earnest consulting group

What earnest consulting group does

Earnest Consulting Group (ECG) is a privately held professional services firm headquartered in Marion, Indiana, that advises U.S. businesses on how to win and scale federal government contracts. Founded by Rich Earnest, who brings 20+ years of operating experience in the federal market — including founding Ambulatory Care Solutions (which secured nine federal contracts worth more than $80M before a 2013 sale to a Fortune 100 acquirer) and subsequently helping that acquirer secure an additional $110M+ in contracts — the firm positions itself as a practitioner-led consultancy distinct from generic B2B sales advisors.

The firm's core intellectual property is the ECG Government Sales Game Plan, a proprietary three-phase methodology (Research, Strategy, Execution) that includes agency identification, value proposition mapping, CRM pipeline management, a bid/no-bid decision framework, outreach scripts, teaming partner vetting, and repeatable execution templates. This methodology is delivered through four primary service lines: Advisory Services (one-on-one coaching), Consulting Engagements (customized strategy support), Training Programs and Workshops (including the two-day RSM Federal Masterclass Workshop), and the Inner Circle Group Coaching subscription ($199/month). Supporting products include a weekly government sales newsletter, speaking engagements at federal contractor association events, and the Amazon #1 Best Seller book 'How Smart Companies Win Government Contracts' (launched May 2026).

ECG's go-to-market is founder-led and sales-driven: customer acquisition flows through content marketing (blog, newsletter, book), keynote speaking at associations such as the National Veterans Small Business Coalition, National 8(a) Association, Society of Military Engineers, HUBZone Contractors National Council, and the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, and a strategic partnership with RSM Federal (where Rich Earnest holds Diamond Level Coach of the Year status). Target customers are primarily SMBs and mid-market companies that are new to federal contracting, have won a single contract but cannot repeat the result, or have lost momentum in government sales. No institutional investment, parent company, or disclosed headcount is present in the available data.

Name

earnest consulting group

Legal name

Earnest Consulting Group

Website

https://earnestconsultinggroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Earnest Consulting Group is a Marion, Indiana-based consulting firm that advises SMBs and mid-market companies on federal government sales strategy through proprietary coaching, workshops, the RSM Federal Masterclass, and the Government Sales Game Plan methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Sales Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Sales Leadership & Revenue Executive Coaching (EDABANAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sales Onboarding & Ramp Programs (EDABABAA)

Keywords

• Federal government contracting
• Government sales consulting
• Business development advisory
• Capture management services
• Contract strategy coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Marion

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Advisory and Coaching Services: One-on-one coaching and strategic guidance services provided to companies seeking government sales expertise.
2. Consulting Engagements: Customized consulting support tailored to specific client sales strategy needs.
3. Training Programs and Workshops: The RSM Federal Masterclass Workshop is an intensive two-day, on-site experience equivalent to an MBA in government sales, including proprietary tools, templates, and training resources.
4. Group Coaching (Inner Circle): Weekly group coaching sessions meeting Wednesdays at 1 PM EST at $199/month. Community-based coaching model for ongoing strategy support.
5. Speaking Engagements: Keynote presentations and interactive training sessions delivered at conferences, leadership retreats, and specialized workshops.
6. Book Sales: Amazon #1 Best Seller book 'How Smart Companies Win Government Contracts' by Rich Earnest.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Earnest Consulting Group advises businesses on how to win federal government contracts through a proprietary three-phase methodology called the ECG Government Sales Game Plan (Research, Strategy, Execution). The firm delivers this methodology via one-on-one advisory coaching, customized consulting engagements, the two-day RSM Federal Masterclass Workshop, weekly Inner Circle group coaching, keynote speaking, and an Amazon #1 Best Seller book. Its focus is on teaching disciplined positioning, pipeline development, and execution rather than chasing RFPs, registrations, or certifications.

