Procurement

“It used to take me 45 minutes to prepare for my meeting, now it takes me five!”

“You’re getting rid of a spreadsheet? Revolutionary!”

Since going live with our new customer relationship management (CRM) system, our firm recognizes that comments like these are our reward for a job well done. Like many A/E/C firms, we had a CRM system, but after 20 years, the data had become unreliable and the system was considered a necessary evil by the few who continued to use it. When we decided to transition from our legacy CRM system to something new, we had more questions than answers. Here is how we set out to answer those questions.

If you receive a request for proposal that includes a long list of requirements, it may be an indication that you're not the prospect's vendor of choice. Other red flags include a limited response window and lack of access to the prospect company's decision-makers, writes John Boyens.

Clients’ needs and expectations relative to the services provided by their design and construction partners are evolving. Savvy clients have increased their demand for turnkey services and a higher level of detailed information far earlier in the project planning process. Beyond programming, owners are looking to understand milestone dates, disruption of ongoing operations, and a firm cost for the project, all earlier than this information is typically provided.

It’s time that professional services firms faced a couple of hard truths: First, no one wants to subscribe to an e-newsletter, and second, a single email is not going to make the phones ring.

Companies spend significant resources on online marketing only to be left wondering why it’s not working. It’s not surprising. Gaining traction through content alone is not easy—especially if you want to do more than build awareness.