Maximizing Vendor Marketing Efforts to Florida State Agencies

Maximizing Vendor Marketing Efforts

to Florida State Agencies

Date

Organization Presenting To

2

• MyFloridaMarketPlace Overview

• State of Florida Purchasing Overview

• Next Steps to Maximizing Marketing Efforts to

Florida State Agencies

• Summary and Resources

Agenda

3

MyFloridaMarketPlace Overview

• MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) is the State of Florida’s online procurement system

• Single e-commerce conduit between state agency buyers and vendors

• Agencies conduct public purchasing on a daily basis

4


MyFloridaMarketPlace Vendor Benefits

• MyFloridaMarketPlace registration enables a vendor to receive

all executive state agency bids for any selected commodity code

• Equal access for disabled-veteran, women- and minority-owned

businesses

• Electronic Invoicing (eInvoicing)

• 24/7 access to more bid opportunities and information

– Vendor Bid System (VBS)

– Sourcing

– eQuote

5


MyFloridaMarketPlace Vendor Benefits

• Improved quality and accuracy of interactions with the state

• Customer service support available to provide real time

assistance

• Green catalog and product listing options for state term contract

vendors

6


Other State Requirements

• Other state agencies also require registration

– Department of Revenue

– Department of State

– Department of Financial Services

• Obtain proper Licensing/Insurance

– Department of Business and Professional Regulation

– Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

– Department of Financial Services

– Department of Health

7

Commodity Codes

• Commodity Codes are a series of numbers that describe

goods and services

• Most solicitations are issued at the Class or Group level

(three- or six-digit commodity code)

• When buyers solicit bids/quotes for products, MFMP

distributes notifications based on the classification you

selected

• In addition, state purchasers use commodity codes to notify

applicable vendors of upcoming bids and solicitations


8

Commodity Codes

• Florida uses a customized version of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) commodity code structure

– In MyFloridaMarketPlace select Commodity Codes that generally fit your business

• MyFloridaMarketPlace uses six-digit commodity codes

– Class - first three digits

– Group - second three digits


9

Department of Financial Services (DFS) Form W-9 requirements

• All vendors who conduct or wish to conduct business with the State of Florida need to submit a Substitute Form W-9 to DFS

– DFS validates Vendor Tax Identification Number (TIN) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

– Completed through DFS website: https://flvendor.myfloridacfo.com


https://flvendor.myfloridacfo.com/

10






Agenda

11

State of Florida Purchasing Overview

Purchasing Types

• Informal Purchases

– Less than $35,000

– No requirement for competitive bidding

– Buyers use eQuote to request quotes

• Formal Purchases

– Greater than $35,000

– Require competitive bidding

– Buyers post solicitations using MFMP Sourcing 3.0 and Vendor Bid

System (VBS)

• Purchases off state term contracts

12

State of Florida Purchasing Overview

Where does your business fit?

• Consider:

– What is your specialty?

– Are you ready to fulfill commitments of a multi-year contract?

The answers above will assist you in developing your marketing

plan for Florida state agencies.

13






Agenda

14

Next Steps to Maximizing Marketing Efforts

Your first steps as a vendor are to:

• Register with MyFloridaMarketPlace and other state agencies

• Complete your Form W-9 validation through DFS’ website

• Complete your Certified Business Enterprise certification, if

applicable

• Conduct market research using MarketView

– Search agency purchase orders by commodity code

– http://www.myflorida.com/apps/spurs/spurs.main_menu_form

http://www.myflorida.com/apps/spurs/spurs.main_menu_form

15


Why develop a marketing campaign specifically for State

of Florida agencies?

• MFMP has nearly 90,000 registered vendors

• MFMP has nearly 15,000 registered buyers

– On average, 5,000 issue purchase orders each month

• Marketing builds name recognition

• You have worked hard to develop your business model

• Marketing allows you to display your talents and strengths

16


Marketing Plan basics

• Standalone plan outside of the general business plan

• Detail your business marketing strategy

• Include measureable outcomes to aasess your progress

17


Five Steps to Creating a Marketing Plan

• Step One: Look Inward

• Step Two: Look Outward

• Step Three: Focus on Strategy

• Step Four: Set Measureable Steps

• Step Five: Review and Revise Often

18


SWOT Analysis

• Strengths

• Weaknesses

• Opportunities

• Threats

Look Inward (Step One)

Look Outward (Step Two)

19


Step One: Look Inward

• Strengths and Weaknesses

– All businesses have natural strengths and weaknesses

• Defining strengths allows you to narrow your focus

• Defining weaknesses finds opportunities to address as you execute your

marketing plan

• Possible strength: strong service after the sale

• Possible weakness: challenging location, slowing service delivery

• After reviewing the brainstorming results:

– Prioritize the list

– Plan to act on highest priorities first

20


Step Two: Look Outward

• Opportunities and Threats

– External things you cannot control, but you can predict

• Opportunities could include:

– New Markets

– News Products

– New Trends

21


Step Two: Look Outward

• Threats could include:

