GovVisibility: Strategies for Standing Out

Visibility is key in government contracting. On this episode of FedBiz'5, new host Bobby Testa dives into this critical topic with senior government contracting specialist Frank Krebs. Their insightful discussion, geared towards enhancing your company’s visibility to government buyers, is packed with valuable strategies and tips.

Understanding the Role of Contracting Officers

Contracting officers play a pivotal role in the procurement process, tasked with finding companies that can fulfill government needs. This involves extensive market research to identify potential vendors that can meet specific requirements, often looking within socioeconomic categories such as veteran-owned or women-owned businesses. Understanding what contracting officers seek and how they conduct their research is the first step in making your company more visible.

The Art of Making Your Company Visible

Frank Krebs explains that visibility isn't achieved through a one-time effort but through a continuous, strategic process. Here are key areas he highlights:

1. Registration and Presence on SAM.gov

Ensure your company is not only listed on SAM.gov but stands out. Your profile should be comprehensive, including detailed information in the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) and ensuring all relevant NAICS codes and keywords are included.

2. Capability Statement

This document is your government resume. Make it professional and impactful—this is often your first impression.

3. Active Marketing

Reach out to contracting officers directly, attend conferences, network, and respond to Sources Sought announcements. It’s about putting your business where opportunities are.

4. Online and Social Media Presence

Government buyers use all resources at their disposal, including Google and social media like LinkedIn, to research potential vendors. Ensure your online presence is robust and reflects your business positively.

Why Continuous Effort is Necessary

Visibility in government contracting is not a static achievement but an ongoing process. Here's why continuous effort is crucial:

• Government Needs Constantly Evolve: What's required today may change tomorrow. Keeping your company's information up-to-date and relevant is vital.
• Competition is Fierce: New businesses enter the government marketplace regularly. Standing out requires keeping your company’s profile and capabilities fresh and engaging.
• Contracting Officers Are Risk-Averse: They prefer companies with proven track records and clear, accessible information about their capabilities and past performance.

Final Thoughts from Frank Krebs

Perseverance and proactive marketing are key to breaking into and succeeding in government contracting. Continually update your business’s information and work with partners who can elevate your visibility. This approach not only enhances your profile but significantly increases your chances of winning government contracts.

How Can FedBiz Specialists Help?

Remember, enhancing your company's visibility in the government marketplace is crucial, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. FedBiz Specialists are just a simple phone call away, ready to assist with every step of the process. Whether it’s refining your SAM profile, crafting an impressive capability statement, or strategizing your market approach, help is available.

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Transcript

Bobby Testa: Welcome back to another episode of FedBiz'5. I'm your new host, Bobby Testa. Today we are going to discuss how to ensure that your company is visible to government buyers. Our very own senior government contracting specialist, Frank Krebs, is here to provide information on making your company visible. Welcome back, Frank.

Frank Krebs: Thanks, Bobby. Hey and congratulations on new gig. It's great to be back with you all and talk to those interested in contracting with the government.

Bobby Testa: Thanks, Frank. Well, it's always a pleasure having you. Now, let's start with why do contracting officers, the individuals tasked with purchasing for the government, look for and research companies?

Frank Krebs:  Well, Bobby, part of the procurement process involves the government contracting officers performing what is called market research. That's the phase in government contracting, where the contracting officer determines if there are companies that could perform the services or provide the products that the government needs. Remember, government contracting starts with a need, and then the government contracting officers tasked with determining who the companies are that can address those needs are any or many part of a social economic category of businesses, such as veteran owned, women owned HUBZone, or just small businesses in general. And finally, what contracting mechanism will be utilized to obtain a vendor or vendors? So by completing market research, they are prepared to initiate the actual procurement phase. They will have determined if they're going to generate a request for proposal or simply request for quote. Can they sole source the acquisition. Can they use the simplified acquisition approach or use set aside provisions to limit the businesses that will bid on the procurement to a particular social, economic category?

Bobby Testa: Okay, yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense, Frank. So how does a company make themselves visible to the government contracting officers.

Frank Krebs: Well, that's what I'm here to discuss. Bobby. There's not just one golden ticket. However, also this is not a one-time thing. Becoming visible to government buyers is an ongoing process. First, you must be listed in SAM.gov
but do not just list the basic information. You need to provide all of the information in the SAM database, as well as the DSBS, that's the dynamic small business search engine, and you want to make sure that your company stands out and stands apart from your competition.

Government buyers, when they are completing market research, perform many searches of Sam and the DSBS. They search listings by N-A-I-C-S or NAICS codes. They search by keywords. They even search for companies that have a capability statement uploaded to their record. So you must have all this information included in these systems. So when the government has a need, first thing they do is look for potential vendors. They look within their agency to determine if there are any current vendors, including any subcontractors, who can do that work or provide the products needed, then they turn to searching and researching SAM and the DSBS as well as Google or other search engines. So, this is why it is critical to know what people are saying about your company and make sure that your company has high customer service marks and that you appropriately manage all comments about your firm.

Bobby Testa: Okay, so what you're saying is it would behoove vendors, especially new vendors, to government contracting, to hire an experienced business development firm such as FedBiz Access, to ensure that these areas in SAM and DSBS are not just completed, but that it provides the government with necessary insight into their business and ensures maximum visibility. Is that correct?

Frank Krebs: Absolutely. Bobby businesses need to develop a government readiness level plan, and FedBiz access works with vendors to guide them and support them through this process, it starts with making sure all information is properly added to SAM and the DSBS, including all applicable NAICS codes and keywords. A capability statement is also a requirement, as this is your government resume, and should be professionally prepared, because, as you know, you only have one shot at making a great first impression. Businesses new to government contracting must also market themselves, reaching out to contracting officers, providing capabilities to those agencies that you want to work with, attending conferences and networking, as well as responding to Sources Sought announcements and requests for information from government agencies.
FedBiz Access also has products to assist with this, including our Federal Connections Package and our Market Intel Database, plus creating your capability statement and developing your online presence with our website development and design team.

Bobby Testa: Yeah, I absolutely see and understand why this is an ongoing process, as there seems to be quite a lot of areas that vendors must provide input to ensure they are visible to the government. Is that correct?

Frank Krebs: Definitely, absolutely. Bobby, government buyers use everything available to them to locate the right business for their agency.
Remember, these contracting officers are typically risk averse, so if they cannot find information about a company and verify that the business is viable, they generally will not work with them. In addition to what I've already mentioned, buyers also review LinkedIn and other social media and attempt to locate vendors.
Most agencies also maintain a list of vendors, including maintaining capability statements. So check agency websites for how to get registered with an agency and look to subcontract with existing government vendors. This is the best way to learn the business of government contracting, and also a great way to become visible. As contracting officers know those companies that are being used to subcontract, and subcontracting helps to build your government resume.

Bobby Testa: That is incredible. Information Frank! Any final thoughts or comments?

Frank Krebs: Yeah, as a business attempting to break into government contracting, you must continually work at it. You must market yourself. You must constantly update your information with the government, including that information that's listed on SAM.gov, the DSBS, and your capability statement.
Finally, don't try to do it alone. Get assistance. Work with a mentor or teaming partner to perform outreach. This will improve your visibility to the government and dramatically improve your chances of winning government business.

Bobby Testa: Well, as always, Frank, you have provided our audience with insightful information, and again, it was great to have you back.

Frank Krebs: Hey, thanks, Bobby. It's great to work with you on these podcasts, and I hope the information inspires our listeners to improve their visibility to the government, because that's the most effective way to increase their opportunity of winning government