Earnest Consulting Group

9 Ways to Act Like a Victim in Government Sales — and How to Avoid Them

April 27, 2025 | Government, Sunday Sales Spark

Government sales isn’t easy — and it’s not supposed to be. If you’re looking for a market where success comes with a participation trophy, you’re in the wrong place.

What separates the winners from the ones still “waiting for their big break” usually boils down to one thing: taking ownership.

Victim thinking in government sales will destroy you. Here’s how it sneaks in — and how to kill it before it kills your pipeline.

1. If Only I Had the Right Certification…

Victim Thinking: “If I was an SDVOSB, 8(a), WOSB — then doors would open automatically for me.”

Reality Check: More than half of businesses with certifications never win a single contract. Certifications are balancing differentiators not core differentiators.

What To Do Instead: Lead with your value. Solve real problems. Certifications should support your offer, not be your offer.

2. If Only Contracting Officers Would Call Me Back…

Victim Thinking: “I emailed once or twice and got ghosted. It doesn’t work.”

Reality Check: It often takes 4–7 touches to get your first meeting. Many won’t respond — ever.

What To Do Instead: Move on. There are 6,700+ other contracting offices. Stop waiting. Start building momentum elsewhere.

3. If Only the Right Opportunity Would Appear on SAM.gov…

Victim Thinking: “I check SAM every day. Nothing new. There’s just nothing out there for me.”

Reality Check: Only 10% of awards are posted on SAM. Ninety percent happen somewhere else.

What To Do Instead: Go outbound. Target buyers. Build relationships. Stop relying on scraps.

4. If Only I Had a GSA Schedule…

Victim Thinking: “A GSA Schedule would solve all my problems.”

Reality Check: More than 6,000 GSA contractors didn’t sell a penny last year.. The Schedule doesn’t win business — you do.

What To Do Instead: If you get a GSA Schedule, have a plan to leverage it. Don’t assume having one is enough even with the new administration’s plans to use GSA to streamline procurement.

5. If Only the Fourth Quarter Would Get Here…

Victim Thinking: “Q4 will save my year.”

Reality Check: While spending bumps slightly in Q4, it’s not a magic wand. If buyers don’t know you before July, you’re pretty much invisible when September comes.

What To Do Instead: Sell year-round. Build visibility before the mad dash.

6. If Only They Would Answer My Questions…

Victim Thinking: “I submitted questions during the proposal Q&A, and they didn’t address it thoroughly.. It’s not fair.”

Reality Check: Government buyers often may not answer certain questions because their counsel told them not to do so.

What To Do Instead: Gather your intelligence before the RFP is released so you don’t have to ask questions. When you do have one, make your best assumptions and move forward. Smart contractors win despite the noise, not because it’s quiet.

7. If Only They Would Extend the Due Date…

Victim Thinking: “I needed more time and they wouldn’t push the deadline. It’s rigged!”

Reality Check: Deadlines are deadlines. Planning for extensions also gives your competitors an extension which may suit them.

What To Do Instead: Get ready early. Control what you can control — speed, accuracy, and responsiveness.

8. If Only They Didn’t Rig It for the Incumbent…

Victim Thinking: “They wrote the RFP just for the incumbent. We never had a chance.”

Reality Check: Incumbents have an advantage — but whining about it won’t change anything. Newsflash: Incumbents still get beat so if the only reason you’re not bidding on something is because you’re not the incumbent, it will be hard to fill your pipeline with enough winnable opportunities.

What To Do Instead: Find opportunities before they hit the street. Build relationships early. Get in before the RFP is written.

9. If Only GAO Would Uphold My Protest…

Victim Thinking: “We’re going to protest. If GAO would just see how unfair it was, they’d overturn it and we’d win.”

Reality Check: Most protests fail. GAO denies the majority, and even when they sustain a protest, it rarely hands you the contract. Protesting out of frustration — not strategy — just wastes time and burns bridges.

What To Do Instead: Only protest when you have a clear, material legal basis. Otherwise, take the loss, learn from it, and get back to chasing the next real opportunity.

Wrapping Up

Victim thinking gives away your power. Winners find a way. Victims find an excuse.

Every “If Only” is a chance to blame something you can’t control — or to own the work that’s in front of you.

Choose wisely. Because the next contract is going to someone who didn’t make excuses.

Might as well be you.

If you like what you see in this article and are ready to get to work on increasing your product sales margins, click here to schedule a call with me. Let’s put together a plan that works