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Military Agency Demand Drives Need for Client IT Software
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Situation: A $30 million software company based in California and specializing in property and asset management solutions was asked by a military agency to get a GSA Schedule Contract or risk losing an anticipated $2 million government contract. With over 300 employees worldwide and eight offices – five in the U.S., one in Canada and two in Europe, the President was forced to evaluate options of completing this process in-house or contracting outside experts. The choice was clear. |
Action Taken: Upon our client assessment, it was determined that quick action was needed to prepare and submit an offer to GSA to meet the military agency’s deadline. Analysis of the client sales history revealed software product pricing, which varied by module based on how and to whom it was sold. In addition, these modules were sold under multiple license conditions with supporting services and additional fees. As time was of the essence, a full-time dedicated effort was employed by both parties to prepare a comprehensive ‘Information Technology (IT)’ offer to GSA. |
Results: Our long-standing relationship with GSA, which cannot be underestimated, came into play as a request was made for a timely review, negotiation and award of this contract. A clear understanding of the political atmosphere at the GSA IT Acquisition Office and the submittal of a complete, easy-to-read offer for the contracting officer made the difference. A GSA IT contract was awarded in 60 days – a record time given the current average award timeline of 4-6 months.
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Minority, Woman-Owned, 8(a) Small Business Seeks Competitive Edge
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Situation: A $1.5 million minority, woman-owned, 8(a) small business based in Washington, DC wanted to further deepen their reach in the federal, state and local government markets. With a 10-year proven track record in management consulting particularly in the areas of evaluation research and policy analysis, training and technical assistance, information management and communications and events management, they clearly recognized the need for a GSA Schedule contract. In fact, their government clients were demanding it. Investing in the process of getting a GSA Schedule, while a significant financial commitment for this small business, could not be overlooked any longer. |
| Action Taken: A detailed, comprehensive proposal for the Management Oriented and Business Integrated Services (MOBIS) GSA Schedule was prepared. Specific emphasis was on the unique skills and qualifications, which this small business offered to government agencies. A visually attractive proposal designed to sell the small business in a “big business” way offered a negotiation advantage when discussing pricing with the GSA contracting officer (CO). The submitted offer told the ‘story’ of this small business in an easy-to-read comprehensive format while conveying a credible and confident message to the GSA CO. |
Results: The submitted offer delivered a MOBIS contract award with the desired results for this small business – (1) competitive pricing for government services which would not interfere with commercial practices and (2) flexibility to discount among labor category levels to better serve government clients. In addition, within 6-months of contract award, this small business was awarded a $500,000 contract from a government agency through their MOBIS schedule.
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Strategic Marketing Plan Helps Environmental Firm Target Key Clients
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| Situation: A $5.5 million environmental firm based in the state of Washington needed assistance in crafting a strategic marketing program designed to help them stand out in the crowd and capture a piece of the action in the government marketplace. The company wanted to invest their time and resources wisely with regard to their targeted marketing and sales efforts. With an established track record at the local and state government levels, the company recognized the need for experts experienced at creating a strategic marketing program tailored for the federal government. |
Action Taken: The first step involved successfully qualifying this company for an Environmental Services GSA Contract. While the contract was in negotiations with GSA, a strategic mindset for targeting the federal government began the process of formulating an action-oriented marketing program. Once the client’s business objectives were clearly defined, research was conducted to determine where the particular market opportunity existed for their environmental services. This was critical to avoid chasing after empty envelopes and allowing this company to focus on their ‘sweet spot’. A comprehensive marketing plan was developed to identify the strategic and tactical approach for gaining traction and penetrating the defined targeted opportunities. Allocation of internal resources and organizational support were identified as areas vital to success.
In addition, both revenue and non-revenue milestones were defined to lay the foundation for generating downstream return-on-investment (ROI). |
Results: The strategic federal marketing program implemented was the road map needed for this company to navigate its way through a daunting and complex market. The company has made significant penetration in the federal market and continues to build a successful and sustainable federal business. With each stage, the company continues to evolve its organizational structure, practices, support infrastructure, and market approach as necessary. This efficient approach allocates resources and investments wisely.
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