Mark Amtower | Amtower & Company

Small Business Success Tips Podcast (episode 19)

Summary: Mark Amtower provides powerful tips for defining your business niche, highlighting differentiation, building strategic relationships, conducting effective research, and using social media and networks.

Guest Bio:  Mark Amtower of Amtower & Company is one of the foremost GovCon consultants advising companies on how to grow and succeed in the federal government market. As author, speaker, consultant, coach and radio host, Mark has dedicated over 30 years to helping government contractors and has advised over 2,500 companies. His consulting services have led to well over $30 billion in sales, helping many companies become category leaders in the government market.

His radio show Amtower Off-Center is available on Federal News Radio and he has numerous blogs and newsletters, especially the Amtower Report. His books include Selling to the Government or Government Marketing Best Practices.

In this episode, Mark Amtower addresses: 

• basic ‘cast-in-stone’ principles
  • know who the players are, who the influencers are and influence them
  • know there's money for what you want to sell
  • knowledge of the client, its priorities, partners and products
  • have a contractual vehicle through which to sell
• subcontracting as the first access point for small companies
  • fill a void that the prime has –not by offering socio-economic status
  • identify the larger players and know where your small business can offer strength
• defining your niche and differentiation
  
  • narrow down the real scope of your company's expertise, core competency and specializations
  • where do you make money? Who buys from you? Where are you known?
  • segment the market by what segment you serve and where (geography)
• researching prospects and contract vehicles
  • FPDS (public source)
  • trade publications which indicate the names of contracts
  • Bloomberg Governments Service
  • OMB 300 submissions
  • radio shows like Jason Miller's Ask the CIO on Federal News Radio
• member-driven associations for networking, presentations and briefings
  • face time networking time in the right groups and venues 
  • PSC (Professional Services Council)
  • AFFIRM (Association for Federal Information Resource Management)
  • GITEC (Government Information Technology Executive Council) –merged with Advanced Technology Academic Research Center (ATARC) on May 31, 2018
  • HUBZone Chamber of Commerce
  • GBA (Government Blockchain Association)
  • AFCIA (American Federal Contract Investigators Association) 
• social media marketing
  • LinkedIn, the best and most under-utilized marketing platform 
    • used by all major contractors (both large and active)
    • sources listed by agency, job function, region etc
    • ability to deliver and control your own message, engage in groups, videos
    • focus on quality, not quantity to protect your brand

REFERENCES MENTIONED: 

• SEWP  Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement.
• OASIS and OASIS Small Business (SB) multiple award, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts
•  CIO-SP3, CIO-SP3 Small Business, CIO-CS and Best in Class

Host:  Neil McDonnell is an experienced small business owner and seasoned entrepreneur. An Army veteran, president of SV Mac Pack, and the founder of the HUBZone Chamber of Commerce, Neil is a government contracting subject expert and HUBZone advocate for media and conferences.

His podcast series offers key information and tips to help small businesses gain insight into government agencies and large prime contractors and develop strategies to effectively present services.