“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” ~Aristotle
Going after government contracts is a skill for which no other job or industry can prepare you. Don’t be ashamed or shy about what you don’t know in the beginning because you are not alone. I mean, the acronyms alone could intimidate even the most confident leader. Not to mention the pronunciations of said acronyms, and heaven knows if you mispronounce them in the company of some, you will be quickly and sharply corrected. But that isn’t the only hurdle. It is in what you “don’t know you don’t know,” that provides the biggest challenge. Best bet to stay ahead of the learning curve is to get used to asking questions, get acquainted with industry resources early and often, and be “ok” with the fact that there will be failure along the way.
1. Ask questions
The best students are those that are uninhibited by their thirst for more knowledge. If you knew everything, life would be boring. So get used to the fact that you don’t know everything, regardless of what your mama told you. Half the fun, and the joy in the positive results, is resigning yourself to the fact that you will need others to get ahead, and you will be required to learn more than you know right this minute. It is a constant journey to gain more information. A journey that is successful only if the goal is what you learn along the way, and not in the quest of having all of the answers. Government contracting is an evergreen environment of opportunity, but it is also ever-changing in rules, regulations, and requirements. You are never going to know it all so surround yourself with people who know more than you and learn from them.
Which leads me to my next tip…..
2. Build your external relationships
My friend and banking industry powerhouse, Edward Spenceley, always says, “engage your partners early and often”. He often shares that while we love hearing that our client has won an award, we would prefer to discuss our strategy in RFP. Why? Because certain contracts demand fast turnaround, and if you don’t have time to adequately prepare you may choose your partners indiscriminately which can lead to being burned by what you don’t know about them and their services. “Fly by the seat of your pants” business practices usually lead to paying more for what you don’t want. Be purposeful and proactive in building your team. Treat your partners as external employees and engage early and often with them so when the time is right, it’s full steam ahead instead of pumping the brakes!
3.) Don’t fear failure
The most successful business leaders can tell you for certain that it is in times of struggle that we learn the most of how to get it right and charge on. If we listen too much to the fear of failure we can never grow from the understanding and clarity it provides of what to do next, how to improve, and live to bid another day! Not winning a contract award may teach you where to best spend your time looking for your next opportunity, where adjustments need to be made, and who you need to get on your team to give you a better shot at the next opportunity. If there is one thing for sure, the only way to ensure you win is to try again. Showing up and trying again may be hard after a tough defeat, but it is the only way. Les Brown said, “ If you fall, fall on your back. If you can look up, you can get up.”