Sales Training Experts Mobile AL

While the debate on “government outsourcing” (the use of government contractors for “inherently governmental” work) goes on, the use of contractors in these roles grows. There just are not enough personnel in the government to do all the things that need to get done, and not enough to get them done well.

The key steps in the process of selling professional services to the government are:

• having the right personnel
• understanding the long-term nature of the sale
• setting your business development professional loose in the market to match your core strengths with current and emerging opportunities
• identifying the opportunities you can most likely win
• meeting with the key government and industry people involved in those opportunities and setting up meetings with your key staffers
• developing the relationships and establishing your area of expertise
• pursuing and capturing the business

While this is somewhat over-simplified, it is the basic process.

The government acquires services almost exclusively through contracts, including the GSA Schedule. There are literally hundreds of companies vying in each service category for this business. And once again, many companies sell only to government, and are quite experienced in pursuing this business. Therefore, it is quite competitive.

On the GSA Schedule, the main Schedule for services is MOBIS – Mission Oriented Business Integrated Services (Schedule 874). Here you will find:

• survey services
• acquisition management support (yes, the government gets help in procurement)
• consulting services
• facilitation services (facilitation and related decision support services to agencies
• training services (off-the-shelf or customized off-the-shelf training packages to meet specific agency needs related to management, organizational and business improvement services)
• support products used in support of services offered (including workbooks, training manuals, slides, videotapes, software programs, etc.)
• privatization support services and documentation (support, assistance and documentation generation required in the conduct of OMB Circular A-76)
• program integration and management services (services to manage and integrate various management and business improvement programs and projects that may or may not be the result of MOBIS recommendations). 

In order to become a provider of professional services to the government (Federal, state or local), there are several things you must consider.

First, understand that most professional service sales are long-cycle sales. These often require business development (BD) professionals as opposed to sales personnel. Good business development professionals s...