Lost connections, opportunities, and 3 things to do day 1 to change that
Back in my day (I can say that now, at 64 yrs old and 40+ years in gov’t sales), it was considered a FIREABLE offense to MISS an RFP, RFO, or RFI (RFx) that my technology company could have and should have competed on, AND, as important, NOT to uncover that an existing customer was considering the use of a non-advertised contract vehicle* to upgrade, extend maintenance, add integrated software, etc. As a major account salesperson, I wanted to and was expected to know thoroughly our customer and major accounts’ vision, budget, and intentions (along with a BUNCH of people involved and influencing procurements!).
FAST-FORWARD a bunch of years - In more recent times, our team (YBM staff AND our clients) are often puzzled (but not TOO unhappy!) when our most notable competition and often the incumbent vendor have seemingly not shown up during the procurement processes and have:
simply missed or have not taken part in the bid process and meetings,
provided no questions or became involved in any way, and
have not shown up on the “registered” vendor list.
According to the results and words of the agency, this has included incumbent vendors that have not put forth a compliant response and shown little effort.
We take any announcement and release of an RFx to mean the agency’s door is open to ideas and utilize questioning during the question process to determine if this is actually the case AND, in fact, a glowing opportunity for us! And if so, why NOT pursue these RFx’s and offer to those (bosses, partners, distributors, etc.) with a negative attitude towards these with some facts!
FACTS with exciting and recent contract awards in which the competition did not show and we were not the incumbent:
2,000+ user document imaging with project management and integration services at $500,000+ to a California top 20 school district with ongoing annual revenue at $35,000 plus IT add-ons.
300+ user system to Oregon’s 3rd largest county and home to the state capital in which the incumbent offered a “poor” response, and our team crafted a UNIQUE (no boilerplate mistakes, please) with a 40+ page response highlighting customer references, functional resumes, and impressing them with our plans and ”CARE in response” as our NOW NEW customer shared.
These are two examples of many awarded based on “best-value” and not low cost.
3 things we can do day 1 when RFx’s are released:
Day 1
(minute 1) - Connect with the buyers identified on the procurement. I enjoy thanking them for thinking of us (even though they may not have!), sending a thank you card - WAY old school - and for giving us the opportunity to compete, noting that a buyer’s process requires responses so we can take a little worry off their minds!
Engage immediately in the process of reading thoroughly the provided documents
Begin researching past procurements of the buying agency
The outcome of these 3 things to do day 1 allows our team to come up with relevant questions (often staggered over a few days but as many as are needed!) to assess and gain insights into the “attitude” of procurement as well as how we may, in fact, compete!
Day 2 plus
Continue by adding research into competitors, current and past price points, are products and / or software registered on product registration websites (another OFFENSE if I didn’t do that first!), and their possible unique strategies to further aid in our unique questioning and eventual proposed solution
Identify influencers and control agencies and possible connections and involvement
Attempt, through appropriate channels and questioning, to offer new ideas that MAY result in a too “RESTRICTIVE” specification change that may be a disadvantage OR may aid our response. (I.E., a suggestion to the buying agency to ask for technical certifications, more thorough references for a specific application, etc. This also aids in “attitude” assessment and a GO or NO GO decision)
Summary note
We like to encourage our Certified Small Business, DVBE, and even large enterprises clients to adopt a positive attitude that may include “it is our taxpayer right and obligation” to compete, to get in the mix, and the fight (not physically, of course), to “stir things up,” and to have our stories told - loud and clear. There is too much history of revenue obtainment for new vendors through the government’s competitive processes.
After all, would the agency go to bid if they did not have to? I think that is a GREAT question to ask the agency!
Also, offered as a sales and marketing reference as a MAJOR AGENCY WORKFLOW, please find included a one-page workflow created in 2009 for a NOW current TOP TEN Information Technology Goods and Services company (according to Industry Insider and their Insider Tools) as a documented strategy in getting to know your and major accounts!
PS. The “SOCIAL Wheel” was added some years later.
Feel free to email me with any questions and let me know if we can assist in any manner by emailing matthewk@ybmarketing.com.
*a reported 90% of procurements are unadvertised
