Earnest Consulting Group

Six Fundamental Characteristics Of a Successful Capabilities Brief

April 18, 2024 | Government

Image made in Canva In the competitive world of government sales, a capabilities brief meeting can be a crucial moment for companies looking to impress potential agency customers or teaming partners with their strengths, expertise, and value propositions. However, to ensure success, careful planning, preparation, and execution are necessary. This article will examine the six essential characteristics for conducting a successful capabilities brief meeting, with practical tips and strategies for each process stage. 1. Compelling Presentation Deck: When preparing for a capabilities brief meeting, a visually appealing presentation deck is essential. Limit the deck to five to seven slides to…

Four Government Sales Steps for Medical Equipment Manufacturers and Distributors to Win More Awards

April 4, 2024 | Government

Image made in Canva Winning government customers can be a game-changer for manufacturers and distributors in medical equipment sales. Government sales can often be lucrative due to their short sales cycles and recession-proof nature, helping companies survive the ups and downs of commercial sales and the erratic replacement decisions of private and public sector health systems. However, navigating the complexities of government procurement requires a strategic approach tailored to the unique needs of this sector. It doesn’t start with bidding on everything and seeing what sticks. Instead, to emerge victorious in this competitive arena, here are the top three key…

Navigating 8(a) Graduation: 6 Key Sales Strategies

March 21, 2024 | Uncategorized

Image made in Canva As an 8(a) small business, graduation can be challenging. Your current customers likely tend to buy from 8(a) small businesses and don’t want to change that trend. However, with the right strategies, you can position yourself for continued success in the competitive federal marketplace. Here are six key sales strategies to consider as you approach 8(a) graduation: Focus on Sales-Related Activities: Increase your sales resources and focus most of your time on pre-acquisition activities, including making calls and emails, prospect meetings, industry days, conferences, and RFI submissions. Building a strong network will open doors to new…

The Shortest Game Plan Newsletter to Date

March 14, 2024 | Business Development, Self Help

Image made in Canva In this world of government sales, especially in the beginning, we must ensure we cheer others on. We can’t compare our success to others' success. We all have your game plan to win. Your path to winning will be different from others.. Here’s how I generally measure my overall progress. Self-awareness is critical with all of these. Did I do my absolute best? Was I true to myself? Did I lift others up along the way? Am I still an awesome husband and father to my family? The last one is crucial for me. If I…

Earnest Consulting Group Turns 9 Years Old: A Letter from Me to the Me of 2015

March 7, 2024 | Uncategorized

Image made in Canva March 1, 2023, marked the ninth anniversary of Earnest Consulting Group. Having been a successful business owner and government contractor, I thought it would be easy. I was wrong! One big difference is that this gig was my first as a solopreneur. To say I've learned a lot in the past years would be an understatement. To help others avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made, I’ve written a letter to the 2015 version of myself, with a recap of everything I wish I knew when I started. I hope this helps people start a new…

Growing Your Government Sales through Federal Access Advisor Group Coaching

March 1, 2024 | Uncategorized

Image made in Canva For about two years now, I have been a Certified Government Sales Coach through RSM Federal. Collectively, RSM Federal and our team of coaches have helped over 2000 companies win over 14 billion dollars worth of government contracts. I personally have over 20 years of experience in government contracting including spending the first 10 years of that time either owning or working for a company that was a prime contractor. As a team, our coaches at a minimum possess 20 years of government contracting experience. The Difference A main differentiator between us and others that work…

My Top Ten Most Useful Links for Government Sales

February 22, 2024 | Uncategorized

Image made in Canva Here are some important things to understand about this list. One, its not comprehensive. Two, they’re not in any specific order. I put them down as I thought about them. Three, this is my list. I” 'm sure other folks top ten will be different. So here they are: SAM.gov: This is your official gateway to federal contracting opportunities in three ways: Registering of your business is necessary to win a government contract. Use the SAM Databank to review award history. It takes some practice to master but a lot of competitive data can be found…

Six Insights From The SAM Databank To Enhance Your Government Sales Strategy.

February 4, 2024 | Government

Image made in Canva In government contracting, knowing your target market is crucial for success. Unfortunately, some companies sell lists of known government contracting officers and tell their customers to spam the entire list. It's the spray and pray method. Some just say its a numbers game. In my experience, this method doesn’t work in government sales. Fortunately, the System for Award Management (SAM) Databank offers information that can provide valuable insights for your government sales strategy. You only need access to the databank, which requires a login.gov username and password and a spreadsheet pivot table. I personally prefer Google…

8 Ways to Improve Your Business Operations in 2024 for Better Contract Delivery

January 17, 2024 | Business Development, Government

Image made in Canva In government contracting, awards are what we want. They stand as the benchmark of success. However, more than simply winning contracts is required; delivering on those contracts efficiently and effectively is equally crucial. I’ve seen too many companies win one and never win again. Some of this may be due to a lack of a sales strategy, but other times, they could not deliver on what they promised effectively. The back office plays a pivotal role in ensuring the successful execution of contract awards. Businesses should optimize their operations to streamline processes and enhance contract delivery.…

Top 10 Activities for Your 2024 Government Sales Strategy

January 10, 2024 | Government

Image made in Canva I haven’t seen too many Top Ten Lists since David Letterman retired, so I thought the advent of a new year deserved one. While ours may not be as funny as the Top Ten Prom Themes or Top Ten Rejected Crayola Crayon Colors, we hope they help you with your government sales strategy for 2024. So here you go! 10. Figure Out Who Buys What You Sell I’m not just discussing doing NAICS Code or PSC Code Research and looking at the department level. No. Use Keywords. Dig down to the agency and the contracting office,…