Sunday, January 13, 2019

Q1 2019: Amtower Milestones

Please pardon me while I reflect for a few minutes. I have three anniversaries in Q1 of the new year and they are making me think back, and think forward.

1/1/19 marks the beginning of my 35th year as Amtower & Company;

2/11/19 is the start of my 15th year on LinkedIn;

and on 3/7/19 I start my 12th year on Federal News Radio.



Over that time I . . .

   - produced over 200 seminars and workshops, 3 conferences, and have done countless in-house workshops and briefings for clients

  - spoke at over 350 other events and conferences, including breakout sessions, lunch speeches and keynotes around the country (below, keynoting SEWP conference in Austin in 2010)



  - was the first to offer LinkedIn training for GovCon (2009) in both public sessions and in-house sessions (two workshops in March)

  - have written 7 books, including Government Marketing Best Practices (2005) and Selling to the Government (2011)

  - penned nearly 100 articles for Washington Technology

  - appeared on over 50 radio stations and podcasts, across the US, Canada and Great Britain

  - have been on the Board of Advisers for two major trade shows

  - with Carl Peckinpaugh, co-chaired the election that saved IAC (yes, that IAC) from extinction

  - pissed off more than a few people

  - am currently on the Small Business Committee of AFCEA International

  - been interviewed or quoted in over 200 publications worldwide- the latest being the current PSC Service Contractor

  - have also referred many reporters and editors to other GovCon experts when I was not the right person for their question

  - published the Amtower Government Market Report (now The Amtower Report) since 1991 (2 year hiatus in the late 1990s)

  - have studied what works in marketing to niches inside the federal government as if it were an academic discipline

- and speaking of academic, have been an Adjunct Professor on the Government Contracting Master's degree program at George Washington University since 2015.

I learn from each of these, then I study, reflect and share my thoughts.

When I started Amtower & Company direct marketing- snail mail - was a big part of the marketing equation. along with telemarketing (real cold calling), traditional PR and events. Part of my studying back then was to get tours of federal mailrooms conducted by federal Mail Managers.

When email and the web landed in the mid-1990s, the tools for marketing evolved for the first time in decades.

A few years later when the web 2.0 tools came into play, including video, webinars, podcasts and social networks, more elements were tossed into our mix.

I see lots of very talented GovCon marketing professionals out there, both the experienced and the up-and-coming. I hear from some and would welcome hearing from more to hear and see what they are doing as these tools evolve.

So I continue to learn from each of these, then I study, reflect and share my thoughts with my clients, listeners, readers and those I occasionally get to brainstorm with, including:

Steve Bain (who attended my first LinkedIn speeches over 10 years ago and we've been in touch ever since),

ORock's Allan Rubin,

VMware's Christina Morrison,

Guy Timberlake,

Mark Meudt, who I've had the pleasure of working with on and off since the mid-1990s,

the Government Marketing University tag-team Lou Anne Brossman and Ann-Marie Clark,

market research diva Lisa Dezzutti,

immixGroup's Rita Walston,

Judy Bradt, who gave me my first public speaking gig back in the late 1980s,

Lee Fredreriksen,

GovExec's Connie Sayers,

Danielle Brigida (the only Fed on my list. We geeked out over social media on air),

Larry Allan,

Bob Lohfeld,

ViON's Liz Anthony,

Sage's Larry Rosenfeld,

PSC's David Berteau,

Carl Dickson,

my Bloomberg friends Kevin Brancato, Cameron Leuthy,  Dan Snyder and Paul Murphy

WashTech editor Nick Wakeman,

event experts David Powell (FBC), Peg Hosky (Hosky Communications) and Mike Smoyer,

and so many others. I am fortunate to have so many I can share thoughts and brainstorm with and just let the concepts and opinions flow and begin to develop.

Having the radio show gives me the opportunity to discuss issues impacting our market (on air and off air) with some great GovCon minds, and it affords me the opportunity to showcase them as well.

So, I have done a few things, watched many others, thought about them, and shared my thoughts, trying to add value to the overall equation that is marketing to the government.

And I am far from being done.

As always, I welcome your feedback.








