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Marketing matters, part 1 ‘Doing it how it has always been done’ is a recipe for failure, so try something new, like ditching the ‘max utilization’ mentality.
T he Achilles’ heel of the AEC industry is marketing. Many firms do absolutely no marketing. And for those that do, they struggle to use their tools to effectively build their brand. Firm leaders say that they rely on “word of mouth.” Many firms are filled with people who want to keep doing it how it has always been done. Both are good ways to fail.
Sanjay Jenkins MARKETING MATTERS
When a firm launches, everyone is excited and eager to get the word out. However, work starts coming in, people get busy, and the marketing slows and in many cases, stops entirely. Market forces (similar to the conditions we are currently experiencing in the industry), drive business. Everyone seems to be doing well, even without the marketing. Then the market matures or crashes, “Firm leaders say that they rely on ‘word of mouth.’ Many firms are filled with people who want to keep doing it how it has always been done. Both are good ways to fail.”
I do understand that many firms are seller/doers that don’t have a dedicated marketing staff, and all the staff at these firms have billable work to do. They don’t have time for marketing, which is rarely billable. However, the longevity of a business depends on people letting go of the “max utilization” mentality. As entrepreneur and investor Paul Graham routinely mentions, growth depends on “doing things that don’t scale.” It has always been difficult to track marketing’s ROI. Not only is the payoff hard to measure financially, but it also takes months or years before the payoff occurs. However, building brand equity through marketing provides lasting value. It could be the difference between life and death for your firm. Let me show you a good example, one that Zweig Group sees all the time.
See SANJAY JENKINS, page 8
THE ZWEIG LETTER August 28, 2017, ISSUE 1214
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