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OPINION
It’s (still) a relationship business!
AEC firms that focus on fostering genuine client relationships build trust, loyalty, and long-term success.
W ith the rapid pace of technological change affecting every aspect of our personal and professional lives, it’s easy to lose sight of what isn’t changing: the AEC business is a relationship business. Remote collaboration and artificial intelligence can’t displace the value that human connection brings to our work; in fact, they arguably make human connection even more valuable. We struggle to truly trust an algorithm, so we long to place our trust in people we know have our best interests at heart.
Morgan Stinson
Inspirational stuff, right? This is where I turn you off by bringing this to the dreaded topic of “sales.” As AEC professionals, many of us tend to love the craft but loathe the process of winning the work. The stigma of the used car salesperson is alive and well, and we often associate the sales process with manipulation and predatory tactics. This is why many firms prefer to hire dedicated sales staff, or “rain makers,” to bear the full burden and responsibility of that activity. In reality, seller-doers – those who serve both practitioner and client facing roles – can provide tremendous value to AEC firms. Practitioners are best positioned to understand their clients’ needs, how
to solve them, and maintain contact throughout the life of projects as those solutions are implemented. As both parties get to know and understand each other, securing the next project becomes much easier. Clients who know and trust you are also more likely to refer you to others and speak well of you out in the world, which is more valuable than any paid advertising you could find. And if you’re the connection point for this tremendous value experienced by your firm, that makes you more valuable.
See MORGAN STINSON, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER DECEMBER 16, 2024, ISSUE 1565
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