Mastering GSA Marketing: Strategies for Success in Government Sales

The General Services Administration is one of the most important agencies in the entire federal government and probably the one that people know the very least about. The GSA is the responsible party for billions of dollars in transactions annually and millions of individual purchases and contracts. Without the GSA, the federal government would come to a grinding halt in no time at all. 

The GSA is responsible for the following, among other things:

  • Real estate and buildings: Managing government buildings and real estate
  • Procurement: Providing support for the procurement of products and services
  • Policies and regulations: Developing policies and regulations to minimize costs
  • Transportation: Providing transportation for federal employees
  • Office space: Providing office space for federal employees
  • Communications: Providing communications for government offices

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This is a very broad overview of the mission of the GSA. The GSA manages and furnishes over 360 million square feet of office space for federal agencies and federal employees, plus a fleet of about one-quarter million vehicles. Basically, they are the interface between federal agencies that require goods and services, and vendors with goods and services. 

Here’s Greenwood Aero’s guide to marketing for filling these voids and marketing for GSA contracts. 

Understanding GSA Contract Sales

Alright, so let’s start with GSA contract sales. What is this? 

GSA contract sales are sales allowed between private vendors, service providers, and manufacturers. The primary purpose of the GSA is to facilitate these purchases between the federal government and vendors, but there are some special provisions for emergency purchases that let local, state, and tribal governments make purchases on GSA Advantage.

These are ideal for agencies procuring hard-to-find disaster relief supplies like toiletries, bottled water, cleaning supplies, and sanitary items.  

Benefits of Holding a GSA Schedule Contract

Greenwood Aerospace is adding our services onto the GSA schedule, also known as the GSA Multiple Award Schedule, because it makes business so much easier to coordinate for both the GSA schedule contractor and the end user. Small businesses have a hard time getting their wares out to the field of government agencies, but a GSA schedule contract puts it front and center in front of all purchasing agents and contracting officers. 

Identifying and Targeting Government Customers

Greenwood Aerospace serves as a middleman between vendors and service providers who would otherwise have a hard time breaking into government contracting. This isn’t so much about targeting government customers but being aware of how to get your particular products or services in front of the right government audience. You don’t sell management services to the T-6 Texan II technical teams when they need rotable parts. 

Who Are Your Government Customers?

This all depends on what you do and more importantly, what you offer. 

Customers vary widely between different agencies and different disciplines. When we offer bulk bottled water for disaster response, our ideal customer profile is FEMA, along with local and state agencies. 

When we are running sustainment contracts for the A-29 Super Tucano, it is a different set of eyes we want, these can end up going through the GSA as a Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), but again, totally different audiences. Know your audience to understand marketing for a GSA schedule contract. 

Research Your Government Customers and Competitors

It may seem completely different from marketing in the private sector, but marketing to the government isn’t fundamentally different from marketing to anyone else. 

It all starts by researching the agencies that you would like to market to. There are provisions for sub-contractors in thousands upon thousands of government procurement contracts, so your company can still benefit from government contracts even if you would rather Greenwood Aero serve as the prime contractor. 

Again, this all depends on what your primary services are and where they need to go in the government. Emergency and disaster relief supplies like bottled water will go on GSA Advantage where they can easily be bought quickly with no contracts involved. 

That’s just an example, but it is a good rule of thumb for small businesses to understand. 

Identify Your Target Agencies

Greenwood Aerospace has long served in the government procurement and contracting space and has worked with many agencies in the federal government. The processes are all a little different from agency to agency, but then it can go even further and deeper than that. 

For example, you need to know and understand what weapon systems and platforms belong to which agency. The Department of the Navy does not use the CH-47 so you obviously wouldn’t market aircraft sustainment to an agency that doesn’t use them. 

Leveraging GSA Procurement Platforms

The GSA has several different procurement platforms to get either goods or services from. 

GSA Advantage

GSA Advantage is one of the most well known procurement platforms used by the federal government and no wonder why: there are millions upon millions of items listed GSA Advantage. Need Duck Tape? No problem. 

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How about a snow plow? Yeah, that too. You can also get trash bags, shotguns, John Deere tractors, and basically anything else. 

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One of the most significant buying options on GSA Advantage are for disaster relief and emergency response items like bottom water, toiletries, etc. You have guaranteed fixed price access to these items when you need them. 

GSA eBuy

GSA eBuy is a procurement tool used by thousands of federal, state, local, education (SLED), and military government customers to buy products, solutions and services from GSA Schedule contract holders. Government buyers use GSA eBuy because it offers competitive pricing, high value and a transparent bidding process that matches the solicitation.

The eBuy system is easy to use, allowing contractors to respond to select government solicitations, including Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and Requests for Quotes (RFQs) based on the products and services listed on their GSA Schedule.

When a relevant solicitation is posted, all eligible users will receive an email notification with instructions on how to access the solicitation. To see the details of an RFQ notice, you must log in to GSA eBuy.

Learning to use and market on these platforms is a gamechanger for you when your primary marketing targets are in the federal government. Also, remember that there are some provisions allowing local and state agencies to make purchases through federal channels. 

Government Sustainment through Greenwood Aerospace

Greenwood Aerospace is a diverse organization that has grown from humble beginnings supplying jet fuel to the military to delivering millions of items. Our reach goes far beyond aerospace and aviation, even though that has been our bread and butter for decades. We are a diverse organization that procures all kinds of items and services. Ready to level up your procurement strategy? Give us a call at 580-762-2580.

Have a large list of parts you need quoted? Send the list to us at sales@governmentprocurement.com.