Four Keys to Winning Federal Contracts “Pick your targets. Ignore the rest.” That advice for small companies seeking federal contracts comes from Leslie Steele, CEO of InterImage, a small IT consulting firm in Arlington, VA. Speaking at a conference in Washington sponsored by the market research firm Input, Steele listed four key strategies for winning contracts: Focus. “Define a few things you do well,” she counseled. “You feel like you’re closing doors by being too specific. The opposite is true.” She said small businesses lose credibility with potential customers if they claim to be experts in everything. Prioritize. Do your homework to find a few agencies whose needs fit your specialties, and concentrate on those targets. “Be persistent and be patient,” she said. “Sales take time.” She added, “A ‘no’ is almost as good as a ‘yes,’ because it teaches you when to stop wasting your time.” Compete. “Never lead with, ‘We are a small business, or 8(a) or disadvantaged, and we know you need to meet your targets.” Instead, listen to the potential customer’s needs and explain how you can meet them. Be passionate. Steele warns that there are no shortcuts and no magic bullets. “Small businesses can’t make the mistake of expecting the (agency) small business office to do our job for us,” she said. “They’re not going to give us contracts. They can give us information.” What business are you in? Murray Schooner, longtime director of supplier diversity for Unisys, a large prime contractor, posed that question at Set-Aside Alert’s Small Business Breakfast Oct. 22. “A lot of people don’t know what business they’re in,” he said. You’re in the business of marketing. “Marketing what? Yourself. “To whom? Another person. “How do you do that? Through relationships.”