A 13-part installment series.
Richard White explains how federal sales are really transacted. 

Installment 13 - Conclusion

You must have a relationship to sell in the market; new people hit a glass wall when cold calling without an introduction.

The intense competition in the market and risk aversion cause buyers to not accept cold calls unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as - you are IBM, or you have a unique solution or product known to the buyer.

Work through your network and if you don't have one build one.

Richard White has 45 years of experience in federal contracting and has published three books on federal contracting:

• ROLLING THE DICE IN DC How the Federal Sales Game is Really Played (2006)
• GSA SCHEDULES The Shortest Path to Federal Sales Dollars (2008)
• CRACKING THE $500 BILLION FEDERAL MARKET The Small Business Guide to Federal Sales (2010)