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Prep for Success in the Federal Market

November 5, 2018 / Dcode

Breaking into and scaling in the federal market is a long-term investment in your company’s growth. But you’ve heard the federal government has hopelessly long, painfully complicated sales cycles. When you make the decision to pursue federal contracts, we want you to have the tools and confidence to do it right the first time.

How can you make sure your decision to enter the federal market will pay off?

1. Define your government use cases.

It’s important to think more about the problem your tech solves than the features and benefits it provides. You have to convince federal agencies that your technology or product has the power to have a positive impact on the government, and that you’re ready to do the work to make it happen. Build your federal go-to-market strategy from the use case up to show how your tech can support a mission, which is the most persuasive argument there is in the government market.

2. Provide high-quality references that will sing your praises to federal customer.

You don’t need to have dozens of references, but you do need enough quality, relevant contacts who are able to bolster your claims. The government is highly regulated and risk-averse, so past performance is often regarded as proof of future results. Demonstrating a track record of success will increase your chances of getting in the door.

3. You have a consistent delivery structure that delivers excellent customer experiences.

In the government, the marketing and sales process is relationship-driven. Many agencies are connected through their budgets or missions, which means word will spread. Each of your customer engagements will be a chance to strengthen your relationships and build new ones. Exceeding expectations and delivering quality products and services consistently is key. When you build relationships with agencies and offices, you will run into less friction throughout the sales process.

4. The opportunity to work with partners is exciting to you.

Or at the very least, not scary. Entering the federal market means you will find yourself working alongside large and well established incumbent vendors. Partnering is critical in the government space, and being able to work with certain people or companies can be the deciding factor. Companies who succeed in government understand that due to the buying models of government, partnerships are more valuable than the competition.

The federal market is a long term investment. Don’t rush in and don’t go it alone if you don’t need to. Dcode has helped nearly 100 companies navigate the federal market and driven over 100 new implementations of tech in the government.

Learn more about our acceleration program for tech companies looking to break into and scale in the federal market here →