The Key to Unlock Fast Growth in GovTech

Do a web search and you’ll find thousands of consultants who will tell you about RFPs, SBIRs, teaming, primes, subs, HUBZone, CAGE codes — and how to get ahead of bid boards.

This is not a blog about all of that.

Instead, this blog gives COTS (commercial off the shelf) technology business what they need to grab a foothold in the public sector technology market, and quickly scale their ARR (annual recurring revenue). You can’t take the the same growth tactics for services-led businesses and apply them to COTS businesses. It requires a fundamentally different approach. The good news is that there is a formula, and a recipe, for COTS growth. We’ll lay out the basics of it in this post, but there are deeper nuances depending on sub-segment (federal civilian, DoD, state and local) and application area. Contact us if you’d like a deeper discussion.

Unlocking growth through SOURCE

Success in this vertical demands more than just great products, good partnerships, experienced sellers or strong marketing. It requires a calculated and time-sensitive approach to strategic investments in products, operations, contracts and team members. We created the SOURCE framework to show how you can implement these investments. Below we discuss how it breaks out, and then in the following section we give you the order in which to apply them.

S – Standards

Ensuring your product meets compliance standards is non-negotiable. Government buyers rely on rigorous protocols—such as FedRAMP for cloud solutions. This allows them to protect sensitive data, enable interoperability, meet accessibility needs, and ensure robust, scalable platforms. Demonstrating adherence to these standards signals to your government customers that your product is built to meet their specific needs and withstand the high expectations of public sector security and reliability. But more importantly, procurement teams often have a ‘checklist’ that is required (by law in many cases) to be met before allowing a purchase to proceed.

O – Organization

Create and enable a thriving government sales and marketing team within your organization. They should be experienced in the complexities of government procurement and familiar with the unique challenges agencies face. They’re more than just sellers and marketers. They’re industry insiders who understand this layered, nuanced vertical of verticals. They speak the government’s language, understand its missions, and are adept at navigating long sales cycles and compliance nuances. Having the right team signals that your company is serious about delivering solutions that align with government objectives. It also considerably shortens the sales cycle, as sellers will often come with decades of buyer relationships and powerful institutional knowledge.

U – Use Case Selling

In the GovTech market, one-size-fits-all messaging falls flat and a single sales approach doesn’t work. Instead, align your solutions with mission-critical problems and position yourself as a trusted partner invested in their success—not just a vendor with a pitch. Then, craft messaging, campaigns and sales plays around specific agency pain points and mission-critical needs. The good news is that marketing campaigns and sales plays your create can be applied repeatedly throughout the vertical. Whether addressing cybersecurity, infrastructure modernization, or operational efficiency, make it clear how your solution is uniquely suited to solve the challenges that matter most to each GovBuyer and meet them on their Journey with the information they seek.

R – (Brand) Recognition and Awareness

All too often companies will jump into the government vertical, only to retreat 2 years later when they realized the initial investments outweigh the ROI. Agency employees, many of whom spend two or more decades in their career, have seen COTS companies come and go. They won’t invest with you unless they know you’re proven and committed to the market and their mission.

Government buyers need to know who you are and trust your brand. Create visibility across channels where public sector decision-makers are active. Demonstrate your commitment by implementing SOURCE, but also by partnering with other proven players, attending key events, publishing thought leadership, and presenting at relevant trade shows. When government customers see you as a knowledgeable and credible player, you’re not just another vendor—you’re a trusted resource.

C – Contract

Access to government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) like GSA or NASA SEWP is an absolute must for successful entry and long-term competitiveness in the public sector. These contracts streamline procurement. Agencies can more easily acquire your product, and save time and administrative effort in the process. Buyers are happier, because they can shorten the time to implementation. When your product is available on the right GWACs, you position your solution as an accessible, contract-ready option that fits seamlessly into the government purchasing process.

E- Ecosystem

In the government market, relationships drive results. Building a trusted ecosystem—including teaming partners, resellers, and advisors—can enhance your credibility and expand your reach. Government buyers favor companies with established networks and proven partnerships. It reassures them that you’re supported by a network of trusted collaborators. This foundation not only amplifies your influence but also positions you as a deeply embedded, resourceful player in the government space.

