which you are stronger and weaker at. 

For instance, in Emily Harman’s case, she is an achiever, people pleaser, and restless. 

Knowing this is pretty important because by knowing your saboteurs, you can make changes on how you do things. Your hyper achiever self might push you to do more work, but what you really need is rest.

Besides, this can also be helpful in a team setting because by knowing what yours and others saboteurs are, you can make necessary changes on how you can deal with each other. 

Meanwhile, another book that you should also read is called You2 by Price Pritchett.

In this book, the author talks about watching a fly that is trying harder and harder to fly through the window, when really a few flaps of the wing down, the door is open.

That example can relate to how you run your company. You might have not accepted a handful of business partnerships thinking that they will just take advantage of you, when in fact they just want to help you grow. 

So, if you want to reassess how you do your business, read the resources above as these really answer the question, “Are you really seeing the other way to do it or are you just acting on your limiting beliefs?” 

ADVICE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

1. Know your ‘why.’

Knowing yourself and your ‘why’ is important, especially in this lucrative but challenging marketplace of government contracting. 

Are you just here to get rich quick or are you building generational wealth? 

If you’re thinking of the former, then it’s going to be very hard for you to lead a company in the long haul. However, if you think of the latter, then you can adjust your mindset and strategy to really achieve your goals. 

“Knowing yourself, and knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and knowing what your mind is telling you, and being aware of whether or not you’re listening to your mind is all really important stuff.”

2. Be with people who point out the truth.

Be with people who won’t just say ‘yes’ to everything you do and ask. These people should be able to point out the truth and the things that you did wrong. 

This is pretty important because you’re building a business. You don’t need people who always say yes. Rather, you need people who will tell you things that could have been done better. 

This way, you know what not to do next and what you should focus on. 

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more about what is holding you back as an entrepreneur, then check our full Mastermind Monday video with Emily Harman.

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

What could hold you back as an entrepreneur?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DcxuHQF6Gg

MasterMind Monday: How to Prepare for Your Call and Get Invited Back?

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Learn how to prepare for your call and get invited back in this blog highlight of our second Mastermind Monday video!

GETTING THE FEDERAL BUYER’S ATTENTION IS NOT EASY

Winning contracts in the federal marketplace is a long cycle and it can really be disheartening for the folks who never experience success because they expect something to happen in the first few months. 

As Carrie Fisher said, “Instant gratification takes too long,” and if that resonates with you, then the federal market is not your happy place.  

Why is this? Because getting your federal buyer’s attention is not easy.  The federal buyer needs to trust you.

“All the contract door openers in the world can’t do that, if you haven’t done the work to win and earn the real trust.”

With this in mind, you need to consider the fact that getting in a meeting with the federal buyer is just the first step, the real win is to get invited back. 

So, how can you stay committed and stay engaged in the effort of winning the federal business when nothing seems to happen for the longest time? Continue reading this blog. 

THE FEDERAL BUYER DOESN’T RETURN MY CALL

When someone doesn’t return your calls, our brains start to make up answers that they’re not interested in your product or they have already found other people, among other things. 

However, the only reason is if they didn’t call you back. Until you talk to them, you have no way of knowing what happened to your inquiries. 

“The only thing you can know when your federal buyer is not returning your calls is that they didn’t return your calls.”

Remember, in a really distracted universe, when everybody and everything is vying for your attention, it can take 15 to 30 instances to get from contact to contract.

THINGS TO DO TO GET THE FEDERAL BUYER’S ATTENTION

1. Think in very human terms. 

When somebody is trying to sell you something, but they don’t know about you and your company, what would you feel?

Remember, we are humans, and so are your federal buyers; so grasp the concept of thinking generously in very human terms about the person you’re trying to reach.

“If you’re too busy to learn about your federal buyer, they sure don’t have time to learn about you.”

2. Experiment.

It can take from 15 to 30 instances to get from contact to your first contract, so don’t just stop after a few call.

With this, you also need to consider experimenting how you communicate with them and what time of the day. 

Remember, as business owners, we are open to take calls every time, so let’s also consider that towards our federal buyer. 

3. Dress the part. 

Are your online profiles well-alined? Is the information about your business the same as it was written in the SAM database?

Consider that your average federal buyer checks you out 12 times online before they have the first contact with you, so if your online profiles are not aligned, that might be the reason they don’t respond to your calls. 

Remember, you want to be taken seriously as a federal contractor, so you should dress for the occasion and this includes your online wardrobe.

“When you’re showing off in the federal arena, your electronic wardrobe also matters.”

4. Pay attention to customer experience. 

Pay attention to the experience that you’re giving somebody when you are wooing them. 

What is going on for them? How could I be of service to them? What happens when we treat marketing and sales as acts of service? 

