How To Find Government Sales Opportunities Without Selling To The Government   Salespeople are known for their tenacity and passion to sell but one opportunity that can be overlooked is selling to the government.     Jack Siney worked for the Navy on the F18 Fighter Jet Program and after this experience, moved to entrepreneurial companies and tech industries where he worked for public safety agencies. One such agency installed software in laptops that are in police vehicles across the country. Jack may have started in the government but has now been an entrepreneur for the last 25 years helping the government process more efficiently.    Challenges in Selling to the Government   There is a long list of stereotypes on why doing business with the government isn’t a good idea. Many think that the government is hard to deal with because of all the red tape involved, making the process take a long time. It’s true that in every stereotype, there’s a kernel of truth. However, the government has grown and has modernized. There are now many opportunities that salespeople aren’t taking advantage of because of these misconceoptions. Selling to the government has actually become much more streamlined.   Biggest Prospect in the World  Government is a great opportunity for salespeople as it’s one of the biggest prospects in the world. Let’s talk about what makes the government a unique prospect.    Large and long-lasting contracts   Government contracts are typically large and run for multiple years. Putting in the effort in trying to earn a government contract can help stabilize the revenue of your business.    The government always pays  The government always pays. There’s always a risk in doing business with private companies.  There are some who won’t pay for your products or services and will hold up your revenue. However, that’s not true when you sign a contract with the government.  Helps recession-proof your business Even when there is a recession, the government will still spend for the things that benefit its citizens. As a result, even if there is a recession, if you have a product that can be used, your company can be better protected.    Getting the government contract The government is just like any other prospect. You still need to do the standard prospecting, build relationships, and close deals. Another advantage in working with the government is that there are multiple ways the government makes a purchase. It’s no longer just going over the RFP process, in fact, 80% of the $20 million the government spends per day doesn’t go to an RFP process.   Jack helps companies by giving them the data they need to make good decisions about which agencies to pursue and the type of procurement they need to use. As already mentioned, there are nine ways that a government procures things outside the normal bidding process. They are:    Sole source. This means that if a company has a patent and can sole source the patent, the government agency can buy the patent.  Piggyback. When a company has a government contract, another company/agency can purchase off that contract.  Discretionary spending. Every government agency has an amount of money they can spend without having to go through an RFP bidding. It works like a slush fund for an office.  P-Card or a purchase card. A lot of people working for the government have a P card (with a limit) assigned to them. When the product or service falls below the P-card limit, then someone can  purchase whatever you’re selling up to the limit.  Set aside. This is a set aside budget that’s for socio economic classification, regardless of who owns it. It may be a woman-owned, a minority-owned business or an organization for disabled Americans.    GSA schedule. General Services Administration State schedule  Co-ops Simplified quotes. This is when the government needs an item and they award the contract to the lowest bidder.      These are the nine ways a government can make purchases and pro