Many years ago, in response to an article I wrote in Marketer magazine, I was emailed by someone who was starting out as an AEC Marketer for an electrical designer/contractor in the Midwest. (NOTE: we refer to marketers in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry as “AEC marketers”). He asked me how you gain the […]
August 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
What If The RFP Stipulates Experience Within The Last Five Years, But Yours Isn’t?
You have your hands on an RFP that is perfect for your firm. You have completed a ton of projects just like the client needs. But there is one gut- wrenching problem. The proposal asks for experience within the last five years. Your relevant projects are over five years old! Now, you could just throw […]
February 12, 2012 by 6 Comments
Proposal Development Secrets: Win More, Work Smarter, and Get Home On Time
Remember I said there was something exciting I was working on. It’s officially here, and I want you to be the first to know about it. Before I tell you all about it, let me give you a little background. What I’ve Learned About Proposals I believe my experience in the world of proposals to […]
February 22, 2010 by 1 Comment
Conduct AEC Market Research You Can Be Proud Of
Research is just one of those activities that most marketers don’t like doing. But many will agree it is also one of the most critical marketing tasks. Maybe research gets a bad rap. Let’s not think about research as simply crunching numbers, there is a purpose to it. If you are not basing your marketing […]
November 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Press Release Services for AEC Marketing
A while back, I asked the SMPS roundtable which press release service was the best to use. I also asked whether these services were better than sending out press releases yourself. Joan Capelin of Capelin Communications (and the author of the SMPS Handbook chapter on this subject) responded with this answer. It is certainly worth […]
November 16, 2009 by 4 Comments
Why Your Marketing Words Suck
I get to look at a lot of writing during my work. I’ve seen marketing materials from many firms. While the visuals are often nice, most of the words just plain suck. The other day, we were on a phone call talking to a firm Principal about a proposal effort. We were politely trying […]
November 2, 2009 by Leave a Comment
The Perfect CRM Update
Some people have asked about the results of the perfect CRM exercise. The result was that the objective of the exercise was realized. The seed has been planted in the brains of CRM users and, in some cases, CRM developers. I can tell you that CRM companies like Deltek and Cosential have visited the site […]
September 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Greed is Good, But It’s Got Nothing On Perception
“Money itself isn’t lost or made, it’s simply transferred from one perception to another.” – Gordon Gekko I just saw the movie Wall Street for the first time this weekend. I guess everybody knows the famous scene in the movie where Gordon Gekko, a corporate raider played by Michael Douglas says, “Greed, for the lack of […]
August 13, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Does Advertising Work?
Does advertising work? On me, the answer is yes. Let me explain. For years I read Mac Addict magazine, now Maclife. One of the companies that advertised in the magazine was a website hosting company called Fat Cow. They had a nice little cartoon cow, an impressive list of qualities, and a reasonable price. I […]
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