“Give somebody the quality of experience when you’re wooing them that they’re gonna start to believe that you’re going to continue to give them when they say yes.”

5. Solve small problems.

As small businesses, you might not have the huge capabilities that are needed in million-dollar contracts.

In this case, why not solve small government problems? There are state and local contract opportunities. If you are part of a set-aside, you can also do a joint venture or a partnership. 

The reason why these are recommended is the fact that this can help you in improving your past performance while also letting the federal buyer learn more about you. 

“Somebody who has already done business with you is more likely to do business with you again than somebody who has never heard of you.

HERE’S OUR CHECKLISTS TO HELP YOU!

Every profession has their own checklist in every process that they follow. This is also the same in meeting your federal buyer.

With this in mind, here is the checklist in every stages of the process and the things to do:

Pre-meeting

    • Why: What are your goals? Why are you meeting with them? 
    • Who: Who’s gonna be there? Who’s gonna be the hosts, guests, speakers, and notetakers?
  • Where: Where or what platform? What location? What facility? 
  • How: How will you get there? What are the security, the clearance, rehearsals needed?
  • What: What are you gonna do? What is your agenda? What are the kinds of handouts you are allowed to have? What kind of equipment and media to use? 
  • Emergency: What are your backup plans? What will you do if the technology fails? What will you do if somebody doesn’t arrive? What would you do if you couldn’t get into the building? What would you do if the security clearance papers couldn’t get there? 

Meeting day

    • Final Checks: Check your technology and look for the point of contact upon arrival.
    • Where: Use the necessary transportation and arrive ahead of time. 
    • Who: Sign-in sheets are really important. Know who’s in the room.
    • What: Set up something that you can deliver in 10 minutes and consider the 60% of your time for Q&A, discussions, and engagement.
  • How:  Relax. Your federal buyer is just human. Be grateful and show empathy.

Follow-up

  • Who: Have an internal and agency debriefing. 
  • What: Send what you said you would. 
  • When: Send it when and how you said you would.
  • How: Send follow-up in a thorough manner and with gratitude. 

RESOURCES

No one is entitled to a federal contract, but you can earn the federal buyer’s trust. So, continue building their trust and wait for the response that will yield more contracts!

“I remember another story about calling them. Calling, calling, and calling. And finally when they needed me, they called me more than I called them.”

If you want to learn more about how to prepare for your call and get invited back, then check our full Mastermind Monday video with Judy Bradt. 

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

How to prepare for your call and get invited back with Judy Bradt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4-3y9RcOaM

Mastermind Monday: Stop Not Getting Paid in Construction

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Not getting paid in construction? Learn how to secure your rights with Ariela Wagner!

BACKGROUND

Ariela C. Wagner is the President of SunRay Construction Solutions, a documents service company helping suppliers and subcontractors throughout the United States to secure lien rights. 

“It’s okay to make mistakes and to fall down, but it’s not okay to not get back up.”

NOTICE TO OWNER, LIEN, AND BOND CLAIM REFRESHER

Before everything else, sending these notices is really important because this is a way to protect yourself into getting paid. 

Aside from that, it’s a professional thing to do because it lets your customer know that you are serious about getting paid on your terms and not their terms. 

However, consider that the period of time before the deadline of these notices and the names might be different depending on your state or locality, so, check those first. 

Notice to Owner

A notice to owner (NTO) secures your lien and or bond claim rights and must be sent within a specified period of time.

For instance, if you are providing furnishing services in the state of Florida, you only have 40 days to send your NTO.

The best business practice that you should do is to send your NTO as soon as possible. 

Claim of Lien

Claim of lien is a legal claim that you can do on private property. 

In the state of Florida, if you are not paid, you have 90 days to lien a private project that needs to record one.

Also, as long as you have sent your required preliminary notices,  then you can record your lien.

With this in mind, you cannot lien any public projects in the country due to what’s the government called sovereign immunity which means they’re immune to civil suits and you can’t take away their property. 

Consider that in order for you to secure your lien rights, you must send the NTO, as soon as you start the project; then, the claim of lien 90 days from the last day of your project. 

Claim on Bonds

Claims on Bonds, or what Tennessee called a notice of non-payment, is a claim that you can use to get paid by the prime when working with public projects.

This is just a reverse one for the lien which is for the equity interest in the property you’re foreclosing.

What’s a good example for this is working in a VA hospital. You only have 90 days, in the state of Florida, to send this claim from the last day you’re on the project.

If you do not have a direct contract with the general contractor, you should be sending NTO or notice to contractor on public projects.

Consider that in order for you to have bond claim rights, you must send this NTO as soon as you start the project. Then, the claim on bond is 90 days from the last day of your project. 

