5 Steps to Becoming a Subcontractor on 'Awarded' Contract Vehicles | It's Never Too Late

Summary

In this federal sales training, Neil McDonald debunks myths about contract vehicles, emphasizing their strategic importance for business growth. He outlines a five-step process to identify and engage with contract holders, advocating for building relationships and demonstrating value to secure subcontracting opportunities. The training provides practical tips for navigating the complex world of government contracting, encouraging attendees to leverage existing contract vehicles rather than solely focusing on new ones.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Focus on both new and existing contract vehicles for business growth, not just the new ones that are getting attention.
• 🔍 Dispel myths about contract vehicles, such as the belief that once a team is formed, it's unchangeable, and that primes do not need more partners.
• 📈 Understand that there are over 100,000 contract vehicles, not just the well-known 'best-in-class' ones, offering many opportunities for subcontracting.
• 🔎 Opportunities are not solely listed on SAM; a significant portion of them are on contract vehicles and other portals, so diversify your search.
• 🤝 Building relationships with prime contractors can position you at the forefront when they have a need, even if they don't currently.
• 🛠 Use specific strategies to get on contract vehicles, such as identifying the vehicle, finding contract holders, getting points of contact, and reaching out.
• 📝 Know your value proposition clearly when approaching potential partners, and be prepared to demonstrate how you can add value to their team.
• 🔑 Don't limit yourself to one teaming partner; engage with multiple to find the best fit and increase your chances of success.
• 🔄 Follow a repeatable process for government contracting: research, target, outreach, and repeat until you establish strong partnerships.
• 🗂️ Stay updated and subscribe to relevant newsletters and resources to keep abreast of changes and opportunities in government contracting.
• 🌐 Utilize online tools and resources, such as GSA's eLibrary and other portals, to find information on contract vehicles and their holders.

Q & A

What are contract vehicles and why are they important?

Contract vehicles are pre-negotiated agreements used by government agencies to procure products and services. They are important because they streamline the procurement process, saving time and resources for both the government and contractors.

What is the common misconception about the formation of contract vehicle teams?

A common misconception is that once a contract vehicle team is formed and awarded a contract, it remains unchanged. However, teams often evolve due to factors such as new technological needs or turnover among team members.

Why should companies focus on existing contract vehicles as well as new ones?

Focusing on existing contract vehicles can provide immediate opportunities to grow your company. These vehicles are already active and can offer subcontracting opportunities that do not require waiting for new contracts to be awarded.

What are some myths about contract vehicles that need to be demystified?

Myths include the ideas that once a team is formed it does not change, primes do not need more partners, and there are only a few contract vehicles available. In reality, teams evolve, primes continuously seek new partners, and there are numerous contract vehicles beyond the most well-known ones.

How can a company become a subcontractor on a contract vehicle?

To become a subcontractor, a company should identify and reach out to primes that hold the contract vehicle, demonstrate their value and expertise, and build relationships to position themselves for subcontracting opportunities.

Why are contract vehicles preferred by many government buyers?

Government buyers prefer contract vehicles because they offer a streamlined procurement process and often represent a pre-approved pool of vendors, making it easier and faster to acquire necessary goods and services.

What steps should be taken to get on a contract vehicle?

The steps include picking a contract vehicle, finding which companies have won that vehicle, identifying points of contact, reaching out to them, and developing multiple teaming partners.

What should companies consider when building relationships with primes on contract vehicles?

Companies should consider the prime’s needs, such as specific expertise or agency presence, and position themselves as valuable partners by showcasing their strengths and how they can help the prime win more task orders.

What are some benefits of being a subcontractor on a contract vehicle?

Benefits include low administrative overhead since the prime handles interactions with the government, the ability to focus on delivering subject matter expertise, and building past performance in the federal market.

What is the significance of outreach in the context of contract vehicles?

