Three approaches to construction marketing: Which applies to you?
Here are three alternative approaches to architectural, engineering and construction industry marketing. Which applies to you? I advertise extensively. You spend a significant amount of money each month to promote your business with paid advertising in magazines, newspapers, the Web and perhaps television and radio. You measure the effectiveness of your media, but you aren’t [...]
Looking at your business: Why are you doing it?
Michael Stone published the following note from Scott Avery of Modern Tech Floors in Portland, OR in his most recent Markup and Profit Newsletter. I’ve received permission from both Michael and Scott to republish it here. LOOKING AT YOUR BUSINESS This week, I have the great pleasure of sharing a terrific attitude with you. Scott [...]
When to give … when to sell
Consider this dichotomy. The best relationship-building and marketing approach I know is to be generous with your time, spirit and relationships. But you won’t be in business for long if you give your services away for free or you spend time, money and effort to undercut your prices and value proposition. The latter in part [...]
Quick fixes and bad (or good) solutions: Finding the answers
Con artists thrive on the “fast fix”. If you want to lose weight, take a pill. To get rich quick, purchase an e-book or attend a seminar. Although the con artists who operate on the correct side of the law put the necessary disclaimers (often in very fine print) somewhere on their promotional materials, the [...]
Marketing thoughts: When showing your warts really helps
The last two day’s postings here and on the LinkedIn Construction Marketing Ideas Group relating to the initially disappointing and then rewarding response to the publication of the third issue of The Design and Construction Report have shown once again that sometimes marketers can achieve the most effective results by letting people see things which [...]
The clients aren’t always right (are they?)
Minutes after hitting the “send” button on yesterday’s post, in which I reported on my efforts to resolve an apparent error on our part, we developed a process improvement in our systems which will cost no additional money, create little if any stress, and ensure that additional eyes can review the final drafts of our [...]
Three rules for construction marketing success (for non marketers)
Here are three success rules for architectural, engineering and construction marketing Do what you love doing Many AEC professionals avoid business development and marketing activities because they believe they must “sell” and they want nothing to do with that. This challenge can be overcome to a great degree by playing to your strengths — discern [...]
Who says the AEC bidding world is fair?
This article, USC nixes bids; donor chooses architect: ‘Unprecedented’ move come sin late stage of bidding process, from The State, in Columbia, SC, shows again that decisions on purchasing or commissioning architectural, engineering and construction services are often based more on relationships than objective and “fair” qualifications in open competitions. It seems that four architects [...]
Getting it right: The virtuous cycle
After you’ve been in business a few years, you can trace the roots for things that seem to be routine parts of our lives. The annual Merkley Supply Ltd. (MSL) Show operated by an Ottawa building supply dealer who focuses primarily on masonry products (but sells plenty of other stuff) is a great example of [...]
Brand building, destruction and restoration
Branding power is a concept that requires some effort to explain and achieve. Ironically, many of this blog’s readers have great branding power, but don’t realize it. If you have been operating your business successfully for several years, relying on repeat business and word-of-mouth reputation, your brand is excellent among existing and closely related potential [...]
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