Successful Government Marketing: Differentiating Yourself from The Competition
While government marketing is different from B2B and B2C marketing and sales in a lot of ways, one thing isn’t different: The need to differentiate yourself from the competition. With so many companies all competing for the same contracts, particularly IDIQ contracts and tasks, it’s vital to find ways to make yourself stand out. This can even help you expand services rendered on an existing contract, which can be a wonderful way to boost your profits.
With our decades of experience at Asher in government marketing and sales, we’ve seen plenty of successful bids – and plenty of failures as well. Here are some tips for standing out when you make your proposals and present new task ideas to government customers.
Four Ways to Stand Out and Increase Your Contract Bid Successes
- Know the lingo and procedures.
Every government agency has their own internal processes, as well as their own distinctive set of jargon and acronyms. Learn these! Use them in your contract bids. It’s not just familiar to procurement teams, but it directly says, “We understand you and your processes.” This directly indicates you’ll be easy to work with and be able to conform to their internal needs.
- Specialize and be precise in your contract bids.
There’s an argument to be made for trying to be “all things to all people” at times in the private sector, but that will not fly in government marketing. Don’t overpromise, and don’t be vague. Be as precise -and concise as possible in your bids. Pitch exactly what you can do. Exaggeration and hyperbole will get you nowhere.
- Leverage any special status you might have.
Are you a small business? Are you owned and operated by women, minorities, or disabled veterans? There’s a good chance you qualify for special consideration – so use it. Almost all agencies will have quotas covering how many small businesses and other special categories they give contracts to per year.
- Constantly maintain face-to-face contacts.
Never rely solely on electronic communications, or it could backfire. Turnover in government procurement roles often exceeds 40% per year. You need to be constantly refreshing those contacts, and staying current on personnel changes, to ensure your name is recognized when you call or email.
Learn Top Strategies from Asher
We can help you succeed in government marketing! Contact us today to leverage our decades of experience.
