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Write a Powerful Capability Section 1 Statement · Write a Powerful Capability Statement Section 1...
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 1
Write a
Powerful
Capability
Statement
Write a
Powerful
Capability
Statement Section 1
5/21/2015
Send questions to: [email protected]
© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 2
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 3
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 4
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 5
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 6
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 7
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 8
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 9
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 10
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,
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 11
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 13
Layers of Decision-Makers
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 14
Layers of Decision-Makers
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 15
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 16
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 17
5 Key Elements
1. Call it a Capability Statement
2. Core Competencies
3. Past Performance
4. Differentiators
5. Company Data
© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 18
Write a
Powerful
Capability
Statement End of Section 1
© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 19
Write a
Powerful
Capability
Statement Section 2
5/21/2015
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 20
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
© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 21 21
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Title of Document?
Section Titles Max Points Actual Points
Capability Statement = 20 points ___________
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Core Competencies
Section Titles Max Points Actual Points
Core Competencies = 20 points ___________
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 24
Company Data
Section Titles Max Points Actual Points
Company Data = 20 points ___________
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 25
Past Performance
Section Titles Max Points Actual Points
Past Performance = 20 points ___________
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 26
Differentiators
Section Titles Max Points Actual Points
Differentiators = 20 points ___________
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 27
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
© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 29
Write a
Powerful
Capability
Statement End of Section 2
© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 30 30
Write a
Powerful
Capability
Statement Section 3
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 31
“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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 32
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 33
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 34
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 36
Past Performance: Example 2
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 37
Past Performance: Example 3
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 38
Past Performance: Example 4
To use employee’s experience:
Key staff members have experience providing…
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 39
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 40
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 41
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 42
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 43
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 44
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 45
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 46
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 47
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 48
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
5/21/2015
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 49
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 50
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
5/21/2015
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 51
Class Documents
© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 52
Write a
Powerful
Capability
Statement End of Section 3
© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 53
Write a
Powerful
Capability
Statement Section 4
© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 54 54
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 55
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 Worksheet
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Capability Statement Worksheet
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Capability Statement Worksheet
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Capability Statement Worksheet
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Capability Statement Worksheet
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Capability Statement Worksheet
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Capability Statement Checklist
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Capability Statement Checklist
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Capability Statement Checklist
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Capability Statement Grading
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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 72
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 73
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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© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 74
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!
© 2015 The Government Contracting Institute| www.targetgov.com | 866-579-1346 75
Write a
Powerful
Capability
Statement End of Section 4