1252

T R E N D L I N E S W W W . T H E Z W E I G L E T T E R . C O M J u n e 1 1 , 2 0 1 8 , I s s u e 1 2 5 2

Employee retention

Why you don’t make more money than you do!

It’s always about people, a fact well illustrated in Zweig Group’s 2017 Principals, Partners & Owners Survey . When asked about the top issue a principal will face in the fiscal year, 26 percent of respondents said employee recruitment and retention , 23 percent said sustained and managed growth , 18 percent said ownership transition , and 12 percent said maintaining sufficient cash flows , among other responses. OPEN FOR PARTICIPATION zweiggroup.com/survey-participation/ F I R M I N D E X Fukui Architects. ...................................12 Gateway Engineers...............................12 JQ...........................................................2 KAI........................................................10 Long Engineering, Inc.. ...........................6 SERA......................................................2 Swinerton Renewable Energy..................4

I t’s hard to believe that in this market there are still design professionals who don’t feel fairly compensated for what they do – especially when compared to other professionals. While I don’t think the $200K+ a year earned by most principals in this business is chump change, I do think you could do even better. Here are some things that could be holding you back: ❚ ❚ You don’t really understand the value you bring to your clients. Sure – it’s common knowledge that design fees are a fraction of the project’s total cost but you have to remem- ber how important that fraction is! The “right” design saves a fortune or makes a fortune for your client. The right design functions so much better. The right design is SO MUCH MORE VALUABLE . If you think that your only pur- pose in life is to get your clients a building permit, you are selling yourself short! You have the potential to change their lives! That is valu- able! ❚ ❚ You don’t think you deserve to do better than you are currently doing. For whatever reason you may think it is “wrong” to earn more than “$X” per year. We have seen it be- fore. There are principals of firms who have told us and their peers that they thought it was morally wrong to earn above $250,000 per year. Make what you make and give it away to whomever you please – that’s what I say! ❚ ❚ You don’t have anything better to do with your time. If you are willing to work cheap it means you don’t have anything else you’d

“It’s hard to believe that in this market there are still design professionals who don’t feel fairly compensated for what they do – especially when compared to other professionals.”

Mark Zweig

MORE COLUMNS xz M&A INSIGHTS: More than overhead Page 3 xz THE FAST LANE: Boilerplate a la carte Page 9 xz GUEST SPEAKER: Down in the dirt Page 11

Conference call: Ellen Long See MARK ZWEIG, page 2

Page 6

T H E V O I C E O F R E A S O N F O R A / E / P & E N V I R O N M E N TA L C O N S U L T I N G F I R M S

BUSINESS NEWS JQ ENGINEERING MARKS SECOND YEAR FOR DAY OF SERVICE ACTIVITIES JQ , one of Texas’ top engineering firms, officially launched its firm- wide Day of Service initiative last year. JQ’s Day of Service program aligns with the firm’s mission statement of “achieving excellence in the pursuit of a better community.” The program enhances the firm’s culture by encouraging and supporting employees’ participation in volunteering their skills and expertise to non-profits within their local communities. “Our firm continues to grow,” says JQ’s CEO Stephen Lucy, P.E., “and we appreciate the business support we receive from the communities in which we work and live.” According to Lucy, the Day of Service program supports JQ’s core values which includes its role as a responsible company, engaged in community outreach. Says Lucy, “In addition to giving back to our communities, we believe our Day of Service program helps to attract and retain a talented team. We have had great feedback from our employees about this program and believe that it is one factor in why we are consistently recognized as one of Zweig’s Best Firms to Work.” JQ’s Day of Service also allows JQ team members to interact with each other on a more personal, community-oriented level and helps to build visibility of JQ’s work in the community. Employees may sign up for a Day of Service each quarter, and, as a group, are able to choose the community organization that is important to them. JQ’s actual Day of Service varies by each non- profit organization’s needs and typically occurs during February, May, August, and November of each year. For May 2018, JQ’s community service committee selected the following non- profit organizations: ❚ ❚ JQ/Austin office – Central Texas Food Bank ❚ ❚ JQ/Houston office – Casa de Esperanza ❚ ❚ JQ/Lubbock office – High Point Village JQ’s other offices and corresponding Day of

Take your advice from Mark Zweig to-go.

