Government Sales Workshop

Transform Your Team Into Government Sales Experts

An intensive, strategic framework that consolidates MBA-level government contracting expertise into 2 days – delivering immediate, measurable competitive advantage.  

The federal procurement landscape operates according to distinct regulatory frameworks and institutional dynamics that most contractors never fully understand. RSM Federal’s Government Sales Workshop transforms that complexity into competitive advantage by immersing your leadership team in proven strategies, battle-tested methodologies, and actionable frameworks that demonstrably improve your win rate, accelerate opportunity identification, and strengthen your market position

Why This Workshop Matters

Federal contracting success isn’t random – it follows predictable patterns that skilled operators consistently leverage to achieve results. Yet most federal contractors – even those with years of experience – lack the comprehensive framework required to navigate these patterns effectively. They pursue opportunities reactively, miss critical market intelligence, misposition their capabilities, and predictably lose to better-prepared competitors.

This workshop fundamentally recalibrates your approach. Drawing on RSM Federal’s 35,000+ coaching hours and $14 billion in client contract wins, we provide a systematic methodology for opportunity identification, strategic positioning, competitive differentiation, and revenue acceleration. Participants acquire specific, immediately applicable strategies – not generic theory.

Workshop Objectives

Over two intensive days, the Government Sales Workshop accomplishes specific, measurable objectives:

The Government Sales Workshop is designed for:

Establish significance – clarify your corporate objectives, capabilities, core competencies, and past performance in context of the federal market

Provide comprehensive understanding of the federal market – what's happening today, current executive orders, FAR changes, and how federal buyers are pivoting

Level-set on fundamentals – master the basics of federal positioning, marketing, and winning government contracts

Teach advanced tactics and strategies – for marketing, prospecting, business development, teaming, acquisition strategies, and market-share acceleration

Differentiate value over services – understand how to communicate what makes your company different and worth buying from

Master pre-acquisition and acquisition strategies – learn how to shape requirements, ghost requirements, respond to sources sought and RFIs, and influence outcomes

Navigate federal systems and data – understand how to use government databases, forecasting tools, and competitive intelligence platforms to identify opportunities and historical contract and pricing data

Finish with an action plan – leave with specific tasks, timelines, and prioritization for implementing what you've learned

Who Should Attend

The Government Sales Workshop is designed for:

Business owners and executives exploring federal opportunities for the first time

Sales and business development teams frustrated by low win rates or slow growth

Companies that have pursued government contracts unsuccessfully for 1-2+ years

Established federal contractors seeking to strengthen competitive positioning

Organizations across all industries – IT, professional services, manufacturing, training, construction, and beyond – targeting federal and Defense opportunities

Our Approach: Collaborative, Customized, Transformative

This isn’t a generic training course where you listen to lectures and take notes. The Government Sales Workshop is a collaborative experience specifically tailored to your company’s situation.

We work with you before the workshop begins to understand your industry, your past performance, your current challenges, and your business goals. We then customize every module to be relevant to your specific situation. The content covers the full spectrum of government sales activities – marketing, prospecting, business development, teaming, value positioning, and dozens of other subjects – with hundreds of tactics and strategies embedded throughout.

This workshop brings together teams with diverse backgrounds – some with decades of business experience, others with deep government experience, military backgrounds, or policy expertise. We leverage your team’s collective knowledge. Our instructors facilitate at a professorial level, covering fundamentals thoroughly before advancing to sophisticated strategies. Each team member will find relevant content at their level.

The most important thing you can bring is an open mind. Our purpose is not simply to teach you something new – there are accomplished professionals in the room with decades of experience. Our job is to make you think differently. How can we refine your process? What tactics can we leverage? What strategies will consistently accelerate your revenue? We build on your existing expertise, help you see patterns others miss, and connect the dots between disparate activities so you understand how federal business development really works.

In short: your mindset matters more than whether you have prior government contracting experience. If you're committed to learning, thinking critically, and implementing change, this workshop will deliver exceptional value.

