Showing up at a networking event or conference doesn't count as business development.

Choose events carefully and strategically so you attract new relationships and opportunities.

Yes, this includes making small talk 😮

Before putting something on your calendar, consider:

🎯Will your ideal clients be there?

🎯What is your intention?

🎯Who do you want to meet, and why?

🎯How will you mingle and meet new people?

🎯How will you introduce yourself?

There is an art and science to successful networking.

Do you and your teams know how to generate leads and create exciting opportunities at seemingly ordinary events?

If not, you're wasting precious time and your firm is losing money.

PS: Get your nose out of your phone!

Clarity is a beautiful thing.

Especially when tech staff are thinking through RFIs, field reports, and meeting agendas that cost A/E/C firms productivity and profits.

Yes, Artificial Intelligence can simplify complex data.

Still, AI tools only bring value when humans provide clear input and prompts.

➡️When prompts are vague or confusing, the info you get back will miss the mark.

The result?

Misunderstandings, cost overruns, and lost credibility.

Clear thinking = Clear Prompts

➡️Our Top Tier Communicator on-demand and live training programs give teams the tools to strengthen clarity, communication, and AI prompts.⬅️

Each of the 3 programs are under $1,000.

Individuals and firms can access today's tools to bridge communication gaps and deliver successful projects. 

Nearly 75 percent of construction delays are due to poor communication and collaboration among teams.

The research comes from Procore, a software company serving the A/E/C industry.

That's a tough number to digest.

😮Materials, weather, and budgets aren't always to blame when projects go off the rails.

It ultimately comes down to effective communication and team coordination.

It's easy to assume breakdowns only happen at the top.

But the chain is only as strong as its weakest communicator.

That includes younger project managers, superintendents, and estimators throughout the industry.

✅They have impressive technical skills.

Yet, their leadership voices are still developing.

Emerging leaders often hesitate to ask for clarification, share bad news, or speak up in meetings.

Then, we see ripple effects, such as:

🚩Wrong assumptions

🚩Missed deadlines

🚩Frustration with crews and clients

Project difficulties aren't just a "people problem."

Communication and collaboration directl...

Successful firms that win more pursuits are supporting their younger staff with management tools that help grow business. 

To compete with larger firms, remember to bring your emerging leaders along! 

A/E/C stakeholders pay attention and hire firms when business development teams show their critical thinking skills. 

If your emerging leaders want essential communication strategies to grow trust, confidence, and business, take a look at this training I did for the SMPS-Palmetto chapter.  

Watch the presentation here.

🧨🧨And plan to take lots of notes!🧨🧨

Reach out if your organization wants today's tools that build confidence and help win bids. 

A/E/C FACT about lost bids, productivity, trust, and talent: 

Struggles with people skills will only end when industry leaders seriously commit to learning today’s communication strategies.

For themselves and their teams. 

🔷”People didn’t understand it wasn’t working while it wasn’t working.” 

I heard this line on Election Night TV coverage. 

It hit me straight between the eyes as it’s spot-on for the sustainable growth CEOs are pursuing. 

➡️Put egos aside. 

➡️Level up your own leadership and self-awareness. 

➡️Prioritize communication and BD training now —not next quarter or next year. 

“People didn’t understand it wasn’t working while it wasn’t working.” 

Let that land. 😮

Then equip yourselves with the right and repeatable tools for lasting growth and transformation.💪💯

Reach out and let’s do it. 

A/E/C NewsFlash: 

Architects, engineers, and construction pros are in business.

🎓No matter your degree or major, you must know the bigger picture of your role.

You've got to understand the marketing, revenue, and operations of day-to-day business.

➡️How do YOU contribute to goals like sustainable growth, winning pursuits, succession planning, and effective communication?

College degrees and certifications don't give us a "pass" on learning. 😮

It's not a one-and-done. 

Can you say continuous improvement? 😎

Don't be the Radio Shack or Kodak of your firm.

🎆Take initiative, think creatively (unrelated to designs, infrastructure, or building materials), and show up in a bigger, bolder way.

People who strategically connect the dots win trust and lead the industry. 

*️⃣Take the initiative with one of our communication, sales, and mindset development training programs.

Click here for training info or drop me a note.

LinkedIn feeds are brimming with welcome posts and 🌞smiling young faces of eager A/E/C summer interns.🌞

Some may become employees at your firm.

How are leaders imparting wisdom and sharing experiences with interns — and staff?

Personal anecdotes and epiphanies aren't in curriculums and rubrics. 😮

They are between your ears and in your heart. 💖💖

You have invaluable stories and insights. 

The next generation in A/E/C needs and wants to learn from your troubles and triumphs. 

Aspiring talent is watching you. 

Your teams notice how you interact and communicate. 

Are you leading with heart and wisdom?

From our file marked: Watch the Gap. 

C-suite executives in A/E/C know the value of intellectual property. 

A generation of top execs worry about passing the torch when they retire. 👈

It's overwhelming to think about gathering data on culture, history, finances, values, and projects. 

All are critical to succession planning. ✅

But few, if any, talk about the colossal gap.  

Set aside data and bid packages for a sec. (Don't twitch 😎)

What will the knowledge transfer look like without dizzying pie charts and spreadsheets? 📈📊 

AEC succession planning and business communication are markedly different post-COVID.

Our next generation of leaders expects emotional connections as well as data.  

🎯Intellectual property = storytelling.🎯 And wisdom. 

If succession planning is on your mind as 2023 winds down, be sure you know how to transfer your knowledge through stories:

• Have casual conversations
• Mentor heart-to heart
• Share experiences and vulnerabilities

After all, isn't busin...