When I first started Revisions in 2010, I wanted to test the waters for doing work within my home county and state, Rockland County, New York. I found tremendous assistance with the county’s Economic Development Corporation, set up for those wanting to do business with local municipalities. One of the first, most-valuable lessons they imparted was how to put together a “capabilities statement.”
The capabilities document is a single-page marketing sheet or PDF, which boils down the type of work you are seeking, the core competencies of your organization (that is, how a client can benefit from the multitude of services you provide), and past performance (or your portfolio of work).
Another invaluable feature of this document is called “Differentiators,” or what makes your organization stand out. That could be your staff’s work experience, reliability, ability to work with tight timelines, or a wide array of factors that highlight your value.
The capabilities document is a great piece of marketing collateral in itself, but it is more importantly, an exercise and lesson in messaging and conciseness. Like creating a simple fact sheet about your company, it forces you, within the one-page limit (sorry, only one side of a page!), to condense your marketing story into a few highly effective statements or bullet points.
For older companies with a vast client list and completed projects, this becomes a greater task, as the Past Performance section can quickly grow to one page by itself. This will have to be edited down to a few representative projects that illustrate your most desired types of opportunities.
When I developed my first Capabilities Statement (at my old address), it took several days of work to sketch out, consider how it would be targeted, edit subsequent drafts, and finalize my design (and what a boring, standard design I dreamed up!). The accompanying image was the result.
Today, graphic designers can readily assist in providing a far better format, but it still takes significant time and effort to revise and hone your messaging. After all, this document, like a Fact Sheet, is a focused statement of your organization’s strengths, as you see them. And hopefully, it is a beacon to potential clients who really need your products or services.
Do you want to learn more about how this tool can help guide your business’s strategy and tactics, or if you simply need guidance in drafting your own Capabilities Statement, please click here today to contact Revisions Communications & Editorial Services.
Writing and Editing for Small Businesses 
Leave a comment