As identified by Bloomberg Government, the best-performing federal contractors all lobby Congress. We might guess that intuitively. The common perception of Washington, DC, as an insider's game, persists, and it makes sense that the winners lobby. However, focusing only on best-performing contractors limits the view of what unfolds through congressional lobbying or, more importantly, could unfold for even more companies—if they only recognized that they also have access to Congress. The tools of congressional influence are available to every company, yet the overwhelming majority of federal contractors eschew the opportunity to lobby Congress. Sadly, it’s not just that companies often don’t know how. It’s worse; they don’t know why lobbying Congress can be helpful. Defense represents the most significant portion of the federal budget annually reviewed and approved by Congress. As such, it's a valuable case study to understand what may contribute to a concentration of winners that garner federal contracts. Any company can learn by understanding more about lobbying in the defense industry. The inability or unwillingness to integrate lobbying into a sales strategy stems from hubris, ignorance, and lack of imagination. Thinking, "I've got this," and relying on their wits and narrow networks, too many defense executives struggle to gain real traction and consistently win large contracts. The result? The biggest winners aggregate at the top of the defense industrial base pyramid while the hundreds of thousands of "others" are left to wonder what just happened and why it’s so hard. This book focuses on those who do not lobby. It’s almost too easy to conclude the system is unfair, unlikely to change, and populated by well-connected insiders who move through the revolving door. Digging a little deeper, this book reveals that the real challenge to more democratized access to Congress is within our reach—if we could only see it!

Even senior people, business owners, and board members are unaware of the nuances of influence on a daily basis. They think in a straight line and try to "strike deals," use hierarchical power, make "trade-offs," or bargain as if at a flea market. They unwittingly sacrifice vital needs to gain minor and temporary bright, shiny things. Influence is not about fast-talking, it's about fast-thinking and carefully constructed language that one applies within a specific context. Influence is thought to be programmable-that is, it can create scarcity or consistency of positive responses. In reality, it's about accountability, innovation, and leverage. No pre-pandemic strategy is worth a cent in a post-pandemic world. There is no "new normal" or "return to normal." There are only new realities. In this book, one of the boldest, most aggressive, most successful consultants in the world makes his predictions and provides recommendations that may frighten and stun, but ultimately can lead to market domination. Million-dollar influencers understand that influence doesn't mean kissing up to everyone. While we may all be equal as human beings, not everyone has a stake in the outcomes in the business of influence. Some will resist change for the sake of resisting change. They lack imagination or let fear hold them in place. Recognizing actual stakeholders will guide your positioning of stakes in the ground that will mark critical positions leading to your desired outcome. Features How consensus building is something to live with, not something to die for The fundamental difference between accountability and authority The need for innovation and even improvisation in wielding influence The scientific and magical contrasts of language How to effectively maneuver within political environments How to rally the right stakeholders at the right time The powerful role of consequence

As identified by Bloomberg Government, the best-performing federal contractors all lobby Congress. We might guess that intuitively. The common perception of Washington, DC, as an insider's game, persists, and it makes sense that the winners lobby. However, focusing only on best-performing contractors limits the view of what unfolds through congressional lobbying or, more importantly, could unfold for even more companies—if they only recognized that they also have access to Congress. The tools of congressional influence are available to every company, yet the overwhelming majority of federal contractors eschew the opportunity to lobby Congress. Sadly, it’s not just that companies often don’t know how. It’s worse; they don’t know why lobbying Congress can be helpful. Defense represents the most significant portion of the federal budget annually reviewed and approved by Congress. As such, it's a valuable case study to understand what may contribute to a concentration of winners that garner federal contracts. Any company can learn by understanding more about lobbying in the defense industry. The inability or unwillingness to integrate lobbying into a sales strategy stems from hubris, ignorance, and lack of imagination. Thinking, "I've got this," and relying on their wits and narrow networks, too many defense executives struggle to gain real traction and consistently win large contracts. The result? The biggest winners aggregate at the top of the defense industrial base pyramid while the hundreds of thousands of "others" are left to wonder what just happened and why it’s so hard. This book focuses on those who do not lobby. It’s almost too easy to conclude the system is unfair, unlikely to change, and populated by well-connected insiders who move through the revolving door. Digging a little deeper, this book reveals that the real challenge to more democratized access to Congress is within our reach—if we could only see it!