Designing a compelling and informative capabilities statement that resonates with your government audience can be a daunting task. There are many factors to consider when crafting this crucial client-facing document. I mean, truly, how are you supposed to fit all of your company’s information into two pages? The short answer is this: You don’t.
In many cases, when current or prospective clients are looking at your capabilities statement, they already have a general sense of the types of services you offer. In the same way that a cover letter is supplementary to a resumé, your capabilities statement should be supplementary to your website and is an opportunity to position yourself favorably against competitors.
To help break this down even further, I’ve created a list of tips to keep in mind when putting together an exemplary capabilities statement.
- Go above and beyond just the “Who” and the “What” of your company. While it is obviously important to address that information in your capabilities statement, keep it concise. Think of this as an opportunity to specifically describe the “Why” and the “How” of your business, instead.
- Pay close attention to the design element. Keep the color scheme and branding consistent with your website and business cards. It is also imperative that you include your company logo and contact information in the footer or sidebar. Also in the sidebar or footer should be any relevant codes such as UEI, CAGE, NAICS, and PSC/FSC codes.
- Keep your capabilities statement between one and two pages long, and be sure that it’s not too text-heavy. In the same way your website should incorporate visual elements, your capabilities statement should do the same. Avoid walls of text. The document should be visually appealing and include graphics to help break up the text.
- Highlight any major past projects (or companies) you’ve worked on/with and explain how you were able to achieve specific goals that are related to your core competencies. For example, “[Your company name] successfully achieved XYZ Project for Client ABC.” Where possible, use facts and figures to highlight measurable performance.
- Include any key differentiators that set you apart from the competition. What does your firm excel at? Note: Careful not to make this sound too sales-y– that can come across as desperate. Your capabilities statement should merely be a reflection of who you are at your core and should set the overall tone.
So, what’s an example of a visually appealing capability statement that delivers key information clearly? Check out ArtForm Business Solutions’ capabilities statement here.
If you are looking for help with crafting your capabilities statement, feel free to schedule a call with us through our website. You can also email hello@artformbsi.com with more information on the services you seek.