SOURCE investments have a specific order

If you’ve gotten this far, you know that most of SOURCE is commonly understood. The magic and fast-growth success comes from continually investing in a very specific order. If you invest out of order, you will stall and delay your growth. The government market is highly regulated, and unyielding. The procurement paths are bound in policies and laws that cannot be circumvented. And, the buyers and procurement teams are often wholly unaware of each other. The relationship you have with your buyer does not translate to the contracting officer in procurement. Investments in the order we lay out below will dramatically speed the growth and adoption of your products in the market.

**1. First, make it easy to purchase your products**

Before anything else, it’s necessary to need to invest in are Contracts and Ecosystem. The government needs a way to purchase what you’re selling. Without these two, you can’t do business with the government. Sometimes, you can achieve both of these at once with a partner that also has access to key contracts like GSA Schedule 70 or SEWP.

**2. Then, make it possible to purchase your products**

Next, comes investment in Standards. Your product needs to meet Standards, but not all agencies adhere to the same standards. So, your product can be sold to some agencies while you’re working on a broader set of standards and compliance. But, for real growth to take off, you must meet the most common standards like FedRAMP, FISMA, FIPS and others. That’s why it’s the third investment you make, and the one you make before hiring.

3. Now, tap experienced professionals to engage your buyers

Once you have those three foundational investments, the next will be about people. It’s a common misperception that you can “teach” someone how to sell or market to the public sector. Yes, it’s possible, but it takes years. A rule of thumb is that it takes about five years for a great enterprise seller to become a reasonably good government seller. There are many reasons for this, but the most critical is that the government seller needs to go through at least three government budget cycles before they learn how to harness them in support of a quota. For a marketer, it’s four years. So, for this reason, you will want to set up a public sector Organization with experienced public sector leaders, marketers and sellers.

However, along with that experience often comes discernment. The truth is, it doesn’t matter how innovative the product is if the company is unwilling to invest in standards, contracts and ecosystems. Those foundations must be in place to sell into the market.

So, an experienced public sector seller or leader will usually not agree to work for a company that doesn’t have these things or hasn’t made a substantial commitment to them. They know they will likely spend an enormous amount of time trying to get these things put in place and very little time selling. This is why Contracts, Ecosystems and Standards come before Organization.

4. Finally, accelerate your growth with targeted sales plays, demand campaigns and awareness

Most companies want to lead with PR, advertising and marketing – however we’ve shown why this doesn’t work. Unless you can easily transact business for your product, have a product that is well-suited for the vertical and have experienced marketers and sellers at the helm – the effect of your marketing and sales outreach will be hampered (and you’ll probably experience churn as a result). But, if you save Use Cases and References for last and prioritize the first four elements of SOURCE, you’ll find that you’ll speed the return on these often significant investments and fuel your public sector success.

SOURCE investments are continuous

How long does it take to fully invest in SOURCE? If you’re just entering the government market, it will take you about three to four years to get through it all . But the reality is that it’s an ongoing investment. Once you solve SOURCE for one product at one level of business, you’ll need to solve it again once you reach a new revenue level or new product.

Investments in standards, contracts, ecosystems, and organizations for a five-million-dollar business are very different than those needed for a five-hundred-million-dollar business. So at each stage of revenue growth, you will need to assess the SOURCE and make the investments. We have this all mapped out for you, so feel free to contact us if you’d like us to walk you through it in depth.

Here are a few other practical tips to guide your journey:

Know your buyer: Become an expert on your target agency’s pain points and procurement process. Each sector is different. Understanding these nuances can make or break your approach.

Leverage repeatability: Focus on repeatable sales plays by solving key use cases for agencies. Once you’ve cracked the code for one buyer, replicate it across other departments.

Be ready to invest: Securing government business is not a one-off transaction—it’s a long-term commitment. Invest in certifications, sales training, and marketing to make your presence felt.

And, invest again at every growth level: Always think ahead. Your strategy should account for investment at every level of business growth. Building a thriving government business takes more than just selling technology or meeting standards. It requires a deep commitment to understanding and aligning with government needs at every level. With the right strategy and the SOURCE framework, your company can unlock sustained success in this complex market.