What You'll Learn

The workshop covers all essential areas of federal business development through a combination of education, training, hands-on exercises, strategic discussions, and case studies:

Establishing Value and Understanding the Federal Market

We begin by clarifying your company’s position, capabilities, and past performance in the context of federal contracting:

Then we dive into the federal market landscape:

Market Research and Opportunity Identification

You’ll learn to systematically identify where your capabilities align with federal buying patterns:

Access and analyze government systems and data to find your strategic targets
Identify which agencies buy, how much they spend, how often, and through which contract vehicles
Use federal forecasting tools and databases to build a sustainable opportunities pipeline
Evaluate opportunities strategically: which are must-wins, should-wins, and which to skip

Marketing, Differentiation, and Value Positioning

Communicating what makes you different is critical. We cover:

Government-focused marketing strategies
How to identify and communicate your true differentiators
Socioeconomic status advantages and disadvantages in federal contracting
Crafting your sales pitch for different federal audiences
Value-Mapping: the RSM framework for communicating value instead of just the products or services you sell
Real-world case studies and exercises that apply Value-Mapping to your specific business

Government Prospecting and Business Development

This is where strategy becomes action. You’ll develop:

Pre-acquisition vs. acquisition strategies – understanding the critical difference
Prospecting methods: weak vs. strong vs. core relationships
Corporate Waterfall and Pipeline Decision Support Tool (DST): the RSM framework for How to calculate the revenue target, number of required opportunities, number of required bids, and teaming needs
Effective strategies for meeting with prospects, champions, and federal decision-makers
Building relationships that create competitive advantage before proposals are ever requested

Influencing Acquisitions and Requirements

Learn how to shape opportunities before they become formal competitions:

Ghosting requirements – understanding how to influence federal acquisitions during the requirement definition phase
How to respond strategically to Sources Sought notices and RFIs to shape requirements in your favor
Task order strategy and pre-acquisition positioning on existing contracts
Tactics for becoming a trusted advisor who influences federal thinking before acquisitions are released

High-Level Proposal Concepts and Advanced Teaming Strategies

When proposals are necessary, you’ll understand:

And for teaming, you’ll develop comprehensive strategies:

Assess your existing teaming relationships and identify where gaps exist
Programmatic teaming strategies for large federal opportunities
How large companies evaluate your company for subcontracting – and how to position accordingly
Past performance levels and when teaming makes strategic sense
Developing powerful Introduction and Capability Statements that get you on the team

Finishing with Your Action Plan

The final component is critical: you’ll leave with a documented action plan that specifies the specific tasks your team will execute, the timeline for completion, and clear prioritization of what matters most. This isn’t theoretical – it’s your roadmap for implementation.

How the Workshop Works

RSM Federal’s Government Sales Workshop integrates multiple instructional blocks – lecture, hands-on exercises, collaborative discussion, and case study analysis – creating a comprehensive learning environment that translates conceptual understanding into operational execution.

Lecture & Training

50%

Team Discussions

25%

Hands-On Exercises

20%

Case Studies

5%

This multifaceted instructional approach ensures participants acquire practical implementation tools, develop confidence in their strategic framework, and identify immediate organizational actions deployable upon returning to their business environment.

Workshop Delivery & Customization

Each Government Sales Workshop is strategically customized to your organization’s particular circumstances and strategic objectives. Pre-workshop consultation enables us to understand:

Your industry and service/product offerings

Your current federal contracting experience level

Your specific business goals and challenges

Your target markets: DoD and/or civilian agencies

Your team composition and decision-making dynamics

We then deliver the workshop either onsite at your location or at a location of your choice. Either way, the content is tailored specifically to your company, your situation, your market opportunities, and your competitive landscape – not generic, off-the-shelf training.

Most organizations experience tangible return on investment through improved organizational processes, enhanced market awareness, strengthened competitive strategy, and measurably higher contract win rates.

