by Larry Silver, Owner, Contractor Marketing, Inc.

Every Architectural/Engineering/Construction (AEC) firm needs to reach out and expand the impact of their company in the marketplace. Often this pioneering assignment is given to the business developer as their primary responsibility. I understand this thinking.

However, it is wiser to employ a team approach to expand the firm’s reach, not just counting on one position to perform it. We have beaten the drum of this cultural business concept for 25 years nationally.

That is, that every person in your firm has some responsibility for business development, and every person knows others in their community — industry, schools, clubs, organizations, family, friends, neighbors, etc., who can help you learn about potential future relationships and business opportunities.

Industry

The first place to shine is your own industry, in this case the AEC industry. Be a leader or work your way toward that goal of standing out in your own marketplace and in your own trade as a subcontractor. Delegate to your staff the important role of serving on Boards and with leadership opportunities within construction.

Even a smaller firm can make a difference, especially if you employ your resources in a prudent fashion. Make it an imperative for each employee to serve within construction and to create goodwill by faithfully serving some beneficial cause that relates to construction.

Niche Market

Secondly, marshal your firm resources in the niche market or trade that you have branded your firm. Encourage every employee to be involved with trade events, association meetings, networking functions, and the like. Let your company be known to your target market through people investment in a variety of ways. Be creative and be proactive to reach out where there is limited AEC involvement, so you can stand out and exemplify an above-average supplier of your services.

Chambers and Business Groups

Sprinkle your people’s involvement in the local Chamber events and the Rotary or other business groups that meet regularly in your region. There are business networking groups, industry-focused organizations, and the like. You have limited time and resources, so be selective where you place them.

This time investment of your people should be part of their regular responsibilities. Reward them for it and especially for any results that they see over time. We are in a service business where trust and good relationships are the name of the game.

Clients and Prospects

It may be obvious, but many AEC firms do not do a good job of staying in touch with their clients. This is a strategic mistake that will cost your firm business and profits. Have a clear follow-up plan to reach out to existing and former clients and involve fresh and new faces so that your clients can see your growth and stay in tune with your firm’s offerings. If you have four or five relationships between your firm and your client’s, the odds go up dramatically of you finding out about current opportunities and potential involvement. Meet as a team to discuss these opportunities and make sure you place the new execs from your clients into your mailing database to receive ongoing information about your firm’s news and events.

This same approach makes sense for A-level prospects. Stay in touch with them and ask questions of their business, so you stay in tune with the latest/greatest happenings. This may seem like common sense, and yet, we find that most AEC firms do not have these basic approaches and standard operating procedure within their organizations.

Database Expansion

As you consider the overall approach to expand your influence and business in your area, realize that it takes effort to maintain and grow your current database of contacts, and to keep that communication clear and available. I am a proponent of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and there is not a better tool or method for keeping updated on all these external communications efforts.

I recommend having an internal champion (probably some very adept administrator) to have set goals for taking your whole staff’s efforts to find new contacts (in every category) and to add them into the database for consistent communication over time.

An Outreach Example

One example of the power of this effort is a Chicago-based GC who was very meticulous and careful to implement what we are espousing here. They took all the business cards from a sales meeting and entered them into the computer, bringing them back by the end of the meeting. One local owner was considering three short-listed GCs to construct their $10 million facility, from the ground up.

The owner brought their attorney in to review the three proposals and it was a record-fast choice to select the winner. The attorney only knew the one firm and had not heard of the other two firms. The attorney had visited a job site of the GC several years before, and like clockwork, had received a quarterly project postcard and other information from the GC in consistent fashion. The attorney could only recommend the one GC they knew in good faith. The owner immediately acted on that recommendation, awarding them the project.

Summary

So, in summary, make every effort to reach out through your resources to touch those in your marketplace with a clear branded service that you offer. Use your employees to the fullest and strategically place your team where they can bring the best return.

Start in our own construction industry and be a leader, serving helpful projects to raise the current standards.  Place some of your resources and people focused on your target market or trade clients. Go to their events, activities, and exhibitions.  This activity will also thrust you in front of good prospects over time. Expect your employees to invest in these external and strategic approaches.

The difference you make outwardly will impact your bottom line and give your firm a place among the top players in construction. It may take some time, but stay at it and you will soon be a Best of Class contractor.

Larry Silver is a construction consultant who works with businesses to help implement sound strategic planning that can help grow and propel a business to achieve both their short-term and long-term goals. For further information, please visit contractormarketing.com.