Today, everyone is in marketing.

Most A/E/C professionals, however, don't see themselves as marketers, business developers, or salespeople.

Especially highly skilled technical people.

You might not have a degree in marketing or sales. It probably wasn't your original plan.😕

But technical professionals often need to scale back the tech talk that can confuse stakeholders and clients.

Most are interested in the end result, not the process. They want to see the WOW—the finished product.⬅️

Project managers, superintendents, and estimators need a mindset shift that embraces marketing as part of their roles.

An example I heard years ago will likely resonate with you: Sell the painted room, not the paint.

🎯Here’s the bottom line: Those who focus on the WOW, not the HOW, connect and engage with stakeholders.

This is your ticket to increasing trust and profits.

Tongue-tied spells trouble in business.

Every A/E/C professional knows the moment when technical skills aren't enough in client meetings.

You're in a shortlisted presentation, and you or a team member are trying to lead a tough conversation.

You look around and see frustration, fidgeting, and faces that scream trouble.😮

You know, at the moment, communication is the differentiator that wins pursuits.

🎯That's precisely why I created the Top Tier Communicator online training program.

It's a flexible communication and leadership class built for you (or your team).

Learn today's skills to build confidence, communicate with clarity, and lead effectively — without leaving the job site or office.

Here's the truth: In our industry, communication isn't a "soft skill." It's a revenue skill.

Details on my new training options are here.

Drones and AI are reshaping the A/E/C industry.

But they don’t win pursuits—people do.

What consistently sets your firm apart from others?

Curiosity and storytelling.

These skills build trust, spark connection, and make clients want to work with you.

Technical expertise matters—but only after you’ve won the bid. 🎯

To capture more pursuits, you need to connect first, then talk tech.

I’ve been teaching this at SMPS conferences, industry events, and in private trainings. 

It's a topic that can not be overlooked any longer. 

Skilled business development leaders and marketers use curiosity and storytelling to strengthen proposals, interviews, and client relationships.

Communication tip: 

If your team is hesitating to say what everyone is privately thinking, you have a communication gap.

You may—or may not realize it.

👉Avoiding uncomfortable truths—with internal staff or prospects—doesn’t help your firm's credibility.

It erodes trust, performance, and your bottom line.

This isn’t about publicly calling someone out or embarrassing them.

It’s about creating a culture with psychological safety to calmly address real issues with professionalism and respect.

➡️Here’s a common example in A/E/C: 

You have a charismatic project leader or superintendent who dominates conversations and shortlisted interviews. 

They’re likable… outgoing… the “life of the party.”

But here’s what no one’s saying to their face:

📈Their long-winded stories and off-topic comments derail important discussions—especially with prospects.

What feels like small talk to them feels like wasted time to others. 😮

The challenge is that this individual doesn't know how to read the room and reel themselves i...

Many PMs, superintendents, estimators, and others have deep technical knowledge—but often lack experience in client-facing conversations.

📈That’s not a flaw; it’s a gap that training and education can address.

With today's new strategies, A/E/C teams can develop the confidence and communication skills needed to differentiate your firm—building trust, getting referrals, and strengthening client relationships.🥇

🎯Here are four foundational areas to help employees shift their mindset and be better prepared to capture pursuits.

🎯Communication and Presentation Tip: 

Anyone in A/E/C with a PowerPoint slide that resembles the one below gets an automatic tariff of 345 percent. 😮

😮Avoid this at all costs! 

Instead, follow these 5 tips to create reader-friendly engaging slides to WOW (not confuse) your audience. 

1. Pull key data and sections from graphs, using words/nuggets to capture the highlights.

2. Choose the right visuals to complement small amounts of text.

3. Think one slide = one point.

4. Avoid text that is unaligned or too small.

5. Have an emotionally engaging design. 

Reach out if you need support with business development, presentations, and public speaking to capture more pursuits.

Communication, seller-doer challenges, and confidence.

To achieve greater success in the A/E/C industry, a new poll says firms must overcome these three obstacles, beginning with communication.

➡️Nearly 40 percent of respondents said unasked questions hold teams back in sales meetings. 

➡️More than 25 percent cite rushing through conversations as a significant challenge.

Are you working on the right problem?

In A/E/C, this could mean focusing on the most pressing client needs or more profitable projects.

Reach out if you want to transform your teams' communication so you can capture more pursuits, improve productivity, and build trust.

Reading body language and other nonverbal communication skills is key to capturing more pursuits.

When you connect Human-to-Human (H2H) using this technique, you'll have clients and referrals for life.

🧨These little-known nuances blow away the A/E/C pros I coach, and they use this knowledge for years to come.

It's intriguing, high-level communication, and it's fun!