Outreach involves contacting primes and establishing connections to explore subcontracting opportunities. It is essential for building relationships and finding the right teaming partners who can help you access and succeed in contract vehicles.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Focusing on Existing Contract Vehicles for Business Growth

The speaker emphasizes the importance of not only pursuing new contract vehicles but also leveraging existing ones for immediate business growth. They suggest that while long-term vehicles are essential, equal energy should be spent on accessing current opportunities. The session aims to debunk myths about contract vehicles, explain their benefits, and provide practical tips for becoming a successful subcontractor. Neil McDonald, a 20-year veteran of federal contracting, introduces himself and his approach to federal sales training, advocating for a process-driven strategy in government contracting.

05:01

🚀 Dispelling Myths and Understanding Contract Vehicles

This paragraph addresses common misconceptions about contract vehicles, such as the belief that once a team is formed, it remains static. The speaker clarifies that teams evolve, and new partners can bring additional value, especially in emerging fields like AI. They also refute the myth that prime contractors do not seek new partners, highlighting the constant need for fresh capabilities. The speaker reveals that there are over 100,000 contract vehicles, not just the well-known best-in-class ones, and that opportunities are not solely listed on SAM.gov, urging attendees to broaden their search.

10:02

🤝 Benefits of Joining Contract Vehicles and Strategic Approaches

The speaker outlines the advantages of being part of a contract vehicle, including the ability to focus on core competencies while the prime contractor manages government interactions. They also discuss the importance of identifying contract vehicles used by target agencies and the value of being on the preferred list of procurement approaches. The paragraph concludes with a basic tip from a professional: to ascertain the buyer's preferred contract vehicles through direct communication.

15:03

🔍 Steps to Get on Contract Vehicles and Finding the Right Partners

The speaker provides a five-step process for getting on contract vehicles: selecting a vehicle, identifying contract holders, finding points of contact, reaching out, and building relationships with multiple partners. They stress the importance of not spamming potential partners but building genuine connections. The speaker also shares their method of researching contract vehicles and finding specific contact information, including using resources like GSA's eLibrary and dynamic small business searches.

20:04

🛠 Practical Research Techniques for Identifying Contract Holders

The speaker demonstrates practical techniques for researching contract vehicles, such as using Google to find contract holders and utilizing government resources to identify points of contact. They provide examples of how to find contract holders for vehicles like OASIS and Stars 3, and how to use the GSA's dashboard to see who is winning task orders. The speaker encourages attendees to use these methods to find potential teaming partners and to approach them with a value proposition.

25:05

🗓 Conclusion: Actionable Steps for Pursuing Contract Vehicles

In conclusion, the speaker reiterates the importance of researching and selecting the right contract vehicle, identifying points of contact, and making contact to assess potential partnerships. They remind attendees that government contracting is a process, not a secret, and that following a structured approach will yield repeatable and predictable results. The speaker looks forward to the next training session, reinforcing the idea that persistence and process are key to success in federal contracting.

Keywords

💡Contract Vehicles

Contract Vehicles refer to pre-established contracts that companies can use to bid on government work. In the script, the term is used to emphasize the importance of businesses seeking access to these vehicles to grow their company, rather than solely focusing on new ones. The speaker discusses the process of identifying and getting on these contract vehicles to secure government contracts.

💡Pax 3

Pax 3 is a specific contract vehicle mentioned in the script, which is part of the discussion about the energy spent on onboarding new contract vehicles. It serves as an example of a long-term contract vehicle that businesses might be focusing on, highlighting the need for a balanced approach between pursuing new and existing vehicles.

💡Ciosp 4

Ciosp 4 is another contract vehicle referenced in the script, indicating that it was awarded years ago. It is used to illustrate the point that businesses should not only focus on new opportunities but also consider leveraging existing ones that have been established for some time.

💡Subcontractor

A subcontractor is a business that works under a prime contractor on a contract. In the context of the script, the speaker is providing guidance on how to become a subcontractor on contract vehicles, which is a strategic approach to securing government work and growing a business.

💡Myths

The speaker addresses common misconceptions or myths about contract vehicles, aiming to demystify them. These myths include the idea that once a contract vehicle team is formed, it is static, and that primes do not need more partners, among others. The script uses these myths to highlight the dynamic nature of contract vehicles and the opportunities they present.

