So in the next days few Facebook goes public and investors are poised to exhibit the same irrational exuberance that was rampant in the 1990s. Needless to say, I will be on the sidelines of this IPO.

I am not a Facebook fan for many reasons, but I understand some of the excitement around the IPO, except the price.

Once again, many are looking for the immediate 'home run", the proverbial long ball that will save their financial butts, give them bragging rights, whatever -  without having done sufficient due diligence.

Often we see the same irrational exuberance when a company enters the government contracting (GovCon) arena. Thinking that registering with CCR or getting a GSA Schedule will automatically generate income is nothing less than self-delusion. A small company walking into an OSDBU office expecting a contract is a similar but frequent occurrence.

Rational expectations are predicated on market knoweldge, historical persepctive, patience and applying lessons learned to your current situation. Money can occur either in the stock market or the government contracting arena, but only when you really are a student of the respective market and apply lessons learned from the front lines.

Operating on rumor, innuendo, myths and outright falsehoods propogated by cold callers selling the idea of a GSA Schedule being your personal panacea will lead to massive disappointment.

GTSI, the grand-daddy of government resellers, today was purchased by Unicom Systems of Los Angeles. Initial news is sketchy, as Unicom is not a publicly traded company, but here are a couple thoughts.

This is big news for the government reseller community for many reasons, not the least of which is that GTSI is among the oldest (if not the oldest) of the IT resellers targeting the feds. For many manufacturers in the 1980s and early 1990s, it was the first and often the only stop for market entry.

As most know, GTSI has had some problems over the past few years: lower sales, sagging stock price, problems with the SBA over ANC relationships, and more. I have no interest in rehashing these.

So here are a few thoughts regarding Unicom's opportunity.

First, market entry can be accomplished organically or by purchasing an established company, and there are thousands examples of each. For Unicom, this could be a great market entry strategy. This moves them from obscure to very much on the radar.

Second, when companies with a long tradition get purchased it is usually not a good idea to change the name, as the brand equity usually means a lot to the market. In this instance, there is so much baggage with the GTSI name that it is probably better to apply the Unicom name. For many people and for a variety of reasons, GTSI was the company they love to hate.

Third, Unicom is in LA and GTSI is in Northern Virginia/DC.  Who is going to drive the Federal bus? Unicom has a GSA Schedule, but it does not seem to be very active. Now they have a TON of contracts, so they need someone who can manage these who has demonstrated success to maximize the value of each these vehicles.

Fourth, GTSI is a reseller, regardless of what the press releases say. That means they need great manufacturer relationships. They also need to make a huge decision on whether or not to continue representing hundreds of companies or to narrow the focus to maybe 25-50 companies.

Fifth, if they are going to revitalize this company, regardless of the name, they need a great spokesperson. When CDWG made the successful run toward the top of the VAR category in the mid 2000s, Max Peterson was the "face" of the company. he was a capable, credible and available spokesperson. In my opinion, this was one of several critical factors in the CDWG growth curve.

This is a huge opportunity for Unicom Systems. Purchasing a company with a wide array of contractual vehicles, a solid installed customer base and a recognized brand name is always a plus. But in this market we have seen this before, and it is never a given that success will occur.

The unasked question is will this significantly impact the government VAR landscape?  That remains to be seen.

Stay tuned..............

The Waldo Factor series of blog posts is designed to help those in the government contracting arena understand the power and importance of differentiation (determining what you do exceptionally well), then being found by the right people and companies once you have determined and enunciated what makes you different - the skill that makes you stand out.

Thought leadership is high on the list of marketing and business development topics lately, and much of what is being discussed as "thought leadership" revolves around content: generating content in various formats to share.

Being a subject matter expert or thought leader truly means being in the top 2% in your field and to have a documented history in that niche. Generating and sharing good content is part of the puzzle; having performed in the niche (past performance in gov-speak) is the ultimate key.

At numerous venues over the past year I have heard prime contractors address the issue of selecting sub-contractors.

Invariably one of the top criteria is the potential sub-contractor being a recognized subject matter expert and/or thought leader in a niche that matters to the government and to the specific contract, preferably a niche that is important to the program.

Ed Swallow, VP of Business Development for Northrop Grumman (Civilian) discussed this on my radio show April 9: he had four criteria:

1) having a killer app or skill needed for a specific program

2) a strong customer relationship where NG does not have one

3) geographic presence (being in a location near a customer where NG has no office and where it makes more sense to partner with a company that has that presence)

4) socio-economic status.

Dan Mintz (COO of PowerTek) was also part of the interview and introduced the concept of "the enduring value proposition"  - does your company have a unique process or suite of tools that adds value? Do you reinvest in that process to stay on the cutting edge?

You can listen to that show in the Federal News Radio archives:
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/79/2821177/The-current-state-of-contracting

My advice to the small business out there seeking sub-contracting opportunities is

1) determine your area of expertise;

2) demonstrate this skill through your work;

3) work hard at staying on the cutting edge;

4) clearly enunciate it when you have the opportunity in person;

5) clearly state it on your web site, collateral material, and your social networking activity.

Now you are ready to meet prime contractors that pursue contracts that involve your area of expertise.

These are topics that you need to address before you pursue sub-contracting opportunities.

Being found before you determine your area of expertise is akin to crying "wolf": you may get attention once or twice, but after that people will ignore you.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Contact: Kyle Anderson
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
301-369-2800, ext. 3015
kdanderson@capitol-college.edu

Government Market Master™ Certificate Program
301-924-0058
mark@federaldirect.net




“I’m very pleased to partner with GMM to deliver programming specifically designed to benefit the federal contractor community,” said Ken Crockett, director of Capitol’s Critical Infrastructures and Cyber Protection Center. “I believe GMM programming will help increase the volume of defense contractors that participate in the federal marketplace, thereby increasing competition within the contracting community. This will lead to improved innovation and better products and services for the U.S. government to consider, thereby enhancing homeland security.”

The program is customized for executives, managers and professionals who want to successfully transition their business-to-business approach to a business-to-government approach. Those looking to dramatically improve their current business-to-government initiatives will also benefit from GMM.


