Neil McDonnell–GovCon Chamber

Federal Sales and Government Contracting (Neil McDonnell)

Business EN ↓ 296 episodes

With over 25 years of hands-on government contracting experience, Neil McDonnell is a leading small business advocate in the federal marketplace. As a small business owner, he has personally won and supported government contracts for the US Army, Navy, US Air Force, HHS,VA, Transportation, Interior, Energy and the Executive Office of the White House. As president of the GovCon Chamber of Commerce, Neil hosts daily LinkedIn live training and teaches the strategies and skills required to build relationships with federal buyers and teaming partners that lead to federal revenue. Neil also brings t...

Author

Neil McDonnell–GovCon Chamber

Category

Business

Podcast website

www.govconchamber.com

Latest episode

Jan 14, 2026

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Episodes

How To Be Unforgetable To Federal Buyers and Other Government Contractors 14.01.2026

Are you making it hard for me to refer you? Or remember you? You need to make it so easy to remember what you do… in just 3-4 words. Can you do that? Join me and I'll show you how. In this training, you'll learn: • The power of known for one thing • How FOMO (fear of missing out) kills your chances for success • Steps to become unforgettable in federal buyer eyes and with your potential teammates...

Why Large Prime Contractors DON'T Pay Subcontractors | with Kate Ostdiek 13.01.2026

Are you leaving money on the table as a subcontractor? Too often small business are when working with large primes But this is a known risk with subcontractors that can be easily avoided. Kate Ostdiek joins me to talk about post award and how to make sure you get the money you deserve. In this training, you'll learn: • Steps to take to avoice prime contractors not paying you what they should • Why...

Federal Buyers Don't Buy from the Best… They Buy from Those Who Show Up 12.01.2026

We often think federal buyers buy from the best. That's just not the truth… They buy from the best of those who show up during their market research. It's vital you are visible wherever federal buyers or possible teammates look. In this training, you'll learn: • When federal buyers search for small business government contractors • Where federal buyers look to find small business vendors • How fed...

Introduction to the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) 05.01.2026

DCMA authorizes $1B daily payments to contractors. Every day, DCMS delivers 1.5M+ items to U.S. military forces. If you support the War Department and/or US military services like the Army, Navy and Air Force, then understand who supports them. In this training, you'll learn: • What the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) does and why they exist • How DCMA is organized to support its mission...

10 FPDS Tactics Every Federal Government Contractor Should Know 12.12.2025

Every opportunity leaves a trail. Every buyer has a pattern, and every prime has a history. FPDS shows you all of it if you know where to look. Let me show you my top 10 FPDS tips for uncovering revenue. In this training, you'll learn: • How FPDS searches really work; the fields, filters, and tactics most people overlook • Discover the FPDS data that reveals buyers, primes, competitors, and expiri...

How to Pick the ONE Federal Agency That Can Grow Your GovCon Business 11.12.2025

If sales are lagging, it’s usually not your product, it’s your focus. Selling to multiple federal agencies spreads you too thin, confuses buyers, and kills your pipeline. The fastest way to grow as a small business is to pick one agency and dominate it. Let me show you how to pick that agency. In this training, you'll learn: • Understand why selling to multiple agencies is killing your federal sal...

Fastest Way to Find 200 People Who Can Help You Win in the Federal Market 10.12.2025

My customer was feeling lost on who to call in the VA. Here's exactly how I helped her build a list of 200 people. These are folks from the government and industry who can help, guide, introduce or even buy. These are the people who will get her in the door to have sales meetings. In this training, you'll learn: • The exact method I use to build a 200-person VA target list in under 30 minutes • Di...

My 7-Step Process for Federal Revenue Success as a Small Business GovCon 09.12.2025

Do you ever feel lost in federal sales? It's probably because you are not following a process. When you follow a proven process, you'll have repeatable and predictable results. You should expect that in your sales efforts. In this training, you'll learn: • The simple 7-step process that removes chaos from federal sales • Discover which step is currently blocking your revenue, and how to fix it • W...

Stop Selling Your Solution Before a Federal Buyer Admits There's a Problem 08.12.2025

You can't sell if federal agencies don't have a problem. But YOU know they have a problem your product or service can solve. So, you need to start by helping them ADMIT they have a problem. In this training, you'll learn: • Learn why federal buyers won’t care about your solution until THEY admit a problem exists • Discover the exact questions that move a buyer from unaware, to problem aware, to re...

Searching Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) for Government Contracts 02.12.2025

FPDS is one of the most valuable tools in your toolbox. Join me in this series and become an expert at using the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). This is the second of a planned series about FPDS. In this training, you'll learn: • Why searching FPDS is vital to your sales success as a government contractor • Basic search techniques to find 'slam dunk' opportunities you can pursue • Advanced...

Introduction to PEO Enterprise, the Army's Leader in Digital Transformation 01.12.2025

Can you support Digital Transformation for the US Army? Program Executive Office Enterprise (PEO Enterprise) is at the forefront and delivers enterprise solutions driving Army dominance. In this training, you'll learn: • What PEO Enterprise is and how it is organized • Top priorities and key challenges industry can support • How to request meetings with key leaders within PEO Enterprise __________...

How I Plan Out My RFI Response for Maximum Value and to Write for the Win 21.11.2025

I have won many contracts by responding to an RFI. You can have similar success if you 'write for the win' during federal buyer market research. In this training, you'll learn: • How I my initial review of a Request for Information (RFI) • My step-by-step process for quick planning around an outline of the page layout • Ways I find to engage with the federal buyer before responding to an RFI or So...