💡Strategic Approach

A strategic approach in the script refers to a deliberate and well-planned method of engaging with contract vehicles. It is mentioned to emphasize the importance of not just reacting to opportunities but actively planning and positioning a business to take advantage of them.

💡GWAC

GWAC stands for Government-wide Acquisition Contract, which is a type of contract vehicle available for use by all federal agencies. The script mentions GWAC as an example of the different types of contract vehicles that exist and the importance of understanding them to access government contracts.

💡FPDS

FPDS stands for Federal Procurement Data System, which is a database where federal contracting information is reported. In the script, FPDS is mentioned as a source for finding opportunities that are not listed on SAM, emphasizing the need to look beyond SAM for a comprehensive view of contract opportunities.

💡SAM

SAM stands for System for Award Management, a platform where federal agencies post opportunities and businesses can register. The script notes that not all opportunities are listed on SAM, indicating the need for businesses to explore other sources like FPDS.

💡Pro Tip

In the script, a 'Pro Tip' is a piece of advice given by the speaker to help businesses navigate the process of getting on contract vehicles. It is used to provide practical guidance and insider knowledge to help listeners succeed in government contracting.

💡Teaming Partners

Teaming partners are companies that collaborate to bid on work under a contract vehicle. The script advises finding multiple teaming partners and not to stop after identifying one, emphasizing the importance of building a network to increase the chances of securing contracts.

Highlights

Focus on both new and existing contract vehicles equally to grow your company effectively.

Myths about contract vehicles: breaking down common misconceptions.

Importance of getting on existing contract vehicles to access more immediate opportunities.

Tips for being a subcontractor on contract vehicles and how to find and join them.

The reality of contract vehicles: they are long-term, but have immediate goals.

The notion that contract vehicle teams are fixed is a myth; teams evolve over time.

Prime contractors often need new partners for contract vehicles.

There are over 100,000 contract vehicles available, contrary to the belief that only a few exist.

Not all opportunities are listed on Sam.gov; many are on contract vehicles and other portals.

Steps to getting on a contract vehicle: pick a vehicle, find contract holders, get contact details, reach out, and repeat.

The value of subcontracting on contract vehicles to reduce administrative overhead and focus on core expertise.

Best practices for outreach: personalize your approach and build relationships with prime contractors.

Using Google and FPDS to find contract vehicle awardees and their points of contact.

Strategic benefits of being on a contract vehicle: access to non-public opportunities and reduced competition.

Encouragement to use available tools and resources to research and target contract vehicles effectively.

