This document outlines 10 laws of government sales and marketing. It provides guidance on how to successfully market and sell to government entities. The laws include understanding the unique government environment; recognizing multiple purchasing influencers; establishing trust through brand awareness and proof of results; ensuring proper contracting is in place; following budgeting cycles; treating partnerships as long-term; prioritizing high-probability markets; developing channel partners; and maintaining a long-term view of the large government market. Specific tips are given for each law to effectively break into and scale within the government sector.

1. 10 LAWSOF GOVERNMENT
SALES AND MARKETING.
with @DustinHaisler

2. THE LAWS

4. BUILDING ON
bit.ly/iwantinsaneroi

5. Content Marketing
Foundation Elements 10LAWS

6. 1Governments do business with
companies they know and trust.

7. A Formula for Trust?

9. Government Trust =
Brand Awareness + Traction + Point-of-View

10. Content Events Marketing
These Elements Must Be Embedded In Your

11. PROOF

12. PROOF

13. 2
Government buyers expect you to
understand their unique
environment- Know their challenges,
speak their language and be relevant.

14. What’s in an ‘Environment’?
EXTERNAL VARIABLES - OUTSIDE OF GOVERNMENT
INTERNAL VARIABLES - INSIDE GOVERNMENT
FOUNDATIONAL - THINGS THAT WON’T CHANGE
ENVIRONMENT

15. EXTERNAL VARIABLES - OUTSIDE OF GOVERNMENT
Macro-Trends Media

16. INTERNAL VARIABLES - INSIDE GOVERNMENT
Local Government
Local Government Priorities State Government Priorities

17. INTERNAL VARIABLES - INSIDE GOVERNMENT (CONT’D)
Regional Priorities (Extracted From DGS Agendas)

18. INTERNAL VARIABLES - INSIDE GOVERNMENT (CONT’D)
Council Priorities (Extracted From Annual Budget)

19. FOUNDATIONAL - THINGS THAT WON’T CHANGE
Organization Structure Purchasing Rules

20. 3
Government buying decisions are
made by groups — don’t neglect the
multiple points of purchasing
influence in the procurement process.

21. Mapping The Buyer’s Landscape
IDENTIFY ROLES INVOLVED IN BUYING PROCESS
DEVELOP PERSONAS FOR EACH ROLE
MAP STANDARD BUYERS JOURNEY
IDENTIFY CRITICAL PATH
1
2
3
4

22. Agency Director CFO CIO/CTOElecteds SpecialistsUnit Managers
Identify Multiple Roles Involved In Buying Process

23. Agency Director CFO CIO/CTOElecteds SpecialistsUnit Managers
Identify Multiple Roles Involved In Buying Process

24. Agency Director CFO CIO/CTOElecteds SpecialistsUnit Managers
Identify Multiple Roles Involved In Buying Process

25. Develop Personas For Each Buyer Role

26. Develop Personas For Each Buyer Role

27. Role
Problem
Awareness
Problem
Recognition
Problem
Definition
Identify
Options Evaluate Recommend
Approve/
Fund
Implement
Mayors/
Elected
Officials
X
City
Manager X
City
Attorney
CIO
X X
CIO/CTO * X X X X X X
City
Secretaries X X
Analysts X X X X
* In Centralized Information Technology Shops
Map Standard Buyer’s Journey

28. Identify Critical Path
Role
Problem
Awareness
Problem
Recognition
Problem
Definition
Identify
Options Evaluate Recommend
Approve/
Fund
Implement
Mayors/
Elected
Officials
X
City
Manager X
City
Attorney
CIO
X X
CIO/CTO * X X X X X X
City
Secretaries X X
Analysts X X X X
* In Centralized Information Technology Shops

29. Identify and Map Content/Messaging to Roles
Role
Problem
Awareness
Problem
Recognition
Problem
Definition
Identify
Options Evaluate Recommend
Approve/
Fund
Implement
Mayors/
Elected
Officials
X
City
Manager X
City
Attorney
CIO
X X
CIO/CTO * X X X X X X
City
Secretaries X X
Analysts X X X X
Webinar Briefing Technical Customer Case Study Executive Summary Implementation Checklist

30. Personal contact matters. Prior to any
procurement, be part of the conversations
defining both the problem and solution to
government’s challenges.
4

31. Your Solution/Service

32. Problem Awareness
Solution Awareness
Your Solution/Service

33. Problem Awareness
Solution Awareness
Your Solution/Service

34. PROBLEM AWARENESS

35. SOLUTION AWARENESS

36. 5
Government purchasing is controlled by
specific rules and regulations. These vary by
jurisdiction and product. Ensure your contracting
avenues are in place before you close the deal.

