Earnest Consulting Group

Conferences go beyond the agenda.

February 10, 2026 | Business Development

Conferences go beyond the schedule. In government sales, they start weeks before registration opens. They end long after the last booth comes down. Winning in government sales starts with research. -Speakers. -Exhibitors. -Agencies. -Prime contractors. -Social media conversations. It starts with posting that you are attending, exhibiting, or speaking.. It starts with at least three meetings scheduled before you arrive. It starts with a prioritized list of booths to visit. It starts with a plan to collect business cards and enter every contact into your CRM. Then the conference ends and the work begins. -Follow up calls. -Follow up emails. -LinkedIn…

If Suffering is Part of Your Strategy, Something’s Broken

February 9, 2026 | Business Development, Leadership, Time Management

If Suffering is Part of Your Strategy, Something's Broken Don’t confuse this with discomfort. Discomfort is normal in government sales. Cold outreach. Learning a new agency. Walking into your first conference solo. Presenting to a contracting officer who has zero patience. That’s growth. Suffering is different. Suffering looks like this: 60 to 80 hour weeks Proposal after proposal with no lift. Back-to-back conferences. Constant travel. Client meetings stacked on top of each other. Contract startups that never seem to stabilize. And after months of it… nothing changes. Same pipeline stress. Same revenue pressure. Same fire drills. That’s not grinding. That’s…

What is the most valuable asset in government sales?

February 6, 2026 | Business Development

Here are the top five most valuable assets in government sales: 5. Process 4. Proposal Team 3. Past Performance 2. Perceived Value 1. Competitive Intelligence Five through two can shift based on a company's situation. Number one remains. Where are relationships? It's implied. The best competitive intelligence requires relationships. The best competitive intelligence comes from 80% human sources. Less than 20% publicly available. How are you cultivating your most valuable asset? Which one do you think is missing? …… Think someone would benefit from this content? Forward this message to them and have them sign up below! https://mailchi.mp/betteryourcompany.com/sign-up-for-newsletter

Unlock More Product Sales with These 4 Tactics and Strategies

April 2, 2025 | Business Development, Government

It’s easy to fall into the trap. You’ve got your SDVOSB or HUBZone certification, your SAM registration is active, and a brand name RFQ hits your inbox. You scramble to get a quote from the manufacturer and submit a bid. You’re excited—maybe this is your first win. But here’s the truth: if you’re chasing bids without a strategy, you’re just guessing—and in most cases, you’re giving up your margin just to be in the game. Winning product sales in the government space takes more than luck. It takes preparation, positioning, and knowing how to use the rules to your…

Seven Essential Strategies to Boost Government Sales Conversion Rates

May 17, 2024 | Business Development, Government

Image made in Canva Sales in any industry present unique challenges and opportunities. Certain strategies can give you an edge when selling to the federal government. In this article, we will explore seven proven tips for developing a successful sales strategy that stands out in this competitive landscape. 1. Find Out Who Buys What You Sell While sales are sales, a few things about sales to the Federal government are unique. One of those things is customer data is public record. So this means you can get a very good idea of which agency buys what you sell, which contracting…

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…

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.…

Six Things To Consider Before You Bid When You Don’t Have Past Performance

November 21, 2023 | Business Development, Government

Photo by simarik on Canva Companies new to government sales face challenges when entering the space. Success in this area hinges on an astute understanding of one's competitive advantages and a systematic approach to bid preparation. Simply saying, “This is exactly what we do,” isn’t enough. This article delineates six factors to consider before submitting a government contract bid. Have you completed comprehensive competitive pricing research? A fundamental step for prospective bidders is to ascertain the competitiveness of their pricing strategy. This necessitates a comprehensive analysis of prevailing market rates and a thorough understanding of governmental budgetary constraints for similar…

Treat Everyone as Your Customer: An Organizational Paradigm Shift

October 11, 2023 | Business Development, Communication, Self Help

Image taken from Adobe stock The notion of treating everyone as a customer began with me in 2011. Our organization deployed an employee opinion survey, and the business segment results I led were not good. On a 1-5 scale, with five being excellent, our company (more like me) received a 3.8 for “work environment,” which addressed cleanliness, equipment maintenance, having the proper equipment to do their work, and physical conditions (light, climate, and appearance). Since I was directly responsible for all of these items, it sent me a message that I was not adequately giving our employees the environment needed to…

7 Ways to Kick Off the New Fiscal Year with a Bang: #1 Don’t Wait Until October 1st!

September 21, 2023 | Business Development, Government, Time Management

Image taken from Shutterstock As the federal fiscal year-end draws near, proactive government contractors are already gearing up for FY’24. You must plan, strategize, and be several steps ahead to hit the ground running. I have shared seven critical efforts to ensure that you're prepared and in a prime position to maximize your government sales opportunities 1. Don’t Wait until October 1: The biggest mistake many make is waiting until after the new fiscal year begins or, for that matter, waiting until November or December. Some people think because historically, it's slow for new contracts to be released on the…