By Eileen Higginbotham, C.H.M.E.

This is a continuation of the article that was posted on November 28. To read Part 1 of the article, click here.

Government Marketing Ideas, Actions and Information
How do you eat a whole pie? The answer: one bite at a time. That’s how to attack the government market. To be successful you need a plan that is realistic and focused. The following ideas can help you get started. Use the Internet. The power of the Internet makes it easier to tackle this huge segment. Every military base and every federal agency has its own web site. The government market is big and complex but generally speaking you can simplify your research for relevant information by using the Internet. And be sure to join networking organizations such as the Society of Government Travel Professionals (SGTP) or the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP). These organizations provide easy access to good insider information. Use your SGTP or SGMP membership lists for solicitations, direct mail, direct sales, and e-mail special offers.

Here are a few ideas to help you get started marketing to the government segment.

1) Research — start with one agency. Do your homework! This is a huge market. Stay focused on the type of business you want. Always remember the value of your time. Obtain directories and organizational charts. Do ask for help! Government employees know their organization is complex. Use the web sites. They are loaded with usable information.

2) Use your local phone book to quickly locate those offices and installations nearest to your hotel. These are typically in the “blue pages” of the phone book.

3) Develop a strong relationship with the mega travel providers such as Omega Travel, SATO, and Carlson Travel. A full listing of federal agencies handled by a Travel Management Center (TMC) can be found on www.gsa.gov.

4) Know exactly what your competition is offering to federal travelers. Does your competitor have a FEMA number? Are they listed with the GSA? You can verify that on www.fullrooms.com.

5) Meet with your in-house government guests, invite them to social activities, and network other opportunities within their organization. They can be your best source to get more business. These folks usually do not travel alone and they return to the same area often.

6) Insist that your front desk agents always ask for the repeat reservation. Most federal travelers frequent the same area on a regular basis. You may even want to consider incentives for front desk agents.

7) Consider military business. The federal fiscal year starts in October. This means that fall is a big time for things to happen, both for wrapping up from the previous budget and for launching new initiatives.

8) The Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) department is found on most military bases. This is a key department since it is involved in all parts of base life, everything from social events to recreation. It’s like the village hall of a military base.

9) Military bases have graduation and parents weekends every eight to ten weeks. You can find the bases nearest to you at www.sgtp.org or www.gsa.gov.Then contact the base billeting office or the procurement office for information.

10) Advertise in local base newspapers for leisure weekend get-a-ways. Federal employees stationed at military installations take regular weekend trips and still look for the government rates. Even if you are a 3- to 5-hour drive away from the base, this can still be good business for you.

11) Visit the Public or Community Affairs Office (PAO) on a military base. This office distributes a weekly newspaper for the base with events and news that can be helpful to you. Use the PAO book to locate the Contracting Offices on a base. You may find that the base can set up contracts under $25,000 without sending them out to bid. The CO can tell you what outstanding contracts they have with companies that visit the base frequently.

12) GovernmentBids.com (www.governmentbids.com) provides you with direct and instant access to thousands of active local, state and federal government bids and awarded listings matched to your business profile. This can provide valuable information as to the scope of a project and contact names. (If you know of BidRadar, they have merged with GovernmentBids.com to give you an even better resource.)

13) GovCon (www.govcon.com), which does have a fee, connects you to contractor profiles and is a great short cut to help you link your North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) — formerly the Standard Industrial Code (SIC) — and key words to your type of business. GovCon links to the Commerce Business Daily, FACNET, government regulations, databases, contractors, and other sites.

A few great web sites to visit and you’ll be on an Internet adventure to discover more about the federal market. There are literally more than 1,000 sites; however these are a good start and can link you to many more.

http://www.gsa.gov
General Services Administration —This site is a wealth of information, everything from tax to travel regulations. This site contains domestic per diem rates, Top 75 Cities, Federal Premier Lodging Program (FPLP)-awarded properties and more. This is the “everything” site that also has links to other key government sites.

http://www.militarycity.com
This site is a gateway to military news and information including Rest and Relaxation. Send them an article or special package.

http://www.firstgov.gov
This is the official web portal for the United States government. It provides access to statistical information compiled by the federal government. This is a very helpful site with links to other sites.

http://www.sgtp.org
The Society of Government Travel Professionals web site is a wealth of helpful information for travel guidelines, articles, education and research.

By reading these articles, you’ve taken the first step toward better understanding the federal government market, now it’s time to get started. Join organizations, use the Internet, talk to in-house federal travelers and have a realistic plan. You’ll find that your knowledge level will grow every day.

— Eileen Higginbotham, C.H.M.E., is president of Hotel Marketing Resources. She can be reached at 847-358-5779 or eileen@hotelmarketingresources.com. For more ideas on marketing to government travelers or to learn about marketing workshops, visit www.hotelmarketingresources.com.




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