Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Recognition for GovCon marketing professionals: The GAINER awards

In the government market there have been lots of awards for as long as I can remember.

But there has never been anything specific for the B2G marketing professional.

Until now.

Government Marketing University has launched the GAINER Awards to recognize excellence in public sector marketing.

This is long past due and I am honored to be among those reviewing the nominees. Joining me on the Selection Committee are GovCon veterans Steve Cooper, Martha Dorris, Kimberly Hancher and Ann-Marie Clark.

Know a marketing program that should be considered, or have you created one yourself? Nominate it!

http://info.governmentmarketinguniversity.com/awards 


There are five categories: ABM, Events, Partner Marketing, Protege (yes, one for newbies!) and Innovation.


Rules:

  • Must have executed the marketing program between April 1, 2017 thru June 1, 2018
  • Applicants (individual, companies or agencies) may enter multiple submissions in one or more award categories.
  • Award winners must be willing to share marketing case study at GAIN conference on November 1, 2018.
  • Entries are for those projects which are targeting US federal, state and local governments along with public and private educational institutions.
  • Entries close August 1, 2018.
For more information, contact Ann-Marie Clark at amclark@gmarku.com or 703-625-5224.
And just like the lottery- you gotta play (nominate) to win!
The awards will be presented at GMarkU's annual GAIN Conference November 1 at the Hyatt Regency, Reston.
I hope to see you at the conference and I'd like to see your nomination very soon!

Friday, June 22, 2018

FY 2019 Small GovCon Advisory Program



Amtower Small Biz GovCon Advisory Program 



Do you want deeper and better connections with your government clients and prospects?

Do you need better relationships with system integrators (SIs)?

Do you want more traction from your contracts?

Does your limited networking time pay dividends?

Do you want better traction in FY 2019 and going into FY 2020?

If you answered yes to one or more of these, read on.

FY 2018 is going to be a hot one with lots of budget money coming into play early. SmartPay micro-purchase is now $10,000. IDIQs, GWACs and MACs will play a bigger role.

FY 2019 will be another challenging year, especially for small contractors, with further changes in agency programs and policies, senior personnel, additional changes in procurement policy, and more.

All these will impact small businesses  more than larger businesses, so you must be prepared.

Leveraging your current contracts, especially direct or indirect access to MACs, IDIQs and GWACs can help you weather this storm. Many predict agency use of IDIQs and GWACs to continue to grow into FY 2019 and beyond. Your access as a prime or partner on these contracts can be critical. Look for significant growth on SEWP ($5,3 billion in FY 2018), Alliant, OASIS, and other MACs and GWACs, as well as portions of the GSA Schedule. 

If your company is not performing up to your expectations, or if you feel that your strategy is not paying adequate dividends, we should talk.


Reserve time on my calendar NOW:   https://calendly.com/markamtower 

My guidance has helped hundreds of companies grow and earn billions. My advice can save you time and money, lead to new opportunities, identify key differentiators leading to significant market share, create media coverage, and generally help companies establish a more viable and visible presence in the government market. For over thirty years I have helped my clients to dramatically increase the dollar value of their contracts, often spending less on marketing.

If your marketing and business development efforts are not paying significant dividends, we should talk now.

I offer a year-long Small Biz GovCon Advisory Program. Rather than charge an hourly fee to companies tapping into my expertise on a semi-regular basis, I have created an advisory program that small companies can afford.

This program is only for businesses recognized as small by SBA standards: SDB, WOSB, VOSB, SDVOSB, 8(a), HubZone, etc.

The Amtower GovCon Advisory Program includes

                 An initial planning session to define realistic goals for our engagement. This will provide the overall program guidance for the year, including development of a targeted visibility plan that makes the most sense for you and your company. We can make alterations along the way as necessary; 

           - A detailed web site review with recommendations;

              -  A LinkedIn company profile review with recommendations and edits;

               -  Monthly training sessions (30-45 minute sessions), content to be determined in the planning session. Training modules offered include LinkedIn training; content development; developing a subject matter expert platform; social selling; PR/media training; market research and more. Each session tailored to the client and all sessions pre-scheduled;

              - Email alerts with news about your niche, competitors and other topics addressed in the planning session. I will monitor Google Alerts and selected trade publications for each participant;

            - Bi-weekly calls to track your progress, address problem areas, discuss opportunities and more;

             - Strategic introductions to primes, OEMs, various market experts, media and government managers;

              - Unlimited email and short call Q&A;

             - Advice on selecting outside services (events, associations, bidding services, proposal assistance, etc).

       - Access to me for an entire FY.

Please call 301 854 9493 or email markamtower@gmail.com with any questions or to sign up. 


I can only accept twelve participants.


The investment for this program is $2,495 down, and $995 per month for an annual total of $13,040.

  

Mark Amtower     Amtower & Company     www.FederalDirect.net