Most of us expect to hear about design-build in the field, but let's talk about design-build as it applies to business development.

How are you going to sustain revenue and year-over-year growth?

It’s about designing and building your business development team.

📈To increase profitability and develop younger staff, firms must invest in project managers, superintendents, and estimators to help capture more pursuits.

Designing and building higher-level teams requires critical thinking skills, the ability to ask open-ended questions, the willingness to pivot and respond, and the confidence to articulate technical data to stakeholders.🎯

The coaching model I’m describing is an integral, ongoing part of leadership development.

It involves not just formal or occasional mentoring but also daily interactions in which PMs and other senior leaders identify in-the-moment teaching opportunities.💯

Business coaching—combined with mentoring—uplevels communication, clarity, and confidence.

This applies to le...

Proposal writers often spend over 100 hours preparing RFPs.

➡️The real secret to a strong bid isn’t just about how clear the messaging is.

In fact, most proposals include overly technical data, lengthy resumes, and confusing jargon that won't help you stand out. 😕

This raises the question: are your proposal writers and business development team overlooking the importance of selling your firm within the proposal itself?

Remember, selling your firm in a proposal isn't about a pushy sales pitch that readers recognize a mile away. 

Selling your firm in an RFP means knowing how to:

🎯Subtly weave in the benefits of working together
🎯Address possible objections long before the shortlisted interview
🎯Reduce the risk of hiring your firm

By making selling within your proposals a priority and using these techniques in your next submission, you’ll see your hit rates improve. 

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.