Michele D. S.'s Blog

On February 21, Jennifer C. Van Vleet, CPSM, vice president of corporate marketing, and Leslie White-Hebert, marketing manager, both with Coffman Engineers, Inc., will present the Webinar "Crisis Communication: The Elephant in the Room." SMPS recently interviewed Jennifer and Leslie about their interest and experience in crisis communication planning, the importance of developing a plan and identifying the appropriate resources, program takeaways for Webinar participants, and recent trends including the use of social media. Here's what they shared with us.

SMPS: What unique qualifications do you bring to this program?

Jennifer/Leslie: Jennifer operates as the corporate marketing voice; therefore, she understands the importance of being prepared for various communication issues and situations companywide.  Leslie has a master’s in communications from Gonzaga University and is extremely passionate about corporate communication topics and how to achieve the best and most efficient results. We both have attended conferences and workshops addressing corporate communication and crisis planning.

We recognize that a marketer in the A/E/C industry tends to wear many hats. One of those hats is public relations, and under that hat is a plethora of items, including crisis communication. This particular area can be often overlooked until too late. It is important that marketing personnel think about “what if?” and get prepared—it adds value to the position and ultimately the company.

SMPS: In your research and experience with this topic, what is the most effective way you have seen a firm apply the concepts?

Jennifer/Leslie: In preparing the crisis communication plan for Coffman, a related question sent out to the SMPS listserve yielded few results, as did phone calls to numerous colleagues. Firms must think about crisis scenarios beyond safety plans. At Coffman, a plan was formulated and a presentation given to all staff members educating them on crisis management and communication. The presentations have been repeated, and all new employees are made aware of the plan during orientation. This has helped raise awareness of the plan and the reality that crises can happen; when a crisis occurs, staff know where to turn. It also provides some reassurance to employees that management takes a thoughtful approach to business. There have been occasions when the plan was needed, but fortunately, the company did not need to utilize all sections. It was extremely helpful to call the team meeting and have the binder at the ready.

SMPS: What is the most important takeaway participants will gain from this program?

Jennifer/Leslie: After this presentation, the listener can build a plan and essentially apply the crisis elements directly into that plan to fit the needs of his or her firm. Many presentations cover why companies need a plan and best practices, but few presentations give attendees a guide to formulating the elements of an actual plan.

SMPS: What's the most interesting trend you are following? How do you think this trend will impact professional services marketing and business development, especially in the design and building industry?

Jennifer/Leslie: The most interesting trend we have found regarding crisis communication is social media. The landscape has changed drastically since the advent of social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). It takes constant research and monitoring to remain current in these arenas, so a company can be well prepared to be proactive in a crisis.

To learn more, register today for "Crisis Communication: The Elephant in the Room," scheduled February 21 at 2 pm EDT, 1 pm CDT, Noon MDT, 11 am PDT.

On January 17, Tom Searcy, CEO and Founder of Hunt Big Sales, will present the Webinar "RFPs Suck! How to Develop Winning Proposal Strategies." SMPS recently interviewed Tom about his interest in developing winning proposals, examples of firms applying the concepts discussed and winning more proposals, program takeaways for Webinar participants, and recent trends. Here's what he shared with us.

SMPS: What unique qualifications do you bring to this program and why are you passionate about this topic?

Searcy: Using the ideas and processes from RFPs Suck!, my clients and myself have landed almost $3.5 billion in new contracts that required participation in an RFP or similar process. These contracts were with all types of companies, government agencies, institutions, military, education, and private markets. In many cases, the company using our system and ideas was one of the smaller participants competing who won the project even though they were not the least expensive or the most well-known.

I am passionate about this topic because I believe that governance requirements, economic pressures, and globalization are causing a dramatic shift in the ways in which companies make buying decisions. Without strong strategies and approaches to winning in an RFP process, smaller and mid-sized companies are going to be relegated to little sales and slower growth. However, if they develop these skills now, they can win a disproportionate number of these competitive races and grow exponentially.

