Categories: Government Buyers
While we don't know how the government budget showdown will end, one thing we do know is that the federal government is shifting how it buys technology - and organizations need to make sure they're adapting.
With the rise of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), agencies are moving away from feature-based buying and toward outcome-driven decisions. That means sales teams must evolve from technical demos to strategic conversations that clearly show how their solutions support agency missions and deliver measurable results. Top government priorities include:
- Reducing costs
- Mitigating risk
- Boosting productivity
- Aligning with mission outcomes
While non-defense spending is being cut in some areas, investments in technology are accelerating, especially in:
- Artificial Intelligence
- AI infrastructure
- Cybersecurity and post-quantum readiness
- Dual-use and defense tech innovation
Agencies are already shaping acquisition plans. If your team isn’t positioning now, you’ll miss the window to influence how funds are spent. Here's a quick action plan for your teams to align with FY26.
1. Align Your Solution to New Federal Priorities
Understand each federal agency’s goals and use their language. Tailor your messaging to their outcomes and their key priorities. To compete and win, you must ensure your reps are moving beyond the product features and providing that critical link to mission goals and outcomes. Dive deeper in our guide to winning government contracts for FY26.
2. Equip Your Teams to Dig Deep in Discovery
Discovery should be an ongoing process, not a one-time call. The best discovery sessions are predicated on preparation. The good news about selling to the government is that you have a clear roadmap of their priorities; your teams need to be equipped to use that information to drive an effective conversation that uncovers the nuances behind those priorities. Additional information can give your teams what they need to align the differentiation of your solution to buyer needs and agency mandates.
3. Engage the Right Stakeholders
Program leads, technical evaluators and procurement each have a specific set of information they need to move a contract forward. Sales teams must be effective at ensuring each of these critical buyer personas is empowered with the information they need to champion your solution internally. That means establishing a clear tie between your solution, their departmental priorities and the broader agency mission. Selling on features and broad outcomes won't cut it; there needs to be an explicit and tangible link for how your solution will help them accomplish their mandates. Ensure your sales team has practiced accessing these buyers, uncovering their motivations and needs, and presenting your solution as the ideal path to desired outcomes.
4. Demonstrate Provable ROI
Make sure your reps have a mechanism to provide the data that shows how your solution delivers the needed results. Agencies need confidence in your impact, particularly as they assess your solution over others. Make it easy for them to pick yours by developing proof points that make an impact and educating your team on how and when to leverage them.
Make Sure Your Federal Sales Teams Are Ready to Execute.
The federal government is accelerating investment in technology. From AI and cyber to infrastructure and defense, the opportunities are vast—but only for those who are prepared. You need a plan that aligns with:
- Agency specific mandates and initiatives
- Available funding streams and contract vehicles
- Key system integrator and distribution partnerships
- A clear value proposition around ROI, security, and mission impact
- A team that’s enabled to articulate that value and your solution differentiation to key stakeholders and procurement, in a way that drives a premium for your services.
Learn how other companies are readying themselves for FY26. Join our live conversation "Winning Federal Tech Sales in 2026" with Carahsoft and Marion Square. It's October 22nd at Carahsoft's headquarters in Reston, VA. The event will be live streamed for those who can't attend in person.
