The Ugly Truth about Government Contracting

This is what people don’t want to hear about government contracts. You’re not going to wow the government with your business idea. I’m sorry. Government contracts are about a mutually beneficial relationship and strategic partnership. The audience and scope are built in. All you have to do is execute. Your level of expertise and quality of service is what shines.

Your ego is removed from the equation. You have to stand out on their terms. It’s not about your genius ideas or even about the following you’ve gained from picking low hanging fruit over the years. There are places that you get to flex and show your true leadership skills. For example, in the proposal and in the deliverables, you can show off your techniques, methodology and past project performance, but the places where you and your business lack are going to be amplified and exposed in these relationships. I think this is one of the main reasons that people avoid government contracting, to be honest.

At the core of this phenomenon is that people are ego-driven when working with government clients is truly rooted in service. You have to be willing to be humble and execute the scope of work as written.