SMPS: In your research and experience with this topic, what is the most effective way you have seen a firm apply the concepts?

Searcy: There are lots of examples. In the construction industry, I have seen two smaller companies unseat very large incumbents for $50M+ opportunities in the health care industry and in an educational project respectively. In the military environment, a $25M company was able to land a 10 year, $300M contract against big competitors. Other companies find that they need to use this approach to compete for their own work that they have been providing to a client for 2-3 years and now, because of governance requirements of their client’s purchasing department, they are being put out to bid.

SMPS: What is the most important takeaway participants will gain from this program?

Searcy: Attendees of this program will learn:
• The 12 red-light signs that they should not waste time on a deal that they will lose
• The 10% rule for answering every RFP question
• How to think like the readers who matter of an RFP response
• How to win more RFPs on your first answer

SMPS: What's the most interesting trend you are following? How do you think this trend will impact professional services marketing and business development, especially in the design and building industry?

Searcy: The global trend towards aggressive governance enforcement and cost controls is absolutely dominating the vendor/supplier/partner selection process. The power pendulum has swung to the purchasing and procurement departments. This is not permanent, but it will be the most important influencing trend in sales of large contracts for the foreseeable future, say 3-5 years.

In the design and building industries, this financial focus is showing up in very aggressive auditing, construction management services oversight, and other “check and balance” types of systems.  Buyers are focusing on not only their costs, but their ability to demonstrate objectivity, transparency, and control before, during, and after the project. There is a belief that this saves money and maybe that is true. What it is really doing is adding lots of additional steps to the buying, designing, and building processes that provide documentation as well as accountability.

To learn more, register today for “RFPs Suck! How to Develop Winning Proposal Strategies” on January 17, 2012, at 2:00 pm EDT, 1:00 pm CDT, Noon MDT, 11:00 am PDT.

On December 13, Mike Phillips, AIA, IIDA, President and Founder, Phillips Architecture PA, will present the Webinar "Enhance Your Client Relations: Six A/E/C Myths That Disrupt Marketing and Business Development." SMPS recently interviewed Mike about his interest in this topic, effective ways to collect and utilize client feedback, program takeaways for Webinar participants, and interesting trends. Here's what Mike had to share with us.

SMPS: What unique qualifications do you bring to this program?

Phillips: As the founder and President of Phillips Architecture for over 25 years, I saw the need for a client feedback collection system and the Client Feedback Tool was born out of a joint effort between architects, engineers, and construction professionals. Our system is now in use by more than 1,500 A/E/C professionals across the US and Canada. We have collected and analyzed more than 30,000 packets of feedback from clients revealing some extraordinary myths that have disrupted the prosperity in our industry. As the group most focused on utilizing client feedback for strategic advantage for our industry, we have become the industry expert for understanding not only how to collect the best feedback but how to utilize feedback for optimum advantage to both parties. Since less than 5% of firms have a structured system for collecting and utilizing client feedback, this strategy creates a substantial competitive advantage.

SMPS: In your research and experience with this topic, what is the most effective way you have seen a firm apply the concepts?

Phillips: When a firm only looks at profit, you can be misled as to how you are being perceived by your client. When you add client feedback to your review, you become much more aware of how the process your firm is using is seen by the client, relative to the client’s expectations. This more complete understanding allows the firm to identify, for each client, what processes are working (and can be continued) and what processes can be revised to make the firm more valuable to the client. This data also makes project teams more aware of the differences in various clients in a manner that promotes more flexibility and accountability among the team members.

SMPS: What is the most important takeaway participants will gain from this program?

Phillips: When you utilize a client feedback system to better understand client expectations and perceptions, you can see where you are building value with clients. This info helps identify:

• optimum assignments for each team member
• most effective training
• client loyalty and best referrals
• problems when they are smaller and easier to address
• performance of team members to improve retention
• value created for each client for better pricing and fee setting

SMPS: What is the most interesting trend you are following? How do you think this trend will impact professional services marketing and business development, especially in the design and building industry?