Service activities are taking place this month. Founded in 1984, JQ provides structural and civil engineering, geospatial, and facility performance services throughout the southern United States. The firm is considered a leader in engineering design innovation and technology to support its complex, multi-state and multi-market projects. Nationally, JQ has been recognized as a Best Firm to Work For and as a Hot Firm by Zweig Group. JQ has offices in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Lubbock. MURAL OF GEESE FLYING OVER PORTLAND IS A HIGH POINT AT NEWAPARTMENTS A hand-painted mural of two geese flying over Portland is one of many high points for people living at a new apartment community called North Hollow. Located at 1551 SW Taylor in Portland’s charming Goose Hollow neighborhood, North Hollow offers 121 studio, one- and two- bedroom apartments in a community that is classically designed by architect SERA to blend with the distinctive character of Portland’s oldest and most beloved neighborhood. Apartment homes in the six-story building range from 500 square feet to 1,025 square feet. Resident amenities include bike storage, state of the art fitness center, a rooftop terrace and community lounge featuring a kitchen, living room, and garden-inspired seating where residents can connect and interact both indoors and out. North Hollow is committed to sustainable living by incorporating into its design a quality and healthy environment to call home. The community is seeking LEED Silver Certification, and some of the sustainable features include the use of drought-tolerant landscaping with drip irrigation system and planters to naturally collect rainwater; reflective roofing surfaces to reduce a heat island effect, and the use of low VOC emitting materials during construction. Sustainable features in the homes include large windows that provide natural light through double-pane, low E, insulated windows; high- efficiency lighting systems, efficient mechanical systems and water-efficient fixtures.

thezweigletter.com/category/podcast/

1200 North College Ave. Fayetteville, AR 72703 Mark Zweig | Publisher mzweig@zweiggroup.com Richard Massey | Managing Editor rmassey@zweiggroup.com Christina Zweig | Contributing Editor christinaz@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Editor and Designer sparkman@zweiggroup.com Liisa Andreassen | Correspondent landreassen@zweiggroup.com

Tel: 800-466-6275 Fax: 800-842-1560

Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: thezweigletter.com Twitter: twitter.com/zweigletter Facebook: facebook.com/thezweigletter Published continuously since 1992 by Zweig Group, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. ISSN 1068-1310. Issued weekly (48 issues/year) $250 for one-year print subscription; free electronic subscription at thezweigletter.com/subscribe Article reprints: For high-quality reprints, including Eprints and NXTprints, please contact The YGS Group at 717-399- 1900, ext. 139, or email TheZweigLetter@ TheYGSGroup.com. © Copyright 2018, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 1

rather be doing. Sorry, but that’s the truth and sometimes the truth hurts! ❚ ❚ You have been programmed to think you can’t make good money as a design pro- fessional. It could have been your professors, or the small companies you started your career in. But the fact is some people just don’t expect to do well in this business so … guess what? They don’t (do well)! ❚ ❚ You don’t know what other people in this business are charging. Sometimes I think people make assumptions about how much the “other guy” is charging for what they do and these assumptions are wrong! Firms in this business ARE making money today. Maybe you should be, too? Thoughts or comments? Send me an email. We’d love to hear from you! MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252

O P I N I O N

More than overhead

A recent study by InSource reported that “Creative professionals are being asked to do more work in less time – and it’s taking a toll.” I resemble that remark. Non-creatives have to understand and respect what marketers do, or we run the risk of demotivating those who are critical to our success.

We – the non-creatives – seem to foster this culture, and it hurts our service-minded colleagues in marketing in a unique way, because so few of us really understand what marketing does. I know I am guilty of forgetting how easy it is to fire off an email with a “great idea” about improving our website, promoting an event, or developing a new marketing campaign, without comprehending the effort it takes to execute. Perhaps even worse, I do so without respect for how my “great idea” fits within the firm’s marketing strategy or budget. We all have the best of intentions in wanting to share rich content or interesting approaches we see in other marketing campaigns, but doing so – without more than sending an email – fundamentally underscores the fact that the sender of the email (ahem), doesn’t really “get” marketing. Our marketing team knows what time of day to send an email about a survey versus a seminar in order to drive participation. They know what color backgrounds resonate, and what keywords are over-used by competitors and need to be avoided. That knowledge has to be respected. We give marketing zero credit when we take a

screenshot of a funny idea we saw on Instagram – and for an apparel company, to boot – and text it over with, “Hey, we should do this!” How infuriated would any non-marketing person be if we had to contend with all these quick ideas – coming willy-nilly from other areas of the business – while continuing to deliver proposals and executing strategy? We have to do better, or deal with turnover in the marketing department. “In-house creative/marketing teams aren’t just at risk of being overworked, they are also susceptible to demotivation when they are referred to as ‘overhead’ or ‘admin.’” In-house creative/marketing teams aren’t just at risk of being overworked, they are also susceptible to demotivation when they are referred to as “overhead” or “admin.” This industry can be brutal to our colleagues when we keep referring to these

