Being A Government Contractor Is Lucrative
One of the best ways to expand your business and have a secure lifeline in unexpected rough times is to become a government contractor. The United States government is one of the most powerful consumers of goods and services in the world. This is a 500 hundred billion dollar industry that is required to set aside at least 23 percent of these contracts specifically for small businesses.
A Fantastic Presentation Is The Key To Success
Having a good presentation is vital to winning over the federal government. You want to be able to make an excellent impression that goes beyond just having a great price point. It is important to understand that this is not your typical business client. Because of the presentation to the United States is so different from presenting to other businesses, many companies get flustered. Let us guide you through this often intimidating process.
Be Prepared To Give An Oral Presentation
Oral presentations are very common for companies who want to work for the United States government. This is not going to be your typical audience. You might not get the greeting and niceties that usually come with this type of business meeting. The government employees are not allowed to react to anything that is said. You should be used to seeing no feedback until the question and answer period.
You Still Need To Make Yourself Stand Out
The federal government will be watching many groups of people from various other companies. They have a point system and award the contract to the business that scores the most points. The government will often see the basic material being presented numerous times. It is important that your presentation is unique and memorable in a positive way. Your company really needs to catch their attention.
The Three Steps
All federal government presentations have three distinct informational phases:
- The people who will work on the project
- The project’s management
- The company’s problem-solving abilities.
People
The first phase is when you will talk about the team that will be working on the project. You need to mention the key hands-on personnel who will be directly involved and working with the government.
This is not the time to just name off people and recite their resumes. You have already listed each person’s qualifications, background, education, and experience in the written proposal. Now your company needs to give the federal government true insight into the people who are going to be performing essential tasks.
Have the key team members speak for themselves. Let the government get to really know about how passionate and motivated your people are to win this particular contract. This is the time to bring up any special skills or experience that can not be easily gleaned from a piece of paper. Many companies that present orals to the federal government never go beyond what they supplied in the written proposal, which is a great way to be forgotten.
Project Management
It is important to highlight these considerations into the next phase:
- How is your organization set up?
- How are you set up to handle problems?
- Who are the players who handle problems?
- How does your organization fit together?
- How do you draw on other strategic alliances or subcontractors?
- How does everyone, internally and externally, work together?
- What are some of your established processes?
- Tell them how you handled similar projects.
This is where you explain how your past experiences have prepared you for success in the present circumstances. Do not present this material in a manner that could be boring or humdrum. Your company really needs to exude excitement about the organization and show your passion for the project. You need to talk about not only each individual’s commitment to the project but also how the organization as a whole and the management team is committed to ensuring the highest quality of performance.
Problem Solving
This is the most important phase of the whole presentation and the place where organizations often lose the most points.
The problem-solving phase will consist of the federal government will present you with a possible problem, give you some time to discuss the problem, and ask questions, and then they’ll watch how you solve the problem. You should realize that the federal government doesn’t care what your final solution is; they care about your approach to the problem. They’re watching how you solve problems and how you work together as a team. You should practice problems solving simulations on a daily basis at least two weeks before you head into the presentation. The more you practice problem-solving, the better you’ll do as a team.
Innovation Is Key
The government needs to be very careful about how they handle money that is provided by taxpayers. They are tasked with making sure that things go smoothly and no unnecessary risks are taken. This is a great opportunity for a small business that prides itself on finding innovative solutions to age-old problems.
The United States government is open to fresh perspectives and ideas that can streamline their systems or save them money. Do not be afraid to think outside the box when you bid for government contracts. Your new ways of doing things could be just the thing to make you stand apart from the other companies vying for the same opportunity. They are particularly keen to listen to ideas that have been proven in the private sector.
Remember SAM
SAM stands for System Award Management.
To do any business with the federal government, you must register your business in the System for Award Management directory. The government will not hire any type of business (large or small) that has not registered in the SAM directory.
Please read one of the helpful blog articles on our site like Everything You Need to Know About SAM for Small Businesses. These blogs will help give you all the information you need to understand how we can help make the process very easy for you. Sam Directory will happily guide you through this often confusing process. With our help, you will be able to be on the path to government subcontracting quickly and efficiently.