State & Local Connections Marketing Campaign

In this episode of FedBiz’5 we are discussing the importance of having a State & Local Connections Marketing Campaign, and the strategy to create market visibility for your business to state and local government buyers.

A great way to get started in government contracting is to start at the state and local level to help build your government-related resume. Many businesses see large dollar signs when they think about federal government contracting, but state and local contracting can be just as lucrative.

At the federal level, it is not always as easy as simply getting registered and then bid on a contract. That is because federal agencies buy from those contractors they know and trust. It can take time to develop these relationships as discussed in our Federal Connections podcast.

A primary consideration in establishing relationships and trust with federal buyers is your past performance. This helps buyers vet their contractors to know they can support and fulfill larger contracts.

Getting started on the state and local level, while pursuing micro-purchase awards and subcontracting opportunities allows more time to build up your contracting resume.

State and local government agencies like to keep award money within their economy. They like to hire people that are from their state and that are local small businesses in their area. There is also a better chance of meet and greets, local trade shows, and personal introductions to make inroads with state and local buyers.

So, getting in at the state and local level can be a good steppingstone because it builds that past performance that federal contractors look for. It can also create a significant sales channel for your business, especially when you do your research on historical data to find out who has fulfilled contracts or the purchase orders within your industry at the state and local level.

For example, who won past awards and who signed the purchase order? Market your business to that state or local official via email, phone calls, and be prepared with your capability statement. Your goal is to arrange a capabilities briefing to explain who you are and how you can fulfill the buyers needs in a one-on-one setting.

Once engaged with a contracting official let them know succinctly your core competencies, differentiators, past performance, socio-economic set-aside, etc. Be prepared for what questions might be asked of you and know what questions you should be asking them.

As with any relationship, you want to make a good first impression and create an ongoing dialog to develop into awards.

FedBiz Access offers Engagement Strategy sessions, as well as marketing packages to targeted buyers at the state and local government level with its State and Local Connections Package. FedBiz Access has 21 years of experience working with companies to help them win business by ensuring their engagement strategy, registrations and certifications are current, complete, and compliant.