Back up the bus, A/E/C leaders.

Most newer project managers, estimators, and superintendents aren't familiar with the process of being shortlisted.

Still, you expect them to be confident and well-spoken in seller-doer interviews.

Let's lay a solid foundation for these pros so they have a deep understanding of business development. 

When there's a lack of clarity, bids go to your competitors.

To avoid losing revenue, take the time to educate technical staff. 📈

They influence interview panels.

Confidence and business acumen are what owners and stakeholders look for when awarding bids.

The most important four-letter word in business and life is CARE.

For me, CARE is an acronym.

🔷Your Communication is based on what you pay Attention to.

🔷Your Attention (focus) determines your Results.

🔷Your Results can be Excellent.

How do you show clients and prospects that you truly CARE about them...as human beings and in business?

Are you focusing on the correct problems they are experiencing?

How can you improve your presentations and conversations?

👉Notice your communication patterns and habits.

It's all about self-awareness.🧨

Success in A/E/C means you're focusing on others, and not yourself or the need for a sale.

If you want better results, show others you can solve their problems.

Show them you CARE more than the next firm.

It's a feeling, not a tech solution.😊

Stories connect us as human beings.

A/E/C leaders know the value of relationships and connections that build business.

Why do so few of you use the power of storytelling in business development presentations?

Most people are uncertain about what story to share and how to make it relevant to prospects. 

The key is in this 40-second clip (above) from a podcast interview with Evan Troxel, NCARB.

🧨The full video episode is here.

🧨Click here to access the audio file.

If you want quality information, you've got to ask quality questions.

Waiting to hear back on a bid proposal you submitted months ago to ask why a prospect didn't choose you flies in the face of this.

Bottom line: You're in sales and marketing. 

Do your homework so that you have higher-level conversations. 

Ask better questions of yourself and your team. 

It's on you to deeply understand and know.

This is the way, A/E/C. 

The best seller-doer teams in AEC use this presentation technique to win more bids.

They don't bury the lede.

The first few words out of your mouth or on paper must be the gem that resonates deeply with your prospect.

When you bury the lede, your main point is the needle in the haystack.😵💫

Prospects will quickly lose interest as you painfully try to articulate your message.

Every single trained news reporter and journalist lives and dies by "don't bury the lede." (Radio news reporter nerd here) 

Think about it. 

👉If the headline of a story doesn't grab your attention, you're onto something else. 

The same is true of an email subject line. 

Ask yourself and your team: What is THE most important reason we are in this meeting? 

♦️Speak to that, and you'll be unstoppable.♦️

Exceptional teams don't miss the mark or bury the lede. 

They are confident and competent communicators.

Decision-makers who look frustrated and distracted are confused. 

You haven't connected the dots in ...

Communication Tip: 

Bypass templates. 

👉You are the message.👈 

Work on your communication skills. 

Encourage and mentor your team so they are effective at networking events. 

And shortlisted interviews. 

🎯Give staff the tools they need (and want) to feel comfortable, clear, and confident with decisionmakers. 🎯

Humans build trust and relationships. 😂

Not templates. 

Not jargon. 

Real people grow business.🎖️

Have you ever gotten a round of applause after giving a 15-minute sales presentation to an A/E/C prospect?

It happened to my engineering client last month.

As she told me about it on our group coaching call, she was incredibly proud.

So was I.

She used my tactics to connect a personal experience directly to the prospect.

• Super clear.
• Super engaging
• Super logical.

She nailed the delivery, pacing, pauses, and body language. 👈

This engineer shared a two-minute anecdote about her birthday.

It emotionally touched each person.

How do we know?

They clapped at the end of her presentation. 😂

Her boss was in the meeting as well. He was stunned by her personality, confidence, and command of the room.

Yes, engineers can tell stories!

It's profound to skillfully share an ordinary moment and connect it to a bid.

Her boss says he sees significant growth in those enrolled in my Amplify group coaching.

Reach out if you want to transform your team's communication and clarity so you ...

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...