For several years my friend Richard Mackey of CapitalReps (www.CapitalReps.com) has provided the "top 100 Schedule 70" vendors list to me, and a few years back we started to see what the marketshare was for the Top 10, 25, 50 and 100.
The following info (in italics) is from an email Richard just sent me:
The decline in awardees is likely to GSA routinely termination contracts that have not sold $25k in the first two years or less than $100k after five-years.
In the last year, GSA has recognized the challenges to new GSA awardees and implemented the following:
1. Sales in first two-years after aware are expected to be $25k vs. $50k.
2. Requirement for each new awardee to complete GSA Pathway to Success Training http://webcast.gsa.gov/login.asp?lib=pn100381_gsa_pathways
3. Must have had two years of sales for the proposed products/services to the commercial or government sector (no start-ups).
4. Requires offerors to discuss how they plan to market their schedule, upon award in their submission package
Schedule 70 IT FY 2009 Schedule 70 IT
Top 25 Market Share 41.50%
Top 50 Market Share 54.20%
Top 100 Market Share 65.16%
Total Sales $15,713,948,624
Total Schedule 70 Awardees 5,333
Firms with Zero Sales 1,962 (36.78%)
As you can see, the top 100 took 65% of the $15.7 billion that passed through Schedule 70 in FY 2009, leaving 3,271 companies to split the remaining 35% (I removed the 1,962 companies that made $0). These percentages are very close to the FY 2008 results.
Apparently the top 100 do some things that others don't. My next article at www.Washingtontechnology.com will be addressing some of the things the Top 100 do that others should emulate.
Stay tuned!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Most popular story at Washington technology this week
Thank you for reading my stuff!
This is the 2nd time this month that my 700 word story at www.WashingtonTechnology.com has moved quickly into the "most viewed/most emailed" slot, this time within 16 hours after posting.
My article on B2G lead Generation (posted late in the afternoon on Jan 27) - http://washingtontechnology.com/Articles/2010/01/27/GWACs-Demand-Leads.aspx, is creating traffic for WT and some feedback for me.
On January 8, my article on using Washington Technology to identify likely connection targets at LinkedIn rose to the #1 spot and stayed there for 4 days! So thank you for that as well.
http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2010/01/08/social-media-top-100.aspx?sc_lang=en . That artiocle generate lots of comments for me and another 50 connections at LinkedIn as a direct result.
So, my question for any readers here is what B2G topics on sales, marketing and BD will keep you going to my articles there and my blog here?
Thanks again for reading my stuff!
This is the 2nd time this month that my 700 word story at www.WashingtonTechnology.com has moved quickly into the "most viewed/most emailed" slot, this time within 16 hours after posting.
My article on B2G lead Generation (posted late in the afternoon on Jan 27) - http://washingtontechnology.com/Articles/2010/01/27/GWACs-Demand-Leads.aspx, is creating traffic for WT and some feedback for me.
On January 8, my article on using Washington Technology to identify likely connection targets at LinkedIn rose to the #1 spot and stayed there for 4 days! So thank you for that as well.
http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2010/01/08/social-media-top-100.aspx?sc_lang=en . That artiocle generate lots of comments for me and another 50 connections at LinkedIn as a direct result.
So, my question for any readers here is what B2G topics on sales, marketing and BD will keep you going to my articles there and my blog here?
Thanks again for reading my stuff!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
LinkedIn Tip 14: Q and A, part 1
The Question and Answer feature at LinkedIn can be found on the top navigation bar by scrolling your mouse over “More” and selecting “Answers”. There are 22 major categories (listed on the right side of the “Answer” page), with most having several sub-categories. There are about 148 total categories and sub-categories for the Q&A.
There are several reasons to monitor and participate here. First, when you find categories germane to what you do, simply reading the questions and answers can be rewarding. Some pretty bright people both ask and answer questions. Second, if you need some research or different perspectives on a specific question, this is a great place to get new perspectives. Third, I have identified several people I wanted to connect to simply because of their answers.
