Poll results indicate that the government is only accessing 25% of its total possible supply base

Even though it is still early in the process, our recent poll on LinkedIn is delivering some interesting results.

To this point in time, 55% of respondents to the question Winning bidders for government tenders are decided before the RFP is issued 90% of the time – does this surprise you? said no, while 20% indicated that they did not pursue government contracts at all.

This means that only 25% expressed the opinion of surprise at the revelation that with 90% of all RFPs, the winning bidder has for all intents and purposes been selected.

So where do governments go from here?

Well to start, the industry must abandon the premise or perhaps the current definition of transparency and a level playing field. In reality, true transparency is actually understanding what the playing field is and like a K9 PROWEAR, determine which opportunities are best to pursue based on a distinct or unique competitive advantage long before an RFP has been issued.

While we will be releasing a 60 minute PI Inquisitive Eye TV Special, in which we have the opportunity to interview Washington-based government procurement expert author Judy Bradt about her new book Government Contracts Made Easier, focusing specifically on the contracting challenges highlighted by the poll results, I think that it would be a good idea to revisit my white paper, presentation and corresponding Roundtable Discussion on Transparency in Government Procurement.

Each were the result of my participation at the 3rd Annual Government Procurement Conference in Washington, D.C. a year ago this month, and continue to garner considerable interest.

Joining us in the roundtable discussion was of course Judy Bradt, the former CIO for the US Federal Government Karen Evans, the CEO for IACCM Tim Cummins, and 30 year public sector veteran and the author of Towards Tesco – improving public sector procurement Colin Cram.

White Paper: Transparency in government (June 2010)

Presentation: Contracting to Win (Washington Keynote)

Roundtable Broadcast: 3rd Annual Business of Government Summit (Day 1, Roundtable)

Click to Listen to Radio Broadcast

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Seven Steps To Success in Government Contracting: Marketing

“People Buy from whom they know, like and trust.”

During the previous six segments of this seven part series with expert author Judy Bradt in which we have talked about success in government contracting, this immutable truth has been consistently presented as a key tenet for effectively penetrating the government marketplace and positioning oneself for the greatest likelihood for winning business.

This includes winning what Judy has often times referred to as a legitimate and transparent preference with the buyer.

In this the seventh and final segment in Judy’s critically acclaimed Seven Steps To Success: Jump Start Government Contracts Series, we will examine what it truly means to market against this backdrop of interpersonal relationship building versus brochure distribution that list product features, functions and benefits.

Just a reminder that this entire series has been recorded and is conveniently available on an on-demand basis through the Seven Steps To Success Show Page on the Procurement Insights Blog (right hand index).

Remember to use the following link to access both the live and on-demand broadcast “Seven Steps To Success in Government Contracting: Marketing” which airs today at 3:00 PM EST on the PI Window on Business Show across the Blog Talk Radio Network

Series Sponsor:

"Building Bridges"

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Washington Dispatch No. 2: New SlideCast Feature – Contracting To Win (Washington Keynote Summit 2010)

Check out our new SlideCast Feature which synchronizes the audio from my Washington Keynote address at the 2010 Government Summit, with the corresponding PowerPoint Slides.

Note: also be sure to continue listening after the presentation for a bonus excerpt of my interview with the then Canadian Trade Minister Stockwell Day regarding the Canada-U.S. Buy American exemption negotiations.

Your feedback regarding our new SlideCast service would of course be appreciated.

View more webinars from Jon Hansen.

NOTE: If you cannot access the audio from this page, use the following link: Washington Summit 2010 Keynote

Seven Steps to Success: Jump Start Government Contract Series (Part 3)

Welcome to this the third of our special seven part series, in which I am joined by Judy Bradt who is an expert author, speaker and consultant who will provide invaluable insight into on how companies can capitalize on the emerging opportunities in the US public sector.

As the Principal of Summit Insight in Washington DC, Judy’s been covered by national media including SBTV, ABC Radio, the Financial Post, Fortune Small Business, and Entrepreneur Magazine. From 1988 to 2003, Judy was the top specialist in US government contracting at the Canadian Embassy in Washington DC. Leveraging her more than 20 years of experience advising more than 6000 clients on success in government contracts that collectively have accounted for revenues in excess of $300 million US, Judy will take us through her critically acclaimed “Seven Steps to Success” presentation.

As a supplier you will gain the necessary insights to shorten the time-line between the response to government tenders, and the realization of tangible revenue.

As a government procurement professional, you will find the answers to why bid responses have been declining and with it the value in both pricing and quality of service.

In our first segment on the 18th of January, we covered the principles associated with step one of Judy’s seven steps for winning government contracts, which centered on the importance of Strategy. In the following segment on February 1st we covered step 2 in the 7 step process, Focus.

In the upcoming March 1st 60-minute broadcast, we will discuss the importance of PROCESS.

Just a reminder for our listening audience, that we are on the air with Judy every second Monday when we will review the remaining steps which include; Competition, Teaming, Relationships and Marketing. (Note: Please refer to the Seven Steps to Success Page on the Procurement Insights Blog for series dates and times.)

Use the On-Demand Player below to access the live March 1st broadcast at 3:00 PM EST.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Series Sponsor:

"Building Bridges"

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