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O P I N I O N
Who are you trying to sell to?
A huge problem with the majority of A/E firms that we have worked with over the years is they don’t really know who they are trying to sell to. Marketing starts with identifying who your target clients are. Your entire business needs to be focused on them.
This was no big deal when demand outstripped supply – the situation most A/E firms have been operating under up until March of this year. But now – while an amazing number of companies in this business are still doing well – there are some that are really starting to have marketing and resulting workload problems. Marketing STARTS with identifying who your target clients are. Your entire marketing effort – heck, your entire business – needs to be focused on them. Here are my thoughts: 1) Start with identifying the market sectors (groups of buyers with common wants and needs) that you can serve. What are you good at? What do you have experience doing? What kinds of clients do you like to work for? What market sectors are bound to be strong during a time like we are living in now? Determine what your market sectors are and what you want them to be.
2) Every market sector you work in has potential clients that could hire your firm. In some of these markets, geographic proximity to the clients is critical. In other markets, an A/E firm can serve those clients from virtually anywhere. Take a look at each of your market sectors and determine what a reasonable geographic reach would be. Identify every single potential client organization in that sector within your reach. 3) Stop thinking that if you have never met or spoken to someone they shouldn’t be on your target client list. That is bad thinking that will only hurt you. And yes, there are still people who think prior contact in some way should be a condition of entry to a firm’s target client list. It shouldn’t be. 4) STOP worrying about which clients have current projects or a budget that you are aware of to hire an A/E firm or firms. A/E marketers are obsessed
Mark Zweig
See MARK ZWEIG, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER DECEMBER 7, 2020, ISSUE 1370
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