The Government Market Master program was co-developed by Mark Amtower, of Amtower & Company, author of “Government Marketing Best Practices” and “Selling to the Government.” Amtower & Company has been offering professional education for the government contracting community since 1991.


"This is the first certificate program for marketing, sales and business development professionals in the government market offered with a college or university," said Mark Amtower. "It is designed to help companies selling virtually any product or service to the federal government, and we plan to address selling to state and local governments as well. Our instructors will all be experienced professionals from the front lines of government contracting."
Learn more about Capitol College and the Government Market Master (tm) program here: www.capitol-college.edu/gmm

My radio show, Amtower Off Center, on Federal News Radio has some great guests and some really good and useful information for those in the government contracting community. The show airs Monday at noon and is usually re-run on Thursday at 11 AM. It is also simulcast, archived and available for replay at http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=77 . Recent guests include

- Lisa Dezzutti of Market Connections (we discussed media habits of feds and contractors, traditional media and web-based media),

- Harold Good of Frederick County MD (we discussed how local governments make purchasing decisions and his role as president of the National Procurement Institute),

- Peg and Claudia Hosky of FedInsider and Hosky Media (we discussed, among other things, the upcoming FedSMC conference in Cambridge MD),

- Guy Timberlake of the American Small Business Coalition,

- Bert Sadtler of Boxwood Executive Search

and others.

My two guests for Monday, April 9 are Dan Mintz (COO of PowerTek Corporation, www.powertekcorporation.com) and Ed Swallow (VP of Business Development for Northrop Grumman Information Systems (www.NorthropGrumman.com).

The conversation with these two was absolutely great but one thing that really stood out for me was Ed Swallow's four criteria for partnering with small businesses. They are, in this order:

1) having a killer app or skill needed for a specific program

2) a strong customer relationship where NG does not have one

3) geographic presence (being in a location near a customer where NG has no office and where it makes more sense to partner with a company that has that presence)

4) socio-economic status.

This was only a small part of the conversation. Tune in - this show is definitely worth your time!

http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=77

I first heard about the GSA conference problems on In Depth with Francis Rose on Federal News Radio yesterday afternoon (4/2/12) after they picked up the Washington Post report (links for both below).

There will be much made of the GSA conference that led to the resignation of Martha Johnson and two others regarding this, and doubtless there will be Congressional hearings that will cost much more than the $823,000 that the conference cost. We cannot deny congressmen a chance to appear fically responsible during an election year....

But cost is not the entire issue: good management is the issue.

There are some serious issues with this conference, but one fact needs to be pointed out clearly. Those responsible for this were appointees, not career Feds. Apprently these appointees were warned several times to "tone down" the event by career Feds, whose advice was ignored.

It has long been my contention that there are too many appointees, political payoff jobs. Too often (as seems to be the case here), they come in with little or no grasp of how things are done, and worse, they take no time to learn and ignore those under them when they try to point things out.

Collateral damage here may involve events (conferences, seminars, briefings, and more) hosted by the government or attended by government employees and executives. While I hope this does not occur, I have seen similar situations with broad collateral damage. I would wager that conference and event planning professionals inside GSA were dropping hints and stronger messages along the way of this fiasco. I will also wager that those who were driving this event were oblivious to any and all advice regarding how government events need to happen.

There are several excellent firms that produce goverment events agencies, and in hindsight, one of these should have been used. Companies like the Federal Business Council, Fedinsider and others could produce an excellent event within budget and within all ethical parameters.

It is too bad that Martha Johnson suffered from the fallout here, as all my sources indicate she was a top-notch appointee.

Unfortunately, she is now collateral damage.


Washington Post story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gsa-chief-resigns-amid-reports-of-excessive-spending/2012/04/02/gIQABLNNrS_story.html?tid=sm_twitter_washingtonpost

Federal News Radio story
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/445/2812012/GSA-head-Johnson-resigns-two-others-fired-after-excessive-spending-at-event

Federal News Radio analysis
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/145/2812673/In-scandal-buck-stops-with-federal-executives

4/19/12 ADDITION - Mr Neely was a career and he was largely responsible for these problems, so my initial assessment was off the mark.

When I do public seminars and workshops or private sessions on using LinkedIn, one question that invariably comes up is, "Yeah, but are my customers here?"

For government contractors the short answer is a resounding Yes.

Whether you are targeting prime contractors for partnering, teaming or sub-contracting, or if you are looking for Federal managers, you can find them on LinkedIn.

How do I know?

As you may suspect, I spend more time on LinkedIn than most in our market (yes, this is the second most asked question in most of my sessions).

I have looked up each of the top 100 contractors according to Washington Technology and they are all here- in force, and I am connected with most of them.

For the last few years I knew Feds and other government officials (state and local) were on Linkedin because I saw them in various groups and many have connected with me.

But I needed more and decided to do a little digging to see what some of the actual numbers are.

Here is a sampling of what I found for Federal agencies on LinkedIn:

USDA:   5.982
DOC:     5,225
DOD:     21,679
DOE:     2,876
GSA:     11,314
HHS:     5,120
NASA:  7,298
OMB:    252
VA:       31,079

And these are only the people who list the HQ as the employer, not the sub-agency. NIH, for example, lists 11,229 employees on LinkedIn, more than 2x the number of members than HQ.

The more intelligently active you are on LinkedIn the more likely it is you will find the people you are looking for. If you look in groups that should be germane to their professional interests, you will probably find them. If you participate in the groups, they will notice you.

If you had any doubts about Federal employees or managers using LinkedIn before, I suggest you take another look.

First, the news: On Feb 9, 2012, LinkedIn announced it had reached 150 million members.

Now, a short tour of a past post: (from this blog: The Waldo Factor part 1, August 30, 2011)

Here’s the scene, and I think we’ve all been here: You are at a conference and the person on stage speaking to 1,000+ people is somewhere between adequate and pretty good, but you are thinking he/she is not as good as you. My usual thought is along the lines of “where did they dig up this clown, and why is he/she talking about last year’s hot ideas as if they were new?”