This is part of a series I post in my groups at Linkedin. If anyone is interested in the other tips - simply let me know here. From now on all the tips will be posted here and announced on LinkedIn.
There are several reasons to monitor and participate here. First, when you find categories germane to what you do, simply reading the questions and answers can be rewarding. Some pretty bright people both ask and answer questions. Second, if you need some research or different perspectives on a specific question, this is a great place to get new perspectives. Third, I have identified several people I wanted to connect to simply because of their answers.
This is part of a series I post in my groups at Linkedin. If anyone is interested in the other tips - simply let me know here. From now on all the tips will be posted here and announced on LinkedIn.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Amtower Off Center turns 4 (and Amtower & Company turns 26!)
Amtower Off Center turns 4! After completing 3 years at WFED, Federal News Radio – Amtower discusses his twenty-six years in the market as Amtower & Company (January 2010 starts his 26th year as Amtower & Co.- a double anniversary show). In an interview on In Depth with Francis Rose, Amtower talks about the dynamic nature of the government market, why B2G is different form B2B, common missteps companies make entering the market, the difference in the problems facing small, medium and large companies, what marketing methods can works, how market share can occur, the importance of differentiation, best marketing practices in the market, why ongoing education is critical in this market, why and how social networking is becoming a critical element in marketing programs, -all this plus classic Amtower anecdotes and more in a lively discussion with Francis Rose.
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=17&sid=1868948
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=17&sid=1868948
Friday, January 15, 2010
2010 forecast for THE FEDERAL, STATE, and MUNICIPAL MARKET- free webinar
This will provide great info for companies either in the government market, or those seeking to enter the government market in 2010. Real information from two experts Michael Balsam of Onvia and me) - and it is free.
https://onviaevents.ilinc.com/perl/ilinc/lms/register.pl?activity_id=vxbtzmt&user_id=
Here are the dollars:
$5.5 trillion a year.
$105 billion a week.
$15 billion a day.
$625 million an hour.
$10 million a minute.
$175,000 a second.
Spending by federal, state, and municipal governments now represents almost half of total U.S. GDP, and that percentage is expected to increase in the coming years.
Companies that ignore the government sector are significantly disadvantaged.
The Next Economy: 2010 Government Market Outlook Report and Webinar will give you the insight your business needs to capitalize on the enormous opportunity in the government marketplace.
Register to get industry insight on:
-Government investments in Infrastructure, Energy, and Information Technology - from regional health information networks and intelligent transportation systems to smart power grids
-Continued impact of Economic Recovery funding
-Subcontractor and supplier opportunities due to lower barriers of entry
-and much more
https://onviaevents.ilinc.com/perl/ilinc/lms/register.pl?activity_id=vxbtzmt&user_id=
https://onviaevents.ilinc.com/perl/ilinc/lms/register.pl?activity_id=vxbtzmt&user_id=
Here are the dollars:
$5.5 trillion a year.
$105 billion a week.
$15 billion a day.
$625 million an hour.
$10 million a minute.
$175,000 a second.
Spending by federal, state, and municipal governments now represents almost half of total U.S. GDP, and that percentage is expected to increase in the coming years.
Companies that ignore the government sector are significantly disadvantaged.
The Next Economy: 2010 Government Market Outlook Report and Webinar will give you the insight your business needs to capitalize on the enormous opportunity in the government marketplace.
Register to get industry insight on:
-Government investments in Infrastructure, Energy, and Information Technology - from regional health information networks and intelligent transportation systems to smart power grids
-Continued impact of Economic Recovery funding
-Subcontractor and supplier opportunities due to lower barriers of entry
-and much more
https://onviaevents.ilinc.com/perl/ilinc/lms/register.pl?activity_id=vxbtzmt&user_id=
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
SmartPay! The Federal Credit Card Program ROCKS!
