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O P I N I O N
Business development
R ecently, I had a conversation with a very busy, newly promoted division manager who asked my advice on how to “market” our company’s services to his clients at an upcoming Chamber of Commerce event. The process must be deliberate and multifaceted, but don’t forget the human touch. Be yourself and enjoy finding clients that reflect your values.
It gave me the opportunity to think carefully about my response, because I don’t get asked this question on a daily basis. This question also forced me to re-focus on our overall business development “culture,” how we portray and brand ourselves internally and externally, and how we execute this strategy at all levels of our management structure. I came up with the following points that may serve as foundation principles for others: ❚ ❚ Teamwork/culture of support and cross market- ing. Our BD team habitually holds regular internal team meetings and supports internal “wayfinding” processes for project experience and proposal advice; these functions are great internal cross-marketing tools. Internal BD “hot topics” are also regularly discussed and encouraged (design-build, GIS, new technologies, etc.). ❚ ❚ Consistent internal communications/messages. Clearly defined chains of command, reporting struc-
tures, and targeted campaigns are coordinated with the corporate communications staff for consistency and “truth checking” of needs and support require- ments. At our company, we ensure that every man- ager, PM, and BD person has prepared an “elevator speech,” that we are cognizant of everyone else’s core discipline, duties and responsibilities, and that we reinforce these roles (and BD prospects) throughout our corporate footprint. ❚ ❚ Consistent external communications/messages. Our BD and senior management teams closely coordinate alliances with design-build contractors, architects, and other engineering firms. These “stra- tegic teaming partnerships” are critical to the firm’s annual revenue growth, and coordination of effort is important to avoid duplication of effort and increase our win percentages. ❚ ❚ Accountability and results reporting. Engineers, PMs, and executive staff are involved in the
Jonathan Savage GUEST SPEAKER
See JONATHAN SAVAGE, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER November 12, 2018, ISSUE 1272
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