What to ask for in a business development person.
I know hiring a business development person CAN work...but often it doesn't. With firms across the country looking for new ways to bring in contracts, a business development person is a likely scenario for many. If your business, whether an architecture/engineering...
What’s in a name?
I’d like to throw this post out for fun to provoke a potential shift in industry thinking about AEC firm brands.In a utopian society, every project your firm completes would:Evoke an emotional responseLeave a lasting impressionBe relevant to, yet remarkable amongst,...
Why Do We Really Need A Strategy?
If you're like many other firms, you've had one of the following things happen:A website redesign with several false starts (or maybe even never gotten off the ground)A brochure or mailing campaign that everybody grumbled about under their breath after it went outNew...
Thoughts on the RECORD’s 2008 Top 250 Firms
As I read over the article and list of the Top 250 Firms (by revenue) in Architectural Record, I actually found the reader comments to be more in tune with the industry sentiment than the ENR list itself. (Be sure to read a few, there are some doozies...)The truth is...
A Fun Look at the Differences Between Architecture School and Practicing Architecture
As someone that decided by the age of 10 that I wanted to be an architect...I thought I would take a break from the serious marketing strategy posts for a humorous look at the differences between life as an architecture student and life as an architect.So I offer you...
Half Time – How Your AEC Firm Can Finish Strong in 2009
In honor of the conclusion of the NBA Finals and the fact that we are rapidly approaching the end of the "first half" of 2009, I thought it only fitting to dedicate a post to closing out the year strong (not a Lakers fan, but they DID close strong).If the first half...
Is Federal Government Contracting for Us?
Focusing on a new target audience can be an ominous undertaking. Regardless of the new direction, there is much to learn to ensure that you are making a good decision and that your firm appears genuinely qualified. When going after government work for the first...
Why do I have to be so specific?
One of the most commonly asked questions I hear about Markitecture is, "Why focus on such a specific market? Isn't that kind of limiting?"It's also one of the first responses that firm management has when the advice to them is, "Choose only one or two specific target...
How to Make a Business Development Position Work…
So, I've written a few posts previously that came out slightly on the negative side of hiring a business development person in an architecture firm. I thought it would be a good idea to share a few thoughts on how to actually make it work. I'm in the midst of watching...
My firm is all over social media…we just don’t do anything else.
Architecture firms, just like most other businesses, are either active in the social media landscape or wondering whether they should be. With floods of media attention in the past several months about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn...(not to mention the massive amounts...
So, I just got back from the conference…now what?
It's the first Monday after the AIA 2009 National Convention. If you're anything like me after every conference/show, you came home with a few conference bags, a lanyard, some cute giveaways...and a stack of follow ups. Also, if you're anything like me, the stack of...
Three Communications Tools All Residential Architects Should Have
For an architect, working on residential projects can be extremely rewarding...and extremely difficult. Even though the number of stakeholders on the client side is pretty low compared to commercial work (usually just a husband and wife), decisions aren't necessarily...