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…

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,…

Just Lost a Bid and Want to Protest? Read This First!

December 13, 2023 | Government

Image taken from Canva Losing a bid can evoke negative emotions such as sadness, anger, rejection, and fear. These feelings may drive us to make irrational decisions both in our personal and professional lives. However, in the realm of government contracting, it can be beneficial to ask questions about why we failed to win the bid. It's recommended that companies gather as much information as possible regarding how the government evaluated their offer. This will help them to improve their response to future opportunities. Unfortunately, sometimes instead of learning from the experience, we tend to look for inconsistencies in the…

8 Essential Components of a Capabilities Brief

December 7, 2023 | Government

Image made in Canva When working in the government sector, it is expected to provide a Capabilities Brief as a part of the sales process. The number of slides in the presentation should generally be between 10 and 15, but the exact number will depend on who you are presenting to. For instance, a Small Business Liaison Officer (SBLO) may not require as much detail about the product or service as an end user. Therefore, it is recommended to have fewer slides in the presentation when presenting to an SBLO. Here is a table that outlines the eight essential components…

Mastering Government Sales Calls: Seven Essential Tactics for Success

November 29, 2023 | Government

Image from Canva Making successful phone calls to prospective buyers, especially in the government sector, can be challenging. Here is some fundamental guidance to help you navigate this task more effectively: Plan and Prioritize: Create a list of prospective buyers and rank them based on their potential value to your business. This helps you focus on the most promising leads first. Allocate specific times on your calendar for making these calls, treating them as important appointments. Also, don’t commit to making all your weekly calls in a one-time slot. If you aim to make 25 calls weekly, break it into…

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…

4 Biggest Mistakes Made In Government Business Development and How To Overcome Them

November 16, 2023 | Government

Image taken from Canva This table outlines key pitfalls in government sales strategies, such as insufficient market research, overreliance on bidding sites, and delayed sales strategies. It details the implications of each mistake and offers tailored solutions. This quick reference table is a resource for new and seasoned business developers alike, helping them in the effective decision-making and strategy formulation process.