What? You Havent Got a Capability Statement?

What's a Capability Statement?

As the name suggests, it tells potential clients what you, or your organisation and staff are capable of. It highlights what your future capability is and reflects on your past successes.

Capability statements are usually produced as brochures or booklets and are now increasingly appearing in online formats eg, HTML, PDF and self-executable ebooks. (The Entrepreneur Magazine section of "The Weekend Australian" of 25 Feb 2005 ran an article advising that legal and other professional firms are now using electronic media for their capability information). Include your logo, corporate colours and graphics so that your market develops corporate identity and branding recognition.

Some organisations and individuals prefer to call them Corporate Brochures, Organisational Profiles, Prospectus' etc. Capability Statement seems to be the preferred terminology and is, in my opinion, more accurate and descriptive.

The better Capability Statements produced as printed documents are graphics intense, professionally laid out and attractively produced on hiqh quality papers. The simplest form can be produced in black and white or colour on a cheap laser or inkjet printer.

Why have a Capability Statement?

When prospective clients enquire about your services or products, you send them a Capability Statement. If they visit your Internet site and don't want to spend time reading about you and your organisation, they can download your Capability Statement file and read it when more convenient.

Clients may pass your capability statement to others when recommending your services. You can send one with your proposals, publicity materials, and on other occasions when the opportunity presents.

Clients may have dealt with you for years, but only buy the same service. They may have no idea you also provide other services they could use. Your Capability Statement spells out what you can do in addition to what you do for them now.

If you don't tell people what you do, how can you expect them to call you when they want something done?

What's in a Capability Statement?

It's not a dumb question! There are two trains of thought. One suggests that it should be chock full of verbage about how you can help your clients or prospective clients. The other view is that you simply tell them what you can do and let them decide whether they want your services.

The latter option would suggest you include the following topics and any others you feel are relevant, not necessarily in the order shown:

History: When did your firm commence operations and what has it done since commencement? (Keep it very, very short and succinct)

What You Do: What can you do for clients or what do you sell? Do you need any special accreditations, certificates or licences to do what you do? If so, mention them.

Our Staff: Who is your staff and what special qualifications, experience, awards etc has each staff member got that will help you provide services that are better than your competitors?

Your Equipment or Resources: If you are renting training venues, hiring out equipment, or rely on resources to earn a living, place some photos in your brochures. As some smart fellow said, 'A photo tells a thousand words'.

Similarly if you have a special way of doing something, try to find evidence that supports it as being the best way, most economical, safest or whatever. For example, if you clean carpets for a living you'll need to use cleaning materials that don't cause fade, are not noxious, don't harm animals or plants, are environmentally friendly and so on. You get the drift.

Where You Find Us: Where is your office, venue, factory, or whatever? How does your client find you? Do you need to include a map?

Contacting Us: Where can you be contacted by phone, fax, mobile telephone, letter, or email? Do you have an Internet site? Where?

Client Testimonials: You can place a list of your clients here under the heading 'Clients' or you can write to your clients and ask them to provide testimony to the quality, cost effectiveness, or whatever of your service. Several of your longer term clients may be willing to accept telephone calls from people who are considering buying your goods or services. If so, include their contact details so that potential clients can talk with them.

While a few, carefully chosen testimonials are good, too many can bog down an otherwise excellent Capability Statement. Don't make it look like a testimonial contest! Nobody will read more than five or six.

Finally ...

Once you have your Capability Statement, whether online, in hardcopy or both, make sure you have sufficient copies to circulate and a plan to upgrade it periodically so it remains current. After all, the last thing you want is for a prospective client to telephone you about a service you no longer provide.

Copyright Robin Henry 2005.

Robin Henry is an educator, human resources specialist and Internet marketer whose firm, Desert Wave Enterprises, helps individuals and businesses improve their performance by using smart processes, smart technology and personal development. He lives at Alice Springs In Central Australia.

Visit Desert Wave Enterprises. Download a copy of our Capability Statement in Adobe PDF format.

---

Ill Alert The Media

There is something newsworthy happening at your organization right now.... Read More

Publicity: Three Tips on Writing a Press Release

Use journalistic styleReporters are busy. Just like you.So when you... Read More

How to Make Publicity Work for Your Business: Six P.R. Strategies to Use Right Now

Public Relations (or P.R.) is a wonderful, yet often overlooked... Read More

Editorial Calendars: A Key to Publicizing Your Business

What is the one thing that all of the best... Read More

Easy to be Foolish About PR

In fact, here are three really foolish goofs made by... Read More

What I Do

I believe this about public relations.People act on their own... Read More

For Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Small Publications Can Have Great Publicity Impact

Just because a publication is small doesn't mean that getting... Read More

PR tips for business

Question: Why should your business issue a press release? Answer:... Read More

A PR Surprise for Managers

For those business, non-profit and association managers committed to PR... Read More

Detailing The Famous Kentucky Derby Train

The annual detailing of the Kentucky Derby Train is an... Read More

Media Training 101: When 60 Minutes Knocks On Your Door

You never know when 60 Minutes will knock on your... Read More

How to Tap in to the Holiday Publicity Bonanza

If your product or service can be given as a... Read More

R.O.I. -- O.K., Heres The Deal!

You can SO measure return-on-investment for a public relations program!Try... Read More

A Guide to Optimizing Public Relations Content

This guide to "SEOing" your PR efforts can help you... Read More

Its CNN! They Want To Talk To You!

Being invited to appear on radio and television used to... Read More

Talk Back Radio - Tips To Be A Star On-Air!

Talkback radio offers a fantastic opportunity to access thousands of... Read More

Networking: 17 Essential Strategies In The 21st Century

It is virtually impossible to succeed professionally and personally without... Read More

Financial Planners Publicity and Marketing - Live By The Calendar

The media live by the calendar. Your story pitch might... Read More

Managerial Survival Key

For business, non-profit or association managers like yourself, survival pretty... Read More

What? You Havent Got a Capability Statement?

What's a Capability Statement?As the name suggests, it tells potential... Read More

Get Outsiders on Your Side

Especially good advice for business, non-profit and association managers whose... Read More

There Is No Such Thing as Competition

A wise friend of mine has often said, "There is... Read More

Publicity: Nailing a Media Interview, Part II (Crisis Management)

We'd all like reporters to ask us about our career... Read More

Publicity: Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Never Say These Words to a Reporter

Everyone has something that drives them up a wall. You... Read More

Credibility Lost or Gained, Are you Prepared?

If a reporter approached you about an interview, would you... Read More

What Many PR Users Ignore

Simply that the behaviors of their most important outside audiences... Read More

33 Reasons To Do A News Release

News releases are not the best way to get major... Read More

Hispanic Media Training: How It Can Benefit You

How can media training help you create a successful Hispanic... Read More

Business Community Relations 101 - Getting the Most Out of Your Chamber of Commerce Membership

Since the major part of a small business typically comes... Read More

Hey, Mr/Ms Manager!

Does it really make sense to bet your PR budget... Read More

What to Do When the Reporter Calls: Five Tips for New (and not-so-new) Business Owners

New business owners often miss out on publicity opportunities because... Read More

Trade Show Tactics Revealed

Being part of a trade show gives small business a... Read More

Creating Your Online News Room: How To Build a Site The Media Will Love

From time to time, people ask me how public relations... Read More