5 Strategies to Increase GSA Schedule Sales

Accelerating Success
© 2016 Coley & Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved
5 Strategies
to Grow Your
GSA Schedule Sales
Presented by
Jack Coley, CEO
Coley & Associates, Inc.

Strategies for Growing Sales
Strategy #1: Start Early
Strategy #2: Stay Lean
Strategy #3: Perform Well
Strategy #4: Leverage Your GSA Schedule
Strategy #5: Stay Compliant

GSA Schedules

GSA Schedule Vendors Do Better
 $439 billion awarded in 2015 - or about $800K per company registered in SAM.gov
 More than $33 billion was awarded through the GSA Schedule –about $2.98 million
per Active GSA Schedule Vendor (does not include VA FSS Vendors)
$3M
GSA Schedule Vendor
$0.8M
Non-GSA
On average, active GSA Schedule vendors won 3.5x
more contract dollars than vendors without a GSA Schedule

Ways to Participate: Prime, Sub, or Supplier?
• Prime: Best for contractors and vendors who understand the government
market and value direct relationships with their customers
• Subcontractor: Better for Services contractors who have limited knowledge
of government contracts and need to build experience
• Supplier: List your products on another vendor’s GSA Schedule
• Good for companies that sell through resellers
• Limits compliance risks
• Shorter time-to-market

GSA Consolidation of Services
• GSA merged 8 GSA Schedules into a single
“Professional Services Schedule” (00CORP)
• 520 – Financial Business Solutions (FABS)
• 541 – Advertising and Integrated marketing Services (AIMS)
• 738II – Language Services
• 871 – Professional Engineering Services (PES)
• 874 – Mission Oriented Business Integrated Services
(MOBIS)
• 874V – Logistics Worldwide (LOGWORLD)
• 899 – Environmental Services
• 00CORP – Consolidated Services

Benefits of Consolidation
• Contractors that provide multiple services need only a single GSA
Schedule now
• Less time and lower cost to get started
• Modifying an existing GSA Schedule is easier than obtaining a new one
• Streamlines the procurement process for your government customers
Learn more about getting on GSA Schedule:
- www.gsa.gov/gettingonschedule
- www.coleygsa.com

Strategy # 1
Start Early

The Best Informed Win More
• Gather intelligence on upcoming opportunities
• Competitors, Incumbent contracts, agency websites, strategic plans, budgets,
press releases, news, and whatever information you can find
• Meet with agency personnel (program managers, contracting Officers,
buyers, Small Business Reps, etc.)
• Attend Industry Days for upcoming acquisitions
• Attend Matchmaking Events, Conferences, and Trade shows
• Attend Professional Networking events

Influence the Acquisition
• Use all the intelligence gathered to present specific and unique
solutions for the agency’s requirements
• Respond to government market research, RFI’s, and Sources Sought
• Help shape requirements with your solution
• Rule-of-two for small business set asides
• VA – VOSB/SDVOSB – US Supreme Court decision

Partner to Expand
• GSA Schedule Contractor Teaming Arrangements (CTA)
• Two or more GSA Schedule contractors work together to offer a total
solution—each contractor must have a GSA Schedule
• Prime/Subcontractor teaming arrangement
• Only one company needs a GSA Schedule and acts as “prime”
• Small Business prime must complete 50% of work on Set Asides
• Mentor/Protégé Relationships
• Each agency has a mentor/protégé program
• Find the right partner—it has to be a win-win

Pay Close Attention to your Branding
• First impressions of your company can impact whether its
considered a viable source to meet government requirements
• Review branding and messaging on all your print and online
materials as well as public information on your company
including:
− Company Logo
− Brochures /Mailers
− Website and Blogs
− Social Media (LinkedIn,
Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
− Email signature block
− Online Reputation including
Reviews & Testimonials
− Product Catalogs
− All other tools and channels
used to promote your
company.

