Welcome to Advantage Consulting

Bloomberg Blooms in Washington
By J.P. Richard, Vice President, Advantage Consulting, Inc.

One of the big guys is buying one of the little guys. Bloomberg is reportedly buying Eagle Eye Publishers as their entry into the Federal Data marketplace. Washington Technology said on Feb. 17th that the purchase poses a real threat to INPUT and FSI. I don't think so! Eagle Eye is not known for its opportunity databases but for its contract data bases and agency information. Bloomberg will not be building a base of opportunities to rival INPUT's or FSI's, but is very likely to pose a real threat to Congressional Quarterly and possibly Politico.

If you disagree with me come to my next Market Research class in April and we can discuss it then. J.P. Richard, jprichard@acibiz.com.

In terms of government business, probably the biggest paradigm shift most of us can recall occurred on September 11, 2001, because after those terrible events nothing in terms of government needs, requirements, and contracting has ever been quite the same.

Events happen that impact on doing business with the government -- some may be viewed as significant, others we might simply ignore. Advances in technology, science, communications and so forth have been quite dramatic during the last decade or two, but unless they directly affect what "our" company does they might or might not impact the corporate "bottom line." On the other hand, economic fluctuations often cause companies to react in ways that sometimes have significant but almost unnoticed long-term impacts.

When there's any kind of turn-down in the economy, for example, staff professional development training seems to be one of the first things put on hold. Viewed from a "dollars and cents" perspective, some companies see the investment of a few hundred or a few thousand dollars as something they can't afford "right now" and training gets cancelled or postponed.

On the other hand, companies with great foresight realize that keeping staff up-to-date on technical skills, or processes and techniques that can help to produce future revenue is essential for corporate growth and are willing to invest "now" for a greater ROI in the future.

We've always advocated that investment in the processes associated with Business Development (finding and capturing opportunities, writing winning proposals, etc.) should be perceived as a long-term rather than a short-term objective.

If it is time for you to "shift your paradigms" please give me a call. Mike Berger, 703-642-5153, mberger@acibiz.com.

Marketing for Your Competitors
By Sid Jaffe, President, Advantage Consulting, Inc.

Time and again we hear of opportunities that our clients lost to the other contractors at their work site. Our clients' staff have done excellent work and they have a great relationship with their customer. What they haven't done is follow up on that work and the relationships with the client as effectively as the other contractors on-site. There is work to be done and often it is work they created. They, in essence are marketing for your competitors and don't even realize it - often not until it is too late.

There is a predictable process for picking up this follow-on work, a process we teach and have titled "Nibbling" -- Growing business one additional person and task at a time, all the time. The process starts with developing, coaching and managing the on-site teams in a manner that encourages, recognizes and perhaps rewards successful contract growth. It is a management and work habit that once begun is a continuing source of growth at minimal expense.

Our consultants can train your managers and key technical people in one-day to Nibble for your firm for their career. To learn more about this process contact Sid Jaffe at 703-642-5153 or at sjaffe@acibiz.com.

"Let's work for us, not for our competitors."

Customer Service Team, A Solid Way to Grow
By Bill Hamilton, Vice President, Advantage Consulting, Inc.

We have often spoken of business development as a "team" sport and ways the team can be strengthened. Perhaps the most important rule in any team development is, "No ONE is a team." The next most significant rule is "every member of the team is accountable." A third rule might be "use the best people you have for a particular job."

With those rules in mind, aggressive companies will employ a Customer Services Team approach. A Customer Services Team is a business development team focused on a particular customer. The team is small, normally between four and eight people many of whom may be on their customer site. This team is totally responsible for coordinating services to the customer and growing additional business with the customer. In that sense, they "own" the customer.

Most Customer Service Teams are implemented upon contract award. Members know the customer very well and may have been on the Capture team before award. Their first task is to reinforce and expand their network within the customer and expand their knowledge of the customer's goals and dreams. Most of the team members are members of your company's technical staff. As such, they are regarded by the Government customer as a resource and a solution provider. They are considered members of the Government team. This position and probable location on site gives them access to people outsiders do not have.

Customer Service Team members are experts on the customer. Their primary business development task is to create your company's internal growth business plan. As the team learns more about the customer, they are able to determine projects that will benefit the customer and enable the customer to complete its mission more effectively. The Customer Services Team always thinks of the customer, its mission and the needs of its people before everything else. Their planning is a form of beneficial substantive solution development. There always must be a benefit to the customer.

Because they own the customer, they are responsible for coordinating the entire business development efforts of your company. This is a vitally important task. Your company must always show a united, coordinated face to your customer. The Customer Service Team maintains that coordinated face.

The Customer Service Team reports to a member of your company's line management but is supported in their role by many people, including the business development organization. As business development is a team sport involving the entire company, the Customer Services Team is a lead player on company team but a very important lead player. If you don't use a Customer Services Team, you should.

Want to discuss Customer Service Teams or want help in establishing them, contact me at 703-642-5153 or by e-mail at bhamilton@acibiz.com and let's talk.

"My Business Development and Capture workshops are scheduled for April 14th and 15th. Hope to see you there."

"We don't have a deficit because we're taxed too little; we have a deficit because they're spending too much... And when it comes to spending your hard-earned money, they act like they have your credit card in their pocket. And believe me; they never leave home without it." - Ronald Reagan