Sell Risk Aversion
From GOVSALESWIKI
Installment [ 74 ]
Sell Risk Aversion
By Richard White
Risk aversion plays a part in purchasing decisions in all industries. Minimizing risk is an even bigger factor for federal buyers for two reasons. First, federal buyers rely on contractors more than their counterparts in the commercial sector; it’s not unusual for the bulk of a federal manager’s staff to be contract personnel. A federal buyer’s entire career (promotions, salary, future opportunities) can depend on a contractor’s performance. To successfully sell in the federal market, you need to find the buyer’s comfort zone and eliminate risk as much as possible. You can do this by identifying possible pitfalls in a project and discussing them fully with the buyer, both verbally and in your written proposal. Avoiding or minimizing risk is the primary reason that federal buyers favor incumbent contractors and large prime contractors - - it’s a "better the devil you know" kind of mentality.
The press is full of stories about the failure of large, complex information technology and military weapon contracts. Entire books have been written on the lack of oversight, incompetence, and profligate spending involved in Iraq and hurricane reconstruction contracts. Stories like this can negatively affect many careers (although not apparently under the Bush administration). Trust in the federal market really means that the buyer trusts you to minimize his risks and keep him out of trouble.
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