If you’re like many other firms, you’ve had one of the following things happen: A website redesign with several false starts (or maybe even never gotten off the ground) A brochure or mailing campaign that everybody grumbled about under their breath after it went out New stationery or logo roll out that half the people […]
Continue reading...July 6, 2009 by Leave a Comment
How Much Influence Do Relationships Have on Proposal Selection?
There is a sermon that far too many people in this industry preach. I hear it all the time from experienced “marketing experts.” Over and over again they say, “don’t submit a proposal unless you have a relationship.” “Don’t waste your time and money subscribing to lead services, you won’t get anywhere without relationships.” If […]
Continue reading...July 2, 2009 by Leave a Comment
How to Write 200% Faster
As a marketer, you probably do a lot of writing, especially when you take into account letters, emails, proposals, notes, plans, etc. Writing takes time and sometimes it takes time away from other things we could or should be doing. Imagine a world where you could write up to 200% faster. How much more productive […]
Continue reading...June 23, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Simple Formula for Dramatically Improving your Sales Presentations
I think a lot of people selling professional services have a hard time figuring out what the heck they are going to say when preparing for a sales presentation. Engineers especially struggle with this. Some engineers find it hard to stop thinking like an engineer and start thinking like a marketer. They are often […]
Continue reading...June 1, 2009 by 6 Comments
My Dream: Open Source CRM and Proposal Software
When I started working at my current job, I inherited a system that consisted of ACT! for our contacts, Deltek CRM/Proposals for our project info, and Deltek Advantage for accounting. In general, I find the Deltek products to be overly expensive and not very user friendly. And I liked Act! even less. Being so frustrated […]
Continue reading...May 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment
A Story About Selling the Benefit
I recently did a guest post over at Construction Law Musings. That post was about the importance of “selling the benefit.” Here is another story about selling the benefit that didn’t make it into the post. “Let me give you another real-life example. Large pharmaceutical companies usually have a small stable of prequalified A/E firms […]
Continue reading...May 13, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Is the Boss a Roadblock to Your Marketing Success?
Is the Boss a Roadblock to Your Marketing Success? The construction industry is tanking fast and you are probably feeling more pressure than ever to show results. So what’s stopping you? One of the most common roadblocks to success that marketers complain about is their boss. This problem manifests itself in many different ways. Sometimes […]
Continue reading...April 15, 2009 by 3 Comments
Can You Use Photos You Find On The Internet For Proposals?
I enjoy the messages and questions that come across the LISTSERV of the Society of Marketing Professional Services. One person recently asked this question: “Anyone willing to share information or provide a resource for information about copyright or use of image or articles (such as google, etc.)?” This is typically a legal question. And while […]
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