One Exception to Starting Early
• Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable (LPTA)
• Easier to meet technical acceptability, typically
• Easier to unseat incumbents
• Lowers the bar for market entry
• Bad for large and incumbent contractors
• Good for small business and new entrants to the market
• Word of advice: be careful to not bid so low you default on contract

Strategy # 2
Stay Lean

Major Changes are Coming
• Contractors will need to find ways to compete on price or offer
unique value propositions to remain competitive
• GSA is implementing cross-agency policies and tools that will put
downward pressure on pricing
• Category Management
• Transactional Data Reporting
• Acquisition Gateway

Category Management
• Government-wide approach to “Buy Smarter” as a single enterprise
• Category Management Leadership Council: OMB, DOD, DOE, HHS, DHS, VA,
GSA, NASA, and SBA
• 10 categories, each with a single manager
• Information Technology
• Professional Services
• Security & Protection
• Facilities & Construction
• Industrial Products and Services
• Office Management
• Transportation & Logistics
• Travel & Lodging
• Human Capital
• Medical
• Plus, 9 Defense-Centric categories

Transactional Data Reporting
• Contractors will be required to report GSA Contract sales at the line-
item level, including the actual prices paid by government customers
• Will affect GSA Schedules, GWACS and eventually IDIQ contracts
• Data is accessible by the government and eventually to the public
• FOIA Exempt data will not be shared: Quantity and Unit Price with public
• Comment on Rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/07/07/2016-
16064/seeking-input-on-the-public-release-of-data-collected-through-transactional-
data-reporting
“This is an important step forward for the Administration’s successful category management initiative. For the first time, the federal
government will be able to access critical procurement information, like prices paid by government customers for a wide variety of
commonly acquired products, to potentially drive hundreds of millions of dollars in savings.”
Anne Rung, United States Chief Acquisition Officer

Acquisition Gateway
• Helps federal government buyers act as one acquisition community
• Provides access to contract vehicles across agencies
• Prices paid data
• Acquisition expertise
• Analytical tools

“I like the invoice data. I can see pricing details about
the solutions I use most often.”
Program Manager, GSA

Strategy #3
Perform Well

Reputation is Critical
In government
contracting, it’s
EVERYTHING

Contract Management—Things to Remember
• Deliver projects on time and within budget
• Dates are not subjective—negotiate new dates for government delays
• Specifications are not subjective—negotiate change orders for scope changes
• Balancing act between contract requirements and customer expectations
• The government may terminate a contract for default if the
contractor fails to perform the services within the time specified

Strategy #4
Leverage Your GSA Schedule

YOU
DLA
Supply
BPA/FSSI
CMAS
Expand your Market
24
$
Accelerating Traction

Strategy #5
Stay Compliant

Keep What You’ve Won
• You risk losing all you’ve built if you don’t comply with the terms of your contract
• Trade Agreement Act (TAA) monitoring and compliance
• Service Contract Labor Standards (formerly Service Contract Act)
• Subcontracting Plan compliance (large companies)
• Contract modifications & administrative changes
• Catalog management and electronic upload
• Sales Reporting and Industrial Funding Fee (IFF)
• Corporate Policies and Employee Handbook
• Myriad HR verification and reporting requirements at the contract and task order level
• Records retention policies

GSA OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS
Referrals for criminal prosecution, civil litigation,
administrative action, suspension & debarment 243
Indictments and information on criminal referrals 20
Subjects accepted for criminal prosecution 58
Subjects accepted for civil action 9
Convictions 22
Civil settlements 3
Contractors/individuals suspended and debarred 36
Employee actions taken on administrative referrals
involving government employees 3
Number of subpoenas 19
Recovery $45,015,757
What Happens If…?
• GSA OIG Investigation
• Know of non-compliant
contractors, such as those selling
Chinese-made products through
GSA Schedule?
• Report them to their contracting
officer or directly to the S&D office:
suspension-and-
debarment@gsa.gov
Data for Oct 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 – GSA OIG Report to Congress

Meet our Team
What We do
Since 2001, we have worked with companies to accelerate and sustain their path to success in the Government Market
 Services include:
 Business Coaching and Advisory Services
 Business Classifications, Certifications, and Registrations
 Acquisition of Government Contracts
 Contract Management
 Market Research and Planning
 Develop and Execute Strategic Marketing Campaigns
 Marketing Design and Communications
 Consult and Assist with HR Procedures and Policies
 Custom Training Courses

Contact UsColey Government Contract Services
Contact Information
p. 210.402.6766 Email: hello@coleygsa.com
f. 210.402.6829 Web: www.coleygsa.com
Mailing Address
140 Heimer Road, Suite 400
San Antonio, TX 78232
Accelerating Traction

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