As we head into the last three months of the federal fiscal year, here are three common-sense tips contractors should follow right now:

1. Helping Your Customer Helps You:  Your federal customer may be juggling competing priorities right now, not only projects, but dealing with acquisition officials, colleagues, and superiors.  Can you help write the justification they need to move ahead on your project?  Can you bring your tech expert in to answer specific questions?  The more you can do for your customer, without doing so much that you disqualify yourself from the acquisition, the better off you’re going to be.

2.  Have A Strategy for Handling E-Buy and Other Electronically Posted RFQ’s:  Automated bid board, GSA E-Buy and related systems are all vital to pursuing as much business as possible right now.  You must, though, have a prepared strategy for how your team will identify and process these opportunities.  Not all are going to be good fits for you.  Be realistic and focused so that you pursue those opportunities where you have an actual shot at success.

3. Make Sure You Know With Whom You Are Doing Business:  Don’t be lured at the end of the FY by pitches from companies you’ve never heard of asking to do business with you because they have some hot lead you don’t know about.  A lot of unauthorized re-sellers and unregistered companies try to get in on government business at year-end.  They can do more harm than good.  Protect your reputation.  Do business with those you know and trust.