So why is that person on the stage and you are sitting, frustrated, in the audience? What got them up there and not you?

While there are no easy answers to that question, the biggest factor is they are better known for what they do than you are. It may be because they wrote a book or some articles, they had some other speaking engagements, they were recommended by someone advising the event producer, or maybe they “knew somebody” or probably some combination of these and other factors. Somehow they were able to get in front of the right people at the right time and get the speaking engagement.

Regardless of the factors that created the situation, the fact is they are on the stage and you are in the audience. People are looking at and listening to them, and you are one of those faceless people in the crowd. Again, we've all been there.

Think of the person on the stage as Point B, and you as Point A. How do you get from Point A to Point B?

*************

That's what I wrote last August. And here is the short answer:


LinkedIn is the best place for business professionals to post information about themselves, regardless of your discipline.

As a business professional, regardless of what your function is, you need to be findable to those in your field. To be findable among 150 million other professionals will take some hard work, but it is do-able.

A good-to-great profile can make the difference between you getting your next job, consulting assignment, or that elusive speaking gig. This is the place where you need to define and discuss the value you bring to your profession without hyperbole.

To become more "findable" by those who need your expertise, here are the top 5 elements for your profile, in order of importance.

1- The Photo: this is the first thing people gravitate to as we are all visual beings. A professional looking photo, with you smiling, is usually best. Nobody needs to see your boat, your dog or your family- just you.

2- The Headline: this is the tag line under your name and it is valuable real estate. The default mode is your current job title. A good tag line gets people to read your profile.

2- The Name: this is your name. We have all seen people with email addresses, professional designations and more in the name field. Use your name- just your name.

4- The Summary/Specialties; view this as your first conversation with your profile visitor. Make it an interesting conversation and talk about what you bring to the market. The "specialties" (2nd part of the summary) is where you enumerate each of your skills.

5- Experience: this is the job section. Don't simply list the job title- tell people what you did and what the company does.

There are several other facets to the profile, but these are the biggies. Do these right and you will start attracting attention from the people you want attention from.

Your LinkedIn profile is always a work in progress. Check out OPP- other people's profiles- and get some ideas on how to improve your profile.

Remember, a good-to-great profile can make the difference between you and your next job, consulting assignment, or that elusive speaking gig. A bad profile is the difference between your next job.....


Need help with LinkedIn? Drop me a line (markamtower@gmail.com). I host a monthly LinkedIn Blackbelt Workshop (near BWI ariport), one-on-one coaching and company coaching (both via teleconference), and I also offer a profile analysis. 

Prior to my blog and my Washington Technology columns, throughout the 1990s until 2008 I published my e-newsletter, The Amtower Report  (it was a snail mail newsletter in the early 1990s).  During that same period I also published 24 "Off White Papers" (1998-2004).

(In case you are wondering why I stopped writing those, I thought the blog and the articles could take the place of the newsletter, but I still get grief from a few people that want the newsletter back in their inbox...)

Both the newsletter and Off White Papers enjoyed some notoriety because I expressed some controversial thoughts and coined some phrases that have become part of the industry jargon, among them "the big bag theory" and "battle of the bags" as a way of describing the main activity at major trade shows. http://federaldirect.net/newsletter041103.html While I always found big bags amusing, I never believed they were a good marketing tool.

Along the way I also made some predictions regarding reseller community. In Off White Paper 23: VAR Wars 2004 - http://www.federaldirect.net/offwhite23.html I made some statements and predictions about the reseller community that were not mainstream.

I suggested that the immixGroup was a company to watch. Indeed, it has now grown to nearly $1 billion in sales under co-founders Jeff Copeland and Steve Charles. Founded in 1997, immixGroup was already becoming a significant force, and has grown to powerhouse status. I referred to them as "a cash machine for themselves and their clients". Congratulations, gentlemen.

Further, I postulated that GTSI was stagnating, in part due to a lack of managing the brand and market position. I said that missteps by GTSI would open the door for CDW (CDWG) and others, which is what happened.

I indicated that BestBuy Government would have a very difficult time entering the government reseller battle. Anyone remember BBG?

And I predicted that Craig Abod, then recently departed from one reseller, would emerge as a force to be reckoned with.

This turned out to be somewhat prophetic.  Craig had just started Carahsoft Technology when I wrote that in 2004.  Two months ago, in December, 2011, at the end of the 7th year, Carahsoft hit $1 billion in annual sales.

This is amazing for several reasons, the first and most obvious is that $1 billion in 7 years is a ridiculously fast growth pace. Less obvious is there was no VC or angel money to start Carahsoft, and no mergers or acquisitions along the way: it is all natural growth.

This is an unparalleled accomplishment in the GovCon community.

And there is icing for this cake. Eight years ago Craig started Carahsoft at the end of January. At the end of January 2012, Craig was notified that he was awarded a Federal Computer Week Fed 100 award.

Congratulations Mr Abod, for an extraordinary job. You realize, of course, that now I expect more of the same...

In the governnment contracting community there are arguably only a handful of networking events where there are a significant number of "power players" in one place at one time- senior executives from the top contractors, senior government officials, key press contacts and others.

One such event is the annual Deltek holiday party, now held at the Ritz in McLean. Due to Fire Marshall issues, it has become an invitation only (gotta be on the list) event.

This event was started byTom Hewitt when he ran Federal Sources. Of all the people I have ever met in the government market, Tom knew the value of networking and went out of his way to meet people, make introductions, create networking venues and help as many as he could. He is a truly gracious guy. On many occasions I was the recipient of introductions by and invitations from Tom, and I remain grateful for both.

Hewitt was the epitome of being connected. He was the LinkedIn of the 1990s.

He started the annual holiday party in the late 1980s and held it at the McLean Hilton as an open, anyone can attend event.  There was no fee to attend and it remains so to this day, although you need to bring a $20+ toy for the US Marines "Toys for Tots" program.

