You have a great product or service. Your price is where it needs to be. Perhaps you responded to an RFP once or you spent tons of time and money writing a proposal. Why aren't the orders coming in? You are probably are experiencing problems related to the three topics enumerated below:

• Getting in the door
• Distinguishing yourself once in the door
• Leveraging your position once you have a contact

Getting in the Door

To be successful in the federal market, a business must offer more than just a great product or service at a good price. You need an advocate inside the targeted agency who is convinced that buying from you is worth the risk of changing their current buying practices. You need to establish a personal relationship with the right person who can make the decision to use your product or service. Finding the right person to call requires patience and in-depth research. Getting your foot in the door and scheduling an appointment with the person can be even harder. Once you have the appointment, you have to find a way to distinguish yourself, gain his or her trust, and convince this person that you have the solution to their problem.

Distinguishing Yourself Once in the Door

You have connected with the right people. They have asked you for an oral presentation with their key decision makers. You have one chance to impress them and win their business. Do you have what it takes to distinguish yourself and outshine your competitors? Doing so is more an art than a science but, at a minimum, you must answer the target audience's three critical, unspoken questions in order to gain their rust and confidence in you.

Leveraging Your Position Once You Have a Contact You've made your first sale to the federal government. You see opportunities to sell more everywhere you look. You're frustrated because the growth you need isn't happening as quickly as it should. How can you increase your sales? What are the right steps to take to lock in your current position and to start winning more business?

When meeting with potential federal customers, you must make it clear to them that you understand their situation and you must provide them with a solution that they think will work. They don't really want to hear about your in-depth qualifications and top-quality staff. On the other hand, your corporate experience will be of great interest to them if you have solved their specific problem for someone else.

Learn more about getting through the door and distinguishing yourself by attending our new seminar series, the Federal Sales Win-Win-Win Series. This three-day, intensive federal sales camp will answer the following questions:

• How to develop a Value Statement which will result in your getting an appointment with the decision makers
• How to work with, and get through, the gatekeepers
• The three key questions you must answer in the initial sales meeting in order to be treated as more than a "potential vendor"
• The three key questions you must ask in the initial sales meeting that differentiate you from your competitors and establish your position as a trusted advisor.
• When and how to deliver whitepapers, follow-up information, proprietary information, proposals, etc.
• How to establish an initial contact through a prime contractor