ADVICE FROM ARIELA WAGNER

1. You can’t ever take back your actions.

The biggest mistake you will never be able to take back  is your negative words and actions to a loved one when you’re stressed. 

You really want to be very cautious when you’re stressed out. Put yourself in a room, if you have to shut the door.

You just need to calm down because it’s just in a millisecond. Don’t be in a rush to say something or make a decision because a mistake can happen in millisecond, and you don’t want that to happen. 

“I can tell you that you’re going to make mistakes, but like I said in the very beginning, ‘You fall seven times, you get up eight.’ But you can’t take back with your loved ones, with your employees, with people who you’ve never met before. You can never take back your words or your actions.”

2. Ask others’ opinions.

You’re going to make mistakes in business, but certainly put together an intelligent plan. 

If you don’t know what you’re doing and you don’t know the answers to something, don’t make the decision on your own. Ask intelligent people to help you. 

“If you ask an idiot their opinion, you’re gonna get an idiot’s response. If you ask an intelligent person their opinion, you’re going to get an intelligent response.”

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more about getting paid in construction by securing your rights, then check our full video with Ariela Wagner.

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

Stop Not getting paid in construction??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyLSw92tWZg&t=4345s

Mastermind Monday: What is a Micro-Purchase and How to Use These?

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Here’s what you need to know about micro-purchase and how to use these to let a federal buyer purchase up to $10,000 from you!

MICRO PURCHASE

A warranted federal contracting officer or someone with buying authority may purchase goods or services through a credit card worth up to the value of $10,000.

These things are called micro-purchases. It can be anything— from cutting grasses to a lunch and learn session.

This even happens with virtually no competition, no small business set aside, and the Buy American Act does not apply.

“The people want to make it easy— to give you a little bit of a try to do a project that they don’t have to run a big fancy competition for.”

So, why is this relevant? 

Well, as a small business or a business that is just new in the federal marketplace, the chance is so low for you to win a huge contract because you have no past performance yet. 

The good thing with these micro-purchases is these are the ones that most big contractors don’t look at.

Apart from that, the federal buyer is also encouraged to award these contracts to local suppliers.

Let’s say you provide interior painting services. If you’re close to a federal installation or an agency that buys your specific service, then you can talk to this federal buyer and be directly given the job. 

Most importantly, consider that business begets more business. A specific buyer won’t give you large contracts, if they don’t know that you can execute it well. 

So, what should you do? Take advantage of the micro-purchases and show the end user that there’s a low to no risk working with you. 

NUMBER ONE SECRET TO WIN MICRO PURCHASES

The number one thing you need to win a micro purchase is your phone.

Here’s what you need to do… leave a voicemail. 

It doesn’t have to be a two-minute voicemail. It can be a 30 second, with a maximum of one minute. 

With that in mind, make sure that you treat your voicemails like gold. Remember, you have 30 seconds of someone’s undivided attention. 

Most importantly, give it with the amount of loving care. Here’s an example voicemail for you:

“I’m so glad that we’re connected. So sorry I missed you. Here’s what it is that I’m calling about. It’s Colin calling with assessment services that you can use and the best value anywhere. Check your email, I’ve got details. Missed you today. I’m going to call you back Thursday at two. Talk to you soon.”

Then, once you make that voicemail, you make a note on your calendar and call them back. Pay attention to what time zone they’re in and call them when you say you will. 

Consider that you might have to reach them through voicemail many times before they answer your call, but just be patient and persistent. 

“You’re going to think about three or four different things that represent the best value that your company provides, what sets you apart, why are you memorable, why do they really want to talk to you.” 

THINGS TO CONSIDER IN TERMS OF MICRO PURCHASES

1. These are not posted.

Micro-purchases are not posted online or in any database; these only happen through conversations with the federal buyer. 

So, if you’re looking to do business at the micro-purchase level, you need to form a personal relationship with the players and layers of a specific agency. 

In most cases, you can first build a relationship with the small business specialist.

This person might not be able to lead you to the person with the micro-purchase power, but they can advocate and help fine tune your navigation in building relationships with the end user. 

2. These are location-specific.

Micro-purchases are location specific because you’re delivering a product or a service to a specific location.

3. These don’t need fancy agreements. 

Micro-purchases don’t need a contract agreement because the exchange about a specific purchase mostly happens through email or by conversation. 

Still, if you want to use an agreement for some purposes, you can download an agreement for micro-purchases online. 

ADVICE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

1. Find someone with a specific need.

Behind every contract agreement is a real federal human who has everything on the line when they choose you. 

So, if you want to sell a specific service, start close to home and find someone with a specific need. 

Consider that if you have never sold to anyone in the federal government before, they’re going to want to see that you’ve sold the product or the service to another organization or customer that has a size and scale of requirement really similar to theirs.

