The Journey of a Capability Statement
You’ve written a great capability statement. It includes key components other companies may have overlooked, and you’ve put a lot of attention into elevating your statement. It’s been submitted.
Now what?
You want to get it in front of government agencies you want to work with! Sometimes you’ll send it with a proposal, but you can also reach out to entities to put your company on their radar.
Here are next steps you can take in the journey of your capability statement, including who to reach out to, how to distribute your statement, and when to follow-up.
Who to contact with your capability statement
The first step to getting your capability statement in front of government agencies you want to work with is to do your research! Take time to figure out which agencies your business best serves. At B2G Victory, we recommend always having a list of at least five—but more is great!
Once you have a list of agencies you want to work with, research who you need to reach out to for more information. Common titles for people who review capability statements and common departments are: state coordinator, liaison officers, supplies diversity, or business development departments.
Websites are a great tool to finding the right person to speak with. Once they’re identified, send an email to request a meeting and determine the procurement plan and cycle for your commodity and/or service.
Some agencies may respond that the work you’re looking to do is 1-2 years down their timeline. Don’t disappear during that time! It is important to keep your company’s name in their minds. Reach our periodically to inquire on the status of the project and communicate your continued interest. Show that you are passionate and motivated to help small businesses.
How to distribute your capability statement
There are several ways you can deliver your capability statement to contacts, so you’ll want to be sure to have a digital and print version. Keep both versions up to date.
Conferences or events where you might meet government contacts is a great place to have a few on-hand to give someone a snapshot of what you do. Collecting business cards and sending a digital copy post-conference is a great way to share your statement too.
Bringing your statement to a one-on-one meeting with an agency should be a default action on your part.
You’ll want to leave the meeting having handed off your capability statement. Likewise, the pre-bid process requires this document as well. Have a digital version on-hand to submit. Attending education events or trainings? This could be a good opportunity to share your statement and sending one in the mail is an option too.
When to follow-up
Once you’ve delivered a capability statement, when should you follow up? If you’ve handed off a printed copy, it’s a good idea to follow-up with an email within one week. The contact may attend multiple events in a week, so it’s good to remind them who you are and what you do as well as give them a digital copy. Email inboxes are easier to search than stacks of paper, and you want to make it easy to find your company information.
If you haven’t heard back within a month, consider following up with a phone call to touch base. You may even consider mailing a handwritten note.
Yes, it takes more time, but it will also set you apart from other companies by showing you’re willing to take the time and extra steps to reach out.
Looking for more resources to make
your capability statement great?
B2G Victory can help! Schedule a time on our Booking Calendar at the link below, and we’ll discuss what resources your business needs to achieve victory.