Jamie Claire Kiser

See JAMIE CLAIRE KISER, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252

BUSINESS NEWS GREEN STREET POWER PARTNERS AND SWINERTON RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPLETE 315 KW SOLAR ARRAY FOR GANN ACADEMY Local solar project developer, Green Street Power Partners, LLC, and California-based partner Swinerton Renewable Energy , held a ribbon- cutting ceremony this morning to celebrate the completion of a 315 kilowatt rooftop solar system at Gann Academy. Green Street Power Partners, LLC also presented Gann Academy with a donation to the school. Gann Academy is buying the power generated from the solar system at a discounted rate through a power purchase Aagreement from Green Street Power Partners, LLC. The photovoltaic array is expected to generate approximately 394,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, offsetting roughly 25 percent of Gann’s electricity usage. Additionally, over the 25-year lifetime of the system, Gann will realize more than $600,000 in savings. “Bringing solar power to more schools is a primary goal for our team at Green Street Power Partners, LLC,” said Scott Kerner, CEO and co-founder of Green Street Power Partners, LLC. “Gann Academy has prioritized the importance of renewable energy at their

school, and we are very excited to help them achieve their green energy goals.” Gann Academy’s solar project had uniquely humble beginnings. The idea of bringing solar to the school – what kickstarted the entire project, originated from a group of students interested in the environment. “Energizing our school with solar power exemplifies Gann’s values,” stated Rabbi Marc Baker, head of school. “Our mission statement talks about ethical responsibility, empowering our students, and building a better world. This project is such a beautiful example of this mission in action.” Gann Academy’s system was constructed by Swinerton Renewable Energy. “Gann Academy joins nearly 5,000 K-12 schools across the U.S. in recognizing that an investment in solar is an investment in their students, staff, and community,” said George Hershman, general manager of Swinerton Renewable Energy. “Solar installations save thousands of dollars in electricity bills, freeing up funds for improved facilities, additional teachers, and more extracurricular programs. We’re pleased to partner with Green Street to bring clean power to Gann Academy.”

Swinerton offers engineering, procurement, construction, and SOLV services for solar photovoltaic plants throughout North America to a diverse range of clients. More than 130 years of building landmark projects, Swinerton has forged a reputation for unsurpassed safety, workmanship, on-time delivery, and customer satisfaction. Today, SRE’s team takes pride in building cost-effective solar systems that will generate reliable, clean power for many years to come. SRE has delivered more than three GW solar projects and our SOLV team manages more than five GW of PV plants. Gann Academy is Greater Boston’s independent Jewish high school, recognized for an innovative curriculum that combines in- depth critical analysis, experiential learning, and a focus on building a better world. With an unparalleled commitment to faculty development, small classes, and a unique advisory system, Gann prepares students to live lives rich with accomplishment and meaning and to contribute to their communities and the world. Gann Academy is located in Waltham, Massachusetts, and serves more than 280 students from 22 communities across the full spectrum of Jewish observance. Renewable Energy

4) Create some accountability on both sides of the table. We often hear how frustrated marketing is that they’re tasked with proposals or articles and can’t get input or content from project teams. Now those metrics outlined in the above rec- ommendation can’t be executed, so marketing is additionally burdened with stress over not being able to hit these goals due to lack of interest from co-workers. A strong marketing department with the ability to insist on participation from project teams and support from firm leadership can effect the kind of change we need. The industry is going through an incredible phase of growth, demand, and profitability. Just because it’s easy to win work does not mean that it’s easy to win the most interesting or most lucrative projects. Remember that an investment in marketing pays off in a major way, although the fruits of the effort can be hard to notice until we get the big win or close-out that record job. Our research indicates that the most profitable firms in the AEC industry invest more heavily in marketing than the average firm. Let’s not burn out the key contributors in the process. JAMIE CLAIRE KISER is Zweig Group’s director of consulting. Contact her at jkiser@zweiggroup.com. “Our research indicates that the most profitable firms in the AEC industry invest more heavily in marketing than the average firm. Let’s not burn out the key contributors in the process.”

JAMIE CLAIRE KISER, from page 3

degreed, credentialed, and experienced professionals in a term that really sounds like an afterthought, at best. So what can we do? 1) Increase internal marketing visibility. Celebrate and acknowl- edge marketing feats. 2) Frequently and enthusiastically train and educate staff on the engine that marketing provides and the value of the brand. One of my favorite recent “Lunch and Learn” events at Zweig Group was an hour of jaw-dropping art and education from our graphic design savant, Donovan Brigham. I learned how much I didn’t know about graphic design, and left with a renewed sense of pride in our team. I also learned about the heated debate regarding the correct pronunciation of GIF. (I bet you didn’t know that a lot of people pronounce it JIFF, did you?) “Remember that an investment in marketing pays off in a major way, although the fruits of the effort can be hard to notice until we get the big win or close-out that record job.” 3) Instead of living in a constant state of rushing from one proposal to the next, establish metrics for marketing as you do for all other parts of the organization. Web hits, press releases, blog posts, number of contacts added to the CRM database, proposal volume, social media posts – give your marketing team something for which they can feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment for attaining.