Product overview

Earnest Consulting Group offers a unified consulting and coaching ecosystem centered on the Government Sales Game Plan, a structured three-phase system (Research, Strategy, Execution) for winning federal contracts. The core offering combines Advisory Services, Consulting Engagements, and Training Programs delivered through one-on-one coaching and group sessions. Supplementary products include the RSM Federal Masterclass Workshop (a two-day intensive), Inner Circle Group Coaching ($199/month), the Government Sales Newsletter, Speaking Engagements, and the Amazon #1 Best Seller book 'How Smart Companies Win Government Contracts.' The company positions itself as focusing on business fundamentals over paperwork, registrations, or certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Sales Game Plan A structured government sales strategy system designed for businesses new to federal contracting, those struggling to repeat contract wins, and organizations that have lost momentum. The program focuses on positioning, pipeline development, and disciplined execution rather than chasing RFPs or relying on certifications.
• Advisory Services One-on-one coaching and strategic guidance tailored to individual business needs for companies pursuing or scaling federal government sales.
• Consulting Engagements Customized consulting support for specific federal sales strategy requirements, provided as part of the Game Plan delivery framework.
• RSM Federal Masterclass Workshop A two-day intensive on-site experience equivalent to an MBA in government sales, covering federal acquisition strategy, positioning, differentiation, prospecting, capture, teaming strategy, and pipeline development. Participants work on their actual data and leave with a documented action plan.
• Inner Circle Group Coaching Weekly group coaching sessions held on Wednesdays at 1 PM EST at $199/month, providing community-based strategy development and ongoing support for government sales professionals.
• Speaking Engagements Keynote presentations and interactive training sessions by Rich Earnest covering topics including prospecting tactics, communicating value through past performance, selling products in the federal market, and leveraging contract vehicles and set-aside status.
• How Smart Companies Win Government Contracts Amazon #1 Best Seller book providing practical guidance on government sales strategy, positioning, and execution without shortcuts or theory, built on 20 years of real-world experience winning and losing in the federal market.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RSM FederalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRich Earnest serves as a top coach with RSM Federal, working alongside a nationally recognized team. Through this partnership, he has delivered dozens of workshops, webinars, and keynotes for organizations including the National Veterans Small Business Coalition, National 8(a) Association, Society of Military Engineers, HUBZone Contractors National Council, and the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. The RSM Federal team has trained more than 25,000 companies and helped them win over $14.6 billion in government contracts. Rich earned his RSM Certified Government Sales Coach designation in 2022 and was named RSM Federal Diamond Level Coach of the Year in 2025.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• RSM Federal: RSM Federal is the dominant government sales training organization in the U.S. and Earnest Consulting Group's primary strategic partner — both deliver coaching, workshops, and certifications to companies pursuing federal contracts, and both sell the same 'government sales as a business problem, not paperwork' thesis.
• Winvale: Winvale provides government contract consulting, GSA Schedule management, and capture support to commercial companies entering the federal market — directly overlapping ECG's advisory and consulting engagements for federal sales strategy.
• Capture2Proposal: Capture2Proposal offers capture management, proposal consulting, and pipeline development services to government contractors — overlapping with ECG's strategy and execution phases of the Government Sales Game Plan.
• Lohfeld Consulting Group: Lohfeld Consulting Group provides capture management, proposal development, and pipeline consulting for government contractors, including training and advisory services — a direct competitor in the federal sales strategy consulting niche.
• Federal Publications Seminars: Federal Publications Seminars delivers multi-day, in-person training on federal acquisition, contracting, and proposal development — directly comparable to ECG's RSM Federal Masterclass Workshop model in format and audience.
• GovBuyers (now part of Acquisition Logistics): GovBuyers provides federal market intelligence and sales advisory to companies pursuing government contracts — overlapping with ECG's targeting, agency identification, and pipeline development services.

Broad incumbents

• Force Management: Force Management is an established sales methodology and consulting firm serving B2B and government-adjacent enterprises — overlapping with ECG on sales process design, methodology training, and executive-level sales coaching at a much larger scale.
• Richardson Sales Performance: Richardson Sales Performance delivers sales training, consulting, and coaching across multiple industries — a broader incumbent with comparable delivery formats (workshops, training, advisory) but without the government-only specialization.

Emerging players

• Sales Gravy: Sales Gravy offers sales coaching, training programs, and a subscription-based community model similar to ECG's Inner Circle — comparable in GTM motion (community + courses + coaching) but serving general B2B rather than federal sales.
• JBarrows: JBarrows provides sales training, workshops, and consulting for B2B sales teams — comparable to ECG in delivery format (workshops, training, advisory) but without federal-contracting specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earnestconsultinggroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about earnest consulting group