When I attended this event for the first time (according to my old Day-Timer collection, 1991), I looked around the room and thought, "These are the people I read about in Federal Computer Week, Washington Technology and Government Executive - and here they are!"

My job that evening was to meet as many people as I could, gather as many business cards as possible, and see if I could develop some consulting business. I had some minor name recognition at the time through my newsletter (hardcopy, snail mail), from being on the Board of Advisors for FOSE, a little word-of-mouth, and a few speaking engagements. But I was far from being "well known" in the contracting community.

So I'd gather the business cards, drop people a note (snail mail), follow up with a phone call.

The results were not stellar, but they were OK.

Tom Hewitt may have known many or most of the people in that room but I certainly did not. But everyone in that room knew Tom Hewitt. His rolodex and influence was truly unparalleled in this market throughout the 1990s.

So 20 years later I find myself at the Ritz at the annual holiday party and I'm looking around and I am thinking - "These are the people I read about in the trade magazines, hear interviewed on Federal News Radio, see on LinkedIn - and here they are!" The attendance is around 1,200 of the most influential people in the contracting community.

While I have better name recognition and good overall market visibility, I still don't know everyone I'd like to know. So I still collect business cards.


So my goal with the business cards is to make certain that while I may not know everyone in the room, I want to have most of them in my "network" - so I invite the key players to connect with me on LinkedIn, making certain my business card collection pays some dividends.


There may be 1,200 people in that room, similar to the way it was in 1991. But the difference for me is by connecting to key players (by offering them a reason to connect with me), I have reduced the number of degrees between me and anyone in the room. My network now includes all top contractors, many senior government executives, much of the government trade press, and more.


I may never have the power or influence of Tom Hewitt, but my goal is to emulate certain of his behaviors so my reach in the market is as broad and deep as possible.

So far, so good.

I just hosted the inaugural LinkedIn Blackbelt Master workshop this morning and there are now 8 more intelligently armed soon-to-be LinkedIn experts out there.

This is a 3 hour workshop with very limited seating so everyone attending gets some one-on-one coaching along the way.

Without a doubt, LinkedIn has become the premier social network for business professionals. With nearly 140 million business professionals and over 2 million individual company profiles, LinkedIn is the place to be found for business professionals, and to find and connect with influencers in your market niche.

However it is estimated that fewer than 25% of those registered to use LinkedIn do so effectively, and less than 10% maximize the value this powerful tool can bring to you and your company.

Unlike some other social networks, LinkedIn is all business all the time. If you are not maximizing this extraordinary tool, you are losing mindshare.

I currently host this session monthly near BWI, but should be hosting a Virginia monthly session in the near term - hopefully no later than March.

The next BWI session is Wednesday, February 29 from 8:30-11:30 AM.

Drop me a line for details on upcoming sessions.

mark@federaldirect.net

LinkedIn has released it's list of the ten most overused buzz words that show up on LinkedIn profiles, resumes, etc. In order, they are -

1) Creative
2) Organizational
3) Effective
4) Extensive experience
5) Track record           
6) Motivated
7) Innovative
8) Problem solving
9) Communication skills
10) Dynamic

Each of these terms has a use, but apparently, just about everyone likes and uses them.

Does this mean they necessarily should be removed from your profile? Not automatically, but if replacement terms can be used, you need to consider it. A simple thesaurus check in Word can yield some decent results:

Creative (original, inspired, resourceful, innovative)

Dynamic (lively, active, energetic, vibrant, self-motivated).

Using tired, overused terms and phrases does not make you stand out.

What can you do for 2012 to stand out in your niche?

What are you going to resolve to do to make 2012 a boom year for you and your company?

The government contracting market is going to get even tougher in 2012. With no Congressional agreement on budget cuts, a 10% across the board cut in agency spending looms like a big, dark cloud on the horizon.  Add to that the perpetual continuing resolution that will most likely linger for yet another year and we have a massive squeeze on the contracting community.

Standing out, your ability to be found by potential partners and customers, to stand out as an expert in your niche, is critical due to the budget crunch. This is true for both companies and individuals, service companies and product vendors. Being viewed a s a subject matter expert of thought leader in your niche is more important now than ever before. Generalists will not make the cut.



Using web 2.0 tools and social networking can help.



On October 18 Market Connections released the 2nd annual "2011 Social Media in the Public Sector" study. Among many other findings, the study showed a dramatic rise in the use of social media year over year, with more than 90% of government employees using some form of social media- an increase of 41%.

Another finding was that 70% of government employees used LinkedIn and 93% of contractors were using LinkedIn, both big gains over the previous year. Market Connections study stats on how contractors use social media:

1) Marketing/promotion - 85%
2) Thought leadership promotion - 84%
3) Increased collaboration - 75%
4) Improved customer access to company information - 74%

(SOURCE: www.MarketConnectionsInc.com)

More and more I am seeing job titles like "Social Marketing Manager" at companies of all sizes.


So here are my questions for you as we approach 2012:

Are you "on" LinkedIn without being active?

Are you on LinkedIn but with a bare-bones profile?

Are you among those who think your customers and prospects are not on LinkedIn?

Do you still think social networking is a fad or waste of time?


How effectively are you using LinkedIn to position your company or yourself as a thought leader in this hyper-competitive market?


Developing a social media strategy has become a "must do now" rather than a "we'll get to it real soon" task.


What are you going to resolve to do to make 2012 a boom year for you and your company?

The "chicken or the egg" conundrum has reared its confusing head yet again.

I have made several of presentations over the past 3 years on maximizing the power of LinkedIn: leveraging this great platform for differentiating your company; attracting partners and prospects; positioning your company as a subject matter expert in a niche so agencies and primes will better understand what you do and where you fit; strategically growing your network; then staying in touch with your ever-expanding network by sharing good information. This is the process that leads to more visibility and differentiates you from most, if not all, of your competitors.

The audiences always seem receptive to what I am saying, paying serious lip service to their desire to employ social media to differentiate, then reach out to the market. "We're gonna do it....real soon...."

Then comes the caveat: "We really need some sales first."