Phillips: Eighty-five percent of the feedback we process from clients says that their professionals are “exceeding their expectations.” Yet we price our services as if they felt just the opposite. When a firm becomes more accurately aware of their value, from each client’s perspective, they tend to do business in a more strategic manner. This process improvement benefits both client and firm but has to be initiated by the firm.

To learn more, register today for “Enhance Your Client Relations: Six A/E/C Myths That Disrupt Marketing and Business Development” on December 13, 2011, at 2:00 pm EDT, 1:00 pm CDT, Noon MDT, 11:00 am PDT. (P.S. Use the code HOLIDAY15 when you check out and you will save 15% on all Webinar purchases through December 31!)

On November 15, Robin Broder, Vice President of Marketing, MMC Corp, will present the Webinar “Capitalizing on Referrals in Your Marketing Plan.” Last week, SMPS interviewed Robin about her interest in this topic, effective ways referrals are being used in marketing, program takeaways for Webinar participants, and emerging trends.

SMPS: What unique qualifications do you bring to this program?

Broder: In my role, I manage all marketing communications for a national $450 million construction services company. While most marketers only focus on the external audience, I have a huge passion for starting from the inside. And that’s because our people make our brand, not my marketing efforts. Our people are the ones on the front-lines making our company real to our clients, so as such, they need to be our biggest brand ambassadors. I love helping them feel more comfortable sharing our story—rooted in their passion for our company—with all those they come in contact with, especially the clients who buy our services.

That’s worth so much more to us than many of the pay-to-play marketing tactics that so many companies invest so heavily in. My ultimate goal is to create “brand ambassadors” both inside and outside the firm.

I’ve also found I tend to think a little differently than other A/E/C marketers. Maybe that’s because most of my career was spent on the consumer marketing side, not the B2B construction industry. Prior to joining MMC Corp, I spent a decade at Fleishman-Hillard, the world’s largest PR firm, providing marketing strategy to world-class brands including Hallmark, Proctor & Gamble, and Hewlett-Packard. That has given me a different perspective on the B2B industry, because I have seen that the way people make decisions as consumers (in their personal lives) is actually very similar to how they make decisions on which companies they choose to work with, day-to-day, in their business lives.

They are much more connected than you first might think. We all make our decisions by listening to others, trusting our gut, and taking recommendations from our trusted network of peers, no matter what we are buying: from a $100 personal camera to a $100 million commercial contractor. The ultimate business decision comes down to people wanting to work with those they feel the most comfortable with, especially if all other things are equal. Much of that has to do with people taking recommendations from people they know and trust. That’s what this Webinar is about.

When faced with decisions, we are always going to gravitate towards what someone else thinks, says, or recommends; especially someone who has more experience with that topic than we do.

It’s only natural. A recent study by Nielsen (Trust in Advertising Report) showed that 78% of people trust recommendations from other consumers, and that number jumps to 90% if the recommendation comes from a peer. On the flip side, just 14% trust advertisements. When you think about that statistic, it’s amazing to me that marketers don’t focus 78% of their budgets, time, and efforts on building referrals and leveraging testimonials. People do business with people, not businesses. It’s always been about trust; it’s always been about relationships. And in this crazy economy, that’s never been more apparent than now. Building relationships and cultivating ambassadors for your brand is going to be the only way you stay in business.

