Last week we were fortunate to be included in a small business summit with SAIC in Detroit. These intimate settings provide a lot of great information, opportunities to make new connections and provide a setting to nurture existing relationships, and get insight into upcoming contracts and how to properly throw your hat in the ring. Many growing GovCons are looking to grow their past performance history by teaming up with large primes to accomplish missions for the federal government. Having a reputable prime contractor back you up with quality past performance scores is a great way to build your reputation within the federal marketplace while giving you the ability to look for additional contract opportunities on your own providing the experience with which to grow and thrive in the niche you service.

Along with an overview of the many Department of Defense contracts within which SAIC is engaged, the Director of Small Business Programs, Rita Brooks, shared some tips on how to efficiently engage. Good rule of thumb: unless you are already connected and have an established rapport, your first reach out should not be a phone call.  Calling someone that doesn’t have any idea who you are or what you do is not the beginning of a beautiful friendship. My advice would be to connect on LinkedIn, attend a virtual or in-person event where you can meet this contact, and then send a friendly message or email to thank them for their time or information shared at an event.

Tips for effective engagement:

• Email first–and within that email, you should include the following:
  • Designate the program or agency you are interested in and be specific
  • Discuss in specific detail your specialty or commodity. Don’t be too wordy, get to the point!
  • Share your business size (include any subcategories)
  • Security clearances (individual/facility)
  • Past performance history relative to the prime or agency you are soliciting or related to the mission of the opportunity
  • Provide your capability statement in a one-page attachment

This interaction should not be a dissertation level communication. Be specific and to the point and know your audience. You should understand the objective and goals for the agency or prime you are looking to work with and share your information in a way that shows how and what you do that is of value to them. It is a “what can you do for them” approach. 

Having some valuable insight like this can prepare you for the most effective approach to getting the work you are best suited to perform. We are grateful to be included at the table to learn from leaders like Rita who are working to share award opportunities with the growing GovCon community! If you are looking to engage with SAIC, we encourage you to connect with Rita at one of the many events she will be at in the year ahead! Be sure to be prepared with your value statement and how what you do can support current missions for this business!