I have been a huge fan of the federal credit card program since it started in 1989 (IMPAC in the 1990s, SmartPay since 1999) . I have written about it, spoken about it, even did the lunch speech at the MasterCard Government Financial Summit for the card program a couple years back.
The SmartPay program encompasses the purchase card, travel card, fleet card and the integrated card (a card which can do 2 or all 3 of the above functions).
In FY 2009 the Federal government spent $30 billion through the SmartPay program, with two-thirds of that going to the small purchase card - $19.9 billion. There were approximately 25,100,000 micro-purchases made with the SmartPay card.
The SmartPay program is great for many reasons.
First, it allows front line government personnel (civilian and military) to purchase goods and services when they need it without the painfully slow procurement process. The per-purchase limit (micro-purchase) is $3,000, so these people are not out there buying cars, buildings, etc. They are buying stuff they need to do their jobs. This actually ends up saving the government money (a cost-avoidance situation) because paper-based procurement costs mount up in personnel time used to do the procurement. The use of the SmartPay card avoids those costs.
Second, because of the total volume the government spends, each agency gets a rebate from the issuing bank.
Third, it allows companies without government contracts an opportunity to get some government business, including direct marketing companies, catalogers (especially BtoB catalogs), and even small-town main street type stores.
Any purchase under the $3,000 per-purchase limit (micro-purchase) does not require a government contract. And the SmartPay card can be used for the ARRA (stimulus) program.
I have consulted with over 50 open-market (non-contract) companies since the early 1990s about going after open market government business, and the results have been extraordinary. Several companies were able to ramp up to seven-figure annual business via the open market targeting micro-purchases. At least one company went into the eight-figure annual open market sales arena. My track record in this niche is unparalleled.
I have an article in the current DM News on this you can read here:http://www.dmnews.com/government-credit-hasnt-dried-up/article/160372/
For the next month or so (or until my calendar is really full), I am offering my own micro-purchase custom research project. Here's the deal for companies that don't currently sell to the government but want to, and for companies that are selling to the government and would like to fine tune their efforts.
We will:
1) review your product/service category to determine the spend, see who the competition is, and determine how much each competitor is making;
2) define who the actual buyers are and how to best reach your target audience (direct mail, web-based activity, events, etc) with specific recommendations targeted to your niche, prioritize the agencies and offices to target;
3) determine if there is an opportunity for you under the stimulus program, and what it will take to pursue the stimulus funds;
4) discuss in realistic terms the resources you will need to successfully pursue government (Federal, state and local) business, including staff, tarining and other outside resources;
5) our recommended step-by-step action plan for your company, including the information you need for your web site to attract online government buyers;
6) include a one-year membership at http://www.governmentmarketmaster.com/ (an Amtower & Company web site that provides ongoing education on the government market; $499/yr value) - in effect a year long graduate course in B2G;
and as a bonus I will include my 4 CD set, The Ultimate Government Sales Jumpstart Program (priced separately at $195). And of course a signed copy of Government Marketing Best Practices, the best selling book on doing business with the government.
This is not boilerplate stuff - each report and action plan is customized for the client company. It will be delivered via a taped 60-90 minute teleseminar (which you will be able to download) with both a written report with a recommended action plan and a PowerPoint to use during the call.
The investment for this a one-time only special is $2,995, prepaid (note that this price is UNDER the micro-purchase threshold - and this price will not last long!).
And we do take credit cards. This is a "first-come, first scheduled" offer.
Get in touch with me ASAP if you want to take advantage of this. The anticipated response will fill my calendar for the next couple months.
Email me @ Mark@FederalDirect.net or call me @ 301 924 0058
to schedule your customized B2G research project.
May you have a successful B2G 2010!
Mark
The SmartPay program encompasses the purchase card, travel card, fleet card and the integrated card (a card which can do 2 or all 3 of the above functions).
In FY 2009 the Federal government spent $30 billion through the SmartPay program, with two-thirds of that going to the small purchase card - $19.9 billion. There were approximately 25,100,000 micro-purchases made with the SmartPay card.
