GSA: How to Sell with a GSA Schedule

Selling with a GSA schedule requires the same fundamental approach as required for winning any federal contact. Realizing, of course, that having a schedule allows prospective and existing federal customers to buy from you with minimal competition, lead time, and red tape.

Use your federal customers (if any) to leverage more federal customers; the fundamental way all successful federal contractors develop business.

Getting the first federal customer is the hard part. Federal customers beget more federal customers. Several customers are ideal but one is enough.

Long range approach

• Find potential new customers through federal award database research.
• Making sales calls to potential new customers found through database research

Short range approach

• Bid on Request for Quotes sent to GSA schedule holders.
• Find the federal facilities near you (military base, office building,) and arrange meetings with the Contracting Division of the facility. Ask for introductions to end users who buy what you sell. Inform them of your GSA schedule contract, your capabilities, small business status, and request that they use your schedule to buy from you quickly and cheaply.

Federal sales are made the same as commercial sales are made, with federal twists and turns. A GSA schedule is a levered way to generate federal sales.

Call (888) 661-4094, Ext. 2, to arrange a complimentary telephone call with Richard White to discuss any aspect of GSA schedules.