Transcripts

so I hear a lot of people talk about um

contract vehicles and especially new

contract vehicles um I watch a lot of

energy gets spent on uh Pax 3 or uh you

know this next onboarding or ciosp 4

which you know was awarded years ago

wasn't it you know all these contract

vehicles that are out there um I see a

lot of us focus on these new big

contract vehicles that are coming down

but a couple of things right they

they're longterm we have today goals but

we're looking at those as long term I'm

not necessarily saying get rid of those

but what I am saying is put equal amount

of energy in discussion and thought

behind your approach to um getting

access to the existing contract vehicles

uh when you do that I think you're

really G to uh be Off to the Races on um

growing your company and not waiting

just for those long-term vehicles and so

that's the point of today's training is

I really want to dive into U being a

subcontractor on on contract vehicles

maybe you missed out on last time you

weren't around or you tried for it and

you missed it so I'm going to cover down

on um three three main things but really

just a couple of slides and then I'm

going to dive into actually taking you

out onto the internet showing you how I

do what I do uh how I get on awarded

contract Vehicles right I'm going to

give you some tips so the first thing I

want to cover though is just some myths

about contract Vehicles sometimes we

have these preconceived notions of or we

frankly are told um these myths about

contract vehicles so I want to Dem my

mystify them I want to break those myths

down that's too hard to say on a Friday

the second thing I want to cover is um

why you want to get on the contract

Vehicles right it's it's not enough to

just look in the long range but you also

want to be having a strategic approach

to contract Vehicles so I'll touch

briefly on that and then the last part

I'm going to cover which hopefully will

be the bulk of today's training is how

do I get on the contract vehicles I like

to give you tips for success and these

tips are um tactical tips do this this

this and it should lead to this result

so that's what we're going to cover down

on today if you don't know who I am my

name is Neil mcdonal I want to welcome

you to my federal sales training where I

provide those tips for success in the

federal Market I spent 20 years as a

government contractor in the federal

market and since 2018 I've been teaching

people like you that Government

Contracting is not a secret it's just a

process when we follow a process A to Z

we're going to have repeatable

predictable results and that's what I

want for you um as I give you some tips

around contract vehicles and trying to

get on them if you follow the process

I'm going to teach you it will deliver

repeatable predictable results of being

able to identify a preferred contract

vehicle and then getting on it and and

getting on it is a loose term and I'll

talk about that in a minute um if you

haven't done so already subscribe to our

govcon or Government Contracting success

newsletter this is my newsletter that I

put out and try to share a lot of

valuable information about Government

Contracting I just put out a newsletter

uh issue this morning and that that one

was uh it was based off a training I

actually did yesterday but the article

breaks down how do you send an email to

the federal buyers to get them to open

it and later on in today's training I'm

going to say go watch that training go

look at that newsletter so make sure

you're um subscribed to the newsletter

the next thing is I just want to say

thank you very much we have over a 100

people 120 people registered for today's

training that's a huge way for you to

just say thank you to us we really

appreciate it when we see you

registering and saying hey I'm I plan on

watching the training um it also allows

LinkedIn to push the word out to other

people who might be interested but don't

know who we are right not everybody

knows who we are i i as big as we might

think we are you know 12,000 subscribers

on our newsletter we're just touching

the surface of trying to share

information out there so I want to make

sure that um we're letting as many

people know when you register for

training you're helping us put that word

out last thing is don't come alone if

you like the training and if you've been

here two times three times 30 times 300

times right we've done almost 400 train

we've done over 400 trainings in the

last two years um many many many people

have come over a hundred times I don't

know if that's you right but um invite

others let others know about it

personally and invite

them okay so let's start with the top

myths about contract Vehicles so I think

the biggest myth that's out there is

once a contract uh Team a contract

vehicle team has come together and they

want it they pursued it and they W it

that once they're for they're formed and

this just isn't the case there's all

sorts of reasons that uh we can talk

about I think on the next slide I'll

talk about it more but the reality is

when a team is formed they put together

just enough to win it but um as they

move forward things might changeed and

if I use one quick example some contract

vehicles are five and 10 years in length

in the last couple of years AI has

popped up as this big kind of

revolutionary thing that's hitting the

scene well a lot of the companies that

are on a team might not have that skill

set and if you have that skill set and

you can bring it in then you're uh