The SmartPay program is great for many reasons.
First, it allows front line government personnel (civilian and military) to purchase goods and services when they need it without the painfully slow procurement process. The per-purchase limit (micro-purchase) is $3,000, so these people are not out there buying cars, buildings, etc. They are buying stuff they need to do their jobs. This actually ends up saving the government money (a cost-avoidance situation) because paper-based procurement costs mount up in personnel time used to do the procurement. The use of the SmartPay card avoids those costs.
Second, because of the total volume the government spends, each agency gets a rebate from the issuing bank.
Third, it allows companies without government contracts an opportunity to get some government business, including direct marketing companies, catalogers (especially BtoB catalogs), and even small-town main street type stores.
Any purchase under the $3,000 per-purchase limit (micro-purchase) does not require a government contract. And the SmartPay card can be used for the ARRA (stimulus) program.
I have consulted with over 50 open-market (non-contract) companies since the early 1990s about going after open market government business, and the results have been extraordinary. Several companies were able to ramp up to seven-figure annual business via the open market targeting micro-purchases. At least one company went into the eight-figure annual open market sales arena. My track record in this niche is unparalleled.
I have an article in the current DM News on this you can read here:http://www.dmnews.com/government-credit-hasnt-dried-up/article/160372/
For the next month or so (or until my calendar is really full), I am offering my own micro-purchase custom research project. Here's the deal for companies that don't currently sell to the government but want to, and for companies that are selling to the government and would like to fine tune their efforts.
We will:
1) review your product/service category to determine the spend, see who the competition is, and determine how much each competitor is making;
2) define who the actual buyers are and how to best reach your target audience (direct mail, web-based activity, events, etc) with specific recommendations targeted to your niche, prioritize the agencies and offices to target;
3) determine if there is an opportunity for you under the stimulus program, and what it will take to pursue the stimulus funds;
4) discuss in realistic terms the resources you will need to successfully pursue government (Federal, state and local) business, including staff, tarining and other outside resources;
5) our recommended step-by-step action plan for your company, including the information you need for your web site to attract online government buyers;
6) include a one-year membership at http://www.governmentmarketmaster.com/ (an Amtower & Company web site that provides ongoing education on the government market; $499/yr value) - in effect a year long graduate course in B2G;
and as a bonus I will include my 4 CD set, The Ultimate Government Sales Jumpstart Program (priced separately at $195). And of course a signed copy of Government Marketing Best Practices, the best selling book on doing business with the government.
This is not boilerplate stuff - each report and action plan is customized for the client company. It will be delivered via a taped 60-90 minute teleseminar (which you will be able to download) with both a written report with a recommended action plan and a PowerPoint to use during the call.
The investment for this a one-time only special is $2,995, prepaid (note that this price is UNDER the micro-purchase threshold - and this price will not last long!).
And we do take credit cards. This is a "first-come, first scheduled" offer.
Get in touch with me ASAP if you want to take advantage of this. The anticipated response will fill my calendar for the next couple months.
Email me @ Mark@FederalDirect.net or call me @ 301 924 0058
to schedule your customized B2G research project.
May you have a successful B2G 2010!
Mark
Friday, November 27, 2009
Twitter, and Blogging and LinkedIn – Oh My! Why to leverage social networking tools for smarter, faster and cheaper B2G marketing.
The basic goal of marketing is to get attention from a targeted audience, then to influence that audience in some positive (positive for you) way. If your job includes growing your pipeline and growing your business, gaining and retaining customers, growing your overall influence in your niche, and do so in a cost effective way – you need to read on.
If your job is to make sure you keep pace with your competitors or set the pace for your niche, you need to read this.
If you could reach key people in your niche, at least in part, with readily available tools that you can use yourself, would you seriously consider using the tools?
Oh, and did I mention they have a minimal cost?
LinkedIn, blogging and Twitter each represent low-cost and no-cost tools that allow you to reach and interact with targeted audiences.
