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O P I N I O N
Eating elephants
The best way to do it is one bite at a time. The same can be said of your marketing plan.
M arketing and business development require patience and consistency, especially in the AEC industry. Architects, engineers, and contractors have long lead times when it comes to these two areas. When a successful, consistent marketing and business development plan is written and implemented, the sales cycle is shortened, yes – but it still requires a great deal of patience and consistency.
Lindsay Young
probably get distracted by many things in your business: customer calls, finishing up a set of drawings, insurance issues, and personal matters. Oh, and let’s not forget the daily firefighting that occurs in every business outside of the “Don’t sit back and wait – take steps every day to bring in the work. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Nothing valuable happens overnight. You are always setting up your firm for future success.”
There is no typical sales cycle for the design and construction industry. Some projects come to completion in six months while others can take 10 years. Your relationships are the important piece to this, and consistently staying in touch with past clients and current prospects is key. If you’ve targeted prospects, set up touch points throughout your marketing plan, and build these relationships, then the projects will come. Don’t sit back and wait – take steps every day to bring in the work. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Nothing valuable happens overnight. You are always setting up your firm for future success. Having patience and consistency for your marketing and business development efforts to come together is easier said than done. You
See LINDSAY YOUNG, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER June 3, 2019, ISSUE 1299
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