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252

VENUE: Hotel Monteleone It’s been said that the French Quarter begins in the lobby of Hotel Monteleone. This venerable New Orleans hotel sits majestically at the foot of Royal Street and oers valet parking with two garages. Our guests have the best point of departure for all things New Orleans. GROUP RATES AVAILABLE UNTIL JULY 16 NEWORLEANS AUG 7-9 The Successful Successor roundtable is an exclusive event for income strategic leaders of rms and newly-minted strategic leaders of these rms. The purpose of this seminar is to discuss the highest-level issues facing newcomers to the c-suite and to individuals who are preparing to take on a CEO role in today’s AEC rm. This two-day event includes educational and networking sessions in an upscale setting and is part of Zweig Group’s new Experience Education series. The program is led by industry experts with extensive experience working with and leading AEC rms. The two-day agenda covers areas of discussion determined by those in attendance. It’s presented in a guided discussion format to encourage discussion among all attendees.

zweiggroup.com/successful-successor-seminar/

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252

P R O F I L E

City Springs retail, Sandy Springs, GA.

Conference call: Ellen Long President of Long Engineering, Inc. (Hot Firm # 24 for 2017), a 90-person land surveying and civil engineering firm based in Atlanta, Georgia.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

“B egin to identify internally if you have poten- tial owners you can mentor, and enable them to be financially capable to invest in the transi- tion,” Long says. “In our opinion, it takes eight to 10 years to fully transition leadership and owner- ship. If you don’t have any options, you may have to consider an acquisition route.” A CONVERSATION WITH ELLEN LONG. The Zweig Letter: They say failure is a great teacher. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way? Ellen Long: Don’t hire the wrong people in critical roles and if you do, fix the situation quickly. TZL: There are A/E leaders who say profit centers create corrosive internal competition for firm re- sources. What’s your opinion on profit centers? EL: We’ve found that it works well for us. We use it to measure performance and profitability and

where we would like to grow or focus our available resources. Typically, firm resources are not inter- mingled between divisions. Decisions are made on the performance of a profit center and its ability to support growth and expansion, which requires ac- curate and separate financial tracking. TZL: What’s your policy on sharing the firm’s fi- nancials with your staff? Weekly, monthly, quar- terly, annually? And how far down into the org chart is financial information shared? EL: All employees have access to project-related fi- nancial information at any time through our Del- tek Vision project and financial management soft- ware, which gives real-time data on all projects, job- to-date cost amount invoiced, and individuals who bill to the project. The company’s monthly and an- nual financial statements (i.e. profit and loss state- ments) are open to division managers and above. TZL: The design-build delivery model appears

Ellen Long, President, Long Engi- neering, Inc.

THE ZWEIG LETTER Jun

to be trending upward. What are the keys to a successful design-build project? What are the risks? EL: The key is to position your firm with the right/winning team. You need to evaluate who the most suc- cessful contractor would be to team with and align yourself with them be- forehand. This requires a good estab- lished relationship with a wide variety of contractor/teams and pursing proj- ects where the selection is based on qualifications more so than the lowest price. The risk is the upfront design costs and invested resources that are lost if not awarded the project. Additionally, the design team is on the critical path and can impact the schedules which would result in damages to the con- tractor, creating additional liabilities. We have also found many contractors treat design consultants no different than their framing subcontractor, so we carefully examine contracts prior to joining a design-build team. “We strive to get employees fairly and well compensated, sharing in the profitability with an emphasis of trying to meet their professional development goals.” TZL: The talent war in the A/E indus- try is here. What steps do you take to create the leadership pipeline need- ed to retain your top people and not lose them to other firms? EL: We strive to get employees fairly and well compensated, sharing in the profitability with an emphasis of try- ing to meet their professional devel- opment goals. We also offer additional benefits (company cars, phone allow- ances, remote access, etc.) for upper management. We strongly prefer to promote internally in order to main- tain our culture and to advance those in the company’s desired career path. TZL: As you look for talent, what po- sition do you most need to fill in the coming year and why? EL: Senior project managers, entry design engineers (five years’ experi- ence), and survey party crew chiefs to

