Winning federal business dollars is cutthroat business. Especially in today’s hypercompetitive marketplace where LPTA contracts now represent a third of contract awards, and large ID/IQ vehicles reign for maximum value to the government.
Winning teams work hard to win. And many differentiate themselves from the competition in how they handle a contract post-award. Here are three habits of highly effective teams:
1. FOIA Bids. The Freedom of Information Act is a wonderful thing, but few companies actually take advantage of available information. FOIA your own company and bids, and make sure they’re redacted properly. Check out your competition on contracts; find out what they’ve redacted. And what they haven’t. FOIA requests are generally long lead items, but they can provide wonderful information. More data points equates to better analyses which equates to better strategies which equates to winning more business.
2. Do a “Lessons Learned” Session. Win or lose, it’s critical that you leverage information to preposition for other bids. Attend the outbrief; find out what the Government has to say about the award. Pull your team together, and discuss key takeaways. Document internal processes that worked, and those that didn’t. The more cohesive your team is, the more effectively you’ll work, and the more business you’ll win.
3. Begin preparing for the recompete. What is proposed is not always what is delivered. Winning teams know that their performance matters. From Day 1 of the contract start, they’re aware that they’re building the story for their next proposal. They work to deliver what they proposed, have strong communication with their customers and are able to use each contract as a positive reference.
Are there other post-award habits of winning teams you would add to this list?
