08/28/2026
By the time an agency gets down to the final few, everyone left can do the work. Being qualified stopped setting you apart a while ago.
That is the hard part of government contracting. Your experience, your certifications, your track record. They get you considered. They do not get you picked.
What decides it is positioning: a clear answer to why your company, for this agency, on this specific requirement. And it has to be visible in the proposal itself, in how you frame your experience, which results you lead with, and how directly you connect what you do to the problem the agency is trying to solve.
Capability says you can do the work. Positioning says you are the better choice.
In Episode 4 of Written to Win, Michelle Keshel explains why being qualified is the entry ticket, not the advantage.
Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/4qVr8ctiDvo
How does your team define its competitive position on a pursuit?
Being qualified gets you considered. It does not get you selected. ...