Tuesday, January 8, 2019

LinkedIn for GovCon live workshop returns March 13 (Howard County) and March 14 (Tysons)


Can LinkedIn help you win more government business?


Yes, in more ways that you might think.

It can also hurt those that don't use it well.

LinkedIn remains the most under-utilized marketing tool for many government contractors despite a federal population of over 2,000,000 LinkedIn members.


"Mark provided LinkedIn training for our firm and I was thrilled with the results. We have some pretty sophisticated LinkedIn users on staff and I thought they would tell me they knew everything there was to know about how to use this tool, but even our expert users learned a lot from Mark. We spent a full day together learning how to fully use the features and capabilities of LinkedIn. Mark provided a comprehensive training program and one on one coaching. He did a great job and I am proud to recommend him as an expert LinkedIn trainer and coach." 

Robert Lohfeld, CEO, Lohfeld Consulting Group


Are you a business leader, sales manager or small business owner who wants your sales, marketing and BD staff to-

• Grow their professional network of customer, prospects, and partners?

• Connect with more decision makers through introductions and referrals?

• Increase their visibility and value by sharing valuable information?

 WIN MORE BUSINESS!

Then LinkedIn for Government Contractors is what you need - and seating is limited!



I have a member of LinkedIn since Feb 11, 2004 and have been coaching people and companies on using LinkedIn since 2009 – 10 years- over 60 public sessions and nearly 100 in-house sessions, plus hundreds with 1:1 coaching.



"The LinkedIn class was excellent and I learned a great deal." 
Federal marketing manager, SAS Institute


When was the last time you asked yourself if you are using LinkedIn to your full advantage?


Contractors that “get” LinkedIn will do much better than those that don’t “get” it. Why?
  
Who is on LinkedIn?

ALL Federal agencies- 2,000,000+ Feds;
ALL major government contractors;
ALL the people you need to know!


Do you need to grow and better manage a network of clients, prospects, partners, GovCon influencers, media and others in your market?

Do you need to generate qualified leads, do some great marketing and get some PR for your company without breaking the bank?

Rather than spend thousands on lead generation, marketing and PR with minimal results, why not invest 3 hours learning how to use the biggest and most valuable business network in the universe – LinkedIn!


This workshop is for those who sell to the government AND those who sell to government contractors.

You must register in advance to attend-



"Mark Amtower is a "mile wide and a mile deep" with his experience and expertise of "All Things LinkedIn" ...He has transformed from one of the first key LinkedIn adopters 14 years ago to one of the world's leading subject matter experts today in leveraging the capabilities and technologies of LinkedIn -- now the world's most important social media platform for businesses of all sizes and scopes … Mark's seminars on LinkedIn are entertaining, insightful and -- most important -- a key value differentiator for any business in any industry."  

Kevin P Young

Attend the LinkedIn for Government Contractors and you will learn how to

-       Design a LinkedIn strategy that fits your business goals

-       Create a powerful LinkedIn profile that attracts targeted prospects and encourages people to connect with you

-       Drive traffic to your company profile and company web site

-       Find and connect with those who can help your business grow- prospects, partners, media and more- including key agency decision makers

-       Select the LinkedIn groups that can pay major dividends for you

-       Find and develop content to share in those groups

-       Get more recommendations and endorsements

-       Get on the radar of decision-makers who buy what you sell

-       Develop and defend a “subject matter expert” platform

-       Create and manage a company profile that attracts the right people

-       Start your own group

-       Stand out in your market niche

-       and much more!


"His 2013 presentation before the APMP NCA Chapter, How Proposal and Capture Professionals Can Leverage LinkedIn, was our most popular event of the year."

(from the Association of Proposal Management Professionals National Capitol Chapter web site.)


Due to the constant changes on LinkedIn, the workbook and slides are updated before EVERY Session.

My LinkedIn training is the best in the government market and it is a game-changer for those who attend our public sessions and for those that choose to bring our training in-house.


$245/seat- Only 12 seats per session- and you must register in advance.


Reserve your seat today!


Who should attend? Everyone!

Beverages, snacks and a 100 page pdf workbook are supplied.