Pre-Qualify Your Prospects

When business slows and funds are trickling in, it’s tempting to just take the next project that comes along to keep operations flowing. But will that project be worth your time and effort? Do some planning before accepting just any client or project that comes calling.

- What are the characteristics of your ideal client? Think back to those clients with whom you have enjoyed working in the past.

- What’s your ideal project? For instance, if your focus has been on educational design, you may not want to take on a residential remodel.

- What is your work style? If you have a short attention span, reconsider that year-and-a-half-long project (unless you can get yourself to think of it as several smaller projects). You don’t want to get bored and end up giving your client less than your best.

- How do you relate to people? Say you’ve determined that the prospect who calls several times a day will turn into the client who asks for daily progress reports. If you’re not a good hand-holder, maybe you should consider referring that prospect to someone else.

Resolve that it is okay to keep a list of business partners to whom you can refer prospects if you don’t think they’ll be a good fit for you. Your partners should do the same for you.

Is pursuing that project worth the effort?

It’s a money-making (and saving) Monday.

Have you ever considered how much it costs you to pursue a client before an agreement is signed and before the actual project begins? Consider the following to save time and money and avoid frustration:

- Determine the average number of meetings – including phone meetings – it takes before you sign an agreement. Can the number be reduced?

- Ask your prospect if they are qualifying other professionals for the job. If they are, ask for names and research your competition so you can position yourself as the best candidate.

- Prepare a list of questions to determine if your prospect is really ready to begin their project.

- Explore ways to win the project without providing work product (sketches, cost estimates, etc.) before signing an agreement.

Do-it-yourself Career Tactics

I’ve met lots of good people lately. Good, talented, hard-working people who are looking for jobs or consulting opportunities, and some who may have temporarily thrown in the towel.

In the face of lay-offs, downsizing, unemployment and underemployment, a professional has to continue to move forward – and that means setting the wheels in motion to create his or her own career opportunities.

What services do you offer? Tell everyone you know. If they can’t use them at the time, they may know someone who can. (Send me an e-mail at kadavis@buildingsource.net so I know, too.)

Network and keep in contact with positive people, sharing and trading ideas. Yesterday, I had coffee with my friend, interior designer Kiana Doggan-German. Our meeting generated ideas for collaboration, not only between the two of us, but also for the larger building industry community. You’ll hear more about that shortly.

Here are five articles that provide more strategies for opening the opportunity pipeline:

1) You are your best brand advocate

2) Are you communicating your career brand?

3) They tell you you’re over-qualified. Here’s a solution.

4) Tell your network what you need

5) 8 Ways to Stay Marketing-minded During a Recession

Presentation: Social Networking for the Building Industry

A little over a week ago, I had the opportunity to present the workshop, Social Networking for the Building Industry, at the National Organization of Minority Architects Conference in St. Louis, MO. The presentation, below, outlines: reasons building industry professionals and firms should utilize social media sites; an overview of social media sites utilized by the building industry; principles for social networking success; creating a social media strategy to fit with traditional marketing methods; and engaging potential clients and collaborators.

Thanks to the NOMA Conference Planning Committee for selecting the Building Industry Resources presentation to be included at the Conference.

Social Networking For The Building Industry

View more documents from Building Industry Resources.

The Bottom Line: Finding Work

Get complimentary access to the Building Intelligence section of the Building Industry Resources site.

The news is reporting it, and if you do a little research, you will find signs: the economy seems to be in an upturn, albeit ever so subtly. With the amount of information that comes our way daily, it may be difficult to find the projects relevant to our targeted segments and markets of the building industry.

Building Industry Resources has sifted through websites, magazines, newsletters and other media to compile a list of recent articles: who’s designing, who’s building, who’s developing, and who’s selling and leasing. You need to know where the work is in the building industry; who is getting it done, and how you can get a piece of it. One of our goals is inform you of potential projects and provide you with the information you need to build your business and cultivate new relationships.

