With the winter season very much upon us, the WashingtonExec Federal Acquisition Council for Business Development Professionals met for a lively discussion on the heavily debated topic of whether or not outsourcing some (or all) business development functions in order to best grow a federal contracting business.
Keynote speakers Kim Pack, Vice President of Wolf Den Associates, Patrick O’Reilly, Senior Advisor at SM&A, and Robert Lohfeld, founder of Lohfeld Consulting Group, together provided a wealth of information and perspectives to the attendees.
The animated conversation gave way to a variety of opinions but all could agree that it is important to first know what an organization’s objectives are and then begin the process of inviting outside opinions shortly thereafter. Capture employees along with proposal leaders and other key personnel, must frequent strategy meetings with the executive team. The early stages are essential for constructive collaboration which will then translate into more productive proposal writing output.
O’Reilly added that, “Every organization likes its proverbial bucket; it allows organizations to do one job then hand the work off.” He went on to say, “it is not a seamless process like what the final bid will look like or what the customer and/or acquisition people actually want.”
The final bit of advice from the speakers was that if an organization does chose to seek outside consulting advice, it’s best to bring individuals in early and get them involved in the process as soon as possible to ensure an efficient and positive experience.
The speakers left the attendees to ponder, “will business development ever go freelance?” and “will there now be commission-based business development?”
The WashingtonExec Federal Acquisition Council for Business Development Council, Chaired by James Scampavia, VP of Business Development at AMERICAN SYSTEMS, was formed in early 2014 to meet the evolving needs of acquisition professionals in the private and public sectors. VP of Business Development, or equivalent leaders, of emerging and large businesses meet multiple times a year with acquisition and procurement professionals on the rapidly evolving needs of the government customer. Each organization selects one critical talent within the company’s BD unit to observe and participate in meetings.