Introduction to the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) - Part 1 20.11.2025

FPDS is one of the most valuable tools in your toolbox. Join me in this series and become an expert at using the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). This is the first of a planned series about FPDS. In this training, you'll learn: • What FPDS is and why it is helpful to small business government contractors • Major sections of FPDS and how they help you find opportunities • Top information tha...

How to Have Successful Sales Calls with Federal Buyers to Move Ops Forward 19.11.2025

Don't get caught in a reserch whirlpool. At some point you must have meetings with federal buyers to have success. In this training, you'll learn: • Why it starts with having a clear set of objectives you want out of the meeting • How setting a purpose gets everyone on the same page as you • To control a meeting for your success and that of the other participants __________________________________...

Understanding Department of War's New Acquisition Transformation Strategy 17.11.2025

President Trump ordered the Department of War to overhaul the entire defense acquisition system, and they did. This new strategy affects every contractor, including small businesses. If you want to stay ahead in FY2026, you need to know exactly what’s changing. In this training, you'll learn: • The biggest shifts in the Department of War’s FY2026 Acquisition Transformation Strategy • Where the new...

3 Steps I Take to Turn Industry Day Slides Into Opportunities For 2026 11.11.2025

Federal buyers like AFLCM, use Industry Days to tell us what they need. I use them as ways to identify opportunities that can be won. In this training, you'll learn: • What information is shared during industry days. • How I 'scrub' industry day slide decks to find the most valuable information • Steps I take to turn slides into opportunities ___________________________________ 🔥 Join 27,232 othe...

70+ Staffing Opportunities in Federal Agencies for You to Pursue in FY2026 10.11.2025

Finding staffing contracts in federal agencies is a process It can seem overwhelming until you know the steps… here's mine. In this training, you'll learn: • How I identified almost 100 'staffing' contracts to pursue in FY2026 • How I determine which are the best fit for me • What I do after identifying opportunities that look like a good fit. ___________________________________ 🔥 Join 27,232 oth...

How the SBA's WOSB Certification Fails Women-Owned Small Businesses 08.11.2025

The WOSB Program should deliver value to WOSBs… but it does not. This is not my opinion, it is a fact based on awarded contracts. And this isn't a complaint, it's a recognition driving me to train WOSBs how to have success despite the certification. In this training, you'll learn: • The facts about the WOSB program • How the SBA gaslights WOSBs • What to do to win contracts as a woman-owned small...

5 Tips for Writing Better Proposals to Federal Agencies in FY2026 08.11.2025

If you do what all your competitors do, you'll be an also ran. Doesn't mean you won't write a decent proposal, but it does mean you won't appear any different. But it's not that hard to stand out from your competitors by writing better proposals. In this training, you'll learn: • Why starting early matters most • Being success must begin with being clear and compliant • Compelling requires you ide...

My Step-by-Step Guide for Picking the Best Teammates in the Federal Market 08.11.2025

Stop teaming with your friends! That's bad for you and them. You both end up losing too often. Instead, team up with the best company to help you win the contract. Of course that might sometimes be your friends, but often it really is not. You both deserve to win more. In this training, you'll learn: • How to set the criteria needed for a perfect teammate on each opportunity • Why it is important...

How To Use SAM.Gov to Win Contracts as Small Business Government Contractor 08.11.2025

SAM.Gov is the foundational tool for government contracting. By mastering it's data and how to use SAM.Gov, you will win more contracts. It's not magic, it's just the process for how federal buyers communicate with small businesses. SAM stands for the 'System for Award Management'. In this training, you'll learn: • How to find oppportunities in SAM.Gov • What information is in each opportunity and...

5 Tips for Week 5 of the Government Shutdown | Keep Moving While DC Sleeps 08.11.2025

I get it. It sucks that the federal government is shut down. But we can't control that, only the actions we take. Here are 5 tips for this week that will ensure we keep moving forward even though our customer is not. In this training, you'll learn: • How to keep your pipeline moving even when agencies aren’t buying • The daily habits that separate winners from worriers • What relationships you can...

Hidden GSA Tools Every Small Business GovCon Should Be Using in 2026 08.11.2025

Some of the most helpful tools for GovCons are on GSA's site. Successful small businesses master federal tools like those that GSA makes available. In this training, you'll learn: • How to find tools you can use • Which tools will help you as you try to win contracts • Where GSA is going in this 2025/2026 transition ___________________________________ 🔥 Join 27,128 others and subscribe to our Gov...

How to Create Win Themes That Make Federal Buyers Choose You 08.11.2025

Most proposals sound the same in the federal market. Great ones stand out because of clear Win Themes. A Win Theme ensures all of your activity leads to differentiating your company in a way buyers will value. In this training, you'll learn: • What are Win Themes • How Win Themes strengthen proposals sent to federal buyers • Simple framework you can follow to create your own Win Theme ____________...

The #1 Follow-Up Mistake After Conferences (and How to Fix It) 08.11.2025

I just returned from two, back-to-back Defense focused events. Here's how I ensure they have lasting value and how you can too. In this training, you'll learn: • How to triage all the leads you identified from the conference • Short-term steps to take that will turn a lead into part of your network • Long-term steps to make sure your new leads don't fade out of your network _______________________...

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