accommodate our growth. We also hire to create redundancy in all key po- sitions critical to our firm. “We strongly prefer to promote internally in order to maintain our culture and to advance those in the company’s desired career path.” TZL: While plenty of firms have an ownership transition plan in place, many do not. What’s your advice for firms that have not taken steps to identify and empower the next gen- eration of owners? EL: You need to determine an owner- ship transition timeline first to judge how long you have to invest in new tal- ent. Begin to identify internally if you have potential owners you can men- tor and enable them to be financially capable to invest in the transition. In our opinion, it takes eight to 10 years to fully transition leadership and own- ership. If you don’t have any options, you may have to consider an acquisi- tion route. TZL: Zweig Group research shows there has been a shift in business development strategies. More and more, technical staff, not marketing staff, are responsible for BD. What’s the BD formula in your firm? EL: We don’t have exclusive busi- ness development personnel. All of our business development efforts use personnel that have technical back- grounds. This typically occurs at the project manager level and above. It is a part of the many hats that they wear. TZL: Diversifying the portfolio is never a bad thing. What are the most recent steps you’ve taken to broaden your revenue streams? EL: We have added new services such as construction engineering and in- spection and subsurface utility engi- neering. We also recently expanded our transportation division with the addition of a Birmingham, Alabama, office. As we have grown, we have also been successful winning larger, longer- term projects that provide a healthier backlog. See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

YEAR FOUNDED: 1997 (The springboard for the firm was the invitation from Chick-fil-A to be an in-house consultant for the chain’s national expansion program.) HEADQUARTERS: Atlanta, GA OFFICES: 3 offices in 2 states (Georgia and Alabama) NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 90 THEIR SERVICES: ❚ ❚ Planning and land development ❚ ❚ Water resources ❚ ❚ Government ❚ ❚ NPDES compliance ❚ ❚ Aviation infrastructure ❚ ❚ Construction engineering and inspection ❚ ❚ Traffic and transportation ❚ ❚ Land surveying/GIS

❚ ❚ Bridge design ❚ ❚ Sustainability

THEIR MISSION: To provide exceptional professional services for clients in a mutually rewarding manner through a creative work environment that fosters innovative, value-based technical solutions. COMMITTED TO STEM: Long Engineering, Inc. recently participated in a half-day program known as “Introduce A Girl To Engineering.” The program is for girls who are in upper elementary and middle school who have an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.

ne 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252

8 TZL: The list of responsibilities for project managers is seemingly endless. How do you keep your PMs from burning out? And if they crash, how do you get them back out on the road, so to speak? EL: Being strategic in the selection of the incoming work- flow and preferred clients. We have been more selective with the clients and project size that we pursue to prevent burning out PMs on low profit projects or clients that are unappreciative of our work. We are also continually ramp- ing up the employee workforce in an attempt to match workload and staff resources. If they crash, we try to be con- siderate of their situation, redistribute work or have senior management temporarily fill in to get through workload bubbles. TZL: What is the role of entrepreneurship in your firm? EL: Our company was founded through an entrepreneur- ial process and the founding owner is still in place so she understands new ideas and creative approaches to building a business. We encourage innovative thinking and ways to expand our business and services. We try to incorporate nu- merous levels of skills and background experience in our de- cision making processes. We are also willing to incorporate changes to our procedures to obtain and evaluate a fresh ap- proach from younger staff. TZL: In the next couple of years, what A/E segments will heat up, and which ones will cool down? EL: Heat up: ❚ ❚ Transportation “We are pretty risk averse and to acquire or merge with a company could bring substantial risks that we tend to avoid. We feel that organic growth promotes a strong team mentality and a culture where employees feel secure and can grow with the company.” CONFERENCE CALL, from page 7

evaluate the success/failure of your firm’s marketing ef- forts when results could take months, or even years, to materialize? Do you track any metrics to guide your mar- keting plan? EL: We analyze items as a team/company effort and don’t see a need to track it individually because of the reasons cited above. Multiple people play a part with their involve- ment in the successful pursuit and the lines are rarely clear. We measure marketing effectiveness by the growth and profitability of our firm, both of which are very high. TZL: The last few years have been good for the A/E indus- try. Is there a downturn in the forecast, and if so, when and to what severity? EL: Approximately 70 percent of our work is in the public sector and the majority of our private work is for institu- tional clients. Because of this, we weathered the Great Re- cession pretty well and are always aware that a recession of some magnitude could happen at any time. It would not be surprising to have a slowdown in the next three to five years. TZL: While M&A is always an option, there’s something to be said about organic growth. What are your thoughts on why and how to grow a firm? EL: We have always been an organic growth company and we have been stronger for that. We are pretty risk averse and to acquire or merge with a company could bring substantial risks that we tend to avoid. We feel that organic growth pro- motes a strong team mentality and a culture where employ- ees feel secure and can grow with the company. TZL: Do you use historical performance data or metrics to establish project billable hours and how does the type of contract play into determining the project budget? EL: It depends on the client and the services offered. It is easier to utilize for surveying and transportation. It is more difficult on the land development/private sector side due to a number of unknowns and regulatory influence. It is more common to assess the client, scope of work, and feel for the maximum fee that will be acceptable. “All of our business development efforts use personnel that have technical backgrounds. This typically occurs at the project manager level and above. It is a part of the many hats that they wear.” TZL: What’s your prediction for 2018? EL: We feel that it is going to be a strong year for LONG. As certain large projects wind down, we are ramping up on other projects. Our pipeline is strong with large scale, long term projects and public clients so we are quite optimistic about 2018.

