With one month to go in FY’18 many contractors we’ve spoken with are working on over-drive to keep up with the pace of business.  Here are three things to focus on now to ensure your year finishes strong.

1.  Stay Focused.  Bluebirds are nice, but they can be distracting and fly away before your eyes.  Stay focused on the leads and projects you’ve been following for months.  Don’t ignore good stuff that falls into your lap, but don’t get distracted by stuff you’ve never heard about, either.

2.  Answer the “How” Question.  Allen Federal recently spoke with a newly retired DOD exec who confirmed that he wouldn’t even speak with companies about their solutions this time of year if they couldn’t tell him how they could buy from them.  Know your contract options.  Know the scope and access fees.  Know the government owners the customer can speak with if they have questions.  Propose recommended solutions.  How + What = Closed Business.

3. There Is Such A Thing As Bad Business.  Never heard of the company on the phone who now wants to team with you on a deal that “must” get done in 24 hours? Does your customer want to use your supply contract to acquire classified code breakers? Use your spider sense.  Don’t get into business relationships with companies that can wreck your performance rating.  Make sure work stays in the scope of your contract – even if the customer says it’s ok.  You want to collect money from your sales this month, not pay money back for improperly conducted business next month.  There is a lot of business on the table in September.  Make sure you’re prepared to close it, but do it the right way.