you're bringing Extra Value to the team

then there's transition people come in

they come out so once a team is formed

um it's not the end they still are

forming they're always trying to make

sure that Prime contractors always

trying to make sure they keep it strong

this goes to my second myth right is

that primes don't need more Partners

they actually do right sometimes you

might reach out to somebody and at that

point in time they don't need somebody

but but that's not the reality of the

life of a contract vehicle um when a

team forms sometimes they have a small

business on there that's covering down

on the hubs own or the woman owned

designation on that contract vehicle if

it's a larger one for example well what

happens when those people graduate what

happens when those people just no longer

in business right there's normal

transition or turnover on a team and so

you finding primes who have the contract

Vehicles these contract vehicle holders

you finding them in building

relationships allows you to be at the

Forefront when they have a need so that

you know I'm hoping today when you reach

out you're going to find people who need

you right right away but when you build

a relationship these primes who didn't

need a partner yesterday will need it

tomorrow so they they definitely need

continued Partners um another quick

example of why primes might need a

partner and this myth uh this you know

bullet is a myth is because um sometimes

they're trying to get into particular

agencies and they don't really have the

presence they've got their contract

vehicle and they got some other stuff

but not in that agency a sub agency of a

department or something but if you are

then they'll invite you on perhaps to

that vehicle so there's a need they have

for you the third myth about contract

vehicles that I want to just share here

is that um there's only a few contract

Vehicles out there and it's so crowded

and it's a tough world there's this term

and you may or may not have heard of it

called Bick or best-in-class contract

vehicles and the people who like to make

everything sound like the end of the

world the half glassor if if you will

instead of half full it's half empty um

those people will sit there and talk

about how best- in-class contract

Vehicles these like 40 contract vehicles

are um really the the only ones out

there oh my gosh if you're not on there

you're you're doomed well that's not the

case there's uh tons of contract

vehicles and when I say tons I might

literally mean tons the way you weigh it

there's over a 100,000 contract Vehicles

out there so there's these key ones that

we all hear about there's these gwac uh

government-wide acquisition Vehicles

which is basically a contract vehicle

that can be used government wide right

there's these kind that we know about

here because people talk about it a lot

but then there's a ton of other contract

Vehicles where there's 20 companies that

are primes on it um some that have five

five or 10 people on that some contract

vehicles are single awarded meaning they

went to one prime well if you identify

that an agency that you're trying to

work with is going through that vehicle

and somebody's got it for five years

don't walk away and say I'll back in

five years look at that and go I wonder

how I can get on with them build a

relationship begin to demonstrate my

value as a subject matter expert company

right and um and perhaps help them win

more task orders with that very vehicle

that they have so there's over 100,000

um contract Vehicles you can go on

govcon chamber which you see at the

bottom here govcon chamber.com and go

find a Blog and maybe somebody's nice

enough to put it in the chat but go find

a Blog that I wrote about contract

vehicles and understanding um how GSA

and how the government manages and tries

to track all these vehicles the last

myth is that um opportunities are all

listed on Sam that's just not the case

right so many um opportunities come out

that are not listed on Sam until they've

been awarded and then there's there'll

be some notice maybe in there but really

fpds is where you can find all

opportunities but it's after the fact

after they've been awarded and so when

you think about opportunities and you

can count that as like task orders when

you think about opportunities or in Sam

you got oh I'm seeing him but um I I

can't remember what the stats are but I

I feel pretty safe of saying Sam is more

like 40% of what's out there the other

60% is on contract vehicles and other

portals we'll talk about that in a

minute right but um you want to be able

to get on these vehicles out there and

start tracking more of these

opportunities because the opportunities

are not just on Sam that's not where you

look it is a place to look but it's not

the only place to

look so let's briefly talk about why you

want to get on contract vehicles um

first is going with the myths I was just

talking about a huge portion of the

spending happens on contract vehicles uh

compared to just direct award or

simplified acquisition Etc and so uh you

want to find those vehicles that are

being used to buy your products and

services in your target agency the

second thing is um if you if you get on

a contract vehicle and this is little uh

one of my favorite ones is that when you

get on a contract vehicle that contract

vehicle holder that Prime will do all

the work that's not the subject matter

expert so I was a SharePoint company in

my previous uh in my last company and so

if I got on a vehicle with somebody else