❚ ❚ Surveying ❚ ❚ Healthcare ❚ ❚ Affordable housing ❚ ❚ Senior housing Cool down: ❚ ❚ Stand-alone retail ❚ ❚ Franchises

TZL: Measuring the effectiveness of marketing is dif- ficult to do using hard metrics for ROI. How do you

TALK TO US Are you interested in having your firm featured in our Business News section? Let us know. If interested, please send your press release to sparkman@zweiggroup.com.

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252

O P I N I O N

Boilerplate a la carte

S tandardizing marketing text seems like a great idea. You don’t have to write generic sections every time you start a statement of qualifications or proposal. You just import the “about the firm” section, and the “project staffing” or “project experience” introduction from the appropriate existing files. Marketing text has to be what the project owner needs to see. If you can standardize to accommodate an array of proposal types, great. If not, develop new recipes.

Bernie Siben THE FAST LANE

Sounds like a great timesaver, right?

But the text was so generic that anyone reading it knew it was boilerplate. “Standardized text is text pulled out of the database; we used to call that ‘boilerplate,’ and many people argued that it was always bad to use boilerplate in a proposal.” At the headquarters office, marketing staff created documents that included more than 15 pages of resumes and projects that were not relevant to the potential client’s project. And because most people assume that what is already in the database

So what’s the downside?

In most of the ways that count, standardized text is text pulled out of the database; we used to call that “boilerplate,” and many people argued that it was always bad to use boilerplate in a proposal. In the early 1990s, my then employer got a database with virtually unlimited capability for expansion. When populated with firm capabilities, awards, resumes, project experience, and other information, the database could easily produce a document of more than 150 pages including any or all of the firm’s offerings. And it could produce the document in both regular text and SF 254/255 (now SF 330) formats.

See BERNIE SIBEN, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252

ON THE MOVE KAI ADDS SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER, ESTIMATOR/PROJECT ENGINEER TO BUILD GROUP KAI has added two new employees to its build group. Melissa McGinnis-Russo, senior project manager, will serve as the MEP coordinator on the BJC HealthCare West County replacement hospital project, a PARIC/KAI joint venture. She has 30 years of AEC industry experience and a diverse engineering background. Most recently she worked for Ascension Health, the largest Catholic healthcare system in the country, as director of engineering where she oversaw MEP infrastructure projects for more than 130 hospitals. Her experience includes overseeing engineering on large capital projects, GPO agreements, executing contracts and building relationships with vendors, contractors and facility directors across the country. She has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and a commissioning certification from the University

of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds certifications in the following: ASHE Healthcare, OSHA 30- Hour and Carrier and Trane Load Calculation Programs. McGinnis-Russo is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers; American Society of Healthcare Engineering and Design- Build Institute of America. Joe Kabance, estimator/project engineer, served as an intern at KAI while completing his bachelor’s degree in engineering/construction management at Southern Illinois University. Kabance accepted a position at KAI as an estimator/project engineer. He also has an associate’s degree in business management from St. Louis Community College and has earned an OSHA 10-Hour certification. He is also certified as an Associate Constructor with the American Institute of Constructors. KAI is a national 100 person design and build firm headquartered in St. Louis. A renowned

leader in the industry, KAI provides design and build integrated project delivery solutions through collaboration, technology, processes, and expertise. Since its inception in 1980, KAI has been instrumental in reshaping the urban environment through its expertise in housing, K-12 schools, transit facilities, collegiate structures, commercial buildings, sports and recreational facilities, government/ justice centers and healthcare buildings. Beginning as an architectural design firm, KAI added mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineering to give clients a full package of in-house disciplines for their projects. Today, KAI continues with its original core service of design and has quickly grown its construction management group since 1997. Additionally, KAI is a leader in BIM, applying the skill set to architectural, engineering and construction projects firm-wide. KAI’s affiliate locations include Atlanta, Omaha, Dallas, and San Antonio.

