Demystifying the gap between ideas and execution.
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MIND THE GAP
Crafting a capabilities presentation that communicates your service offerings and telegraphs your value to ideal prospects without losing their interest is challenging.
As independent professionals, consultants, or service providers, we often face one critical moment with a prospect—explaining what we do, how we do it, and why they should care. Once you have a prospect’s attention and they say, “Tell me more,” you want to showcase your business, but most people make the mistake of addressing every possible scenario. This will immediately get you on the ick list. 🤢
CLOSE THE GAP
The capabilities presentation is the proofpoint of your business value and a brilliant way to tell them more.
In its simplest form, a capabilities presentation is a document or slide deck designed to communicate your range of services and showcase your expertise through case studies or past successes. Think of it as the ultimate proof point of your business value, something you can share at that pivotal moment when a prospect says, “Tell me more.”
This will be a standard request if you want to attract larger organizations with procurement organizations as clients. They’re often requested as part of an RFI (Request for Information) or to be considered for a meeting with decision-makers.
This is your time to shine, but it must be compelling and succinct. It’s not an opportunity to assemble a 35-page deck of everything you’ve ever done. 🙅♀️
By the end of this edition, you will be able to craft a compelling capabilities presentation that outlines your services and value to a prospective client.
1. Company Overview
Start with the basics. Give a brief introduction to your business.
Who you are: A concise summary of your business, positioning, and values.
What you offer: An overview of the services or solutions you provide.
Your mission: A clear statement of the value you aim to deliver.
2. Core Capabilities
This section is the heart of your presentation. Outline what you do best and how it’s different.
List your services or capabilities: Be clear and direct. Group them into logical categories or offerings that align with your ideal client’s business.
Explain the “how”: Dive deeper into how you execute your services, like the methodologies and tools you use that make you stand out. But don’t go overboard. Keep it high level.
3. Case Studies and Success Stories
Potential clients want to see how you’ve solved problems like theirs.
Share relevant case studies: Pick examples that best demonstrate your expertise, highlighting results that resonate with your prospect’s pain points.
Focus on outcomes: Quantify your impact. Whether it’s an increase in revenue, efficiency gains, or cost savings, provide metrics to showcase your results.
4. Team and Expertise
Sometimes, clients are equally interested in the people behind the services. Introduce your team or your role as the key driver.
Highlight your expertise: Brief bios, relevant experience, or even certifications that enhance credibility.
5. Client Testimonials or Endorsements
Testimonials are trust signals. Use social proof to illustrate your value.
Include quotes from past clients: It’s even better if the testimonial links directly to the outcomes you’ve shared in your case studies.
6. Next Steps / Call to Action
Your capabilities presentation should conclude with a clear call to action, moving your prospect closer to working with you.
Lay out the next steps: Whether it’s booking a discovery call, scheduling a meeting, or requesting a proposal, make it easy for your prospect to know how to move forward.
🔥 Hot Tips 🔥
As a buyer and decision-maker of consulting services for a Fortune 100 company, I have reviewed dozens of solicited and unsolicited presentations. Most of them made the mistake of dumping and pumping out 30 to 40 pages of information. It was overwhelming, and it didn’t get read. But mostly, it telegraphed that they didn’t understand our business.
Follow these tips to get past the gatekeeper and wow the decision-maker.
Keep it under 20 pages. No one wants War & Peace. People will stop reading. Limiting the content shows you respect their time and leaves something for you to talk about in your meeting with them.
Make it visually appealing. Don’t fill every page with text from top to bottom. Case studies or social proof slides may have more text. Mix up the types of slides with visuals to convey your meaning quickly.
Tailor the content. By customizing the content, you can demonstrate that you understand the client and showcase what’s relevant to them, their company, and the industry.
Don’t include an appendix unless it directly expands on related content from the body. It will not be read. For example, if you include brief bio blurbs in the main content, include the full bios in the appendix and reference it on the main content slide. But do this sparingly: save something for the actual meeting and follow-up.
💡 How to navigate procurement organizations 💡
In larger companies, there is likely a procurement organization whose role is to secure resources for the least amount of money. They will work across the enterprise to identify qualified suppliers and negotiate terms. While these companies may want to work with small businesses and independent contractors/consultants, procurement may have guidelines that make this challenging. I once worked in a company whose procurement practice was so tricky to navigate that some vendors decided not to do business with this Fortune 100 company.
Here are some tips to help you navigate.
The master service agreement (MSA) prevails. Though you may have your own contract, the entity will require you to use their boilerplate MSA. Larger companies have attorneys who negotiate these terms. As an independent, it’s a take-it-or-leave-it scenario. Read through it carefully and secure an attorney to read the fine print. You want to know who owns the information and output.
Network with procurement and get on their preferred or vetted list before submitting proposals. Occasionally, companies will have an open call for vendors to submit their capabilities. This is a Request for Information (RFI), or they will have vendor days. Participating in these events will get you on their list. Think of this as pre-approval.
The decision-maker doesn’t always have the final say. Even though the decision-maker wants to work with you, procurement may have the final approval. The company I worked at would often stall or reject vendors because they weren’t on the list, forcing us to delay the project or find another vendor who was on the list despite the impact on our business and work.
Prepare for a long cycle. A procurement organization's review and approval process can take weeks, if not months. Be prepared to go through a few rounds of submitting additional information. Your MSA is probably in the queue for review, and the buyer has to justify using you as the vendor.
They define the payment terms. Most organizations are okay with net 30 or net 60 terms. Some organizations take longer. I had a client with a net of 90 days who wouldn’t pay the 50% deposit. Understand the payment terms and request milestone payments as part of the proposal. Once the Statement of Work is signed, it’s really up to the buyer to submit invoices for payment. The buyer will likely agree to these terms, understanding that each milestone payment follows the standard terms, even if it’s net 90.
And it’s 90 days from when Accounts Receivable gets the invoice, not the invoice date. That means if your client holds on to your invoice or forgets to submit it for 30 days, the clock starts when AR receives the invoice, making it 120 days for payment.
THE GAP DĒMĬSTəFĪED
An excellent capabilities deck will secure an invite to the table so you can follow up with an offer they can’t refuse.
The key to a capabilities presentation that lands you an invite to the meeting with buyers and decision-makers is to telegraph your services and value succinctly. Keep it short yet compelling. You will most likely send your deck via email without the benefit of voicing your selling points. Let the deck do the talking.
Once you earn the meeting, win the business by crafting a proposal they can’t refuse.
TL;DR
The key to a capabilities presentation that lands you an invite to the meeting with buyers and decision-makers is to telegraph your services and value succinctly.
An overview of the suggested sections: the sections should flow together to provide a brief company overview, explain your services, illuminate your value proposition, and introduce yourself (the people).
Best practices and tips for a stellar deck: read this short cheat sheet for the small details that make a big difference.
Tips for navigating procurement organizations: if you must work through a procurement organization, read this short section for tips to make their lives easier.
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Nile Harris | Executive Consultant + Coach
I empower mid-career professionals, entrepreneurs, and businesses to transform passion and purpose into P.R.O.F.I.T.