Government Says They Are Going to Buy Your Product? Not So Fast!

In previous weeks, we’ve discussed that it is important that you know what the entire process of selling to the government entails before deciding to make the investment and along with that, other details in the government selling process like how to find out if the government is currently spending , and if they are currently buying what you are selling. But what happens after the government has decided to buy what you are offering?

The government procurement process, unlike in the commercial world, is lengthy, multi-step and requires quite a bit of time and effort. While in the commercial sector, we look at this as a simple last step in the buying process, in the government sector it is a completely separate process that is unique unto itself and requires expertise to navigate correctly.  Why is this and why is this important to you if you plan to sell to the government?

The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FARs) essentially regulate how things are competed and govern how a procurement officer is supposed to conduct a purchase.  This may include significant amounts of additional research and compliance “box-checking” that needs to be accomplished before the procurement is completed. Because of this, one of the best ways you can ensure the process runs smoothly is to know exactly what each step entails and how not to delay any steps or derail the process once it has started.

A simple question to a procurement officer like “Are you going to buy my product today?” could land you on the bottom of their stack of procurement to-dos. Procurement officers usually have more to buy than they have time, so this is potentially a risky and procurement-ending move.

TCI’s reseller business team are experts in the government procurement process, knowing the ins and outs of selling to the government and how not to get pushed to the back of the room. With our U.S.-based and technically trained sales staff, we know exactly what questions to ask and when. Using a web-based social CRM, everyone stays in the loop in real-time, which allows for a great level of collaboration that is truly unheard of in the reseller industry.

The following chart graphically illustrates the potential steps involved, although it is well worth it to recognize that not all steps may be used during your procurement. But, you should still be well-schooled on what they entail.

TCI can help get your product sold to the government. Find out more, by visiting us at https://www.technicalcommunities.com/. Readers, what more would you like to know about selling to the government?