Led by Certified Experts

RSM Federal’s Government Sales Workshop is led by an RSM Federal Certified Coach who is specifically trained to deliver this workshop. Instructors have decades of experience winning and helping clients win federal contracts across every market segment.

Our instructors have spent 35,000+ hours coaching federal contractors, helping clients win over $14 billion in federal contracts. This isn’t theoretical training – it’s real-world expertise applied directly to your challenges.

What Workshop Participants Say

Most Valuable Government Sales Training We've Ever Received

We learned more in two days with RSM Federal than years with other well-respected experts. RSM Federal’s approach and strategies are a true paradigm-shift. We immediately began making adjustments to our business after the first day. Not only did we receive the most valuable training we’ve ever received for government sales, but we were also given access to the Federal Sales Training Center with hundreds of business templates and resources which allow us to successfully execute what we learned. The RSM Federal team is the real deal!

Stephanie Parson

President, Crowned Grace International

Workshop Is Impressive. Spot-On. Intense

The workshop was impressive and spot-on because it was tailored to our company. Within the first hour, he was delivering relevant, relatable, and executable strategies. One of the most valuable exercises that will have a lasting impact on our growth is Value-Mapping. This alone was worth the cost of the workshop. He helped us see how we fit into the larger federal contracting world. His knowledge of the marketplace is unmatched.

Kristin Witte

Chief Operating Officer, QED Enterprises

The Most Comprehensive Training We've Ever Received

RSM Federal took the time to understand our organization before the workshop, resulting in more impactful discussions. They bring decades of experience and go significantly deeper in terms of lessons learned with specific, relevant examples. Our instructor immediately set the stage that our focus was not simply to learn something new, but to think differently about how we approach the market and position ourselves.

Jim O'Farrell

President and CEO, AMSG Inc.

Extraordinary

The knowledge our team gained after only two days is extraordinary and has been instrumental to our entry in the government space. RSM Federal tailored the workshop to our business needs and provided advanced knowledge that would’ve taken dozens of seminars and years to gain elsewhere. I would highly recommend RSM Federal’s workshop to any company, whether new to the government space or if you’ve plateaued and need help with growth and acceleration.

Cheryl Leader

President and COO, Datrose

A Trusted Partner That Made the Difference

After three years searching for the right experts, we found them! RSM Federal provided a comprehensive roadmap and clearly walked us through the government marketing and sales process while integrating our solutions and capabilities. As a result, we already have more than half a dozen state and government contracts. Working with RSM Federal has made the difference between succeeding and failing in the government market.

Morgan Clayton

President, Tel-Tec Security Systems

Accelerate Results With Ongoing Support

The workshop provides the framework. Implementation is where the real results happen. Many companies engage RSM Federal for ongoing coaching or consulting support after the workshop to:

Implement specific workshop learnings within your organization

Develop your federal business development strategy and roadmap

Companies that have pursued government contracts unsuccessfully for 1-2+ years

Strengthen prospecting, sales, and capture strategies

Navigate complex federal regulations and compliance

Accelerate your market entry and improve your win rate

This follow-up support transforms workshop insights into sustained business growth. Companies typically work with RSM Federal through a monthly coaching arrangement that keeps implementation moving, addresses emerging challenges, and ensures your team stays aligned with your federal business development goals.

Contact RSM Federal today to schedule a conversation.

Why Choose RSM Federal

Government sales training exists from many providers. Here’s why RSM Federal stands apart:

Proven Track Record

$14 billion in cumulative federal contract acquisitions by RSM Federal clients over the past decade represents validated methodology success rather than theoretical concepts. These results were achieved using the precise frameworks taught within our workshop engagement.

Proprietary Methodology

The Realignment Solution Methodology (RSM) represents our institutionalized approach to federal business development rather than aggregated generic contracting knowledge. This tested, systematic framework demonstrates efficacy across diverse industry segments, customer categories, and contract vehicle types.

