Most, but not all federal buyers, like working with GSA Schedule contracts. Federal buyers prefer to use GSA Schedule contracts because the buyers can:

• Purchase a product by consulting price lists on the GSA Advantage! online database
• Purchase services by issuing an electronic Request for Quote to three GSA Schedule vendors, rather than going through a public bid process
• Use best value considerations in selecting a vendor (using subjective factors like value or service considerations)

You heard it -- if you can convince a federal buyer that your product or service is superior to your competitor down the street, federal procurement rules encourage the end user to justify purchases based on "best value" considerations, not necessarily lowest price justifications. For this reason, GSA Schedules are a federal sales person's dream come true. The biggest problems from a sales perspective are getting in the door and convincing the contracting officer to use a Schedule contract to make the buy. This is where building a sales relationship with the federal end user becomes paramount.

The Vendor's Perspective

Vendors like GSA Schedule contracts for the same reasons that federal buyers like them. GSA Schedules:

• Reduce competition within the federal procurement rules
• Allow vendors to avoid a public bid, thereby saving vast sums of money that would have been spent writing a proposal
• Allow vendors to close a deal in a few weeks instead of months

Don't believe us. Ask your contracting officer what method he or she prefers to use to close deals with your company.