Effective federal sales result from relationships with federal end-users and Contracting Officers. The steps in expanding a federal sales network should proceed in the following order. (Step 2 is by far the most important.)

1. Focus on a few selected agencies where you have done business or who naturally buy what you sell. The key to federal sales is focus. Focus on select agencies, focus on existing customers, and focus on your competitor's end-users. Growth will occur naturally outside the targeted agencies based on your reputation and network of relationships.
   
2. Strengthen relationships with existing federal customers by meeting with them, understanding their problems, suggesting solutions, and asking for direct referrals to other end-users within their agencies and their counterparts in other agencies.
3. Poll your organization for employees that have done business with or have a personal relationship with federal end-users. Then use the relationship to set up meetings with the end-users, i.e., "warm calls".
4. Find the contracts held by your competitors and make cold calls to identify end-users and Contracting Officers responsible for the competitors’ contracts.
5. Bid (selectively) on Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts advertised by your target agencies.
6. Establish relationships with business partners (prime contractors and small businesses). This is a slow and gradual process and is accomplished primarily by attending industry events (both private and government) and using your network contacts.

Learn more about selling to the government from Richard White, Fedmarket's founder and CEO. Mr. White will be teaching "Federal Sales 101: Winning Government Business" this fall in Las Vegas, NV and the Washington, D.C. area.

This newsletter is an excerpt from Mr. White's recent e-Book "Government Contracting for Donkeys" you may download your free copy here.

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