I recently posted this on a Linkedin Group and thought it might be of interest here as well. The discussion was started by the marketing manager at a firm of structural and civil engineers in London. She wanted to know about marketing to architects in London. Here is my reply.
Hi Alison,
Can I answer your question as someone who runs a practice of architects and is often the first point of contact for consultants looking for work?
I get called and/or emailed several times a week by consultants with whom we haven’t worked before. Sometimes the person who calls is a marketing manager who is trying to set up meetings for a partner/director to meet as many architects in an area as possible.
I’m not suggesting this is how your firm would do it, but it is very common way consultants seek work with architects, and looking at the issues from an architects’ perspective might help identify an alternative strategy. The architects perspective might be summarised as:
- I don’t know you – so I have to make a decision in a sentence or two. So you’re on the back foot already.
- I didn’t call you – so I probably don’t need to speak to you right now
- You’re asking for some of my time and we’re not looking for what you’re offering right now so why would I say yes?
I’ve worked for half a dozen architects in my career and most of them employ a gatekeeper as soon as possible to separate them from dealing with these enquiries. Not just because they are very busy, but also because they find it difficult to say “No thank you”. This means you’ll end up meeting architects who say they want to meet you when they’ll actually be thinking ‘Oh God, not again, please go away!’
What we want your marketing strategy to architects to result in is exactly the opposite of the technique I’ve described above. So lets start with their pain.
When do they want you?
Firstly, when does an architect want to work with a brand new structural engineer (for example)?
- When the existing one screws up
- Er, that’s it
No-one wants change for the sake of it. The most likely change is that someone in the team doesn’t want the status quo any more.
So tactic number one – Work out how your competitors screw up and differentiate yourself as the exact opposite in character. Then when they are looking for someone new they are more likely to look favourably on your firm as opposed to the others.
How will they find you?
Secondly, what does the architect do when they need a new structural engineer?
- They ask their friends/colleagues/clients and then they look you up;
- They look up firms online and then they ask their friends/colleagues/clients
Either way, you’re not very likely to get a job without some sort of prior relationship, and the best prior relationship is a direct introduction from someone you know and trust, to someone they know and trust.
So tactic number two – build your relationships, not your direct mailing list.
Where will they talk about you?
Thirdly, who else uses or works with and therefore can directly recommend structural engineers? Other architects of course, and other clients and consultants. All these people talk to each other in many different ways, and you have to become part of this discussion.
The advice in the comments is all very good – Pritesh is entirely right that you should consider how architects will find your website. However I would stress that they will also be looking for a connection to you through a trusted person. That is where ‘social’ networking comes in.
Tactic number three is, use social tools as an extension of traitional relationship building, not as a tool to shout with.
The idea that social tools like twitter, facebook, linkedin etc are somehow separate separate from the ‘real, professional’ world is a myth, and a wasted opportunity to see who is there. Social tools, indeed any platform with an interactive, conversational element, are a direct extension of the palm pressing professional service firms have been doing for generations. The only differences are, you can do it much more quickly and effectively (especially to make the first contact or keeping contact between meetings), and some of it is in public (so that people can find you directly).
I am aware of thousands of architects and other construction professionals actively using twitter as a serious business tool. To see it as unprofessional is a mistake. Don’t be put off by people suggesting that people will be overwhealmed. This is a misunderstanding of the purpose of these platforms – they are about search, not browse. Here is how it works:
The reason you, your company and your ‘client facing’ staff should be on social networking sites is that these sites make visible the network of human relationships between people. As a result the architects who happen to find your website or blog can then google you to find where else you are.
Then they can go on LinkedIn, find one or two of your people and see who they know who already knows them. They can take a look, discretely, even anonymously, at your profiles on twitter and see who you are talking to, perhaps someone else they know. Then they can ring up, email, message, DM that person and say ‘how well do you know John Smith at Fred Bloggs Partnership? Only, I’m looking for a new structural engineer for…’
The great thing about this type of approach, take it from me, is that whilst you have to put in the legwork, you don’t have to call people up, spam them with email or hassle them when they are busy. They come to you, and the first thing you’ll know is when you get a phone call from them asking to meet.
Update and a couple of Links:
The original post was on the CIMCIG (Chartered Institute of Marketing Construction Industry Group) Linkedin Group, which you can access here (if you login to Linkedin and join the group)
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=1332607
There has been a bit more to-ing and fro-ing since I posted the response you can see above!
“Pritesh” is Pritesh Patel, a digital marketer who works for Pauley Creative. You can see his comments on website strategy on the linkedin post – or find him via twitter: http://twitter.com/priteshpatel9
Following posting of this blog post on twitter there has been some reaction, of course, some of which will come up via trackbacks shortly.
I’ve also been sent this great post about Engagement with a story from the construction industry which I think really chimes with what I’m trying to say – the post is by Gary Dickenson:
http://garydickenson.com/2011/03/engaging-with-your-audience/
Do you have experience of the success of the alternative strategy I’m proposing? I’d love to see examples of how it works from others.
Just found your blog (got here from the LinkedIn group) and really appreciate your thoughts – translates equally well here in the US. I find myself as a BD Officer trying to get in front of Architects and Designers and this particular blog post “Consultants Marketing to Architects – An Alternative Strategy to the Push” even though about structural engineers, is appropriate for Stone fabricators, General Contractors, etc. I’ve GOT to learn Social Media and although a life long marketer, tough at 55 yr-old – hate to admit it. Thanks and I’ll stay tuned.
Michael, it’s not as tough as you think. I’m a 52 year old, non-marketer and have, I think (I hope), taken to Social Media like a duck to water.