Differentiation, how and why you are different from your competitors, is one of the major keys that will lead to your ability to sell more products or services. Social media, when used properly, helps you display the attributes that legitimately differentiate your company from others. Until you differentiate yourself and become visible to your target audience, the likelihood of more sales is minimal.

"But we really need some sales first...do you have an email list of (fill in the job title here: procurement officers, facilities managers, CIOs, etc)"....

Chapter 8 of Selling to the Government is devoted to differentiating, and Chapter 11 (near the end of the book) deals with the deployment of web 2.0 tools, especially LinkedIn. I devote a fair amount of space in this book to these because they are critical to your success.

There is a reason that 25%+ of GSA Schedule holders make $0:
- little or no differentiation
- little or no targeted marketing
- and little or no use of social media.

Being on the GSA Schedule is not a guarantee of sales and being on GSA Advantage is a requirement, it is not a differentiator and it offers no real advantage (no pun intended) to the contractor.

If you are not trying differentiate, to legitimately stand out in a crowded field by clearly enunciating what makes your company different, you are already on a downward spiral.

So what comes first, the chicken or the egg?


Market Connections study stats on how contractors use social media:

1) Marketing/promotion - 85%
2) Thought leadership promotion - 84%
3) Increased collaboration - 75%
4) Improved customer access to company information - 74%

SOURCE: www.MarketConnectionsInc.com


And btw, Amtower & Company offers coaching for companies and individual coaching on leveraging the power of LinkedIn and we also offer a half-day workshop to get companies started on LinkedIn.

"I have been on LinkedIn for six months and it hasn't done a thing for me...."

This was a comment from the audience where I spoke recently. When I returned to my office later that day, I took a look at the profile of the person who made the comment, and here's what I found:

- no recent activity- none. No new connections, no new groups, no information posts. Nothing.
- profile- bare bones. No decent job description or company description, the "Experience" section only had the most recent position (read: no history).

In short, they might be a "member" of LinkedIn, but they are doing absolutely nothing to participate and become noticed.

This is like joining the key trade association for your niche and not attending meetings or networking functions.

Think of it as a "drive by" membership, where you can drive by the networking event, honk and wave when you are in the general vicinity of the venue, and hope someone notices you.

"I have been on LinkedIn for six months and it hasn't done a thing for me...." is the swan song of the couch potato, the person who always has something impeding the "thought meets action" process. LinkedIn doesn't work unless you do.

In this case, the impediment is the assumption that simply by being on LinkedIn will lead to results, when what it will really take is to stop whining and start working smarter: get active and get found!


10/24/11 Update:

On October 18 Market Connections released the 2nd annual "2011 Social Media in the Public Sector" study. Among many other findings, the study showed a dramatic rise in the use of social media year over year, with more than 90% of government employees using some form of social media- an increase of 41%.

Another finding was that 70% of government employees used LinkedIn and 93% of contractors were using LinkedIn, both big gains over the previous year.

The top uses for using social media for contractors were

1) Marketing/promotion - 85%
2) Thought leadership promotion - 84%
3) Increased collaboration - 75%
4) Improved customer access to company information - 74%

SOURCE: www.MarketConnectionsInc.com

Being "findable" and being credible after being found are the first two steps for leveraging web 2.0 tools to create qualified leads. In the government contracting market, this is more important today than ever before.

There should be little or no argument that the government contracting market will be more competitive as we move into FY 2012.

Regardless of the size of your company, we have a situation where the better known companies will have a huge edge (hint: better known does not always mean bigger). So, if you have a piece of any IDIQ contract- GSA Schedule, SEWP IV, 8(a) STARS, whatever- you need to work harder than ever to gain more attention with the buyers and influencers who can make or break your FY 2012. That includes both government buyers and other contractors.

Take for example the 8(a) STARS II program, a five year, $10 billion IDIQ GWAC.  As an IDIQ (indefinite delivery- indefinite quantity) GWAC (government wide contract), there is no requirement for agencies to buy off the contract nor is there any agency money assigned to the contract. It becomes job #1 for the winners of the contract to market the availability of their services through this contract to
key influencers in the government market.

There are 599 companies that own a piece of the 8(a) STARS II contract. Standing out in this crowd will not be an easy or quick task. Part of standing out in the crowd is positioning yourself as a leader in your niche, establishing your credentials and making certain that the word gets out to the right people. In a Federal News Radio interview on August 5, In Depth with Francis Rose, I predicted that less than 10% of the STARS II contract winners would make money fom the contract because of inadequate marketing and sales efforts.

For small companies, the intelligent use of social media and web 2.0 tools has become critical. Social media and blogs are the fastest growing line items in lead generation budgets because when used properly these tools allow a company to demonstrate an area of expertise, and to share relevent content with key buying influencers. It is one of the few tools that can really "level the playing field". When used properly, web 2.0 tools are low-cost and high impact.
 
Part of the credibility is what you do and how well you do it. Another part is who you know. Social networking allows you to exponentially expand your relationship reach. This morning (9/16/11) I received an email from a client. Yesterday I sent them an article that dealt directly with their core strength, an interview with a major federal influencer talking about this technical area. They asked if I knew the person quoted in the article. I did not- but I have 42 direct connections on LinkedIn that do know this person so I will be able to make the connection for my client. LinkedIn works if you use it properly.


And what about other web 2.0 tools?



This is not simply a matter of starting a blog, or creating a couple of webinars. It is a matter of selecting the right tools for your company and using them well, tools that show what you are capable of doing, tools that will attract buyers and influencers to your blog, webinar or social networking profile. Tools that will increase "findability" and build credibility and help you sell your services in this very competitive environment.

Or, if you prefer, you can wait for the phone to ring, the preferred tactic of many unsuccessful GSA Schedule holders.

The successful companies on 8(a) STARS, GSA Schedule and other IDIQs will be working hard to get on the radar of buyers and influencers and selling their products and services in FY 2012 and beyond. The companies that simply wait for business to occur will be waiting a long time.