Certified, Experienced Instructors

We don’t hire generic trainers. Every RSM Federal instructor has directly won and supported dozens of companies in winning federal contracts. They understand the practical realities, common pitfalls, and specific strategies that work.

Customization, Not Cookie-Cutter

Every workshop is customized to your company, specific industry, business model, and target markets. You’ll get strategies directly relevant to your situation.

We Teach Strategy and Facilitate Execution – Not Proposal Writing

We teach federal business development strategy and facilitate the execution of that strategy within your organization. What we don’t do is write proposals for you. Our role is to help you develop winning proposal approaches, competitive positioning, and response strategies—then empower your team to execute those strategies with full ownership and control. This distinction matters. You own the execution, armed with superior strategy and proven frameworks. The result is proposals that authentically reflect your competitive advantage, organizational culture, and unique value proposition rather than templated language. We provide the methodology; you drive the results.

Immediate, Practical Results

Workshop participants begin implementing strategies within days of returning to their offices. The content sticks because it’s immediately applicable to your real business challenges.

Comprehensive Training Platform

The workshop is the foundation of RSM Federal’s comprehensive approach. It integrates with our Federal Sales Training Center (online, self-paced training), Inner Circle group coaching program, and individual Coaching & Consulting services – creating a complete federal business development ecosystem.

As a bonus, all workshop attendees receive 6 months of complimentary access to the Federal Sales Training Center, allowing you to deepen your knowledge and reinforce key concepts long after the workshop ends.

Ready to Transform Your Federal Sales Performance?

The Government Sales Workshop has helped hundreds of contractors move from confusion to confidence, from reactive bidding to strategic capture management, from low win rates to sustainable federal business growth.

Your business has significant federal market opportunity. Whether you’re just entering the space or looking to accelerate growth, the right knowledge and strategy make the difference.

Let’s discuss how the Government Sales Workshop can help your team win more federal contracts.

Contact RSM Federal today to schedule a conversation.

Common Questions About the Workshop

How long is the workshop?

Two consecutive business days. Participants consistently find this duration optimal – sufficient for comprehensive topic coverage and sophisticated discussion, yet concise enough to maintain engagement and energy. This timeframe also accommodates typical executive schedules without excessive organizational disruption.

Do I need federal contracting experience?

No. The workshop is designed for both complete beginners and experienced federal contractors. Whether you’re just exploring federal opportunities or looking to optimize a mature federal business, the content will be relevant. We customize the pace and depth to your team’s background.

What if my industry has specific considerations (products vs. services)?

We customize for product and service companies. The core framework is universal, but we address product-specific regulations (Buy America, Berry Amendment, Trade Agreement Acts) and discuss different contracting approaches for product vs. service businesses.

Who should attend from my company?

Ideally, your entire leadership team – business owner, sales leader, proposal manager, marketing, human resources, delivery managers, and operations lead. The workshop works best when decision-makers can discuss strategy and align on direction. However, we’ve also successfully conducted workshops for individual business development teams.

How many attendees can participate?

There is no limit. You can have as many or as few employees as you want to attend. Some companies invite only C-level and business unit directors. Others invite their entire team – we’ve conducted workshops with 25+ participants. For smaller companies, three or four participants is typical. All attendees must be employees of your company.

What happens after the workshop?

You have a comprehensive roadmap and actionable strategies. Many companies engage RSM Federal for ongoing coaching support to implement learnings, build their federal strategy, and accelerate results. But the workshop stands on its own – you’ll have immediate, applicable value from the two days.

Is the workshop location flexible?

Yes. We conduct workshops onsite at your location or at a location of your choosing. We’ve delivered workshops at corporate offices, colocation facilities, and as part of corporate offsites. And yes, we’ve gladly supported companies hosting workshops in challenging locations like Key West, Florida; Cancun, Mexico; and Las Vegas. However, most are presented at the corporate headquarters. Available for organizations globally.