Win and Retain IDIQ Government Contracts by Being More Proactive
Few forms of government contract are more prized among private contractors than Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Supply contracts (IDIQ). IDIQ government contracts are incredibly lucrative, and can often set up a business for years of ongoing work tasks if they deliver great results. Winning those contracts, and then retaining them across multiple contract periods, is a major priority.
However, it’s not as easy as it once was. A few years ago, with the US in multiple wars, IDIQ government contracts could be a bit easier to obtain for some products and services. We have a war-weary public opposing many foreign interventions. Our President is more internally focused and cutting costs of government. Getting IDIQ contracts can be a lot more difficult.
One potential solution to this problem, which we suggest here at Asher Strategies, is to simply focus on being more proactive about your business development processes.
Getting More IDIQ Contracts as A Proactive Government Contractor
While certainly not universal, it’s common for government contractors to become a bit reactive – that is, watching for good opportunities on FedBizOpps or, with a good enough personal network, simply waiting to be told about upcoming opportunities. When there are fewer opportunities, such contractors will need to step up their game to keep the contracts coming in.
This means adopting “sales” tactics from the B2B and B2C realms, such as:
- Growing Customer Relationships
Don’t take your agency contacts for granted. Be willing to spend more time and money maintaining those relationships, growing them, and increasing your network of contacts. Otherwise, someone else may be wining-and-dining them under your nose.
- Upgrading Performance-Tracking Systems
How close of an eye do you keep on internal performance? You should be tracking everything via computer systems, and focusing on Key Performance Indicators to visualize your progress. This will help eliminate inefficiencies in your own operations, making you more attractive as a contractor and usually lowering your costs.
- Become More Collaborative Via Information-Sharing
Is your business development team still jealously guarding their contacts and refusing to share key information with each other? Does your marketing team often not know what sales is even doing? These traits may have been standard in the 20th Century, but they can be deadly today. Your internal culture should be more collaborative, focused on team efforts to bring in contracts.
Asher Strategies Can Help You Succeed
We know how government sales are changing – and we can teach you too!
