Sales is not a dirty word
December 5, 2011 by Barbara · 4 Comments
‘Sales’ is not usually the first word chosen by professionals to describe how they acquire new clients. They prefer ‘marketing’ or ‘business development.’
For example, a professional colleague said to me recently, “Everyone else is out there marketing so hard, it is essential to be out there too.” Her firm recently hired a new associate who has energized their team because he “feels responsible to actually market,” as my friend put it.
This anecdote speaks to one of the dilemmas of operating a professional services business: to do what you are good at and love to do, you need work; work comes from clients; clients come from a regular, ongoing system of practices called marketing, sales, and business development, often interchangeably.
Dear reader, are you thinking, “Duh!” to yourself? I know it is obvious, but many professionals resist doing the sales and marketing needed to have thriving businesses. Read more
Social media for the reluctant
October 13, 2011 by Barbara · Leave a Comment
I was at a networking lunch recently. When asked for a show of hands about half the room was not using social media, or even sure what it was exactly. That inspired me to create this basic overview.
The constantly changing world of social media can quickly become overwhelming. There are expressions, abbreviations, and ways of communicating unique to the milieu, Facebook has Likes and Twitter has hashtags (#), for example.
If you want to dip your toe into social media, I encourage you to explore. I had to experience it before it made sense. Choose just one thing, be clear about what you want to get out of it, and start exploring.
That one thing could be reading a blog. (Hey, you’re doing that right now!) The next level of experience might be leaving a comment on the blog. (Just keep scrolling and you’ll be there. Go ahead, leave a comment. I’ll answer.) You might find links to other blogs on similar topics of interest. (There are two links in this post you could visit.) Over time, you get familiar with blogs, commenting on blogs, you might even feel you know the bloggers you have been reading. This applies to any of the social media platforms. Now rinse, and repeat. You’ve started. Read more
AEC marketing survey
September 14, 2011 by Barbara · 4 Comments
In January as I read economic forecasts and industry surveys I got curious, and decided to create and conduct my own. I wanted my colleagues’ perspectives about the AEC industry in the Puget Sound region. Read more
On the fence about social media?
April 7, 2011 by Barbara · 4 Comments
Perhaps I’m feeling more social now that we have daylight savings time and warmer days. Or maybe it reflects the conversations I have been having about social media with Puget Sound AEC firms.
I see a definite shift from two years ago when I moderated a panel on social media for SMPS and most people replied to the question, “How is your firm engaging in social media?” with answers like “We’re too busy, and don’t know how we’d add anything to our plates;” and “I’m not sure how social media applies to what we do.” Read more
My year as social media explorer
March 28, 2011 by Barbara · 8 Comments
I’ve been learning about social media for more than a year now, and I keep asking other people how they are engaging with it.
My audience basically falls into two camps: professional service firms, primarily in the design and construction industry, and small and solo business people who are often active in Biznik.
My AEC colleagues mostly still watch, often maintaining personal accounts and blogs while their firms debate how to engage as a firm. In general, LinkedIn predominates, no longer seen as just for job seekers, many believe it is the best place to find and meet other professionals. Jan Flesher’s periodic blog posts about the AEC industry set a good example for using social media to offer value. Read more
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As a 25-year veteran of marketing professional services, Barbara Breckenfeld is a strategist and a storyteller. She helps helps businesses grow as a consultant, marketing coach, and seminar leader.
