SHOULD YOU BE SELLING TO THE GOVERNMENT RIGHT NOW?

That is the question my clients began asking the day the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency by the U.S. government. Since then, we have gotten the same question from most clients, as well as every new business engagement at FedBiz Access.

Over these past few months, we have all been reacting to a changing work environment, and it is not business as usual. However, it is still business and your customers still need your help.

Should we be marketing right now? Has somebody moved the cheddar? Are those clean sweatpants? The answers are yes, yes, and no. If you think not, you may still be thinking about your customers all wrong.

Maybe you are considering which employees may be able to return to the office, or how to administer policies in a time of crisis. Are you are putting enough into new customer acquisition? Is your business plan off target? How will you grow? (The SBA offers guidance and resources to help small businesses through this time.)

It is not about how unsure you are feeling. It is about your customers. Should you wait until things return to ‘normal’?

A business exists because you have a service you think can help other companies or individuals. And you are right! Your advertising may help customers become familiar with your product, but the reason they buy is the solution you offer.

While customer needs may have changed, the fact that ‘needs’ exist hasn’t changed at all. Like your commercial business, business-to-government sales are built on relationships and those relationships are now more valuable than ever.

BE PROACTIVE IN YOUR OUTREACH:

During this time your digital marketing presence is even more important now to maintain consistent, reliable, repeat sales and create new channels of opportunity. Webinars, email campaigns, videos, and virtual events are now a critical way to maintain relationships when the days of hosted lunches and in-person meetings are temporarily in the past. Below are a few ways to sharpen your digital presence during this time so you can be selling to the government now.

Polish Your Digital Presence, including your website, directory profiles (such as FedBiz Connect), outgoing marketing, etc. Your digital registrations are now your ‘front door’. (Of course, one could argue this was true long ago, but is now more important than ever.)

Be sure your website is communicating everything your federal customer needs to find or identify, and is able to easily communicate back with you.   Also, get an SSL security certificate to ensure your message is visible to customers behind a secure firewall.

Examine your keywords and the coding as it appears on search results pages. Think about how federal customers will search for your business. If you cast a wide net… you can throw some crabs back. Otherwise you risk pulling up an empty net of fish.

Be smart about on-line tactics. Federal employees sit behind computer screens, and there has never been a better chance to reach this large audience specific to your business. Think about the best means you can reach out to customers in ways that are not just noise, but meaningful to them.

Remain calm. The situation we find ourselves in isn’t going to resolve anytime soon. While a few people will remember if you do it fast, everyone will remember if you do it right.

Keep your new opportunity pipeline going. It’s time to rethink customer needs and buying patterns across all categories. It’s time to think about the acceleration of federal spending and how injecting trillions of dollars into the economy will impact all businesses.

But, it’s not time to stop helping customers. It’s not time to stop telling your story. It’s definitely not time to stop selling to the government. 

The answer to the question posed is – YES.  FedBiz Access can help you establish your foundation with the federal government through your initial registration and certification filings, as well as market research to help you find the right buyers. 

FedBiz Access helps companies build a clear path from registration to award.

Rick Ferullo, Senior Contracting Consultant

[email protected] – (877) 258-4821