1nbatopshotfan

Sales

Selling to the US government

Hey All

As luck would have it I've absorbed managing a federal gov sales rep. I know nothing about the space. Do you guys have any "cheat sheets" or resources to learn this space?

I don't need to be an expert by any means, just need to be able to effectively understand what this rep is saying.

Thanks in advance!

🧠 Advice

😎 Sales Skills

👑 Sales Strategy

25 comments

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CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Hi bb. Government accounts are political, each has their own rules, regulations, etc. Some have to go through a RFP process while others do not. Most are longer sales cycles. Read every tiny detail in bids and do not be afraid to protest. I'd sit with your rep and ask what's in their current pipeline and go from there.

1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

Awesome. One thing I’m having an issue with is to determine what’s in the reps control versus our partners. Also the fucking acronyms…

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Throw em at me and @LordOfWarwe have your back 💯

1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

So one thing I keep hearing is that because the US is in a continuing resolution, funds aren’t free to spend right now. Is that accurate? Can I just report that up and be done? Right now I’m just trusting my guy, but I have no clue at all.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Hmm. I sell my shit weekly in my state. To the government. Maybe it's localized? My products are also a need to have, and if I'm not around my competitors will be. Is this a specific account or all of this rep's territory?

LordOfWar

Tycoon

Blow it up

Your specific projects might not be funded as of yet, but the continuing resolution does allow for spending in the interim.

Best bet is to look for money that has not been spent in previous years as it often can rollover.

LordOfWar

Tycoon

Blow it up

Yup I'm selling right now to US fed/DoD. Money is there for the must-have stuff.

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

Bravado's Resident Asshole

@CuriousFoxMight be of help

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Can you also sit down with this rep and ask about the process, challenges faced, and how you can help? And what the rep thinks you should learn about the space?

1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

Great call. Starting with a cheat sheet on acronyms would be awesome.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

At the very least, the rep will know you’re invested in helping him out.

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Get on GSA. And look for other contract vehicles to jump on.

1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

Thanks! We are on the GSA.

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Often that’s all you need. But having some sort of procurement vehicle is also key.

BlueJays2591

Politicker

Federal Business Dev Director

Ive worked for or sold to the government for about 10 years and love it.

Depends on what they're selling and to who. Understanding the GTM (direct, prime, partner, distribution, etc). And unless it's an LPTA contract, it comes down to the best solution and not money because they have a horrible spending problem. We got beat out on a contract that the winning bid was $125M more than what we bid.
The government has some quirks to understand but once you do, it's so easy to sell to

activity

Politicker

VP, Business Development

Depends on what area of the government your rep is selling to. Just remember... no bribes!

LittleDoesThings

Executive

Account Executive

I have sold into the federal government before and just prepare yourself for a longer sales cycle. Don't be too hard on your reps. There is a lot of red tape to get through when selling to federal and state governments.

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

Sales Rep

Here are some tips I found

https://bravado.co/war-room/posts/government-sales

1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

Thanks!

FinanceEngineer

Politicker

Sr Director, sales and partnerships

You need to know the procurement cycle and when the money for a product/project needs to be spent by. Once you have that, you just need to get on a contract (extremely long cycle) or reach out to an existing vendor to get through on theirs.

LordOfWar

Tycoon

Blow it up

What are you selling?

Physical goods = GSA Advantage
Services and other = SAM.gov

Make sure your accreditations, banking, etc is all up to date and in good standing. Maybe ask for bank letters every 6 months, and make sure IRS is in good standing. Nothing pisses me off more than missing a bid because of some bureaucratic bullshit and those institutions never move fast enough when you need them to.

Although gov't should be agnostic, many departments still do buy based on preference and rapport. It could be as simple as them only sending invites or RFPs to known companies, so make sure your reps are getting in front of the buyers.

Many depts publish budgets and goals for the year, try and track those for your industry. For example: https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/federal-spending/

Also understand that procurements take a long time, almost all are over 6 months with some stretching over 18 months.

1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

This is great info. We are on the GSA so that’s helpful.

We also have to sell through a partner. So right now we have one that we rely on, but my gut tells me we should have more because more coverage would help, but I don’t know if going with one is the best strategy.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Damn it I wish I had dms

LordOfWar

Tycoon

Blow it up

More is always better, let them fight over it and have some skin in the game.

LightingLeader

Politicker

Specification Sales

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1nbatopshotfan

Selling to the US government

25 comments

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