– Economic challenges

– Competition

– Technological advances that put your company at a disadvantage

• Develop a list of customer groups that represent your ideal

market

– Consider state agencies’ purchasing directors

22


Step Three: Focus on Strategy

• Narrow your focus:

– To best align with your business’ identity

– To be most attractive to your target market

• Determine where your strategic focus, target market and

priorities meet

23



• Merge the two lists you developed with your market

– Determine where the intersection is between your SWOT and your

target markets

Market

Strengths Target

Customers

Weaknesses

Threats

Opportunities

24



• Part of your focus includes your marketing communications plan

• In today’s presentation we use “Communications” and

“Communications Campaign” to encompass:

– Any and all marketing or advertising tools you may use as part of your

overall marketing communications strategy with state agency customers

• When deciding on the best message for your customers,

remember all successful communications campaigns include at

least one of the elements from the next slides

25


Step Three: Focus on Strategy using marketing

communications tools

1. Word Hook – a repeatable catch phrase from ad to ad

2. Character Hook – uses a hero, villain, or victim to embody a

key attribute of your brand

3. Repeatable Theme – situation that plays out again and again

calling out the need for your product

4. Consistent Brand Layout – unique design look that repeats

elements at each touch point

26


Step Four: Set Metrics

• For your marketing plan to be effective and successful you must

establish concrete and measurable results in your plan

– Review your metrics regularly

– Track and measure results

– Tracking can include:

• Leads generated

• Additional sales presentation

• Phone calls, sales calls, quote requests

• Hold your team accountable for the tracking

27


Step Five: Review and Revise Often

• Review your marketing plan often

• Make revisions as your business changes

– As your business matures, review your strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities and threats

– Adapt your plan as necessary

28


Search the Internet to find basic marketing information

• Many available formats:

– YouTube Videos

– PowerPoint Presentations

– Articles on Industry websites

• Small Business Administration website has a variety of articles

on different aspects of marketing

http://www.SBA.gov

http://www.sba.gov/

29


Search for local public relations, communications,

marketing and advertising firms in your area

• Ask your colleagues about marketing firms they use or have

used

• Find a firm that fits your company’s needs and budget

• Hire a marketing / public relations expert if appropriate

• Work with the local Small Business Development Center

located here at the University of North Florida

http://www.sbdc.unf.edu/index.php

http://www.sbdc.unf.edu/index.php

30






Agenda

31

Summary


• Review your commodity codes in your MyFloridaMarketPlace

registration to make sure they accurately fit your business

• Commodity codes drive the solicitations for which you receive

notifications if you choose to receive them when you register

• Make sure your business has a valid Form W-9 on file with the

Department of Financial Services

32

Summary

Purchasing Types

• Florida agencies have three methods of purchasing

– Formal purchases

– Informal purchases

– State term contracts

• Determine which level best matches your business’s abilities

33

Summary

Marketing Plan

• Find the intersection of your SWOT

and your market

– Focus on these target customers

• Set measureable steps

• Measure your steps often

• Remember social media’s importance

Market

Strengths Target

Customers

Weaknesses

Threats

Opportunities

34

Resources

Find Solicitations

• The state uses two electronic systems to solicit quotes and bid

responses from the vendor community:

– MFMP Sourcing 3.0

– Vendor Bid System (VBS)

• Register for these tools within your MyFloridaMarketPlace

account. https://Vendor.MyFloridaMarketPlace.com

• The systems’ e-mail notifications are based on the commodity

codes selected

– Your e-mail firewall and other settings can prevent delivery of the

notifications

https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/

35

Resources

Find Solicitations and Contracts • MyFloridaMarketPlace Sourcing 3.0

https://Sourcing.MyFloridaMarketPlace.com

• Vendor Bid System (VBS)

http://myflorida.com/apps/vbs/vbs_www.main_menu

• List of current state term contracts

http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purch

asing/vendor_information/state_contracts_agreements_and_pri

ce_lists

• Department of Financial Services

https://apps.fldfs.com/contractsearch

https://sourcing.myfloridamarketplace.com/

http://myflorida.com/apps/vbs/vbs_www.main_menu

http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/vendor_information/state_contracts_agreements_and_price_lists



https://apps.fldfs.com/contractsearch

36

Resources

Today’s presentation

• Some of our resources for this presentation’s content are:

– The James Group article “4 Types of Advertising Campaigns that Sell”

– Entrepreneur Magazine article “5 Steps to Creating a Marketing Plan”

37

When you have questions about MyFloridaMarketPlace, feel free to contact our Customer Service Desk, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern time

Phone: (866) 352-3776 [email protected] http://myfloridamarketplace.com

MFMP Custom Service Desk

mailto:[email protected]

http://myfloridamarketplace.com/

38

Make the most of your MFMP vendor registration!

Maximize your Marketing Efforts

Maximizing Vendor Marketing Efforts to Florida State Agencies

Documents

Transcript of Maximizing Vendor Marketing Efforts to Florida State Agencies