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!

When even one team member dreads speaking at meetings, presentations, or networking events, your firm is losing money.

Why?

Hidden feelings of inadequacy:

👉Chip away at confidence

👉Drain energy

👉Create a weak link

These things show up in client conversations, project interviews, and daily collaboration.

Most staff won’t openly admit to these fears.

I get it. It's uncomfortable.

Still, the cost of angst is real: lost productivity, stalled growth, and bids that slip away.

Leaders must start the conversation, turning quiet fears into confident voices.
The ROI is measurable.

Reach out if you want help.

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...

What if you saw training differently?

Successful A/E/C firms that capture pursuits face and embrace workplace training data. 📈

They don't make excuses about budgets, limited time, or keeping training in-house: 

• Nearly 50 percent of managers with 10 or more years of experience report having received a total of only nine hours of training.
• Almost 45 percent of managers who have been in their role for less than a year haven't had any training.

Research from Lorman shows that internal programs may save your firm money in the short term, but the benefits are limited.

🎯Most employees crave fresh perspectives and innovative problem-solving strategies.

To scale and narrow talent gaps, proactive firms are willing to invest in external training.

A/E/C executives must be open-minded and know that scalability is intertwined with today's business development and communication skills.

How does your team measure up against competitors? 

Savvy leaders recognize the return on investment i...