If you are interested in deploying the right web 2.0 tools, in creating a "thought leader" or subject matter expert position, and getting your company on the government contracting radar, we should talk.

Drop me a line at Mark@FederalDirect.net and let's set up a time to discuss your use of Web 2.0 tools to grow your business.

Here’s the scene, and I think we’ve all been here: You are at a conference and the person on stage speaking to 1,000+ people is somewhere between adequate and pretty good, but you are thinking he/she is not as good as you. My usual thought is along the lines of “where did they dig up this clown, and why is he/she talking about last year’s hot ideas as if they were new?”

So why is that person on the stage and you are sitting, frustrated, in the audience? What got them up there and not you?

While there are no easy answers to that question, the biggest factor is they are better known for what they do than you are. It may be because they wrote a book or some articles, they had some other speaking engagements, they were recommended by someone advising the event, or maybe they “knew somebody” or probably some combination of these and other factors. Somehow they were able to get in front of the right people at the right time and get the speaking engagement.

Regardless of the factors that created the situation, the fact is they are on the stage and you are in the audience. People are looking at and listening to them, and you are one of those faceless people in the crowd. Again, we've all been there.

Think of the person on the stage as Point B, and you as Point A. How do you get from Point A to Point B?

In the book series Where's Waldo, a tall guy with glasses dressed in blue pants, a red and white striped shirt and matching hat is always somewhere in a scene so crowded with other things and other people that it is hard to find him. The reader’s (really, viewer, as there are no words) job is to find Waldo.

In the speaking scenario above, the only one easy to find is the person on the stage. Unless you are wearing a red and white striped shirt with a matching hat, you will be hard to pick out in that audience. That's not usually the way you want to stand out in a business crowd.

Your job is to intellectually stand out and stand apart in your business niche, and to be easily found by those who need to find you because of your expertise. Then the people you want to meet and know will have an interest in knowing you and having as part of their online and offline network.

Growth in any market niche is predicated on building relationships with key influencers in that niche, and then becoming an influencer in that niche. Those influencers can include prospects, partners, press, investors, C-level execs and others influential in your market.

To build the relationships and maximize your presence, you need to develop credibility in your market, then build your visibility. Visibility without credibility has no value or worse, negative value.

Credibility is developed by being good at what you do and working at getting better,  being among the best at what you do, and adding value to the community. Then you find ways to share some of your knowledge and opinions with others.

Once you start this process, you are already creating visibility, but it is necessary to continue to build your knowledge base as you expand your visibility. Markets evolve and you must evolve with them to retain your credibility.

Traditionally we have face-to-face events for networking, seminars and conferences where we share or receive knowledge, publications where we read, write or be quoted. These are still excellent venues.

But wait!!! There's more!

With the advent of web 2.0 tools, we have the ability to either bypass traditional methods or enhance them by incorporating them into our web-based activity.

For business professionals, LinkedIn has become an incredibly valuable tool for developing credibility and visibility. Your ability to stand out in a crowd is now predicated on your ability use both the traditional and web-based tools and coordinate the activity between them to make you among the most “findable" experts in your niche. Think of it as "findability".

So here is the initial equation:

credibility + visibility = findability.

There are several examples and one great example is Steve Ressler, founder of GovLoop.

Steve was a government IT analyst and program manager at the Department of Homeland Security. While working for the government, on his own time he co-founded Young Government Leaders, which has become a great networking venue for the next generation of public managers.

Then in 2008, Steve started the online community for Feds, GovLoop (by for and about Feds - the Facebook for government).

Steve's use of social media, which also led to being featured in traditional media, is a great example of what can happen if you develop an expertise and share your ideas. Along the way he won acclaim and awards from industry groups and trade publications, leading to even more visibility.

Steve stays active through GovLoop, Young Government Leaders and mainly by sharing ideas in as many forums as possible.

None of this happened overnight for Steve, and it all required hard work.

We don't all need industry-wide visbility, but most of us need visibility within a defined niche. And the tactics to gain that visibility are basically the same:

1- be good at what you do and work hard at staying good;

2- find the venues where those in your niche congregate, both online and offline venues, and get involved;

3- participation in these venues involves helping with events, working in special interest groups, developing and sharing ideas, commenting on other ideas, etc;

4- always be on the lookout for ways to share with others who would be interested.

Credibility, visibility and findability are truly keys to success.


IF you need assistance in developing and implementing a plan to raise your findability, send an email to markamtower@gmail.com . 

We have all read articles written by people who may not be the most qualified experts, and we certainly have all seen speakers who would be better off taking copious notes from the audience rather than dispensing advice from the podium. There are even some business book authors out there who have one or more books out that really offer little value, yet they seem to find an audience.

How did they get the speaking gig, article assignment or book deal, and how do they develop an audience?

Each of them has defined a niche and studied it at least enough to get the attention of a trade magazine or book editor or a conference director. Then they have designed a way to get on the radar, to generate some attention.

Becoming visible to your business community, your niche, is not an easy or quick process. It can be simple, but it is not easy, but we all need the attention only our niche can provide if we are to survive and thrive in these tough times. It does not matter if you have a small, medium or large company (although some will argue it is easier for large companies to get PR), or even if you are a solo-preneur like me - each of us needs enough attention to generate new business, to find the right job, to get the book deal or to move to the next level.

There are many tools available, and more becoming available every day, but the process of selecting and deploying the right tools for your niche.  There are hundreds of web 2.0 tools out there, but let's just look at one for right now: LinkedIn.

LinkedIn has well over 100 million register business professionals, 990,634 groups (as of  11:22 AM EST, 7/19/ 11), many useful apps to use with your profile, and a ton of ways to help you stand out in a crowd and connect with key epople throughout your market.

But how many people on LinkedIn are really using it to stand out in their respective niches? My estimate is less than 2%. But key decision makers are using LinkedIn to identify the "experts" in various fields, and these include people who hire speakers, give writing assignments, and offer book deals.

So what does it take to truly stand out?

Knowing your subject well is always job #1.

Defining your area of expertise in terms that will resonate with your niche is job #2.

Getting the word out is job #3.

