​
Get the Right People in the Right Roles

Most capture failures aren’t about bad strategies or poor proposals - they’re about putting the wrong person in charge or not having the right mix of skills on the team. You can’t win a $50M deal with a part-time capture manager who’s never done government work, just like you can’t build customer relationships with an engineer who’s afraid to pick up the phone. The expensive reality: Great companies lose winnable deals because they treated capture like a side job instead of the specialized discipline it is.

​
The Four People You Actually Need

​
The Capture Manager (Your Field General)

What they actually do: Keep everyone focused on winning instead of just doing their part Why you need them: Someone has to think about the whole picture while everyone else focuses on their piece What makes them good: They’ve won deals like this before and know what really matters Common mistake: Using someone who’s never managed a government capture before

​
The Relationship Builder (Your Intelligence Network)

What they actually do: Find out what the customer really wants and who really decides Why you need them: Government decisions happen in conversations, not just evaluations What makes them good: People trust them and tell them things they don’t tell other vendors Common mistake: Assigning this to someone who thinks relationship building is spam emails

​
The Technical Architect (Your Solution Designer)

What they actually do: Figure out how to solve the customer’s problem better than anyone else Why you need them: You can’t win on relationships alone - your solution has to actually work What makes them good: They understand both the technical problem and the business constraints Common mistake: Using your best engineer who has no idea what government actually needs

​
The Pricing Strategist (Your Profit Protector)

What they actually do: Find the price that wins the deal without losing your shirt Why you need them: Price wrong and you either lose or win a deal that bankrupts you What makes them good: They know what similar work actually costs and what competitors charge Common mistake: Having your accountant guess at what government work should cost

​
Size Your Team to the Prize

​
Small Deals (Under $10M): Keep It Lean

The reality: You can’t afford a full-time team, but you still need to win
  • One person wearing multiple hats - your capture manager also builds relationships and may handle technical
  • Borrowed expertise - get pricing help from someone who knows this market
  • Focus on the essentials - relationships and a solid technical approach Don’t skimp on: Customer intelligence and competitive analysis

​
Medium Deals ($10-100M): Build the Core Team

The reality: Now it’s worth investing in dedicated people, but keep it focused
  • Full-time capture manager - this is their only job until you win or lose
  • Dedicated relationship person - someone whose job is knowing the customer
  • Technical lead who gets government - not just your best engineer
  • Real pricing expertise - someone who’s priced government work before Add specialists as needed: Subject matter experts, proposal writers

​
Big Strategic Deals (Over $100M): Go All In

The reality: These deals can make or break your company - staff accordingly
  • Senior capture executive - your best person with a proven track record
  • Relationship team by stakeholder - different people for different customer groups
  • Technical dream team - your A-players with government experience
  • Full-time competitive intelligence - someone watching every competitor move Support the team: Dedicated admin, proposal support, whatever they need to win

​
How to Build a Team That Actually Wins

1

Figure Out What You're Really Up Against

  • How complex is this work? (Determines if you need senior technical people)
  • Who are the decision makers? (Determines who needs relationships with whom)
  • Who else is bidding? (Determines how strong your team needs to be)
  • How long do we have? (Determines if you can build relationships or just execute)
2

Match People to the Challenge

  • Size the team to the prize - don’t send junior people to major battles
  • Get the skills you actually need - not just the skills you have available
  • Plan for the whole journey - capture through contract performance
  • Budget for the team you need - not the team you can afford
3

Pick Your Players

  • Capture manager: Has won deals like this before (not just managed projects)
  • Relationship builder: Already knows this customer or can build trust quickly
  • Technical leader: Understands both the technology and the government
  • Pricing expert: Knows what government work costs and what competitors charge
4

Set Up for Success

  • Make roles crystal clear - who decides what, who owns what outcomes
  • Establish regular communication - weekly team calls, monthly customer reviews
  • Give someone final authority - capture manager makes the calls
  • Track what matters - customer relationships, competitive position, team performance

​
Team Communication Framework

​
Regular Meetings

  • Weekly Team Calls: Status updates, issue resolution, coordination
  • Bi-weekly Customer Reviews: Stakeholder feedback, relationship updates
  • Monthly Strategy Sessions: Competitive assessment, approach refinement
  • Quarterly Executive Reviews: Senior leadership alignment and support

​
Communication Tools

  • Team Chat Channels: Real-time communication and quick updates
  • Document Sharing: Centralized access to capture materials
  • Project Management: Task tracking and deadline management
  • Video Conferencing: Regular team meetings and customer interactions

​
Information Flow

  • Customer intelligence flows from BD to entire team
  • Technical insights shared from leads to capture manager
  • Competitive intelligence distributed to all team members
  • Pricing analysis shared with technical and BD teams

​
Performance Management

​
Individual Accountability

  • Clear role definitions and expectations
  • Regular one-on-one check-ins with capture manager
  • Milestone-based performance tracking
  • Contribution recognition and feedback

​
Team Performance Metrics

  • Customer engagement frequency and quality
  • Competitive intelligence gathering effectiveness
  • Technical solution development progress
  • Overall capture plan execution status

​
Success Criteria

  • Achievement of capture milestones on schedule
  • Positive customer feedback and relationship building
  • Competitive differentiation and positioning success
  • Seamless transition to proposal development
Ready to learn about resource allocation strategies?