DBE: How To Grow Your Disadvantaged Business Enterprise The Smart Way

I recently met someone desperately trying to grow their Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) engineering firm. But they were going about it in a way I thought was a bit crazy. So, what I’m going to do today is provide a complete, soup to nuts, guide on how to grow your DBE firm the smart way. […]

Business Development Manager Job Description

This page was created to help you: Put together a great job description for a Business Development Manager position Understand what a Business Development Manager is and what you should expect from one Learn more about being a Business Development Manager This specific page simply gives you the Business Development Manager job description. This site […]

What is Business Development?​

People reading the Business Development Manager Job Description might ask themselves, “What is business development, exactly?” or “what is business development’s role?” or “Why is business development so important?” Therefore, I’ll try to make it clear and straightforward. Business development is a commonly-used term for businesses that provide services. Businesses that sell products often use […]

Business Development Strategies: The 8 You Need To Know

There are a variety of different business development strategies one can use when developing business. But at the end of the day, every business development strategy falls into one of eight major categories. I’m going to cover all eight of them. Plus, I’ll describe the advantages and disadvantages of each. Once you get a handle […]

What’s The Most Appropriate CRM For Your Firm?

Let’s talk about a common question I get, “What’s the right CRM for my firm?” Many, many, firms don’t have a CRM. If you are one of those or you feel your CRM isn’t the best fit…don’t fret. There are many options out there. And I have some advice for those looking to find the […]

3 Easy, But Powerful, CRM Hacks That Will Make Your Day

Can you make small adjustments to your CRM that result in big wins? Recently, I had the pleasure of putting together an educational session called, “Peek Into Our CRMs.” In this session, two SMPS members (Sharyn and Janine) joined me to share exactly how we use our CRM (Client Relationship Management) systems. It was three […]

Presentation Training to Win More Shortlist Presentaitons​ for A/E/C Projects

Sometimes contracts are won based solely on proposals. But more often than not, the final selection depends on your ability to win it during the “shortlist presentation.” Recently, I asked Erica Olson, author of Speak Simple: The Art of Simplifying Technical Presentations to give us some pointers on improving our shortlist presentations. Here’s a portion […]

How To Network With Older People

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in my early 20s and my boss expected me to network with senior people working for potential clients. These people were fifteen years older than me. How was I supposed to network with someone in a completely different age group? My kids weren’t entering into college… […]

Are First Impressions Really That Important?

It’s an accepted fact, right? First impressions are critical in the business world. They are especially important if you’re trying to sell services. In seven seconds a potential client will determine whether they’ll buy from you or your firm. If your shoes aren’t shined, a hair is out of place, or you stumble on your […]

The Hogwash Fact About Extraverts and Selling That Everyone Thinks Is True

In a recent post over at ENR, Scott Butcher talked about the dark cloud that hangs over the concept of selling in our industry. Let’s dive deeper into that and look at a huge misconception that may be affecting your business. One of the biggest complaints I hear from executives in our industry is that […]