While there is no doubt that social media has changed the marketing landscape, there are still many doubters and very slow adopters. And even for many of those who have adopted one or more of the social networking tools do not use them to anywhere near the full capacity.
In fact, many sign up and then sit and wait for something to happen.
I still have conversations with people who still maintain that LinkedIn is only for those seeking work, that blogging is for those who have way too much extra time on the hands and that Twitter is for Twits. These people, and their companies, are way too busy for peripheral activities like LinkedIn, blogging and Twitter.
As other media venues stagnate or shrinking, each of us still needs to reach key audiences. The information gathering habits of many in our market have changed and we must change with them.
I am only highlighting 3 tools here but there are many others in use and some just coming along. Webinars, podcasting, web radio and video, FaceBook, GovLoop, TFCN and many others are out there offer good-to-great value for those who leverage them properly.
Being on LinkedIn is no longer simply a ‘nice to have’ activity. If you are not there, you are in a rapidly shrinking minority. LinkedIn is a great venue for identifying key government influencers and those trying to sell to them- resellers, SIs, manufacturers and others. The entire roster of the top 100 contractors (the Washington Technology list) is represented on LinkedIn, as are most of the top GSA Schedule contractors. Overall there are over 50,000,000 professionals on LinkedIn. While not all are overly active, there is enough activity to merit your active participation.
In order to begin to use LinkedIn properly, your profile needs to be filled with enough information to get the attention of those who view it. I will address this at my December 7 B2G Social media event – see the link at the end of this post.
As of today (11/27/09) there are exactly 3,100 groups that have something to do with ‘government’ on LinkedIn. Aside from those, there are niche groups covering all manner of subject matter from various technologies, products and services. When you identify the right groups to join, you can share your thoughts, do research and otherwise participate in the discussions germane to your niche. Participation here raises your overall visibility in your niche and display an area of expertise.
Cost of participating on LinkedIn? $0. While there are paid levels for those wishing to use more tools, basic participation is free.
According to blogging diva Debbie Weil, blogging is different from conventional web sites because blogs are interactive, conversational in nature, created via an instant publishing platform (no IT staff required), offer an involvement factor that web sites lack, and can create a thought leadership position for the blogger. Web 2.0 thought leaders David Meerman Scott and Chris Brogan lead with their blogs. They post regularly (and intelligently) and both have developed massive followings as a result.
Blogs also allow you to truly position yourself as a niche master or thought leader in a specific niche. This occurs not by regurgitating information from other sources but by evolving your own thoughts on the niche and commenting on the positions of others as necessary.
Cost for blogging? There are both free and paid blogging tools, but even the paid ones are not expensive. Select the one that best suits your needs.
The one I personally have the hardest time with – Twitter is becoming clearer to me all the time. Chris Brogan’s blog on Twitter is a great place to start: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/ .
The first issue with Twitter for B2G is ‘are there really enough people in the government market using Twitter to make a difference?’ While open for debate, perhaps the best answer is the number continues to grow. The publications, service providers, many thought leaders and government contractors are officially tweeting on a regular basis, as are many government agencies.
Following some of the publications (WashTech and others) on Twitter allows you to get instant news updates, calendar reminders and more.
Twitter is becoming more and more widespread in B2G marketing and it can no longer be ignored.
Cost for tweeting? Twitter is free.
So why should you bother to engage in using these social networking tools? If your job includes growing your pipeline and growing your business, gaining and retaining customers, growing your overall influence in your niche, and do so in a cost effective way – you need to start using these tools on behalf of your company.
If your job is to make sure you keep pace with your competitors or set the pace for your niche, you need to be here.
If you need to know more, please consider attending our upcoming event on December 7 in Tysons Corner, Virginia:
http://www.governmentmarketmaster.com/events.html
If your job is to make sure you keep pace with your competitors or set the pace for your niche, you need to read this.
If you could reach key people in your niche, at least in part, with readily available tools that you can use yourself, would you seriously consider using the tools?
