Stop Waiting for Set-Asides to Save You: 5 Better Ways to Compete in Today’s Market

July 27, 2025 | Sunday Sales Spark

Change is likely coming that will further diminish the power of socioeconomic set-asides. We’ve often said not to lean on them, they don’t communicate the value of your products and services. This is the time to fully pivot from building a business on that and start focusing on your value proposition.

With only a little over 3% of total federal dollars going to socioeconomic set-asides and that number expected to shrink, it’s clear that status alone won’t drive sustainable growth. It may help you check a box, but it won’t help you stand out.

Here are 5 better ways to compete in today’s market:

1. Lead With Outcomes, Not Status
   “We’re a woman-owned small business” isn’t a pitch, it’s a footnote. Instead, show what you’ve done. 55,000 users. 350% efficiency increase. 6 Fortune 500s. That’s what gets attention.

2. Map Your Value to the Mission
   Don’t just tell agencies what you do, connect it to what they’re trying to achieve. Help them hit their KPIs. Support their mandates. Solve the headaches that keep them from executing their mission.

3. Focus on High-Probability Buyers
   Use the data. If an agency doesn’t buy what you sell or only buys through channels you can’t access yet, move on. Go where the odds are in your favor.

4. Start With a Real List, Not a Dream List
   Your ideal customer isn’t the biggest spender. It’s the one who already buys what you offer. Build a list of 25–50 targets based on real purchasing behavior, not wishful thinking.

5. Own the Outreach
   The opportunities that show up on SAM are just 10% of the market. The other 90%? You’ll only find them through proactive engagement—calls, emails, relationship-building. This is where sales actually happens.

Status doesn’t sell. Value does. And the sooner you pivot, the stronger your sales foundation will be.

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

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