Florida Lobbyist

Five Insider Strategies for Selling to Government

By Florida Lobbyist Lisa Ard ~ November 11th, 2009 @ 2:06 PM No Comments »

Corporate Branding for Selling to State and Local Government

I have spent most of the last decade holding the hands of corporations that want to market their products and services to state and local government. My clients have closed over $250,000 million worth of new business in the past five years. I have found that a well developed business development strategy has to start with great branding aimed towards public officials.

Whether your organization is a bankable Fortune 500 brand or a small start-up, you will have to establish your corporate credibility and identity with the key decision-makers in the government jurisdiction to which you are selling. Government decision-makers and buyers are extremely risk adverse because of the public nature of their purchasing decisions.

Just because the state or local government may have heard of your company doesn’t mean they understand your value proposition. Your ultimate goal of increasing your revenues by selling to government can not be accomplished by branding alone but it is an important first step for achieving acceptance into the government marketplace.

Today, even many large corporations with recognizable names and logos struggle to create a one-size fits all brand for selling to state and local government. Your organization has to evaluate “Who do we say we are?” against “Who does government think we are?”

In an age of multiple mergers and acquisitions, it is difficult for government decision-makers to keep track of all the products and service offerings of any individual company. You not only have to establish a trustworthy identity, but you have to create and maintain a dynamic method for keeping your company brand and your products and services updated and fresh for the government decision-maker.

This can be accomplished through these five insider branding strategies:

1. Utilization of a Governmental Affairs/Lobbyist Firm – The right lobbying firm can introduce your company to elected and appointed officials and other key decision-makers and influencers. A good governmental affairs strategist with a trustworthy reputation can shorten the length of time that it takes for your company to be seen as a viable and reliable government partner. In essence, the lobbyist is transferring her reputation to your organization for purposes of creating trust in your company.

2. Identify the Challenges that Government is Facing and Market Your Products to Address their Needs – This can be accomplished through review of news articles, budget documents, internal audits, new legislation that creates additional mandates on the executive branch or any other document that might provide insight into the pressures and problems that government officials may be facing. Armed with this information, you can specifically design your marketing materials to address the needs of government.

3. Sponsorship and Support of “Pet Projects” of Governors, Legislators, Mayors, and Counsel Members– This type of activity can give you access to your target audience and allow you to build relationships with them. It is often difficult to develop professional connections with decision makers as you would if you were selling to the commercial marketplace where you could play golf or have dinner with your potential customer. While some of this is permitted to take place in the political and government environment, many states and local governments have passed laws which place limitations on these activities. However, sponsorship of charitable activities where elected and appointed officials participate, are often exempted from the aforementioned limitations.

4. Participation in Government Sponsored Conferences – Many government jurisdictions sponsor vendor conferences where companies interested in selling to government can highlight their products and services. Typically a broad range of government employees will attend these sponsored events. Decision makers can be found within all levels of government. You want to make sure that they are familiar with your company brand and have a general sense of your products and services.

5. Participation in Industry Specific Conferences that Elected and Appointed Officials May Speak at or Attend - Many government officials attend numerous specialty conferences throughout the year. Oftentimes they are featured as the keynote or break-out session speaker. For example, CIO’s and technology staff may attend IT-related conferences; law enforcement may attend police and sheriff conferences, governor’s, agency heads and legislators may speak at conferences related to a variety of industries or government . Attendees will be able to ask questions and provide information that is specific to their industry. Furthermore, sponsorships of these events may give an opportunity for representatives of corporations to have meaningful interaction with public officials at receptions and dinner tables.

* Lisa Ard represents corporations before Florida state and local governments. In addition, she trains and advises companies on navigating the government procurement process. For more information on how she can help you, please contact her at lisaard@cornerstoneprocurement.com.