37. Contract
Vehicles
How Government Agencies Buy
Bids
Shared
Services
Partners/
Resellers
Subscription
Pilots/
Discretionary
Spending

38. Identify The Right Combination of Channels
To Remove Friction From The Buying Process
& Constantly Adapt
State Contract
Partners/
Resellers
Subscriptions

39. TIP
www.governmentnavigator.com

40. 6Follow the Money. Know the budgeting
cycles and funding dynamics of the
governments you plan to do business with.

41. State
Procurement
Cycles
Source: Center for Digital Government (2016)

42. Local
Procurement
Cycles

43. $11,888.21
Discretionary Spending
Average Discretionary Spend Maximum For Top 100 Cities/Counties
Source: Center for Digital Government (2016)

44. 7
Poise to Partner. Treat your government
relationship, whether informal or formal, as
a partnership. If you provide value for
government, they will provide value for you.

45. Pre-Sales
Partnership Elements
Post-Sales
1. Understand Landscape
2. Identify Champion
3. Activate Champion
1. Establish Regular Dialogue
2. Be A Resource
3. Joint-Market Successes
Sale

46. PROOF
https://www.g2gcloud.com/

47. 8
Government is a big market made up of
distinct submarkets. Start by prioritizing
your high probability jurisdictions and
opportunities and use your successes to
scale into new government submarkets.

48. $3TRILLION DOLLARS
IN SPENDING

49. 24 states in the Fortune 100
1. Wal-Mart $482
California $265
2. Exxon Mobil $246
8. General Motors $152
New York $152
18. Amazon $107
Texas $106
33. Anthem $79
Pennsylvania $79
Florida $76
Ohio $68
Illinois $65
51. Intel $55
Michigan $53
New Jersey $51
North Carolina $50
Massachusetts $49
Virginia $48
Washington $45
62. Coca-Cola $44
Georgia $44
Maryland $41
Arizona $40
Minnesota $37
Wisconsin $35
85. American Exp. $34
Tennessee $33
Oregon $33
Indiana $31
Kentucky $30
Alabama $29
Louisiana $28
100. Northwestern Mutual $28
Source: Fortune 500; Center for Digital Government

50. Administration
& Finance
Health &
Human
Services
Education
Public Safety
& Justice
Transportation Public Works
Environment
& Natural
Resources
2016 Actual GovTech IT Spend
$8.7
Billion
$26.4
Billion
$10.3
Billion
$7.6
Billion
$7.6
Billion
$23
Billion
$7.4
Billion
2016 ACTUAL SPENDING ON TECHNOLOGY/IT SERVICES
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
SOURCE: CENTER FOR DIGITAL GOVERNMENT (2017)

51. State & Local Government Is an Industry.
There are over 89,000 local government agencies across the country that are
composed of cities, counties, townships and special-purpose government agencies.
50
# of States
State
Governments
6,919
# of State Agencies
State
Agencies

52. State & Local Government Is an Industry.
There are over 89,000 local government agencies across the country that are
composed of cities, counties, townships and special-purpose government agencies.

53. TIP
Don’t Just Target Agencies Based
On Size & Population.

54. NEW MARKET SEGMENTS
LARGE MARKET JURISDICTIONS
MID MARKET JURISDICTIONS
SMALL MARKET JURISDICTIONS

55. CITIES COUNTIES
25,000-499,000 50,000-999,000
POPULATION POPULATION
MID-MARKET SEGMENT

56. MID-MARKET SEGMENT
CITIES COUNTIES
$10 BILLION DOLLARS IN COLLECTIVE IT SPEND

57. MID-MARKET SEGMENT
CITIES COUNTIES
$2.6 MILLION
AVERAGE IT BUDGET
$5.7 MILLION
AVERAGE IT BUDGET
(NUMBER OF MID-MARKET CITIES 1,860) (NUMBER OF MID-MARKET COUNTIES 900)

58. 9
Team Up. Don’t neglect building and
managing “the channel” and having
the right industry partners as you go-
to-market in government.

59. DEVELOP A CHANNEL STRATEGY TO REMOVE
FRICTION FROM THE BUYING PROCESS, AND
INCREASE YOUR ABILITY TO SCALE.
REGIONAL CHANNEL PARTNERNATIONAL CHANNEL PARTNER
INTEGRATOR
SOLUTION PROVIDER
RESELLER

60. 10
Take the Long View.
Real success in government
means being in the market for
the long haul.

61. Take the Long View.

62. bit.ly/governmentlaws

63. Dustin Haisler
Chief Innovation Officer
dhaisler@erepublic.com
Any Questions?
Get Copy of Presentation at bit.ly/governmentlaws