Stand Out To Government Buyers: Takeaways From The TXShare Office Hours Session

Key takeaways from Session 2 of the TXShare Supplier Office Hour Series, Getting Registered and Standing Out.

“An award is a significant achievement,” said Lisa Littrell, Purchasing Agent at the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), as she opened Session 2. “But it's only the first step.”

Agencies still need to find your company, understand what you offer and feel confident you can meet their needs. Your Civic Marketplace profile helps that happen.

On September 23, Lisa and Carlo Paraggio, Account Manager for Suppliers at Civic Marketplace, showed TXShare, AFI and MMSA suppliers what a complete, competitive profile looks like, live on the platform. Here’s what they covered.

The First Impression Is The One That Counts

The session began with Carlo walking through the buyer’s view: a fully completed demo profile. “The only impression really is your first impression.” When an agency lands on your page, it decides quickly whether you’re active on TXShare and worth contacting.

A Complete Profile Includes:

• A banner image with a clear call to action. It should encourage a buyer to call, email or request a quote, and keep them on your page.
• A clean, simple logo that builds recognition.
• Verification and certification badges. The Verified Supplier badge comes from matching your business name to your tax ID. Certifications such as HUB, SBE and veteran-owned status sit alongside it, along with your years in business.
• Availability set to “Accepting new orders.”Your profile shows buyers the date this was last updated, so they can see how current it is.
• A short “About” section. Buyers want to quickly understand what you do and why it matters to them in a few lines, not several paragraphs.
• The right contact. List someone close to the cooperative purchasing process, whether in contracts, procurement, sales or marketing, who can act on an inquiry straight away. You can add further contacts under All POCs.
• Compliance documents. Upload your certificate of insurance and W-9 in advance so buyers can check them off early.
• Categories and keywords. Your NIGP codes need to match your contract’s scope. Keywords let buyers find you even when they don't know your company or contract name.

Everything on your profile should relate to what your cooperative contract covers. Services outside that scope don't belong there.

Complete Profiles Are More Discoverable

Buyers search by keyword, category and contract, so every empty field is a missed chance to appear in their results. The profile score on your dashboard tracks your progress toward 100%, and that’s the target.

As one supplier raised during the Q&A portion of the session, many Texas buyers stick with the vendors they know or call the next city over, so how do you get their attention? 

Attendees were told that the goal is to earn a place in that shortlist. An incomplete profile works against you: with no banner, logo, certifications or links, buyers “are most likely going to have the impression that you’re either not active… or that you may not even be in business anymore, and then you’re excluded from the get-go,” shared Carlo.

Social Proof: Show Agencies You Understand Their World

The content section is the “meat and potatoes” of a profile, says Carlo. It’s where you show agencies you’re in the weeds with them.

• Links: Press releases, blogs, thought leadership from your leadership team, and the conferences or summits you’re attending.
• Catalogs: Capability statements and product or service explainers.
• Video reels: Paste a YouTube or Vimeo link. Anything from a meet-the-team video to a detailed product walkthrough works.
• References: Be selective. “One great five-star review looks a lot better than three three-star reviews,” advises Carlo. Ask public sector customers you’ve built long-term relationships with for reviews, rather than someone whose project has only just finished. The platform sends the request for you.

Keep It Current

As more agencies discover your profile, those new first impressions still matter just as much. Remove events once they’ve passed and add new ones as they’re confirmed. Keep your availability accurate. To share the upkeep work, invite colleagues through the Manage Team section so more than one person can update the profile.

Your Homework

Lisa closed the session with one question for every supplier:

“If your ideal agency found your profile tomorrow, what is the one thing you want them to know about you, your products or your service? And can they find that on your page today?”

If you’re not sure, or the answer is no, we can help you get there. Log in to your profile or contact your supplier account manager.

Up next: Session 3, Winning Your First Quote

The next session in the series will cover how to respond to Quick Quotes and Supplier Signals, and how to prepare for and respond to quote requests clearly and competitively. Details are coming the first week of October.

Watch the full Getting Registered and Standing Out session here. 

Missed Session 1? Catch up on Cooperative Purchasing 101 here.