Oh, and did I mention they have a minimal cost?
LinkedIn, blogging and Twitter each represent low-cost and no-cost tools that allow you to reach and interact with targeted audiences.
While there is no doubt that social media has changed the marketing landscape, there are still many doubters and very slow adopters. And even for many of those who have adopted one or more of the social networking tools do not use them to anywhere near the full capacity.
In fact, many sign up and then sit and wait for something to happen.
I still have conversations with people who still maintain that LinkedIn is only for those seeking work, that blogging is for those who have way too much extra time on the hands and that Twitter is for Twits. These people, and their companies, are way too busy for peripheral activities like LinkedIn, blogging and Twitter.
As other media venues stagnate or shrinking, each of us still needs to reach key audiences. The information gathering habits of many in our market have changed and we must change with them.
I am only highlighting 3 tools here but there are many others in use and some just coming along. Webinars, podcasting, web radio and video, FaceBook, GovLoop, TFCN and many others are out there offer good-to-great value for those who leverage them properly.
Being on LinkedIn is no longer simply a ‘nice to have’ activity. If you are not there, you are in a rapidly shrinking minority. LinkedIn is a great venue for identifying key government influencers and those trying to sell to them- resellers, SIs, manufacturers and others. The entire roster of the top 100 contractors (the Washington Technology list) is represented on LinkedIn, as are most of the top GSA Schedule contractors. Overall there are over 50,000,000 professionals on LinkedIn. While not all are overly active, there is enough activity to merit your active participation.
In order to begin to use LinkedIn properly, your profile needs to be filled with enough information to get the attention of those who view it. I will address this at my December 7 B2G Social media event – see the link at the end of this post.
As of today (11/27/09) there are exactly 3,100 groups that have something to do with ‘government’ on LinkedIn. Aside from those, there are niche groups covering all manner of subject matter from various technologies, products and services. When you identify the right groups to join, you can share your thoughts, do research and otherwise participate in the discussions germane to your niche. Participation here raises your overall visibility in your niche and display an area of expertise.
Cost of participating on LinkedIn? $0. While there are paid levels for those wishing to use more tools, basic participation is free.
According to blogging diva Debbie Weil, blogging is different from conventional web sites because blogs are interactive, conversational in nature, created via an instant publishing platform (no IT staff required), offer an involvement factor that web sites lack, and can create a thought leadership position for the blogger. Web 2.0 thought leaders David Meerman Scott and Chris Brogan lead with their blogs. They post regularly (and intelligently) and both have developed massive followings as a result.
Blogs also allow you to truly position yourself as a niche master or thought leader in a specific niche. This occurs not by regurgitating information from other sources but by evolving your own thoughts on the niche and commenting on the positions of others as necessary.
Cost for blogging? There are both free and paid blogging tools, but even the paid ones are not expensive. Select the one that best suits your needs.
The one I personally have the hardest time with – Twitter is becoming clearer to me all the time. Chris Brogan’s blog on Twitter is a great place to start: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/ .
The first issue with Twitter for B2G is ‘are there really enough people in the government market using Twitter to make a difference?’ While open for debate, perhaps the best answer is the number continues to grow. The publications, service providers, many thought leaders and government contractors are officially tweeting on a regular basis, as are many government agencies.
Following some of the publications (WashTech and others) on Twitter allows you to get instant news updates, calendar reminders and more.
Twitter is becoming more and more widespread in B2G marketing and it can no longer be ignored.
Cost for tweeting? Twitter is free.
So why should you bother to engage in using these social networking tools? If your job includes growing your pipeline and growing your business, gaining and retaining customers, growing your overall influence in your niche, and do so in a cost effective way – you need to start using these tools on behalf of your company.
If your job is to make sure you keep pace with your competitors or set the pace for your niche, you need to be here.
If you need to know more, please consider attending our upcoming event on December 7 in Tysons Corner, Virginia:
http://www.governmentmarketmaster.com/events.html
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