MARKETING
change at some point making it no longer a As for budgets, it’s a better use of your money
viable opportunity; and 4) a procurement may
to identify and pre-market fewer opportunities
be delayed.
than to bid on whatever comes through the
door. Just because someone in the agency or a
This is the most important thing to remember:
teaming partner thinks an opportunity is right
you have a better chance of winning
for your company doesn’t mean it is. We’ll talk
about making effective bid/no-bid decisions
something if the agency knows who you are
in a future article, but for now, we’ll say that all
before they receive your proposal. This has
resources (money, people, hours in the day) are
been proven time and time again by successful
limited, and they should be spent where the
contractors, but for some reason many potential for a positive result is the greatest.
organizations spend a lot of money responding
to solicitations they have not pre-marketed; for
If you do decide to submit a proposal in
work they have no experience performing and
response to the government RFP, make sure to
read the entire RFP so you understand what
for agencies in which they have no contracts.
the government is looking for; not only in
The reasons we frequently hear include:
terms of the services/products to be supplied,
• We want to submit a proposal so the agency
but in terms of what information needs to be
knows us for future opportunities submitted as part of the proposal, how it needs
• We don’t have a budget for marketing or to
to be organized, and how the proposals will
hire someone to market
be evaluated. Remember that your proposal
• We were told by the agency/some other
serves as an example of the work that your
person that we should bid
company will do if you win the contract. If your
proposal is sloppy and doesn’t comply with
the requirements of the RFP, the government
These are not legitimate reasons to respond
will assume that your work will be sloppy and
to an RFP if you have not pre-marketed the
not meet their requirements. If your proposal is
opportunity. If you want the agency to know
complete, compliant, error- and typo-free, and
you, then you should set up a meeting with
professionally produced, the government will
the small business office or the appropriate
assume that your work under the contract will
program office; go to industry shows and be high quality as well. You never get a second
conferences attended by agency personnel;
chance to make a first impression!
get introduced by another contractor; or
become part of a team doing work at the
Molly K. Gimmel & Diana Dibble Kurcfeld are the owners of
Design To Delivery Inc, a government contracts consulting
agency. These are correct ways to build
firm based in Bethesda, MD. For more information, they can
relationships. be reached at 301.657.4440 or visit www.d2dinc.com.
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