The past few weeks I’ve been in search of several different service providers: accountants and programmers to name a few. In each case I reached out to my network as a first step. Who do I know that may have used these services recently, and whom did they call?

My friends and colleagues put me on the right path with their recommendations but my journey didn’t stop there. After I received a few referrals, I spent time searching these people/businesses on the web to find their websites and/or any social media profiles they may use to promote themselves.

As I took a step back and thought about how I came to my final decision, I realized the parallels between my own search and what I emphasize to clients regularly. While there is no denying that businesses in the AEC industry rely on referrals as a large percentage of their revenue, it is still very often their marketing efforts that either seal the deal or turn people away. Let’s not forget how often people seek out multiple referrals or opinions before they make a decision as well.

Have you ever had a colleague or client tell you that they recommended you to a friend, you should expect a call…only to never get a call? Plenty of obstacles may have gotten in the way of that call, but the firms with the best marketing and communications strategy are doing everything they can to remove those obstacles. A strong cohesive marketing message not only helps land a client the first time, but reinforces their referrals to help develop future business.