they do all the interaction with the

government I just have my team show up

to work do great SharePoint work and

leave we throw in invoice and a and a

timekeeping activity but our

Administration overhead is really low in

there um and so it's a fun place to be

in because I can let somebody else take

the that responsibility and I just keep

heads down and really build past

performance around our subject matter

expertise so that's a reason to get in

there is to allow somebody else to

handle the government the third reason

you want to get on contract vehicles

that I mentioned is um they're not

coming out all on Sam and so some of

them are coming out on Portals cport

NextGen is a contract vehicle in the

Navy you have to be in their portal to

be able to see opportunities coming out

so you have to get on a contract vehicle

with a prime contract holder and um then

get access to those opportunities

something sometimes it's through email

sometimes through through a formal

portal but either way you want to get on

the contract Vehicles as a subcontractor

as a team um a teammate so that you can

see those opportunities actually if I

pause one second when I keep saying get

on a contract vehicle I just want to

clarify what I mean is that there's uh

two ways you can get on a contract

vehicle primarily you can be the prime

contract holder you've got the contract

vehicle and then you can be what I call

named subcontractors meaning these five

companies team together with this Prime

and they went off and they won it they

make up what I call a named team because

the government is aware of these five

subcontractors on the team it's like

cool I see all of you you're there um

then there's this next level that I call

unnamed so you can try to become a named

contractor subcontractor on a vehicle

where maybe they add you in or it's more

than enough to just be an unnamed um

partner on that contract vehicle so

cport nextg is a perfect example there's

nothing fancy there they just give you

access to the portal and say tell us

when you see something you like and

we'll all go after it together if it

makes sense and so that unnamed um uh

subcontractor just means you and the

prime have agreed to work together but

there's no formality in there um the

last reason I put here about why you

want to get on a contract vehicle is

because when you're go after a

particular agency and you're selling a

particular thing that buyer has a

preferred acquisition approach that

agency um sits there and looks and goes

hey we buy our it work on da Jets or um

on Eagle or whatever right there's so

many contract vehicle names out there um

but this idea we've got these five these

are our preferred and you can look at

that go ah that sucks I'm not on any of

them or you can sit there and say okay

I'm gonna go get on each one of them as

a sub um and I and I'm G to push forward

so one of the things you want to do a

little Pro tip here H really it's just

basic tip from a pro is make sure you go

talk to the buyer if you know who you

want to sell to talk to them and say say

Hey you know it takes one phone call to

find out what are your top contract

vehicles I sell this what's the typical

way you do that procurement you know is

it are you going through um this vehicle

or that vehicle you should do your own

research in fpds

these are the five steps that I use to

get on a contract vehicle the first

thing I do is I pick a contract vehicle

let's say I'm picking Stars 3 it's an 88

contract vehicle right so number one I

pick a vehicle number two is I go out

and I find which companies have won that

contract vehicle which ones are contract

vehicle awardees or contract holders

right who's the primes on that vehicle

so uh that's the second thing and I said

Stars 3 is is bullet number one bullet

number two there's about

1,100 contract holders on Stars 3 that's

a lot I got a lot of room to work with

and then number three I find a point of

contact for each contract holder that's

in there in the seven-step process that

I teach for federal government success

or federal revenue success step two is

targeting excuse me step two is about

finding a name a phone number and an

email you're going to be wanting to do

Outreach and so you need to get this

information I'll show you how to do that

number four you then want to pick up the

phone and call somebody call them email

those points of contact you had found in

step three we call this Outreach it's

step three in our um seven step process

right so uh you can take a look at my

website frankly if you go right to the

website for anybody who hasn't done this

right on the website you'll see there's

the diagram so you'll find it in many

different places where we talk about it

so um you're picking up the phone and

you're going forward the first bullet I

have here is yesterday I did a whole

training just on how to write the

perfect email right and the idea is how

do you write an email that when you send

it it gets open if I say there's 1100

Stars stre contract holders I am not

going to spam all of them I'm GNA take a

minute and try to sort them out and go

you know what I might go with these ones

their a star Street and their veteran

own and so am I maybe there's a

connection or I'm GNA look there and I'm

gonna go I'm in Florida there in Florida

let's see if there's a match right I'm

looking to sit there and um build an

individual connection with these 1100

people I'm not looking to spam them all

in one day that'll get you nothing in

