Sometime reader B. Harper of Washington, D.C. writes, “I own a small business that sells to both commercial and federal accounts.  My sales team can’t specialize on one or the other.  Is it really a big deal if my sales team doesn’t get training on federal?  A sale’s a sale, right?”  Your question is one we’ve heard many times, B, but our answer hasn’t changed:  Letting an untrained sales pro loose on a government account is as sure to backfire on you as Wile E Coyote’s latest attempt to catch the roadrunner.  In the commercial market your pro can makea sales call without having to be badged and escorted.  Once in the meeting, it’s totally ok to offer a commercial customer tickets to the ballgame or happy hour drinks for the office.  Need a lower discount?  Sure, why not?  Post-sale, an appreciation lunch or dinner can be routine.  Each of these can get you in serious trouble in the federal market, though.  First, you’re not getting the meeting unless you’ve contacted the prospect ahead of time, set an appointment, and made arrangements to actually get in the building.  Second, feds can’t accept gifts with a value of over $20 per occasion, and some have a zero tolerance policy.  This goes for game tickets and meals. Third, a discount, even one given to a commercial customer, could substantially impact your federal contract.  This is why it’s not only important that your federal sales team receives training, but why your commercial team needs to know about how a discount there could impact your federal unit.  A day of training doesn’t kill business momentum, but the lack of training can certainly put you on the disabled list.  Training for your sales team saves time and money, regardless of whether you’re batting first or cleaning up.