Retailers are expanding. Some cities are growing, and there is work in hospitality, transportation and other industries. We’ve listed reference articles and the location of projects by state. There are also useful articles to help run your business, and professionals and firms who’ve made significant moves in the industry.

What do you do with the information once you retrieve it? Look at it inquisitively. Mine the articles for the possibility of a new contact, a new market to research, or consider going the extra step to make one more phone call to find out if there is any work available on an upcoming project. If you don’t have the time, contact Building Industry Resources. We’re here to assist you in your business development efforts.

See the most recent Building Intel list here. We invite your feedback: What other information would you like to see? What would help you get leads and build relationships? Let us know if this information is useful and what else we can do to help you build business.

The How's and Why's of Blogging

I'm a big proponent of social media. You probably know that already. And one of the best and least expensive ways to promote yourself and your business is through blogging. What is blogging, and what is a blog? Well, you're reading one. Blog is the abbrieviated form of "weblog," an on-going written journal of your thoughts on a particular subject.

When promoting your business, you want to present yourself as the expert in your particular field. What do you know better than anyone else about real estate, or construction, or design? Blogging allows you to present your expertise in an open forum to thousands or millions of people. As you surf the Internet and read articles, you can share the information, and your commentary, with your readers through links in your blog (This is also another way to make contacts; other writers appreciate you passing on their information.)

Keeping a steady flow of ideas and maintaining a blog can be difficult and time-consuming, but plan to update it regularly - maybe bi-weekly at first, then weekly or more often. Jot down topics you'd like to address. Create an outline of ideas for your posts. Follow other blogs related to your profession for inspiration. Copyblogger, a blog dedicated to writing for marketing success, has compiled "73 Ways to Become a Better Writer." It just takes time, persistence, focus, and imagination.

Business writers, Seth Godin and Tom Peters, present their reasons for blogging in the video below. Tom, who has authored over 10 books, says "... no single thing has been more important to my life... professionally, than blogging. It has changed my life..." It's a great marketing tool, and it's free. (For Bloggging and Marketing Coaching and Consulting, contact me at kadavis@buildingsource.net.)

Using Competitions as a Marketing Tool

By Karen A. Davis

“… for someone who is young and who has no experience, the only way to get big projects is through competitions.” Bernard Tschumi

There are hundreds of design and construction competitions sponsored by various trade magazines, professional organizations and industry groups. Maybe you have never entered a competition or it’s been years since you have. Consider including competitions in the overall marketing strategy for your company. If you’re short on client projects, or even if you have ample workflow, entering a competition is a low-cost way to promote your name, explore new ideas, and motivate you to try new project types.

Competitions can inspire and offer an opportunity to be more imaginative. Your current projects may have very tight budgets, or your creativity may be stifled by the requirements of your client. A competition can be a design exercise – or a charrette – for you and your employees. Think back to those “open-ended” projects you had in college – no funding restraints, loose client requirements, and a little time to dream.

Once you enter the competition, the design can be included in your portfolio to highlight your capability in that particular niche. Does your body of work have a high concentration of office projects, but you would like to work more in hospitality? A competition sponsored by a hospitality design magazine can allow you to sharpen and show your skills in that market segment.

Utilize competitions as cost-effective marketing tools. They typically have no or relatively low-cost entry fees, and are an excellent way to get your work in published. In most cases, even runners-up get their name listed as an honorable mention. Once published, reprints and press releases can be sent to clients and potential business partners.

Plan ahead to include competitions as part of your annual marketing efforts. Create a calendar of upcoming calls for entry, including registration dates, binder requirements, and submission deadlines.

Bernard Tschumi, quoted at the beginning of this article, won the 2001 competition and commission for the New Acropolis Museum in Athens Greece. Tschumi estimates that he wins one out of four competitions he enters. Learn a few of his strategies in the Architect magazine article “Playing to Win.”

© Copyright – Karen A. Davis. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.