2. Take time to know your federal buyer.

2.1 million federal employees are already on LinkedIn, so why not start with that to learn more about them and build relationships with them? 

Consider that this is a great time to do this because once the fourth quarter of the fiscal year starts, your federal buyer may already be looking for companies to do some micro-purchase with. 

Also, a lot of information about federal contracts and your players and layers are publicly open, so take advantage of those.

3. You have to do the work. 

It’s critical that you invest your time and effort in learning government contracts and building relationships.

It’s not enough that you watch a 10-minute video and say you figured everything out because you still need to do the work. You have to watch the content and you have to apply it. 

“You can’t do half of the activity and expect to get the whole result.”

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more about what micro-purchase is and how to use this to your advantage, then check our full Mastermind Monday video with Judy Bradt. 

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

What is a micro purchase and how to use them?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhvAU8HfgRw

MasterMind Monday: Get in Front of Your Federal Buyer and Win!

Posted on by Eric Coffie

In this blog, we list our new MasterMind Monday highlights for you to get in front of your federal buyer and “win” in your meeting!

SET YOUR GOALS THIS 2021!

As the year 2021 starts, it’s also best to set your goals as early as now.

Also, aside from just wishing it on the stars, write these down and increase your odds of success.

You can write it on your notebook, on your phone, and anywhere else where you can see it. 

Also, if you think you need to change something in your goal, then you are free to change things. You can restructure it depending on your preference. Just be committed about what you’re doing and keep all your goals in mind. 

“When we start to process this stuff in our mind, we make a shift and we look at what we’re doing and we start doing things a little bit differently to create the lanes and the pathways, so these things can happen.”

LOOK AT CURRENT RULES AND REGULATIONS

Be your own pundit. Do your own detective work and make a guess. What do you think is gonna happen in your marketplace?

Consider what President Joe Biden said:

“Remember, our future cannot depend on the government alone. The ultimate solutions lie in the attitudes and the actions of the American people.”

This is where government contractors play a tremendous role. If you have seen the inauguration, the organizations that provided the scaffolding and helped in everything in the inauguration were government contractors. 

We ushered in that change too. We, as a community, were represented right there on that stage, whether it was your company specifically or not.

In terms of the new administration, remember that everyone is also trying to figure everything out. So, while new appointees are figuring certain rules and regulations that might matter to you, do your own research as well. 

There’s new rules coming out all the time that you’ve got to be aware of, so stay on top of these and remain compliant.

It is also recommended for you to follow budgets and agency forecasts. Luckily, these are published and can be seen by the public.

So, look at the data that are showing up in these reports and analyze your business strategies. Do you need to pivot? What companies are getting all the work and how you can work with them?

CHANGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK

1. LPTA

If the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) contracts are making you poor, then better check the recent changes made in the rule. 

Analyze why LPTA has been hurting your business and get to know the new rules. 

2. Pandemic Response

With the COVID-19 pandemic still terrorizing the world, you might need to check what are the federal government’s requirements related to pandemic response.

You might have the needed products and services that can help, so don’t just wait to quote something you see on SAM or anywhere online, go directly to the agencies needing it the most. 

Besides, what’s the worst thing that can happen aside from them saying no? So, call them up and say that you wanted to help. 

3. Telework and Virtual Outreach

The federal government is also doing virtual outreach, so take advantage of these activities. Find out the next one by contacting small business specialists and other decision-makers. 

Also, remember that most people are doing telework right now, so call your potential government agencies and provide them something of value while also building relationships with them. 

4. CCMC

Those of you who are in the IT industries and those who are doing business with the Department of Defense should already be tracking your Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CCMC).

You should also learn more about this matter and pay attention in order for you to become compliant. 

5. Diversity Inclusion Trainings

The prohibition on diversity inclusion training has been rescinded, so those that are developing these kinds of training are once again welcome and encouraged in the federal agencies.

FEDERAL CONTRACTING IS A RELATIONSHIP GAME

There’s no such thing as doing business with the government. There’s only doing business with people.

Remember, there’s a real federal human behind every federal agency who puts everything on the line when they choose you.

In fact, it is recommended for you to reach out to your local Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, your target agency’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), and other government decision-makers. 

Apart from that, why not work with other government contractors? If you are a small business, you really want to expand your network and work with primes. 

Consider that these primes also need to reach their subcontract requirements. They need subcontractors that are familiar in a specific facility and that can provide the product or service that they need to fulfill the overall contract. 

RESOURCES

In doing business in the federal marketplace, you should learn to be a detective. Track the changes in the govcon policies and analyze how these affect your business and the future.

If you want to learn more about how to get in front of your federal buyer, then check the full Mastermind Monday video with Judy Bradt. 

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

How to get in front of your Federal Buyer and “Win” your meeting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbLqQWtFiZE