The document discusses marketing materials for small businesses seeking government contracts, including capabilities statements, past performance narratives, business cards, and email signatures. It provides guidance on what information to include in one-page capabilities statements to concisely convey a company's qualifications, competencies, and differentiation. It also outlines what should be included in past performance narratives and recommendations for designing clear and informative business cards and email signatures. The overall goal is to effectively communicate a company's capabilities and value proposition to government customers.

1. www.mnptac.org
Pat Dotter
Southwestern Area Manager, PTAC MN
pdotter@mnptac.org
www.mnptac.org
507-549-3193
February 20, 2014
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Capabilities & More *

2. www.mnptac.org
Agenda for the Today
 Line Cards (one page capabilities)
 Capability Statements
 Past Performance Narrative
Discuss structure, design, information & review of:
 Business Cards
 Letterhead, Email Signatures

3. www.mnptac.org
 Capabilities Statement *
(one page – “Line Card”)
Electronic Extension of your Business Card –
₋ Much more information – NO BS, No fillers
₋ ONE page, business capabilities, information
₋ Core Competencies, Past performance
₋ Differentiators, Capacity
₋ no less than 10pt font
₋ Design – Layout: your choice, pix(s)? (optional)
₋ Logos – for company & contracts or programs
(Include the tag line, other branding?)
₋ Balanced appearance, organized, informational,
stress the key points, name drop, wrap up

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Capabilities Statement “DO’s”
• DUNS, CAGE, NAICS with descriptors
• Certifications, Verifications
(federal first, then state)
• Phone, Fax, Professional email, physical
address with zip+4
• Business name, tagline if needed
• Web address, contact email
• Socio-economic category
• GSA Contract logos, program
• Name drop the best (speaks to capabilities)

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Capabilities Statement “DO’s”
• Brag about BUSINESS, Capabilities
(discrete, logo or statement, small print)
• Major accomplishments, projects
(new technology, new industry, etc.)
• General personnel statements
• Past Projects, “includes”, largest project
• Extra Values, Problems you can solve
• Name drop the best

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Cap. Statement “DON’Ts”
 Focus on personal, personnel
 Brag about individual awards or
accomplishments
 Highlight the Boss
 Too many pictures (have purpose)
 Detracting background or pictures
 Small font or hard to read font
 Duplicate Information

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 Capabilities Statement *
(Line Cards)
 Focused on Business
 One page Elevator Speech (Capabilities)
 A “Snap Shot” of what the business can
bring to the table
 Include the criteria – NAICS, DUNS, CAGE,
Socio-Econ Goal, contacts, info, web
address, location, physical address, etc.
 Look Good, balanced, effective, communicate
YOUR JOB TO MAKE IT WORK

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 Capabilities Statement
(for contract)
• Used to evaluate the businesses capacity to perform
• Used to make final decision, B2B comparison
Should include:
- experience
- past performance
- key personnel & qualifications
- facilities, equipment
- understanding of work to be performed

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 Capabilities Statement *
• This should be a living document
• Updated on a regular basis
• Any time changes occur
• Different document created from this base
for each specific agency or solicitation
• Should align with the project focus
• Project focus changes, key people

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 Past Performance Narrative *
This should be a living document base:
• Created at end of every project
• Archived for future use in Solicitations
Narrative should include:
• Specifics of the project
• Attention to details, methods, systems
• Key personnel involved, qualifications
• Project focus, results

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 Past Performance Narrative
Should also include:
• Any problems that occurred
• Subsequent resolutions
• Key players, names, contact info
• Key agency/company people, info, contacts
From this database, future agency specific
documents will be created as needed

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 Past Performance Narrative
Each new document created should:
• Align with the particular project focus
• Provide the appropriate key personnel
• Meet the requirements of that particular
solicitation (page limitations, font size)
• Follow all instructions
Ultimate Goal:
project the exact type of company, with exact
capabilities for the project proposed

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Agenda for the Today
 Line Cards (one page capabilities)
 Capability Statements
 Past Performance Narrative
 Discuss structure, design, information & review of:
Business Cards
Letterhead, Email Signatures

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• Purpose?
– Who you are, what you do, contact info,
calling card, business name, your title,
location
• Criteria – Government Perspective
– What is your business, what does your
business do, where can I find your business,
how can your business help me?
 Business Cards *
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• What’s in YOUR business name?
“What is your Business??”
• What does your business do?
- Do you need a tagline?
• 3 to 5 word explanation, not brand recognition,
that clearly provides a picture of what you do
- NAICS codes – pick your focus, your best
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Alphabet? Actual Business? Mystery service?
Will a stranger know what this business does?

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• LOCATION, DUNs, CAGE, website url?
– Location – City and State, physical address not
necessary
– D-U-N-S (Data Universal Numbering System)
number is a unique nine digit identification number,
for each physical location of your business, used to
identify a business. It is a “social security number” for
businesses world-wide, but not officially used for
anything other than identification of a business and
not even necessarily required. DUNs IS required to do
business with the government
“Where do I find your Business?”
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• LOCATION, DUNS, CAGE, website url?
– CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) Code -
standardized method which identifies specific facility and its
location. Always 5 alpha-numeric characters assigned by the
DLIS (Defense Logistics Information System)
– Website url – do you have one? Use www. Or http://
– Contact information – person, title, phone, email
(professional)
“Where do I find your Business?”
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“How can YOUR business help me?”
How can your BUSINESS help Uncle Sam?
• What do you bring to the table?
- Are you a preference program goal? 8a, Minority,
WOSB, EDWOSB, SDVOSB, VOSB, or HUBZone? DBE
through DOT? (socio-economic marketing)
- Are you on a GSA schedule? GSA program?
Schedule #, GSA STARS?, Approved PBS, TMSS?
- Others? Room for GSA logo?
• State certifications?
- list Federal first, then State
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• Format of the business card:
– Font size 10 +, style
– Layout – (follow any logo rules if they apply)
– Detractors? – color, background color,
combinations of colors or style? Too busy?
• This is the first “FACE” of YOUR
company
 Business Cards
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 Purpose?
 Criteria – Government Perspective
 What is your Business?
 What does your business do?
 Where do I find your Business
 Who do I talk to?
 How can your BUSINESS help Uncle Sam?
 Format?
 Business Cards
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 Email Signature
• Signature – extension of YOU & the business
- your contact name, title, phone, email
- Business name, tagline (optional), logo
(optional), important qualifiers (socio-
econ goals)
• EMAIL!
• Message Board – your choice
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Agenda for the Today
 Line Cards (one page capabilities)
 Capability Statements
 Past Performance Narrative
 Discuss structure, design, information & review of:
 Business Cards
 Letterhead, Email Signatures

23. www.mnptac.org
Need help?
Call a Local PTAC
visit our website:
www.mnptac.org