Create a Powerful Capability Statement
How to Create a Powerful Capability Statement for Government Contractors
Government contracting has developed into a very competitive marketplace. Companies of all sizes, from small firms with one employee to large firms with thousands of employees have been successful in selling products and services to government agencies at the federal, state, city, county and municipal levels. However, competition has heightened as more companies try to break into, be competitive in, and stay successful in this market.
A complicating factor to success in this market is that fewer people are employed by the government to handle outreach and acquisitions. This means that contractors must know how to distill the information that is most important to a particular decision-maker, state it in a clear, concise manner, and reinforce its importance to the prospect, now even more so than in the past.
Five years ago, no one knew what a Capability Statement was, and now, it is required by many government agencies and has developed into a mandatory tool that, if well done, can also help you open doors and target new opportunities, no matter what size company you represent.
Successful firms use a Capability Statement for a number of purposes:
• Required in many government registration processes
• A door-opener to new agencies and prime contractors
• Proof of qualification
• Proof of past performance
• To set your company apart from competitors
Types of Capability Statements
There are essentially three types of Capability Statements. The first is a one page document (can be two sides) that is used to open doors and make introductions with targeted agencies, primes and teaming partners. The second is a capability statement that is part of a Request For Proposal response. The third is the document used during a meeting called a Capability Briefing.
We are going to discuss the first type in this article: The Capability Statement as a door-opener document.
Capability Statement Format
A Capability Statement should be very brief (only 1 or 2 pages), to the point and specifically related to the individual agency's needs. Ideally, it is a living document that will change depending on the targeted agency. Why is this? Because savvy contractors know that each agency has its own mission and focus, and they speak directly to those in their capability statement.
It is important that the document be visually interesting and have similar graphic elements to your company's brand and logo. It must also be a searchable document that can easily be sent as a PDF file.
Therefore, it is recommended that Capability Statements are created in Word or Publisher using a template that reflects a firm's brand with its own logo, colors and graphic identity. It is important to fit all critical information on one side of one page. The second side, if absolutely necessary, may contain additional supporting data important to the targeted agency such as case studies of past successful projects.
Capability Statement Contents
The five key elements included in a successful capability statement are:
1. Core competencies
2. Past performance
3. Differentiators
4. Corporate data
5. Contact information
As you begin to create your firm’s Capability Statement, begin by labeling the document as a Capability Statement.
To learn more about Capability Statements, you can purchase the Audio and Toolkit downloads from our 2010 How to Create a Powerful Capability Statement teleconference; click here to purchase for only $49.95 and receive your downloads immediately.
Gloria Berthold Larkin is president of TargetGov and an expert in business development in the government and corporate business markets. She is a dynamic speaker and book author and very adept at negotiating the government contracting maze on behalf of clients. Visit www.targetgov.com or call toll-free 1-866-579-1346 for more information.
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