In almost every SBIR solicitation, there is a request for companies to explain who they believe their competitors are and how they believe they’re different from those competitors. This question is also sometimes seen in non-SBIR solicitations.
When I worked in a USG program office doing research on various companies and their potential solutions, here are some questions we would ask each other/the companies:
- How is this different from what we already have?
- How is this company and their offering different from what else is on the market or from another company we already work with/know?
Based on those questions you might be thinking, well no wonder it’s hard for new companies to break into the Federal Marketplace, and you’re not wrong. It can be difficult to get your name out there as many of you know. But it can be done!
While the USG is still cripplingly risk adverse in my opinion, even if they weren’t, acquisitions professionals are required to be good stewards of US taxpayer money and therefore need to make sure what they’re spending money on is in fact the most practical option even if it’s not the most state-of-the-art option. The results of that approach can be frustrating for a lot of people both inside and outside of the government. Bringing in new technology and new companies requires a lot of leg work and integration and therefore asking “how are you different?” is incredibly relevant to justifying the money and work being spent.
So, when answering the “how are you different?” question, what should you say? Here are a few things that have always stood out to me. If you asked this question to 10 different people, you’d get 10 different answers, but I bet the answers would be in roughly the same categories.
- Past Performance
- Do you have any previous successfully completed work with the USG and do you have USG POC’s that can vouch for you?
- Do you have any case studies or testimonials from previous projects (commercial or government)? If asked, are there contacts that could talk about previous work with you and how it went well?
- Technical Expertise and Innovation
- What advanced technical capabilities or innovative solutions do you provide that others don’t?
- Do you have a process that is unique from other companies in your technology space?
- Compliance and Certifications
- Do you have any industry certifications that make you stand out (e.g. ISO 9001, CMMI, cybersecurity certifications, FAA certifications, etc.)?
- Are you actively working towards getting the required certifications? Even if you don’t have them, acknowledging that you don’t but that you’re working on them demonstrates you know where you need to be headed.
- Key Personnel and Expertise
- Showcase your team of experienced and highly qualified professionals
- Demonstrate to the best of your ability, your team’s experience in similar projects
There are many other ways you can stand out from your competitors, but these are a few areas I focus on when trying to help companies explain how they’re unique. At the end of the day, you MUST answer two questions:
- What do you do better than everyone else?
- How do you do it better?
For example, there are 100’s of companies making drones, how is yours different? There are 1,000’s companies making AI products, how is your different? If you are unique, you must spend some time making sure you can articulate that in a concise and powerful way. It will make a big difference in your proposals and pitches!
Keep Moving Forward,
