{"product_id":"9781430244981","title":"How to Get Government Contracts: Have a Slice of the 1 Trillion Dollar Pie","description":"\u003cp\u003e    \u003cem\u003eHow to Get Government Contracts\u003c\/em\u003e demystifies the process of how a company can enter the government market, win its first and subsequent contracts, and then grow itself into a multi-million-dollar government contractor within a couple of years. It offers an insider’s view into the latest best practices that government contractors use to succeed in an increasingly competitive market, and it shows exactly how your company can apply these techniques to build a strong business.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  Many companies venture into the government market with a certain naiveté and pay a hefty price to find out that there is much more to winning a contract than writing last-minute proposals in response to publicly posted solicitations. To stop the bleeding of precious resources, they need to step back to learn how professionals win business in the federal arena. This book shows you how to find, for example, the best potential customers and opportunities for your company. It also explains the secret to winning consistently by conducting pre-proposal preparation (also called \"capture\") and practicing a disciplined, process-based approach to proposal development. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  This book provides a recipe for winning government contracts over and over again, the way seasoned government contractors do it. After reading this book, you will know exactly what to do to position your company to win a government proposal before a solicitation becomes public, including building customer relationships, gathering intelligence, developing a \"win strategy,\" performing competitive analysis, selecting the best teammates, and developing a solution. As a result, you will apply professional techniques to organizing your proposal effort, outlining a proposal document, and writing RFPs that persuade evaluators to award the contract to \u003cem\u003eyou\u003c\/em\u003e.        \u003c\/p\u003e    What you’ll learn\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003eThe scope of federal contracts and grants and where to find information about them. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to get information about potential contracts before they are advertised.  \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to prepare your company to win contracts before submitting proposals. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to abide by federal acquisition rules that guide your proposal and govern your work for the government. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to take advantage of set asides for businesses owned by women, veterans, minorities, and others. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to prepare a proposal that wows government customers and wins contracts. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to get a steady stream of work from the government. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ul\u003e  Who this book is for      \u003cp\u003e     This book is for individuals and companies wishing to get a piece of the $1 trillion the U.S. federal government spends each year in contracts and grants.         \u003c\/p\u003e     Table of Contents\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 1: How Lucrative Is Government Contracting--and How Tangled Is the Red Tape?\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eLet's demystify government contracting. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eIt’s not a get-rich-quick world, but there is more profit than meets the eye. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eThe pros and cons of entering the government-contracting market. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eBird’s eye view of the market. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eRed tape, and how to rein it in and become a pro at winning contracts consistently. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 2: Get Started in Government Contracting\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eRules of the game in the federal marketplace. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eGovernment procurement methods. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to navigate the world of rules and acronyms. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to leverage small business status and socioeconomic programs whether yours is a small or large business. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eNecessary registrations and other steps to becoming a government contractor. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 3: Break into the Federal Arena Without Breaking Your Neck\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eThe chicken and the egg of past performance: Getting started is as hard as landing a dream job straight out of college. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eStrategies for penetrating the federal market for the first time. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to find perfect customers for your portfolio of offerings in the vast federal market. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to feed your pipeline with high-probability deals. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 4: Win Procurements Before They Go Public\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eSecret weapon of seasoned government contractors: Capture planning. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eSix components of capture to make winning a proposal a slam dunk. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to reduce competition with sole-source opportunities and small business set-asides. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to “wire” opportunities to yourself legally. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to prepare for a proposal in style. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 5: Create Strong and Lasting Relationships with Government Customers\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eRemember: You're dealing with people. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eFour key tasks for interfacing and building relationships with government customers. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eRules of interfacing with government personnel that you don't want to break at any cost. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eTwenty questions for gathering information from the customer during a visit to gain understanding of what keeps them up at night and influences their buying process. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 6: Develop Information Dominance in the Blind and Silent World of Government Procurement\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003ePublic bid posting doesn’t mean a level playing field: The diminishing opportunity for gathering information on your target bid. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eWhere and how to gather actionable intelligence when you are not allowed to talk to the customer. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eWhat information is necessary to win. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eDocument intelligence in a capture plan so that it is useful for the proposal team. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 7: Develop a \"Win Strategy\" \u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eIdentify top-level actions that create a winning offer. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eGood and bad win strategies. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to distinguish yourself from the pack and avoid the trap of flaccid win strategies. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to develop powerful proposal-level and section-level win themes that provide a conclusive set of reasons why the customer should select you and not your competitors. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to turn win themes into action items to outdo your competitors. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 8: Identify and Analyze Your Competition \u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eWhy you should worry about what your competitors do. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow cursory competitive analysis won’t fail to hurt you. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eWhat you need to know about your competition, and techniques for finding this information. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003ePutting the puzzle together: how to exploit your competitors’ shortfalls to your advantage and outdo them through strategic actions. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 9: Create a Team That Compels the Customer to Select You\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eChoose and engage the right partner companies. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow good teaming partners are like parking spaces in an office building. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eTeaming strategies: types, timing, and pros and cons. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to qualify a teammate to help you win and avoid problems down the road. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eUnderstanding size rules and potential teaming pitfalls that could disqualify you from bidding. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eNegotiating a binding teaming agreement. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 10: Prepare a Solution \u003cem\u003eBefore\u003c\/em\u003e the Request for Proposal \u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eWow your customer and put your proposal in a whole different league. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e30 days: Barely enough time to prepare a winning proposal \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003ePrepare in advance of the RFP issuance. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to guess at the requirements before the government issues the proposal. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eWhat can you figure out in advance, and how to do it without wasting time or money.                 \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 11: The Race is On: Get Ready to Write a Winning Proposal\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eWhy proposals win (and why many don't). \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eMaking an educated decision to bid or not bid on a proposal. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to read the government RFP correctly to understand exactly what the government is looking for. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eWhy you need a proposal process, and how it works. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eChapter 12: Wrangle the Nitty-Gritty of Proposal Details\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eIt is all about planning and attention to detail. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to develop a schedule to avoid last-minute scramble and produce an error-free, professional set of bid documents. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to outline a compliant proposal to get the highest score from the evaluators. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to make your proposal sections more compelling through executive summary, graphics, and persuasive language. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 13: You Won the Race ... and Now for the Sequel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003col\u003e  \u003cli\u003eFullfill your contract: underpromise and overdeliver.  \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eTechniques and strategy for building and aggressively growing your government contracting business to millions of dollars and beyond. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ol\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eAppendix: Useful Resources and Templates\u003c\/strong\u003e","brand":"Apress","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47127565172976,"sku":"9781430244981","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781430244981_p0.jpg?v=1763750383","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781430244981","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}