Broder: You’ll learn the easiest ways to secure testimonials from clients, as well as from people inside your own firm. Endorsements from your own technical staff are sometimes the most powerful arsenal in your marketing toolbox. To help with that, you will learn five steps for creating internal advocates for your brand. You’ll also learn how to leverage those testimonials once you receive them so that they work even harder for you. Bottom line, testimonials from those inside and outside your firm simply make your job easier – think about it, you are getting others to spread the word for you. You’re adding numerous people to your marketing team, minus the overhead and performance reviews…

Broder: I’m fascinated at how there is no longer any blur between our work lives and our personal lives. With the growth in digital media—and especially mobile technology—there is no longer any “work you” and “personal you.” It’s all out there for everyone to see. I used to say I wasn’t going to have “work friends” on my Facebook page, and that I’d save those relationships for LinkedIn. That idea lasted about 20 seconds. There is no way to have a line anymore between those two lives. The transparency digital communication begins means we are all inter-connected.

And with the rise in mobile technology, your work is truly with you 24-7. I think this is the trend that will have the biggest impact on our industry. Those firms that can embrace mobile technology—for example, developing proprietary mobile apps for their clients—will rise to the top. It’s definitely our future. Next year people will use their phones for internet access more than their PCs. We are moving to a day when our phones are our PCs, and we won’t need two devices. Start researching now what impact that will have on your company, your competition, and your clients. It will change your business.

To learn more, register today for “Capitalizing on Referrals in Your Marketing Plan” on November 15, 2011, at 2:00 pm EDT, 1:00 pm CDT, Noon MDT, 11:00 am PDT. 

On October 18 at 2 pm ET/11 am PT, Jonathan Bahe and Douglas Parker with Greenway Group will lead the Webinar “Leveraging Multigenerational Leadership in Our Firms and with Our Clients.”

During this Webinar, you will: 

1. Evaluate and leverage the talent your firm has in place, working with and between the generations, to identify strengths, opportunities, and competitive differentiators. 

2. Interpret the newest information available on demographics and generational dynamics and apply it to your firm's operations and planning.

3. Discuss marketing, business development, and project design strategies to satisfy the needs and exceed the expectations of multigenerational clients.

4. Develop and use the strengths of your multigenerational leaders to position your firm as a leader in the next decade.

Learn more from the speakers about multigenerational leadership and why they believe it is critical to firm success in this interview with SMPS Connections conducted last week: http://sfmp.informz.net/admin31/content/template.asp?sid=18376&ptid=236&brandid=4092

Register for this webinar (or purchase an archived copy) by visiting http://eo2.commpartners.com/users/smps/session.php?id=7073  

Could you use some additional information on building information modeling (BIM)? Do you want to know how BIM can help differentiate your firm in this competitive market? Then register for and plan to participate in next week's webinar, "BIM: Separating Reality from Myth" on September 20 at 2:00 PM EDT, 1:00 PM CDT, Noon MDT, 11:00 AM PDT.

Speaker: David C. Fouché, RA, LEED BD+C, Senior Technologist, Government Facilities & Infrastructure, CH2M HILL, will discuss:

• What BIM is. The presenter will define BIM in clear, concise, and realistic terms grounded in specifics.

• What BIM can do. Hear about the various uses of BIM, including modeling, drawing production, specifications, clash detection, visualization, design review, quantification, and scheduling.

• How much detail is required in BIM. The presenter will look at varying degrees of BIM, from simple space programming to highly detailed and complex 3D modeling.

• Which projects are appropriate for BIM. Explore several case studies of BIM use on different kinds of projects, using Bentley BIM and Revit, and discuss the value BIM provided in each case.

• How BIM is different in different phases of the project (design, construction). Discuss how BIM applies today in design and construction, as well as fundamental differences and common myths.

• What owners are doing about BIM. Learn how one owner, the US Army Corps of Engineers, uses BIM and its requirements for contractors.

Register today to hear an insider's view on BIM and clear up common myths versus reality.

Guest Post on behalf of David Lecours, creative director for LecoursDesign

I feel your pain. You got into marketing to use your creative brilliance to help your firm stand out. But cranking out proposal after proposal has sucked the creative energy right out of you. Or, you attend great conferences, like SMPS Build Business, to generate great ideas only to have them shot down by the cranky Principal who is overly content with the status quo. Never fear, a Creative Superhero is coming to save the day.