BERNIE SIBEN, from page 9

And that takes care of the general up and downsides of using “standardized” or boilerplate text. Next, three more specific downsides. 1)Firm with multiple service offerings. Let’s say your firm provides engineering, surveying, and construction manage- ment services, and you have one standard “About the Firm” write-up. When you respond to an RFP for surveying services, does that client really want to read about your engineering and construction management capabilities, staff, and experi- ence? So do you need one standard write-up for each type of service you provide? Or do you need one overall write-up that you edit each time you use it? And do you need both an over- view write-up and a detailed write-up with bullet listings of all your services? 2)Firm operating in multiple market sectors. Let’s say your firm provides its services to both the transportation and the municipal utility sectors. And what if each of those sectors exhibits a different “personality?” The first time I wrote a pro- posal for a railroad design project, I was told that the text had to read like the firm “spoke railroad” or the proposal wouldn’t be considered. 3)Firm operating in multiple marketplaces. Let’s say your firm provides its services in multiple cities, states, or regions. And what if each of those geographic locations exhibits a dif- ferent “personality?” When I moved to Dallas in 1987, I was told that you couldn’t market in Fort Worth the same way you marketed in Dallas. So do you need multiple versions of your marketing peripherals, each with a different level of formality and locally identifiable photographs? Remember that every piece of text a marketer puts out has to be what the reader wants to see. If you can standardize in a way that accommodates this, go ahead. But if your standardization is more about convenience for the pursuit’s marketer, principal in charge, or technical champion, you need to reassess and refocus. BERNIE SIBEN, CPSM, is owner and principal consultant of The Siben Consult, LLC, an independent A/E marketing and strategic consultancy located in Austin, Texas. He can be reached at 559.901.9596 or at siben@sibenconsult.com.

is correct, the marketers at headquarters rarely read the documents, so a typo from the original entry might still be in the text a few years later. Or the number of the firm’s staff might be that from two years ago. Or the listing of offices might include one that closed and omit one that opened a year ago. “Every piece of text a marketer puts out has to be what the reader wants to see. If you can standardize in a way that accommodates this, go ahead. But if your standardization is more about convenience for the pursuit’s marketer, principal in charge, or technical champion, you need to reassess and refocus.” So the senior principal in my branch office would hand me an RFP and warn me, “Don’t do a headquarters on me.” That meant I could use boilerplate, but only if I: 1) Selected only files that responded to the RFP – in other words, provide everything the client wanted to know, but not everything I wanted to tell. 2) Read the selected text and tweaked it to be relevant to the project being pursued – in other words, a proposal for road- way design did not need a beach nourishment project in the “Experience” section. Unfortunately, some marketers are so swamped and pressed for time that they just pull files from the database and assemble the document without giving serious thought to item No. 1 above, and without spending any time at all on item No. 2.

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252

O P I N I O N

Down in the dirt

Sharing something personal about your history is a great way to connect with a selection panel – and, of course, to win work.

M aking a strong first impression and connecting with the selection panel are critical to being chosen for a project.

Unfortunately, many introductions at project interviews begin like this: “Hi, I’m Johnny Appleseed and I’ve been a project manager at ABC Architecture for 12 years. I’ve worked on five schools. I’m excited to be here today!” When AEC professionals start with a “name, rank, serial number”-type statement, they miss an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the other shortlisted teams right out of the gate. Here are four powerful types of introductions that will make a great first impression at your next interview: 1)Lessons learned. Everyone talks about years of experience. But interviews are not won based on how long you’ve been in business. Share the lessons learned that apply to today’s project. If our hypo- thetical PM above used this technique, his intro would be:

“In my 12 years as a project manager at ABC Archi- tecture working on five schools, the most important lesson I’ve learned that applies to your project is ______. My name is Johnny Appleseed and I will…” “When AEC professionals start with a ‘name, rank, serial number’-type statement, they miss an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the other shortlisted teams right out of the gate.” Everything you say should be stated in a way that benefits the client. Starting with something other than your name will grab the panel’s attention. And keep it short – 30 seconds at most.

