The Government Sales Process: Selling to People

Government sales can seem intimidating. When people think of “the government” they often view it as a gigantic, faceless bureaucracy. The government is more strictly regulated than the private sector, which can also be daunting if you are unfamiliar with the regulations in question. These perceptions can make it difficult to know where to start your government sales process.

The important thing to remember when selling to government agencies is that at all levels the government is still run by people. These people have business needs just like your private sector clients do, and just like your private sector clients, they want those needs to be met as well, quickly and cheaply as possible. When a contract is awarded, it isn’t being awarded by “the government;” it’s being awarded by people. Keeping this in mind will go a long way toward making government sales a comfortable and rewarding prospect.

Selling to Government Agencies

Once you have found your target agencies to sell to, begin your government sales process right away. One of the biggest mistakes new contractors make is waiting for an RFP to be announced before starting their government sales process. It’s important to target agency personnel early on, so that you have already established a modicum of trust and a relationship with them by the time the RFP comes out. Not only that, but building relationships with government decision makers will keep your company fresh in mind for smaller purchases which may never go out to bid at all.

It can be a challenge to find the right agency personnel to talk to. One approach is to think of each government agency as its own private company. The people who work there are getting up and going to work each day just like in the private sector, and many of them have the same jobs they would at a private company. Office managers are a great example of this – they have similar supply needs to private companies and are often authorized to make smaller purchases without putting an RFP up for bid. However, government employees don’t always have the same title that they would at a private company, so getting to the decision maker can be tough. Contact information from a business intelligence company can help you find the conversation that will matter most. You can purchase a custom contact list with fresh, relevant contact information for your target agency personnel.

Relationship Selling and Government Sales

Getting that first sales call or marketing meeting is a big first step. Once you’ve got the ear of your target decision maker, remember that many of your top sales techniques will still work well when selling to government agencies. Relationship selling is all about positioning your company to meet the client’s needs. If you can make a solid impression on the decision maker and connect with him or her on a personal level, he or she will be more likely to think of you in the future, and perhaps even notify you of other opportunities. This is another advantage of starting to build relationships early in the government sales process: instead of focusing on one specific sale, you can focus on establishing a long-term relationship which, in the end, could be rewarding for both of you.

Focus on your value proposition: why should your company be chosen over its competitors? What makes you the best? Try to assess the agency’s needs and focus on them. The buyer won’t care what else your company can do if it doesn’t relate to his/her business needs. Finally, don’t forget to ask! Ask for the opportunity. If you don’t win your first contract, ask for referrals to other agencies. Ask “is there anything else I can do for you?” Ask them to keep you in mind for future contracts. Remember, it’s about the long-term relationship, not the short-term opportunity.

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