For a while, like many others, I didn’t “get it” but thanks to friends like Su, I have learned, and been able to build a reasonable network, and develop personal relationships both in the UK and North America.
If you want to talk about my experience, you can find me on Twitter at @johnkatcrittall
Good luck!
Hi John, thanks so much for getting in touch with Michael, he’s just emailed me to say he’s going to have a look at getting on Twitter.
I’m sending him a link to this post I wrote
Seven First Steps to Take on Twitter
which is specifically for newbies, and illustrates some of the points in my presentation
To Tweet or Not to Tweet for Construction Professionals (slide deck).
Both posts are on my Just Professionals blog which talks about the tactics and tools for networking online using Twitter, Linkedin and so on.
Spot on again Su. The again open minded architects might be thinking and who can this structural engineer introduce me to! You scratch mine etc. He said while actually in practice working almost exclusively with one engineer. Why? Because they don’t screw up!
I ran a structural engineering firm for several years before selling it. I learned many, many valuable lessons, but the most valuable is:
Don’t work for architects.
I no longer do design (well, because only crappy engineers stay in design), but in over several hundred building designs I found that architects stereotypically:
The Bad:
– Don’t pay their bills
– Whine constantly
– Blame you for their problems
– Can’t manage their clients, subs and vendors
– Think they walk on water
The Good:
– Since they think they walk on water I’ve successfully sued over 15 architects. They don’t think its possible to lose…
Here’s what I learned. As a design structural engineer your best clients will be owners. Find owners that build many buildings (manufacturing, hotels, etc) and get in good with them. After they see that you produce good work and are honest, they’ll hire you to manage the project and the architect.
That makes sense
A very bitter post JK; you must be a structural engineer…..
Not all Architects are like that and I think Structural Engineers have a lot to answer for themselves.
I’ve run my own Structural Practice for four years, several hunderd jobs from single wall removal to multi-storey hotels and carehomes.
If you work direct for the Architect and their client goes bad on them, you run the risk of having to bite the hand that feeds you; you either sue the architect and never work with them again, or chalk it up to experience in the interests of maintaining good relationships with your Architect, insisting next time that their client becomes yours and that you work direct for the end user.
If you’ve had to sue 15 Architects i suspect this learning curve has evaded you,
Structural Engineers, in my view, are not reknown for being assertive and will take the path of least resistance; hence you’ve ended up suing 15 Architects rather than saying “no, i will only work for the end client, not through you”
If only “crappy engineers stay in design” how on earth do you account for all the fantastically engineered structures that ARE built?
You sound bitter, i hope you have found something you consider more rewarding.
We prefer to work with enlightened Architects who value us for what we bring to the table, they’re not that rare a breed, but it takes time and effort to build any relationship, personal or professional and to build some mutual trust and respect, i suspect you’ve not taken that time.
Recently one Architect we’ve work with on a number of jobs through a D&B contractor put our name forward to another Major Contractor as he considered we offer a good service; we’re now looking at a Carehome and Hotel with that Contractor. The Architect in question has a good track record in heathcare and we’ve passed their details on to a number or major carehome developers who we’re in contact with, but hadn’t heard of the Architect.
Hopefully a win-win all round, but its take 5/6 years since first meeting that Architect to him concluding we’re not a bad bunch and he trusts us enough to stake his reputation on us….
Came across this blog, which I found incredibly interesting. My position and experience is perhaps slightly different. I am a young(ish), director of a structural consultancy, where I am fully responsible for marketing, selling, etc, etc. I am of the age where social networking is rather routine and a world without Twitter and Facebook is a strange place indeed. This bit I find easy. My difficulty is convincing clients, architects and the like that we are a professional practice who can deliver and actively engage in projects. It seems without the grey hair you are compared to the likes of hoodie wearing teenagers we all saw causing havoc around our towns and cities.
To follow on from JK, which I agree is a very pessimistic view of a profession you were once proud to be part of, my feeling is that people like to work with people they like. Build upon your relationships and put in the effort and you will not be sorry.
Hi Kevin,
Its incredibly difficult to prove yourself at the beginning of your career, I agree.
Thats why I think it is essential to take every opportunity to deliver when it arises. Opportunities aren’t going to come from complete strangers as you’ve identified. All the more reason to learn how to network effectively so that the people who do know and trust you know how to refer you to a client of theirs. Linkedin can help with this, but in essence it is about learning how to help others.
Su
ARC, nicely put … you must have some years behind you since you understand a lot already. My input is more of Marketing 101 … social media seems to still be mostly about content. Just make sure you are putting together the best content that addresses each audiences’ issues (pain). If you do that professionally, they’ll like and listen to even a young man like yourself – so no more “young man blues”.
This was intended for Kevin, sorry.
I have the gray hair and experience and it is just as difficult to drum up business now that I am in a larger firm rather than the small 2 man operation. Yes I have moved up in position at this new firm, no longer being a number crunching engineer for the principals. Our company has the resources and offer other talent such as surveying, yet to get the architect to have warm fuzzies about our firm is difficult even with the gray hair.
Whether selling direct to an end user or to a prime consultant, I believe the issue is there’s a glut of undifferentiated A/E/C firms.
Too many firms are selling too similar services to too few clients.
Buyers, whoever they are, have the power.
All A/E/C firms have 3 base assets:
* Knowledge
* Clients
* Contacts
From those assets, high-growth firms create …
* A Visible Experts Team
* An Advocate Army
* A Referral Network
That unique combination fuels high-growth firms.
I’ve just released a free mini-course about this topic called:
“How To Use What You’ve Already Got To Reliably Attract Quality Clients, More Easily.”
It’s available at: http://www.visibleexperts.com
All the best,
Jeff