Scott Johnston GUEST SPEAKER

See SCOTT JOHNSTON, page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252

BUSINESS NEWS T2 CAPITAL MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN CANONSBURG, PA: RENOVATION OF DISTRIBUTION CENTER TO ENHANCE INDUSTRIAL AREA; LOCAL DESIGN TEAMS INVOLVED T2 Capital Management, a Chicago-based real estate investment firm, announced its acquisition of an industrial/ distribution building in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. T2 is bringing three Pittsburgh-based firms onboard as part of the project development team. Fukui Architects , Gateway Engineers , and P2 Contracting will assist with architecture, engineering, and construction services respectively. “Any time we venture into a new community, the ability to work together with local companies to move the project forward is invaluable,” said Jeff Brown, co-founder and CEO of T2 Capital Management. The planned $10 million renovation will transform the currently vacant 130,583 square foot building at 135 Meadow Lane into a state-of-the-art facility known as the

Canonsburg Distribution Center. The building sits on more than seven acres and is situated about 25 miles from Pittsburgh International Airport. Once complete, the upgraded facility will provide a clearing height of 30 feet throughout, contain 12 shipping and receiving docks, new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, energy efficient LED lighting, and an early suppression fast response sprinkler system. Renovations are expected to be finished in September 2018. “The building is located in a great market and we saw a unique opportunity for local economic development,” said Brown. “Aside from the space and immense potential, the chance to be part of a hard-working and growing community certainly drew us to the location.” Anixter, a publicly traded Fortune 500 company based in Glenview, Illinois, has already signed- on as the first tenant. The company, a leading supplier of network and security solutions, electrical and electronic solutions, and utility

power solutions, will lease more than 50,000 square feet (approximately 38 percent of the building) for a minimum of 10 years, beginning in September. T2’s first project in Pennsylvania builds on its success with similar ventures in Columbus, Ohio, and Jacksonville, Florida. An award winning architecture and interior design firm under Principal Felix Fukui AIA, IIDA, LEED-AP, Fukui Architects helps clients identify ways to make their physical facilities an asset that improves business performance, increases property value and stimulates sales. Gateway Engineers’ tradition of innovation has drawn clients to choose its services for more than 60 years. Gateway Engineers’ reputation for excellence retains like-minded clients. Gateway Engineers is driven by its mission to help clients reach a higher level of success through knowledge, experience, and responsiveness.

SCOTT JOHNSTON, from page 11

3)Give a sneak preview. Drop a hint about a benefit you’ll be sharing during the interview to make the selection panel want to hear more. This will make the panel pay attention when it’s time to share your most compelling benefit. “I’m looking forward to our discussion on the phasing part of the project. One of our three options will shave five weeks off of the planned schedule … ” The sneak preview sends all kinds of positive messages: that you know the project up and down; and that you’re thinking about how to save them time and money. 4)Address client needs. The business reasons behind a project are often never discussed during a project interview. Yet these reasons are top of mind for many of the selection panel mem- bers. When the first words out of your mouth are about their big-picture needs, you will make a positive first impression. “This expansion is critical to ensuring that ABC Hospital achieves its strategic goal of becoming the leading cancer care facility in the Pacific Northwest by 2022. I am committed to making that goal a reality. My name is … ” START STRONG. FINISH STRONG. Hone your introduction and prac- tice it until it becomes natural. You don’t have to say it the same way every time, but it can’t sound scripted or read from notes. Speak from the heart and make a powerful statement. Reference your introduction when you describe a key process and during your closing statement to make it stick. You’ll start and finish the interview on the best pos- sible foot – even if you’re just a dirt guy! SCOTT JOHNSTON leads the Johnston Training Group programs that enable technical professionals to present powerfully, write purposefully, and facilitate seamlessly. In addition, he leads the JTG Selection Panel research, conducting in-person interviews with selection panel members from numerous public and private organizations. As a principal at JTG, Scott has helped AEC firms at every stage of the process differentiate themselves and win more work – from early proposal creation to the final project interview. He can be reached at scott@jtgroup.com.

2)Get personal. Sharing something personal about your his- tory and how you became the professional you are today is a great way to show the panel you are a real person, not just another “PM excited for the opportunity.” On a recent team we coached, a project estimator started off with: “I grew up in a house of very organized women. My mom and sisters had schedules and labels for everything. They would have labeled our thoughts if they could have! So it’s no surprise that I became a project estimator. I’m Jill Appleseed from ABC Construction…” “Hone your introduction and practice it until it becomes natural. You don’t have to say it the same way every time, but it can’t sound scripted or read from notes. Speak from the heart and make a powerful statement.” Why did you become the professional you are today? Did something or someone inspire you? Share this information to connect with the panel members. It might turn out some- thing like this anecdote from Karen Johnston: “One introduction that changed the direction of the interview was from a geotechnical engineer on an eight-person team for a complex project. After the first seven team members listed their expertise and responsibilities on the project, the geotech said, ‘Well, I’m the dirt guy. I’m responsible for everything under the ground … ’ This authentic, humble, and humorous beginning made everybody want to hear more from ‘the dirt guy.’ It relaxed the team and provided a positive answer to the question all panels have in the back of their collective minds: ‘What will these people be like to work with?’ The team won the interview.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12

Made with FlippingBook Annual report