I recently met with a small company who lost the opportunity to bid on a contract that they were more than qualified to support. During my review and analysis of the company’s business development and marketing strategies, it became clear that the problem wasn’t the product, but how the company had positioned itself to be viewed online.
In this case the company is well established in the current commercial market and over the years have positioned themselves as an excellent provider for a particular client. But when the government client went to the site, they saw “too much of we do it all” and failed to see the the company’s ability of filling a specific need. The problem; too much information, resulting in a loss of potential business.
When the company decided to enter the government arena to do business, they forgot to do some reconnaissance and find out exactly what this particular client wanted and needed to develop a long term relationship. Niche marketing and focusing on a specific segment of the government’s industry is essential, combined with an expertise that can’t be duplicated by competitors, narrows the playing field and creates an advantage for the company.
Entering new marketing territory is when it becomes critical to head back to business basics by taking a look at your company’s profile, your marketing materials and your website from the buyer’s perspective. No one company can do everything for everyone, but a well positioned and focused company will do a couple of things better than the competition and that is the value added for most government contracts.