write a powerful capability section 1 statement · write a powerful capability statement section 1...

© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 1

Write a

Powerful

Capability

Statement

Write a

Powerful

Capability

Statement Section 1

http://www.targetgov.com/

5/21/2015

Send questions to: [email protected]


What is TargetGov?

TargetGov provides national support and training for federal

government procurement related business development and

marketing services including sales, marketing, proposal

development and management, contract administration, socio-

economic and minority certification services, contract

development, and related services. Our clients have won over

$3.2 billion in contracts in just the last 6 years due to our direct

involvement.


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Class Schedule

8:00 Breakfast and networking

8:30 Class begins: Section 1

10:00 Break

10:15 Section 2

11:45 Lunch to 12:30

12:30 Section 3

2:00 Break

2:15 Section 4

3:45 Questions and Answers


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Gloria Larkin

President, TargetGov, and creator of Government

Contracting Institute

Nationally recognized federal contracting business

development expert

Clients have won billions in federal contracts

Quoted in Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, INC

Magazine, Bloomberg

Educational Foundation Board Vice-Chair for WIPP


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Executive Summary

A Capabilities Statement tells potential clients who you are, what

you do, and how you are different from your competitors.

Government contracting has developed into a competitive

marketplace. Companies of all sizes successfully sell products and

services to government agencies.

A Capabilities Statement is a critical tool in government contracting,

no matter what size company you represent.


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What is a Capabilities Statement?

A Capabilities Statement is a snapshot of your company that serves as a resume

for your business.

Capabilities statements are used to compare you with other vendors:

o Many government agencies require that a Capabilities Statement be submitted with

bids.

o Similarly, prime contractors can require potential subcontractors to submit capabilities

statements before doing business with them.

Three standard types of capabilities statements are:

o A one page fold-over used to open doors and make introductions.

o A brochure that could be a part of a Request For Proposal response.

o A detailed presentation used for capabilities briefings.


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What Else Can a Capabilities Statement Do?

A Capabilities Statement's primary purpose is for marketing.

The information in Capabilities Statements can be valuable when used in

brochures, websites, and other promotional literature.

When you add information about awards, certifications, and clients, the

Capabilities Statement can:

o Create a sense of trust.

o Show maturity of your business.


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Types of Capability Statements

Door-opener

o Used to begin relationship-building process

o Obtain decision-maker meeting

o Tool to use during meetings

Requested as part of a Sources Sought or RFI

response

Required in a RFP response


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First Impressions Are Critical

Be professional

o Ex: email, web site, typos

o No clip art, stock graphics

Know your niche!

Do not try to be all things

Lead with your expertise

Prove it!

Mitigate risk


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Where to Use a Capability Statement

Person to Person

Conferences

Vendor outreach sessions

Agency and base events

Matchmaking

Associations, social events

Referral

• From decision-makers

Virtual

• Email, web site, blog,

LinkedIn


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Identifying Targets

Your Company Possible Target

You as a Prime contractor AGENCY

You as a Subcontractor PRIMES

You as a Team member Other VENDORS


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Layers of Decision-Makers

Small business representatives

OSDBU, SADBU, SBLO

Contracting and acquisition staff

CO, KO

Program and technical managers

PM, COTR, end-user


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OSDBU’s- The Support

• What assistance do you need

• What have you done already

• What Certifications and/or Set-Asides Exists

• OSDBU’s are NOT YOUR SALES FORCE

Contracting Officers (CO) or (KO)- The Rules

• Do you know the rules?

• Streamlined purchasing access: vehicle

• What is your past performance (related to opportunity)


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Program Managers (PM)- The Work

• Your knowledge of our agency’s problem

• Your ability to solve the problem

• Your ability to offer value to your solution

End Users- The Source

• Source of information

• How are things done currently

• How could your solution benefit them


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A Poor Capability Statement

Slams doors on you

Highlights your weaknesses

Proves that you are not competent

Highlights the risk to hire you

Proves you don’t have a clue

...and you DO NOT understand the customer

…or the market!


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Capabilities Statement Format

A Capabilities Statement should be:

o Brief (only 1 or 2 pages), to the point, and specifically related to the individual agency's

needs.

o Visually interesting with a graphic identity similar to your company's brand and logo.

o A searchable document that can be easily changed and sent as a PDF file.


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5 Key Elements

1. Call it a Capability Statement

2. Core Competencies

3. Past Performance

4. Differentiators

5. Company Data



Write a

Powerful

Capability

Statement End of Section 1



Write a

Powerful

Capability

Statement Section 2


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Review and Score Process

Let’s put YOU in the decision-maker seat

Imagine YOU are one of the decision-makers

o SB, CO, PM

We are going to review and score a few Capability

Statements right now


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Title of Document?

Section Titles Max Points Actual Points

Capability Statement = 20 points ___________


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Core Competencies


Core Competencies = 20 points ___________


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Company Data


Company Data = 20 points ___________


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Past Performance


Past Performance = 20 points ___________


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Differentiators


Differentiators = 20 points ___________


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Capability Statement Grading


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How Decision-makers Choose

50-60 companies reaching out every day

Can’t meet with everyone

How to narrow down the list

Choose best candidates

Spend what limited time they have to meet with

qualified vendors

Develop trusting relationships



Write a

Powerful

Capability




Write a

Powerful

Capability

Statement Section 3


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“Capability Statement” as Title

Call it what it is!

First words are “Capability Statement”

Then your logo

Then your contact info

A mini business card across the top of the document


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Core Competencies

Section title: CORE COMPETENCIES

Laser-focused on the target!

Short introduction statement mentioning the target

Ex: ABC Company provides the services [agency] requires to meet its mission of ____________ by providing _____________________________.

