How to Strategically Leverage Teaming Partners
Utilizing teaming partners is wildly popular among federal contractors, but are often used reactively, not proactively. Teaming partners are more than just a one-time use that can be circled back to at a later time when it’s convenient. Teaming partners should be viewed as long-term relationships, not speed dating.
Proactive teaming is more strategic, more meaningful. It’s an expansion and competitive advantage for your business to become more versatile and agile. When used reactively, you allow the market to dictate your actions and teaming partners are used out of convenience. It can limit opportunities and place you into complacency.
How Are You Using Your Teaming Partners?
For smaller businesses and subcontractors, teaming partners are almost essential to their survival. These are strategic partners that allow them to be a part of larger contracts that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. They’re planning for the future and how their teaming partners will benefit them in the long term, not just as a one-off.
Larger federal contractors are typically in a position where they are in high demand due to smaller contractors wanting a piece of larger opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have a chance at. This plays to their advantage as they can select a contractor who performs the highest quality of work and has powerful connections they can use in the future. They’re planning ahead rather than to nearly guarantee a win.
Look Strategically, Not Tactically
How can you better leverage your existing teaming partners? Are you building teaming pipelines? Which markets can your partners access that you can’t? What benefits can you provide for your teaming partners?
Teaming partners are meant to fill the void that you or they can’t fill alone. Once a specific opportunity is completed, where else can you team up going forward? What part of your business are you looking to expand upon and is there an existing teaming partner who can help?
Spending time strengthening your existing relationships will pay larger dividends than a rotating carousel of partners in the short term. Winning contracts and recompetes provides continual revenue but won’t provide opportunities for expansion. Expanding your footprint will cast a wider net of possibilities.
Enhance Your Process
Having the right tools that allow you to find teaming partners can help you identify and fill your gaps in terms of customer vehicle access and capability. This in-depth market intelligence can shed a light on your soft spots where teaming partners could be utilized so you can begin competing for opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Federal Compass provides a comprehensive database of contractors allowing you to improve your customer intimacy so you can fill your pipeline with more winnable opportunities.