I use LinkedIn as the "hub" for my web activity. When I write an article, I post the link for it in pertienet groups on LinkedIn. The result this week is one of the most read and most emailed articles at www.WashingtonTechnology.com . It makes the editor happy to have fresh traffic coming into the site, it keeps my name active in the market niche, and it could generate some business. I write an article for Washington Technology's web site once a month, and each time my promotional activity helps make it a well-read article. And it doesn't take me long to do this.

I will also "tweet' the article link, which will put it on all the social networks I use and maybe generate some re-tweets as well.

How are you leveraging the available tools to generate some targeted viisibility in your niche for you and your company?

If you need some fresh ideas on how to stand out in a crowded market, drop me a line - markamtower@gmail.com

Best of luck with your efforts!

Mark

I just received a question from a client who sells products to the government. Clearly this person, and their corporate management, were worried about the current economic and political climate - as are we all.

The question is: With budget cuts looming on a federal level, what might be a few things to say to management that would sound “good” to justify why the Government sector will continue to grow?


I think my answer was realistic, but optimistic, at least for the savvy.

I don't think the sector will grow, but I think the "shrink" in the government market will be less than anticipated and also less than other market sectors. Further, I think that the more savvy players will grow their market share by eroding the market share of marginal and less sophisticated companies. Many companies do this as a matter of course, but those ranks will swell in the current climate.

If you have any small business status,  now would be the time to truly try to maximize the value of that status with your current government accounts, and perhaps with accounts that have lapsed within the last 18-24 months. I would also go to a few agencies that have needs for your products or services and make certain they know who you/your company is, and what you bring to the table. If you have no connections at those agencies, go through the OSDBU office. The OSDBUs are not just there for e the "newbies" - they will actually enjoy visits from seasoned professionals.

I think some companies that have been marginal in the market will leave or fold, and create some market share that will have to go somewhere.

Your thoughts on this are welcome.

LinkedIn is a destination of choice for business professionals online, but there are still many not taking advantage of what it offers.

LinkedIn now has well over 100 million registered members, approaching 1 million groups (as of 2:23 PM  on 7/11/11, 982,417)- 6,022 groups that have something to do with "government", and a ton of ways to make yourself known.

But most of those 100 million members are not leveraging LinkedIn in ways that will pay long term dividends. Inactivity by many, spam messages from many others, groups that remain un-managed or poorly managed, it seems like a waste.

However, for those who seek to gain some recognition on LinkedIn, here are a few tips to stand out & stand apart.

First, fill out your profile to 100%. Use short sentences and short paragraphs and make it interesting. Don't simply cut & paste your resume. Also use a professional picture, not a family photo, or one with a pet. Edit and update your profile regularly, at least twice each month.

Second, the way you fill out your profile should define the audience you wish to connect to- so make certain you state clearly what you do and what your niche is. Your SUMMARY" area is best for this, although each job description is also important.

Third, join pertinent groups and participate in them. Joining a LinkedIn group is like joining an association- there is no value unless you participate. Comment on or start discussions, ask and answer questions. There is no harm in joining groups then leaving if you don't find them useful.

Fourth, remember this is a network for professionals, so act like one. Avoid flip answers and don't make fun of people who ask seemingly silly questions.

Fifth, if you have a paid LinkedIn membership, monitor those who view your profile. often these are people you may want to connect to.

Sixth, if it is your company, start and manage your company profile. Make it, like your summary, readable and interesting, and clearly state what your company does. Avoid platitudes.

Seventh, tie your LinkedIn profile to your company web site and to your email signature.

Eighth, if you blog, post the link to LinkedIn. There is an app which allows you to have your blog show up on your profile.

Ninth, use the Twitter-like update box at least once a week. You can also connect this directly with your Twitter account if you tweet.

Tenth, check your account in the early AM and the late in the day. You don't need to monitor your LinkedIn account throughout the day, but you should check it once early and once late.

This post is meant to offer a few tips that work if you use them and feedback is always welcomed.

Google, the be all end all of web search, has done away with the best search tool in the government market- www.Google.com/UncleSam - see the discussion thread here:

http://74.125.95.93/support/forum/p/Web+Search/thread?hl=en&tid=68eef4f9581f51bf

For those not familiar with this search tool, it was the best way to find anything on US federal, state and local government web sites.  Plug in a word or phrase, hit enter, and voila! Really good and targeted stuff would be at your fingertips. I have used it for hundreds of companies in the last 10 or so years.

I stumbled across it several years back and have been writing and talking about it ever since, and have many others. I have shown numerous people the value of this tool, until...poof- it was gone!

AGGGHHHH!!!! This is horrible!! And worse, they really don't understand what they did!
In the discussion link posted above Rishi K from Google says you can find everything in a regular search.

WRONG!!!! Regular searches include all the non-government sites we were able to filter out through the use of www.Google.com/Unclesam. Rishi, you  don't understand the nature of  our searches and you are WAY off base.

Too any and all in the government market: drop Google a line and tell them "Google, bring back UncleSam!".

If that does not work....Bing- are you paying attention?

The perpetual continuing resolution has had a huge impact on the government contracting community. Operating under a continuing resolution not only handcuffs federal buyers from starting new projects, it also makes them work and think much harder about deciding where to most effectively spend the funds they have.

This issue impacts all contractors, small, medium and large, set-aside and prime contractors alike.

How are you going to make certain your pipeline gets some of those remaing FY 2011 funds? How are you going to influence those controlling those funds?

Will you focus on making certain you maximize the value of current accounts? Or will you be targeting accounts you have been working, but have yet to penetrate? Do you have sufficient contacts at each account to make certain you reach all the decison-makers?

Are you targeting the SmartPay micro-purchase buyers? And if so, how are you differentiating your offer?

If you need a few ideas on what can work for your organization,  post a comment here or drop me a line at markamtower gmail dot com.

The news of Deltek purchasing Washington Management Group and Federal Sources created quite a stir in the contracting community. Here are my thoughts on my previous post, which was only posting the Deltek press release.

