Federal Budget Cycle

Learn the Federal Government's Budget Process and How the Flow of Money Affects Your Revenue Each Year

The Federal Government's budget cycle is very structured and political. Politics is the main reason an annual budget is not passed into law each year on Oct 1. This module will teach you to navigate the process and politics that influence the Federal budget.

Understanding the Federal Budget

Learn How Your Federal Customer Gains Funding

You will learn how the Federal Government requests and receives an annual budget and the contracting process needed for them to purchase your product. Course topics include:

Federal Budget Cycle
Federal Money Types
Federal Buying Cycle
The Contracting Shop & More

Learn everything from how your Federal customer purchases products like yours to the specific tactics you can employ to hit your numbers and how continuing resolution and government shutdowns affect your revenue.

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Access the OnDemand Federal Money Module

Learn more about how the Federal Government is funded and purchases products like yours in our OnDemand course module.

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Testimonials

Learn how organizations apply the knowledge learned in our Federal Sales Certification Training.

This course gave concrete tips on how to navigate the unpredictability of the Federal Government. Government shutdowns and continuing resolutions always used to stress me out until I learned there were agencies not affected by this roadblock to new budgets.

Understanding the various appropriations categories used in the DoD has allowed me to have better conversations with my target customers and close business faster now that I can specifically ask what funds are available.

I have been through a lot of sales trainings that inevitably discuss the sales funnel and it never applied to my customer. It was refreshing and exciting to engage in a course that specifically discussed the Federal buying cycle and how my customers purchase products.

Preview Our OnDemand Federal Money Module

This module of our Federal Sales Certification Training provides an overview and understanding of how the Federal market plans for, receives, and spends their annual budget.

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Discover Federal Sales Certification Training

Four modules cover key elements allowing you to succeed in the Federal market. View each module to learn more. And, if you’re ready to apply these elements to increase your pipeline, learn how in our Federal Sales Certification Training Course.

Federal Sales Certification Training

The Unpredictability of the Federal Market

Understanding the Federal Budget, Continuing Resolution and Government Shutdown

As a sales professional, you expect buyer hesitancies or the introduction of a new decision maker to derail your sales process slightly, but in Federal sales, the potential pitfalls can completely affect your sales process and there is not much you can do to stop it. There are three major elements of Federal sales that will make or break your deals:

Federal budget
Continuing resolutions
Government shutdown

This course will dive into each of these elements. Walk with us through the steps from when the budget is first submitted in February to when it is (hopefully) approved on Oct 1 and a new FY begins. Learn how to close deals fast during a single FY to avoid budgetary disruptions and learn strategic tactics you can apply to better defend against the unpredictability of the Federal market and hit your numbers even when new budgets are stalled.

Questions Answered in Class

Do You Really Understand How Money Flows in the Federal Market?

What agencies are not affected by a continuing resolution?

There are many Federal agencies that do not depend on the Federal Government to pass a budget. They are either funded in other manners or self-funded. Such agencies include:

NAS
CIA
Amtrak
United States Postal Service
United States Navy Recruiting Command

What are the appropriations types?

The Appropriations Act specifies an amount of funding in each appropriation (fund) account of an agency. Types of appropriations include:

One-year
Multi-year
No-year
Unexpired
Expired
Definite
Indefinite
Permanent
Current

What is the difference between an appropriations bill and an authorization bill?

An appropriations bill provides the legal authority needed to spend or obligate U.S. Treasury funds. An authorization bill provides the authority for a program or agency to exist and determines its policy and structure.

What Is the Color of Money?

The term "Color of Money" is used in the DoD to refer to an appropriation category for a DoD financial account. Categories include:

Research, Development, Test & Evaluations (RDT&E)
Procurement
Operations and Maintenance (O&M)
Military Personnel (MILPERS)
Military Construction (MILCON)

What are the steps in the Federal customer buying cycle?

Needs, requirements, and pains
Technical presentations, demonstrations
Proof of concept
Statement of work
Preliminary quotes
Funding
Acquisition
Award
Purchase order