The Most Important Rule Of A/E Marketing
There is one rule you can apply to your marketing that is guaranteed to improve your results and efficiency. Yet, every day the vast majority of firms in the architecture, engineering, and construction business break it.
They break it because they’ve been led to believe in rainbows and unicorns. They break it because they can’t recognize the pull of commitment/consistency. They break it because they fear losing something they never had to begin with.
And yet, this rule is so stupid simple that anyone can follow it.
Here’s the rule:
If you can prove it works, do it more. If you can’t prove it works, stop doing it.If you liked this article, please subscribe below or to the top right. If you want to give us your thoughts on this issue, please leave a comment below or click the comments link.
Want our free eBook? Keep reading...
We've written an amazing eBook about A/E/C Marketing that we think you'll love. Enter your email address below for instant access
That is a great rule and it is amazing how many businesses (and governments) don’t follow it.
Perryn,
Thank you for reading and commenting.
If applied, we would all see a huge reduction in wasteful activities, in both time and money. Agree 100%.
Excellent rule to remember in all aspects of business. Thanks for the succinct reminder. I have taken it down for future reminders to keep things on track.
Great reminder Matt. A variation on this topic that an old timer auto mechanic told me many years ago goes like this: “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!”
Tom,
Very true. Thank you for commenting!
I always tell clients to debrief after a submittal – win or lose. The point is to find out what you did right and do more of it, and what you did wrong and do less of it. The average 10-year old understands this: “If they liked it, do it again; if they didn’t like it, stop!”
Unfortunately, different clients like different things; but it’s easier to choose a process, and then standardize and institutionalize it, than to identify and record each client’s likes and dislikes, and then use that information to inform any submittal you develop for that client.
As described in “The 4 Disciplines of Execution,” this could be a WIG (Wildly Important Goal) that just never gets plucked out of the day-to-day whirlwind.
Thank you Bernie! Great Point!
I agree a million times over!! Absolutely necessary to know the answer to the questions WHY DID WE WIN? Repeat what you did to WIN! Stop doing what you did to lose. It’s simple and easy to execute, so why do we not ask? We in the A/E/C industries tend to lack modesty…..just sayin’. We run away with a win and commence with the high fives. It would better serve us to behave as if we have won many times before. Ask WHY DID YOU CHOOSE US OVER EVERYONE ELSE? Then proceed to congratulate your team on a job well done. My two cents.
Toni,
Thank you for commenting. “Why did you choose us,” is a very important question.
Just keep in mind that buyers can’t always articulate why they choose you. In addition, they may be reluctant to tell you the real reason you won (there is usually a very good MO for doing this).
And even if you they do provide you with good information, it may get detoured as it travels from their mouth to your brain. Or worse yet, it could get detoured as it travels from your mouth to your principal’s brain.
Certainly, do debriefs. But take them with a grain of salt. You may not be hearing the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
I have some great debrief stories illustrating this that I’ll share in future posts.
What a great lesson to learn and always keep in the front of your mind when working. Maybe do a monthly review and see what has been working and then eliminate the wasteful activity.
Sounds like a good idea.