Know Your Enemy
In government contracting, surprises kill deals. The company that gets blindsided by a competitor they didn’t see coming usually loses. Smart contractors win by doing their homework on the competition and using that intelligence to develop winning strategies. The brutal reality: Your competitors are probably tracking you too. The question is who has better intelligence and uses it more effectively.Who You’re Really Up Against
The Four Types of Competitors You’ll Face
- The Incumbent: Already has the contract and the customer relationship. Wins 70% of recompetes unless they’ve screwed up.
- Your Twin: Similar size company with similar capabilities. These are your most dangerous competitors because they can do everything you can do.
- The Big Boys: Large primes with deep pockets and broad capabilities. They can outspend you but might price themselves out of smaller opportunities.
- The Specialists: Niche players with deep expertise in one area. Dangerous when the opportunity requires their specialty, otherwise not a threat.
Where to Find Intelligence (All Perfectly Legal)
- Government Databases: USASpending.gov shows who’s winning what contracts and for how much
- Industry Intel: Trade publications, conference presentations, and market research reports
- Network Intelligence: What you hear at industry events, customer meetings, and from shared contacts
- Open Source: Company websites, press releases, LinkedIn updates, job postings, and social media
Gather Intelligence That Actually Matters
What You Need to Know About Each Competitor
Company Health Check:- Are they financially stable or struggling? (Desperate companies bid dangerously low)
- Who owns them and what are their priorities? (Private equity firms push for quick profits)
- Where are their offices and what’s their geographic reach?
- Who are the key decision makers and what are their backgrounds?
- Have they done this exact type of work before? (Past performance is the best predictor)
- What certifications and security clearances do they have?
- Who are their key technical people and what’s their reputation?
- Who do they team with and what relationships do they have?
- What contracts have they won recently and against whom?
- What’s their reputation with this customer?
- How do they typically price? (Low-ball, premium, or competitive?)
- What are their go-to win themes and differentiators?
Turn Intelligence Into Winning Strategy
Size Up Your Competition
Here’s how to analyze what you learn:| What to Evaluate | The Incumbent (AcmeCorp) | The Big Prime (MegaTech) | Your Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biggest Strength | 10 years of customer relationship | Unlimited resources and reach | Innovation and lower cost |
| Fatal Weakness | Outdated technology approach | Sky-high overhead rates | Limited past performance |
| Likely Strategy | ”Don’t rock the boat” continuity | ”We can do everything” approach | ”Better, faster, cheaper” |
| Win Probability | 35% (vulnerable incumbent) | 25% (too expensive) | 40% (best value) |
Use Intelligence to Beat Them
Play to Your Strengths:- Find areas where you clearly outperform competitors and make those the focus
- Emphasize capabilities that competitors can’t match or would struggle to deliver
- Use your superior relationships or past performance as differentiators
- Develop strategies that expose competitor vulnerabilities without naming them
- Partner with other companies to fill gaps where competitors are stronger
- Price strategically to exploit their cost disadvantages
- Craft messages that subtly highlight competitor weaknesses (“Unlike legacy approaches…”)
- Influence requirements that favor your strengths (“Modern, cloud-based solutions…”)
- Identify risks that competitors can’t address (“Vendor lock-in concerns…”)
Stay Ahead of the Game
Set up systems to track competitor moves: Monitor Key Indicators:- New contract awards (are they winning more or less?)
- Personnel moves (are they hiring or losing key people?)
- Partnership announcements (who are they teaming with?)
- Press releases and marketing messages (what are they emphasizing?)
- Job postings for your target opportunities (they’re staffing up to compete)
- Industry event presentations (showing off new capabilities)
- Customer engagement increases (they’re building relationships)
- Pricing changes on similar contracts (adjusting their strategy)