Creating an Ultimate Guide to Government

GovEvents gathers and aggregates the vast number of events geared toward the government community to create a unique and comprehensive source of intelligence. Mark Kagan has taken on an even more daunting task - collecting and synthesizing mountains of data on selected federal agencies to create unique market intelligence guides. With his company, Panoptes Intelligence, Mark is developing comprehensive guides to the "who, what, when, where, how and how much" of government agencies for government contractors. We recently sat down with Mark to learn about the guides and how they are being used in the marketplace.

GE: What is an Ultimate Guide?

MK: An Ultimate Guide pulls together and synthesizes almost ALL publicly available data about an agency and how it does business, with particular focus on its IT and acquisition and procurement. [Tweet "The #UltimateGuide pulls together almost ALL publicly available data about an agency. #GovEventsBlog"]It covers every office and program that can be identified, and includes hundreds of POCs at all levels. The guides provide context to all those names - who reports to whom, how organizations are inter-related, what programs and systems they're responsible for, what are their problems and challenges, and where's the money. In military terms, the guides provide a very detailed agency "Order of Battle," and the most comprehensive actionable strategic and tactical intelligence available to carry out successful BD, sales and marketing campaigns.

GE: If it is all public, is there another way for people to get this information?

MK: Well, it took over four and a half dedicated months to research, analyze and write the 580-page guide on the Department of Veterans Affairs - and we'll continue to update and expand it as new information becomes available. No company - and I've worked for some of them - is willing to devote the time and resources to find and analyze the ocean of data and make sense of it all in this way for just one agency, no matter how large. And the most you'll get from those other companies is the top 10 programs and 10 or 15 contacts. We provide hundreds of programs - and all their relevant intelligence - and hundreds of contacts, with context. [Tweet "The #UltimateGuides provide info on 100s of programs and 100s of contacts. #GovEventsBlog"]

GE: How will people use these guides?

MK: The guides are specifically aimed at the needs of contractors, whether they're looking at new markets, expanding their markets, or preserving their markets. "Who" do you need to talk to; "What" do they do and what are their problems; "Where" are they located in the organization; "Where" is the money; "How" do your company's products and services fit - and on and on. In addition, the VA Guide identifies over 800 contractors and subcontractors at VA, including contacts and often their activities, to help companies find their competitors or potential teaming partners. By using the intelligence and analysis in the guides, people can go into agencies and be sure they are meeting with the right people in the right offices and providing them with the right information, saving time and money for everyone.

GE: What has been the response so far?

MK: It has been really positive and gratifying. Companies are seeing the value in it for their sales and business development and marketing teams. Experienced sales professionals can immediately use the intelligence in the guides to set up sales plans and sales calls. Marketing teams can "cut and paste" their marketing campaigns and targets almost straight out of the guides. Companies can use the guides as an educational tool for training folks up on federal sales and marketing. In fact, the sales director at a very large software company told me they plan to make it their "VA bible" for the company. [Tweet "Companies use the guides as training tools for federal sales and marketing. #GovEventsBlog"]

GE: What guides are available today?

MK: The Veterans Affairs (VA) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Guides are now out. We're planning to get an Ultimate Guide on the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) out by end of August in time for it to be available for the last month of the federal fiscal year.

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