Relate your company’s core competencies to the target’s specific needs

Followed by key-word heavy bullet points


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Qualifications and Credentials

Establish how much market share you have in your given area of expertise.

– Qualifications are the unique resources that your company can deploy on engagements (people, processes, or skills).

– Credentials are examples of previous, unique, client experiences that you leverage for future projects.

– Qualifications and credentials should capture the essence of value added, and the client need fulfilled by your company.

Include customer kudos and positive quotes regarding engagement experience or present case studies to add dimension to your capabilities statement.


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Past Performance

Section title: PAST PERFORMANCE

List past customers for whom you have done similar work. Prioritize by: 1. Internal to that agency

2. Related agency

3. Other government entities: federal, state, local

4. Commercial contracts

Show the benefit to the customer

This is NOT a resume!

34


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Past Performance: Example 1

If you were the Prime:

[Customer Name]: Provided x-y-z services to enable the

effective use of a-b-c thereby reducing costs by $xxx,xxx over

three years. Name contract vehicle & amount. Give contact

reference, name, title, phone and email.

Note: If past projects do not relate to the targeted agency’s

needs, do not list.


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If you were the Subcontractor:

As a subcontractor to PRIME [company name], provided the

x-y-z services to enable the effective use of a-b-c thereby

reducing costs by $xxxxx over three years. Give contact

reference, name, title, phone and email.

Note: If past projects do not relate to the targeted agency’s

needs, do not list.


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If you were an employee:

As an employee of [company name], provided the x-y-z

services to enable the effective use of a-b-c thereby reducing

costs by $xxxxx over three years. Give contact reference,

name, title, phone and email.

Note: If a reference is not available,

do not list.


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To use employee’s experience:

Key staff members have experience providing…


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Differentiators Defined #1

Unique features and/or benefits of a product, or aspects of a

brand, that set it apart from competing products or brands


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Differentiators #2

Identify what makes you different from your competitors

Location

Training

ISO

Exclusives

Relationships

Experience

And how this benefits the targeted:

Agency

Prime

Team


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Differentiators Defined: #3 Government

Contracting

A succinct statement

Focused on o Customer needs

o Specific decision-maker

o Upcoming contracts

Highlights benefits

Incorporate metrics

Separates you from o Real Competition

o Wanna-be’s


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Metrics

Average contract 10 people

Average contract year 20

Years in business 5

Hours per person 2,000 per year

Hours of work 2,000,000


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Sample Metrics

How many lines of code written?

How many miles of power line installed?

How many ______ (equipment) installed?

How many s.f. (facilities) built/managed?

# inspections performed?

People placed (hours, days, weeks, years)

Results of services provided

o $ saved, hours reduced, costs eliminated,

Not sure what

to say?

Contact us for

suggestions!


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Differentiators are NOT

Socioeconomic certifications

Generic statements

Static, never changing

One type fits all

“Quality” people, services, products

“100” or xx years of experience

“Solutions provider”

“Best in class”, “world class”, “best of breed” or other superlatives


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Sample Differentiator Questions

Why did your biggest customer want you?

How and why is your company the best choice for the needs of this opportunity or agency?

What is it about your services/products that make you stand out from the rest?

What is it about your people that give you the advantage over your competitors?

Why are your products better solutions than the others that are available?

Is your business located near the targeted agency?


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Ideal Differentiators

Speak EXACTLY to requirements

Speak exactly to that decision-maker o CO, COTR, PM, OSDBU, SBLO

Are benefit-focused

Include metrics

Are straightforward, easy to understand

Are branded to your company

Better to have only 2 or 3 strong differentiators than an entire list of mediocre or poor


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Company Data

Federal: DUNS & CAGE Code

NAICS (grouped)

DOD: PSC & FSC codes

GSA Schedule Contract Number(s)

BPAs and other contract numbers

Contract Numbers

Socio-economic certifications: WOSB, 8(a), HUB Zone, SDVOB,

Small


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Company Data (Cont’d)

1 or 2 sentence summary of highlights

Financial stability

Number of employees

Capacity

Teams

YOUR contact information: o Name

o Email

o Phone: office, direct

o Printed on the Capability Statement, not attached as a business card


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Graphic Design Elements

Use your own branding elements

Your logo

Your colors

Your style

Your fonts

Complement your web site, business cards

Use up the entire page, do not think “letterhead”

Spare the graphics: usually large file size

Keep it in Word, save as a PDF

Do NOT save as graphic file: tif or jpg


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Tips for Success

Tailor the Capability Statement to the target

Use their terminology

You will have many versions, one for each target

Make sure the file size is small, under 1MB

Save the PDF as YourCompanyNameCapabilityStatement.pdf

Follow similar format for your website

Follow same format for capability briefings

Keep it current


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Class Documents



Write a

Powerful

Capability




Write a

Powerful

Capability

Statement Section 4


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Capability Title


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Core Competencies


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Past Performance


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Differentiators


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Company Data


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Capability Statement Worksheet


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Capability Statement Checklist


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Capability Statement Grading


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Review & Questions

First impressions are critical

Accurate representation

Easily understood

Capture the interest of agency contracting personnel

Capture the interest of prime contractors.

Tricks to target your capability statements to a specific audience

Key elements you must include

Common mistakes

Omissions that cripple


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What is Your Score?

What does your business look like to the government decision makers?

Email your Capability Statement PDF to: [email protected]

for your company’s complimentary

Capability Statement score


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Wrap Up

o Please fill out our course feedback form

o Swap business cards

o Check our website: www.targetgov.com

o Become a preferred customer. No cost. Many benefits.

o Come take another class!


http://www.targetgov.com/government-contracting-institute/


Write a

Powerful

Capability

