Column: Effective Marketing

by Lisa C. Smith, small business administrator, Kirlin Builders LLC

As the Small Business Administrator for my firm, I’m often the first point of contact for companies selling products or services. Too many times, we are contacted by firms that are offering products that we don’t use, which can be disappointing and frustrating for everyone. We want to hear about new solutions and innovative services, but they need to match our business and what we do, and who we serve.

When developing a marketing plan for your company’s products and services, there are some things that can help you be more effective at connecting with your target customer and getting positive results.

Research

• Understand what your target customer buys. Example: a construction firm is not looking for cyber-security, but they are looking for construction trades, A/E services, site work, landscaping, etc.
• Review government agency procurement forecasts (usually found on agency website) for new opportunities that fit your business/product model. You can also look for contracts coming up for renewal.
• Research previous awardees or current holders of contracts. Is the customer happy with their performance? What has worked for your customer in the past and what hasn’t? What can you provide to set you apart from the competition?
• Connect with the right purchasing people for your product(s)/service(s) and have marketing material geared toward what they buy.
• Send an introductory email focused on the customer, what they buy and request a meeting.

Marketing Materials

• Have Business Cards with current contact information;
• Have marketing material focused on the products and services your customer buys;
• Have at least three to five relevant (to what your customer buys) and recent (within a two- to three-year period) Past Performance References that your potential customer can call;
• Make sure your marketing literature shows your DUNS; TAX ID; CAGE Code; NAICS; CSI Divisions (construction companies) with a brief summary of your capabilities – a one-page, two-sided capability statement on nice paper is always a great leave-behind;
• Make sure you are registered in SAM.gov and if you are a small business, you also should be registered in the Small Business Administration’s Dynamic Small Business Search database;
• Have a website and email with a domain name. Social media sites (such as Facebook) often will be blocked by business firewalls, so having a domain a customer can reach adds credibility to your business presence.
• If you are giving a presentation, keep it brief: six to eight slides with bullets, focused on the customer and how your product fits their needs; where you have offered products in the past; and differentiators that set you apart from the competition.

Be professional

• Be on time for appointments, walk-throughs and site visits;
• Be prepared. Have materials organized in a way that makes it easy for you to set up. Limit handouts, or offer to send documents electronically as part of your strategy to stay connected and follow-up;
• Find out in advance who will be in the meeting, what they do and what’s a current issue they’d like solved, or what they’re hoping to get out of the meeting.
• Have an agenda and keep the meeting brief – 30 minutes or less, start to finish. Time is valuable and staying on topic is always appreciated. Be prepared, so that if the target customer initiates longer discussion, that’s usually a good sign!
• Remember the customer is evaluating how well you know them and is looking for solutions. Do not presume you’ll be handed a contract. You’re an unproven commodity, but you can always ask for an opportunity to be included in their bidding list, and/or to have an opportunity to provide a solution based proposal.

Follow-up

• Ask for information on registering as a preferred subcontractor or vendor;
• Respond to Sources Sought; Invitations for Bid (IFB); and Requests for Proposal. You went through the trouble to get invited; now be responsive. Even if you’re unable to bid, respond to the invitation with a valid reason, and ask to remain on the bidders list. But be cautious – too much lack of response may take you out of consideration for future opportunities.
• Stay in touch with your initial point of contact, and any Estimators, Purchasers and Project Managers you may have been introduced to.
• Make sure your company profile is always current with your latest product offering and points of contact as you grow and expand so your customer is kept current with your progress.

Lisa C. Smith is the administrator – contracts and small business, for Kirlin Builders LLC. She can be reached at 301-315-7441 or lsmith@jjkllc.com. Subcontractors can prequalify for Construction opportunities at: http://www.jjkllc.com/subcontracting/opportunities.html

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Column: Effective Marketing

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