Landing big contracts with hospitals or large corporations is not easy.

• Who should I talk to?
• How do I increase my chances of winning a contract?
• Should I invest 10 hours preparing and responding to the RFP that came to my inbox?

These are all questions that I've had and I'm certain you might have considered at some point.

Ed Bennett joins the Neon Noise podcast to share some tips and tricks for landing that big contract and establishing relationships with hospitals and large organizations. Ed is the former Director of Web and Communications for the University of Maryland Medical System and currently is a highly sought marketing consultant in the medical field.

His experience working on both sides of the relationship provides us with some helpful tips for anyone that wants to establish a relationship and with contracts with a large corporation or organization like a hospital.

Some of the items we discuss include:

• The benefits of working within a niche market
• Advice on establishing a relationship with a larger organization and becoming a preferred vendor
• Helpful tips on how to avoid that "red tape" that trips so many of us up
• The individuals within the organization you should focus on connecting with
• How to get the attention of a decision maker
• Best practices for responding to RFPs (Request for Proposal)
• Creative ways he is using social media to connect people