Register to attend the upcoming SMPS national webinar: “Become a Creative Superhero: How To Boost Your Creativity”

I've spent the last 15 years as Creative Director of LecoursDesign, a marketing and brand communications agency focused on helping A/E/C firms to attract great clients and talent. This webinar is a summary of everything I've learned about creative idea generation and implementation.

Expect to learn:
• How to come up with breakthrough ideas on a consistent basis
• What to do when you are creatively blocked
• How to get your ideas approved and implemented in a creative un-friendly environment
• Creativity is a learned process. You can learn to become more creative.
• How to write a Creative Brief for internal projects or when hiring an agency.
• 6 essential steps to incorporate into your creative process

I request that after taking this webinar, you use your powers for good.

I ran across this article by Miles Klee that features Google docs, Dropbox, Box.net, and Mediafire.com from My Life Scoop that might be helpful because every once in a while I have something to share that can't be emailed within the 10 MB limit.

Take a look!

http://mylifescoop.com/featured-stories/2011/03/how-to-legally-share-big-files.html

If you've used any of these applications (or others), please post a comment on the Message Board under Domain 6: Marketing and Business Performance and share your experience(s).

The buzz has already begun with lots of connecting and sharing even before Build Business officially kicks off!

Today's Tweets and Pics of the Day included some familiar themes on getting to Boston, finding and meeting with friends and colleagues, and starting off preconference activities (from workshops to the chapter leadership forum to CPSM day) right! Here are a few comments on the day's activities:

JenBottomley: What works in developing leaders : allowing for education, experience, reflection #smps2010

ErinOrr: Hey #SMPS2010 Tweeps come out tonite 7:30 @minibarboston in Copley Square Hotel for conference TweetUp! We've got a ton of flair to share!

hin: RT @lizkupcha: 7 elements of leadership - 1) vision 2) communication 3) people skills 4) character 5) competence 6) boldness 7) a servant's heart #smps2010

ErinOrr: Are you a "contributor" or "consumer"? Applies to many scenarios but think about it in social media arena. #balance #smps2010

a_kilbourne: CPSM part 1 strengthen your core: developing leaders at every level. 5 intangibles of leaders was excellent. #smps2010

threefourteen: Want to follow everyone tweeting #smps2010? Check out http:www.blastfollow.com (type in the hashtag and instantly follow everyone at once)

lizkupcha: Chapter Leadership Forum, CPSM day, PLS reunion & more! #smps2010 (@ Boston Marriott Copley Place) http://4sq.com/5kpAqY

DattnerArch: Dattner Architects' @kirstensibilia is presenting this afternoon at #SMPS2010 to the SMPS Fellows.

KathleenHeld: Incoming @smpsdc board members @deborahhayward and @erinorr soaking up knowledge at #smps2010 leadership forum

Follow this link to see photos from the today's preconference programming.

Follow us on Twitter using #smps2010. More Build Business conference news to come tomorrow.

Do you know a student majoring in marketing, communications, or public relations who is planning a career in professional services marketing? If “yes” please share this great opportunity!

The SMPS Foundation is accepting applications for the 2010 Ron Garikes Student Scholarship until May 28! One outstanding scholar will be selected this year to receive a $1,500 scholarship award, to be used toward academic expenses, such as tuition and fees, books, supplies, and other similar expenses.

Follow this link for information on eligibility requirements and to download the scholarship application.

What is a retweet? Reposting of someone else's twitter message where you give credit to the original poster (source) and include the link.

For those of us still learning about Twitter, here is a very informative blog post from Syed Balkhi on how to retweet. Ultimate Guide to Retweet For Twitter Users from Balkhis blog @syedbalkhi.

Link to cut and paste in your browser:
http://www.balkhis.com/twitter/ultimate-guide-to-retweet-for-twitter-users/