Back to Basics: Three Little Words By Peter Adler Seneca Creek Consulting You’ve heard it before, but here it is again: Focus, focus, focus. There can never be too much emphasis on this adage. It is absolutely essential for a small business to conduct its sales effort with this primary principle. Once a commitment is made to sell in the government market, a firm must establish its target agencies, programs, and/or teaming partners. The total number of government acquisitions and potential teaming partners is very large. Since no small to moderate-size contractor has vast sales and business development resources, it is essential that your firm establish a plan with a limited, manageable number of targeted entities. The temptation to chase every “opportunity” that appears in FedBizOpps, Input or Set-Aside Alert can be self-defeating. It is a far superior tactic to determine where your portfolio of solutions has the best fit and then pursue a finite number of acquisitions or programs that embody these requisite solutions. Knowing details about a program or a specific buying group within an agency markedly increases your probability of teaming with one of the numerous Tier 1 or Tier 2 integrators. The major prime contractors team with small business primarily because of a niche technical solution, past performance with the agency or because of its knowledge of the program or buyers within the agency. Without any one of these assets, your chances of teaming with a major prime contractor are greatly diminished. Sharpen your focus with intelligent, comprehensive research and planning. Once you have set your sights on well-identified targets based on these actions, focus on a relatively small number of opportunities and become the expert. This will put you in position to become the best candidate for contract award. For more information visit www.senecacreekconsulting.com