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O P I N I O N
Word of mouth
H ow do we get more business and increase revenues? I often hear this question asked by either a fellow engineer or a young project manager. The most common answer I hear from senior leaders and business owners is word of mouth. Add value, share work, respond quickly, and be open about your process to get more business and increase revenue without spending more.
For example, I worked on a project where the initial set of drawings were done by another engineering firm but they were brought to us because the client wasn’t satisfied with the other engineer’s respon- siveness to urgent issues. After reviewing the plans, I modified the design so it resulted in more residen- tial/developable lots with lower construction costs. After a year, this client is now one of our top sources of revenue. “I started working at my current firm about a year and a half ago, and I’m proud to say I was able to double revenues without drastically increasing the expenditure.”
Yes, you read that right. Many small engineering firm owners indicate that their marketing budget is minimal, and yet, despite not spending much money on marketing and advertising they stay busy and profitable. How is this possible? I’ve worked for small, medium, and large firms, and have had oversight of marketing budgets ranging from single digits to six figures. I started working at my current firm about a year and a half ago, and I’m proud to say I was able to double revenues without drastically increasing the expenditure. Here’s how we did it: 1)Add value to the project. Whether you add value to the project by reducing costs with your creative design or saving time with quick project completion and approval, adding value is essential for client re- tention.
Naveen Khammampati
See NAVEEN KHAMMAMPATI, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER April 1, 2019, ISSUE 1290
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