Deltek, under Kevin Parker (who joined Deltek in 2005) there have been several acquisitions, including Input and GovWin (formerly MySBX). Mr Parker discussed these and other issues on my radio show last October - http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?sid=2075743&nid=58&_hw=Kevin+parker .
During that interview, Mr Parker stated that Deltek's push into offering more services to the contractor community was far from over.

I still don't think Deltek is done, but I would be hard pressed to figure out what would be next. No insider info here.

What this means to the contracting community is that Deltek/Input/FedSources offer a comprehensive suite of paid information and consulting services. Add in GovWin for the small contractors and you has an impressive array free and paid services.

For those companies that used to use both services, you will pay less. For the companies that used to try to negotiate a better price by playing Fed Sources off Input, well, that is probably over.

Are there other sources available for the contracting community? Yes, but they are mostly smaller providers, with the exception of Bloomberg Government, BGov.

I am still not certain BGov is a direct competitor to Deltek. If they are, with the acquisition of Federal Sources by Deltek, BGov will find it more difficult to compete directly with Deltek.

This is a relationship driven market and between Deltek, Input, WMG and Fed Sources, most of the major contracting community is well covered. Factor in the Colaition for government Procurement and you have the GSA  Schedules covered too.

It will be interesting to watch the ripple effects from this.

This is very sigificant news for the contracting community. My analysis will follow this weekend- but in the meantime- here is the press release from Deltek:

Deltek Acquires FedSources and The Washington Management Group



The addition of Washington Management Group, FedSources, and FedSources Consulting to Deltek’s INPUT and GovWin information solutions delivers unmatched capabilities for finding, winning, and managing government business



HERNDON, VA – April 1, 2011 – Deltek, Inc. (Nasdaq: PROJ), the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for professional services firms, government contractors, and government agencies, today announced that it has acquired Washington Management Group (WMG), and its FedSources (FSI) and FedSources Consulting (FSI Consulting) businesses for $26 million in an all cash transaction.

With estimated revenue of $15 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, WMG, FSI, and FSI Consulting provide the market intelligence and consulting experience necessary to identify, qualify, and win government business. For over 25 years, the company has been an industry leader in providing consulting services and market intelligence to government contractors. With more than 900 clients and 20,000 users, the company helps identify and validate more than 3,500 opportunities worth hundreds of billions of dollars in annual market value.

This acquisition extends and accelerates Deltek’s unique portfolio of solutions that power the complete business lifecycle for government contractors. Our solutions span government opportunity information and intelligence, customer relationship management (CRM), business development and capture management, financial management, human capital management and project management. The addition of WMG and FSI bolsters Deltek’s portfolio of solutions by:


· Creating the industry’s broadest and deepest repository of government opportunity intelligence information. For over 25 years, FedSources has delivered government contract research, agency spending analysis, and targeted opportunity information in key areas such as national security, information technology, and architecture and engineering to clients interested in winning Federal business. By combining the rich opportunity intelligence from FedSources with the unique content, community and opportunity database from INPUT and GovWin, Deltek now delivers an unrivaled repository of government opportunities that represents over $500 billion in annual market value.


· Leveraging FedSources Consulting to deliver actionable, custom market analysis that better positions contractors to capture opportunities and grow their organizations. Deltek’s research and consulting experts develop plans that position contractors to grow organically or through acquisition. Our custom consulting engagements deliver pipeline development plans, opportunity-specific capture plans, and recommend acquisition candidates that align with contractors’ growth strategies.


· Offering comprehensive government schedule consulting to help companies find and keep profitable government contracts through The Washington Management Group. Deltek drives growth for companies interested in capturing Federal business by developing strategies that will enable them to profitably enter the government market. As part of these engagements, we work closely with companies to obtain and maintain both GSA and VA Schedule contracts. Our engagements maximize revenue opportunities and minimize risk by ensuring compliance policies and programs are in place to enhance contract conformance. In this way, we make it easier for companies to do business with the government and easier for the government to do business with key contractors.


“Acquiring WMG and FedSources significantly expands our solutions portfolio and drives new growth opportunities with new customers and within our existing base of over 4,000 government contractors,” said Kevin Parker, President and CEO of Deltek. “This acquisition extends our capabilities as the premier end-to-end government contracting solutions partner – providing an unmatched suite of solutions from business development and capture management to comprehensive financial and project management. In addition, it expands our strong recurring revenue stream. Our integration process is underway, and we expect to benefit from many future synergies as we leverage this acquisition to be a growth catalyst for Deltek.”

“Combining the Washington Management Group and FedSources with Deltek and its INPUT and GovWin solutions provides our organization with a unique opportunity to deliver game-changing value to our customers,” said Bill Gormley, President and CEO of Washington Management Group and FedSources. “The government domain expertise of WMG and FSI together with the global reach and industry-standard software solutions from Deltek provides contractors with one strategic partner that delivers a full lifecycle of success to companies that want to enter and win in the government marketplace.”
 
 
About Deltek


Deltek (Nasdaq: PROJ) is the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for professional services firms, government contractors, and government agencies. For decades, we have delivered actionable insight that empowers our customers to unlock their business potential. Over 14,000 organizations and 1.8 million users in approximately 80 countries around the world rely on Deltek to research and identify opportunities, win new business, optimize resources, streamline operations, and deliver more profitable projects. Deltek – Know more. Do more.™ deltek.com.

Follow Deltek at Twitter.com/Deltek and participate in the conversation #DeltekFedSources

Forward-Looking Statements



This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. You can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "should," "would" or similar words. You should consider these statements carefully because they discuss our plans, targets, strategies, prospects and expectations concerning our business, operating results, financial condition and other similar matters. We believe that it is important to communicate our future expectations to our investors. There will be events in the future, however, that we are not able to predict accurately or control. Our actual results may differ materially from the expectations we describe in our forward-looking statements. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to materially differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to accurately predict all of them. Before you invest in our common stock, you should be aware that the occurrence of any such event or of any of the additional events described as risk factors in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial position. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date on which we make it. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.