fact that'll just get you bad reputation

the second thing is um when you're

reaching out to these people know your

value right so I would come into to

somebody if I started a business right

now I would come in and say look I got a

brand new company company's got no

experience so I'm not going to Prime for

the next two three years what I want to

do is build my past performance as a

subcontractor and I'd love to be on your

team this is when I'm talking to them

not the email um my expertise in the IT

world is Microsoft SharePoint and

Microsoft teams or something right this

is where we could help but I'd love to

be able to you know see what

opportunities are out there and chase

them and come through you and and to

begin to work with you okay hey let's

talk but you need to know your value

right I don't like to say um value

proposition you just need to know what

your clear focused offer is what your

Niche is um when you know what Niche you

can support it's so much easier to tell

it to them and then the last tip I have

for you number five is don't stop with

one teaming partner find multiple

teamate Partners right um what I would

recommend is you're talking with them

and you work with them over the course

of four to eight weeks 12 weeks you're

trying to find out are they a good

teaming partner not just they're on a

vehicle but are they engaging do they

have their own process are they likely

to win so I'll I'll talk more about that

in a

second um these are the vehicles I just

want to spend the last 10 minutes in the

training going through I just pulled up

some hopefully I'll get to uh to the

mall but the idea is you can get to

Vehicles if you talk to the government

or if you talk to people who advise you

or you do your own research and you

learn which vehicles are the right ones

the next step is to go how do I find the

winners that are out there um so I

figured I'd start with just Google

search as a generic thing right so if I

come into Google and I type in um

Oasis Oasis small business there you go

pull pull one of waries is perfect for

me um so here it comes up just showing

you um so here just Google I'm not doing

anything fancy I'm just it doesn't even

matter if you have my level experience

all I typed in was the vehicle I wanted

Oasis and small business and you know

you didn't even have to know about pool

one you could just say a waries that's

kind of a good pattern to follow so then

it gives me a list uh I'm going to go in

here it's a GSA vehicle so e Library

contractor listing looks exactly like

what I want and it is when I come in

here it's a mess right now ignore the

fact that there's no pictures I don't

know why that's happening maybe my

memory or something but really over here

on the left hand side you can see

contractor listing and here's um Oasis

small business and it starts talking

about some of the stuff so I'm gonna

just click on Oasis small business there

partly because I've done this right I

just did this a little bit ago to make

sure it's working um and so now I'm

going to come in here and you can see

right at the bottom it's got download

contractors if you scroll down they're

all basically grouped into this one

spreadsheet so I'm going to click on the

spreadsheet there's nothing here but

right here in this mess of their website

not mine is this download button and I

click on it and when I do now I'm inside

of the Oasis uh small business contract

holders um so if I just zoom in really

quick U I'm just going to scroll over a

teeny bit right but one of the things

you can see is that actually uh wonder

if I can do filter no let me just say

edit a copy really quick

nope I can't edit it so I'm going to

move on I was hoping to be able to show

it but you can see see where it has

large categories and and categories this

is how you can look in but here's the

vendor right I'm not going to look at a

lot of this stuff I'm going to come

across there's address City who cares

but there's a phone number and a point

of contact so here you can see it's Jay

Yoder um and that's a person I don't

know who it is at the moment so for me

because there's nothing here there's no

name it's just an email before I even

reach out I would go look at website I

go who's Jay Yoder right and I don't

even know if I'm saying that correctly

but I'm coming across what I'm also

looking at is this part here um I can

see that they're a woman owned or

service disabled Etc that's important

and then one last thing is if I come

over I don't have it right now but the

idea is those pools you can't see it but

I'm able in two seconds to find these

people um by the way something else I

can do really quick is um when I'm

looking at these contract holders I can

also also go to dsbs and take that

company and go over to dsbs find them in

the dynamic small business search and I

can find the owner of the company

usually with a phone number and an email

okay so let me close this

one and show you another one so that was

Oasis and I was going through Google so

here's Stars 3 I already put the link in

here so if I come in it's the same thing

I'm able to look at stars 3 and stars 3

has three pools on it but you can see um

you know hopefully I don't have to go

too far into show you this right but you

can see I got an email I mean address

here it's even better because there's a

program manager more often than not the

Stars 3 program manager is the owner of

the company because we all tend to do

our uh our same work there and so as you

come across you can see the other

information you got a phone number you

