Targeting the US Federal Government with teleprospecting is much different than targeting the private sector. Here are several factors to consider when making your marketing plans for US Federal Government agencies:
- Know how the agencies that you are targeting buy. Do they buy using preset contracts? Are the contracts agency or government wide? Do they buy using a General Services Administration (GSA) schedule? Do they perform single or multi-award acquisitions?
- Know in which of these your company participates. You will build more credibility if you can quickly provide a straight answer regarding your company participation in specific contracts. However, if you don’t have experience in a contract, the next best thing is to be able to provide examples of your experiences that are similar in terms of process and complexity.
- Know which agencies already buy from you. Additionally, having examples of the agencies that are already your customers will provide added credibility, and can entice a decision-maker to move forward in discussions with your company.
- Know buying cycles and map your teleprospecting plan accordingly. The US Federal Government fiscal year is from October 1 through September 31. The majority of spending (67%) occurs in August & September. Very little spending occurs during October through December as that is when the planning of the year budget happens. The rest is spread out over the remaining months. From a teleprospecting perspective, we recommend ramping up lead generation efforts in the spring and early summer as that typically when IT managers and directors are submitting requests for their buying cycle. Additionally, targeting in August & September will likely produce