But going beyond forming a panel of leading cloud and cybersecurity speakers, we decided to try something a little different with these roundtables. Instead of having the audience sit and watch a long series of slides and data, we have decided to get more people involved and help drive the flow of the conversation – before, during and after the event.

The process is simple. Just register for the events (registration is free). And then post questions in our Q&A forum. When the event is LIVE, submit additional questions and answer polls. Then following the event we will keep the conversation going with our panel, provide an event recap and video, and explore the topics and issues we need to address next.

TO THE CLOUD! GOVERNMENT CLOUD INITIATIVES

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CYBERSECURITY

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The event will help facilitate a discussion among the leaders in federal contracting and sales in the GovCon space at a time when the dynamics of doing business with the federal government is changing faster than ever.

To get the conversation started before the event, I had a chance to ask one question of each of the panelists. Take a look at their responses below, and submit your comments.

And don’t forget to register for the GovCon Business Development Panel, this Thursday from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to network with top GovCon experts over complimentary cocktails and appetizers. Click to register(registration is free).

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Question: What piece of advice would you offer business development professionals in the government space on either what they are doing or not doing that they need to change to improve their success?

Jim McCarthy, CEO, AOC Key Solutions

Here is my advice: We need to reinvent the way we conduct business development, execute capture, and manage proposals. We need a new process, a new paradigm. We need to change our thinking from a slavish compliance to RFP requirements (“beyond mere compliance”) that elevate form and process over substance and content.

We need to shift to thinking about how we can serve our government customers and add value to them. Not how we can guile them into awarding us the contract.

Stop focusing on what we want to “tell them and sell them.” Focus instead on what they want to hear and what they want to buy. Telling and selling is often different than hearing and buying. To know the difference takes leadership and courage. It is time to reinvent ourselves as BD professionals.

Dan Shyti, Vice President, GWAC Management Center, L-3 STRATIS

The Federal BD process is a unique animal.  If one were to explain it to a commercial salesperson, they would think you were from another planet.  Because of the uniqueness, it’s easy for a Federal BD person to focus on reading portals like Input, tracking RFPs, and following the government compliance process.  It’s easy to forget that basic sales skills still apply.  My advice is to keep your basic sales skills sharp.  Be personable.  Know how to make customers feel comfortable around you.  Build strong relationships across the marketplace – both inside government and with industry counterparts.

Mary Gostel, Senior Vice President, Market Intelligence, FedSources

BD professionals in government contracting need to find ways to “do more with less”.  Increased competition, IDIQ sales cycles and fewer large program opportunities translates to more proposal activity without additional resources.  Choose bids wisely, based on solid market intelligence not industry buzz, for greater win probability.

Al Mink, National Security Strategy Director, SRA, Inc

Much of the answer depends on the context. But in general I’d say, “Strive for agility and mass.”

Maneuver/Agility to move quickly in terms of closing on teaming, strategic hires, customer meetings (before doors close), writing task orders in 10 days, etc

Mass: to have the brainpower and heavy lifting to for a successful capture and proposal.  If the resources for capture are spread too thin, then you risk competition outperforming you.  For example, many firms either gloss over or decide a Black Hat is unnecessary, only to learn later that they would have improved their proposed solution had they thought about how their competition would approach the opportunity.  Another example of thinness is making “availability” the primary criteria for the technical team.  This leads to constant turnover during capture and the B team during proposal.

Maneuver/Agility and Mass – two military terms that definitely relate to successful business development activities

Hillary Fordwich, President, Strelmark, Business
Development Consultants

Business development professionals to improve their success need to keep their focus on just one issue. How are they creating a WANT for their products and services? Not selling, not pushing something that is not wanted.

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If you are outside of the DC area, but still want to participate in Thursday’s GovCon Business Development Panel, click here to watch the live-streamed panel discussion from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

Follow us on Twitter @govWinTeam and use the hashtag #govbd for this event.

The event will cover things like, finding the right opportunities, developing capture strategies and proposals, and more. What’s more, registration is free: http://govwin.com/node/72484

I will be on-site to run the live video stream and to manage questions from Twitter and the video chat. If you are outside the great DC region, we welcome you to join the live video and post your questions. But if you are within striking distance of the Tower Club in Tysons Corner, VA, you will want to be there. Not only will there be the panel discussion, but lots of networking opportunities, good food and a copy of the recent Clarity report will be distributed.

Speakers include:
Al Mink, National Security Strategy Director, SRA, Inc
Daniel A. Shyti, Vice President, GWAC Management Center, L-3 STRATIS
Finley Foster, Executive VP and GM, Business Development, American Systems
Jim McCarthy, CEO, AOC Key Solutions
Mary Gostel, Senior Vice President, Market Intelligence, FedSources
Hilary Fordwich, President and Founder, Strelmark Consulting

Click to register.

To read the complete write-up on Chopra’s presentation at this NVTC event, please visit dcTechSource.com.

The complete url is: http://www.dctechsource.com/chopra_calls_on_tech_companies_to_focus_on_healthcare_it.aspx

Clearly, the economic downturn / recession has adversely impacted many in broadcast and print media. No one has been immune from the challenges created by declining advertising dollars and viewership. When you look ahead – the next several years the advertising pie is expected to decrease. With so many new media companies and devices emerging, radio, tv and newspaper companies will be fighting for market share rather than trying to grow overall ad revenues.

In order for media companies to grow their business during this period, their company must develop multiplatform strategies to diversify their business models and build multiple revenue streams. This is made tougher by the necessary response to the tight ad market in terms of budget cutting, employee reductions and less tolerance for risk taking.

In addition to steps a media company can take, this webinar will present some revenue forecasts by media platform; best management practices and case studies. The speakers are first rate, and include:

Rick Ducey, Chief Strategy Officer, BIA Advisory Services
Daniel Anstandig, President, McVay New Media
Erik Hellum, President, GAPWEST, GAP Broadcasting

Click here to register for this event (there is no cost to register).

The question of what is a “winning media strategy” and what is working for your business online are two important questions being posed to media executives leading to BIA’s Winning Media Strategies conference, May 20 – 22, in Washington, DC.

In the embedded video within this blog post, BIA’s Chief Strategy Officer and WMS Program Director, Rick Ducey, poses the question to all of you. Watch the video and submit a video response (or submit a comment to this blog post) of how you would define a winning media strategy. We also are interested in knowing what is working for you online?

All results will be shared at Winning Media Strategies – click here to learn more.

Unlike television, however, there is no existing national radio program-schedule database. Yet, there are more than 10 times the number of radio stations than tv stations in the US. For radio broadcasters, the development of an Electronic Program Guide that serves mobile receivers and helps to provide listeners with detailed program information represents a powerful tool to help better target programming and advertisements, as well as engage listeners throughout the day.

To address this issue, the NABFASTROAD HD Radio EPG project was created to to develop guidelines and technology for a US-based Electronic Program Guide system in a coherent, industry-wide fashion, with input from all stakeholders. In order to keep all radio broadcasters informed and to collect their input, BIA, in association with NAB, Broadcast Signal Lab and Unique Interactive have put together a webinar, which will take place today, Wednesday, February 25 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm eastern.

To register for this event, go to the GoToWebinar registration page: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/557324140