got an email um these guys all have

stars 3 I literally built a directory

it's still on our website somewhere but

I don't promote it as much but it's the

Stars 3 directory with people's email

addresses not a generic email and then

over here I can look at this um one

there's three pools here basically

there's emerging Technologies there's

outside of continental United States and

then there's regular and so you can look

at this go oh I really want to be

helping the Emer technology or something

so that's another way right away I'm

able to find 1100 this spreadsheet has

1100 holders um just watching my time

moving fast something I did I wanted to

show you really quick is that some

contract Vehicles you can go see who's

winning or let let me say this some of

them you can find it really easy some

you have to go to fpds and USA spending

and do a little work but here I can come

in and see who's winning on Stars 3 so

this is gsa's um gwac dashboard I'm not

going to explain the tool you can go

look at it uh somebody can grab that

link right there or just go search for

GSA gwac dashboard and do some of your

Discovery but in here I'm looking at the

stars tree contract vehicle right and I

can see how many task orders went out

there was 400 in

2022 uh 360 in 2023 for me if I was an

AA star Street company and all those

companies I'd be really concerned about

how poor the numbers are because this is

a very big vehicle but the reason I

wanted to show you is I can come here

and say um show me by industry partner

and hopefully it'll work for me um but I

can come down here now and start seeing

uh who's winning so here at the moment

it's sorting it by uh Federal a agency

let me scroll it up here

um so uh I'm not going to go too far

into it I'm already getting lost on the

dashboard but you can see my point you

can go in here and this dashboard will

show you which agencies are doing Stars

3 but for today's training you can see

which contract um excuse me yeah

contract holders are winning and you

want to go in and maybe start talking to

some of those winners and say hey we can

help you win more or you go the opposite

direction find people who are not

winning and say hey I'd love to help you

start winning on Stars stre can I those

people who have stars 3 for the last two

years but haven't won I think they'd be

open to you coming in saying I'd like to

help you win contracts on Stars 3 where

I get a piece of it when it makes sense

here's another contract vehicle somebody

asked me they shot me a message the

other day they literally they watched

the video I did two years ago uh this

past week and they asked about the

contract vehicles and so here's Astro I

didn't even really track on it but I'm

able to come in and I can come in and

look at you know who's on Astro

literally the question is exactly what

we want and in here I can see the

different groups and I can go in and

look at the directories that they have

like if I look at um you know support

that's an interesting one right if I

come in I can come in on this page and

look at all these people I find right do

not spam please remember do not spam but

do not use a lack of information as an

excuse just dig Google is your friend

and you'll start finding it but here's

all these people and I could start

digging in uh finding who they are

here's this guy McDonald Patrick he's

he's not my brother but you know same

last name so I might call him just for

the fun of it um okay let me show you

the last one this is another one I was

doing with a customer the other earlier

in the month and they were looking to

begin to reach out to more teaming

Partners I'm able to come into these

domains I've already done this research

so I know but let's say I go into the

ocean domain this is a contract vehicle

that's pretty big but if I come down I'm

able to start looking at the procurement

forecast for this pool on this vehicle

but more important to what we're talking

about today here I can click on a PDF

and find the points of contact right

here's b battel or battle um here's

Cardinal and here's Alex as a point of

contact I can reach out I can start uh

developing a relationship see if there's

a way to get in ETC so these uh contract

vehicles are out there most of the ones

you're trying to reach are out there and

you have this ability to find the points

of contact just remember these five

steps that I did pick a vehicle find the

contract holders get the points of

contact reach out to them and then

repeat until you have five or 10 good

partners to figure out which ones are

the best for you okay here's what I want

you to remember from today's training

first thing is pick one contract vehicle

and um just dive into that we call this

research because you're you're looking

at what is the best vehicle for the

agency you're trying to support the

second thing I want you to remember is

then identify points of contact for 50

different companies on that contract

vehicle when it makes sense right this

is called targeting when you get the

names numbers and emails and then the

third step is to contact those people

and get a meeting we call this Outreach

in the seven-step process but get a get

a meeting see if there's a fit between

you and their company if you can bring

value they'll love to talk with you so

as you move forward into the week and as

you pursue contract Vehicles you might

be able to subcontract under just

remember Government Contracting it's not

a secret it's just a process I'll see

you in the next training