One reason I’m excited about my new job is that I get to work both inside and outside of the process. My last role mostly found me fixated on the proverbial trees: there were only rarely opportunities to step back and see the forest. As a result, process improvements were not only few and far … Continue reading On getting to see the trees and the forest
Tag: A/E/C industry
On drinking from the new job firehose
My brain is tired. I forget that the simple act of consuming information is still exhausting. That’s not to suggest that related mental activity—generating information, organizing information, analyzing information—isn’t likewise exhausting, too. It’s only to posit something special about the exhaustion of consumption. I’m reminded of those long, quiet days of focused work where I … Continue reading On drinking from the new job firehose
On the elevator joke
When I started in the A/E/C industry, I had a content marketing background, 3-year-old InDesign experience (from my college newspaper!), and only a scant understanding of what the actual work of an architect entailed. There was a lot of humility in the first few years. There was a lot I didn’t know. And even though … Continue reading On the elevator joke
On SMPS
Last week marked the end of my year-long term as chair of the communications committee for SMPS Colorado. SMPS, the Society for Marketing Professional Services, is a professional organization for marketers and business developers in the A/E/C industry. I have loved being so involved in the organization, but I am glad to hand off the … Continue reading On SMPS
On 5 rules for the A/E/C marketer
A selection that I’ve been working on—there are more rules than five! Read the RFQ/P. Read it again. Read it again and take some notes. The RFQ/P is your pursuit Bible. Assume this Bible has an Old Testament type God—One not so willing to forgive mistakes. Seek understanding. The worst submittal is not merely bad—it is … Continue reading On 5 rules for the A/E/C marketer
On an attempt to explain proposal marketing
I tried to describe proposal marketing today. Just to myself, I should clarify. And, maybe it goes without saying, I struggled quiet a bit. To explain such a foundational nugget of my job is to think back to square one…which is darn hard to do. I was reminded of an early pandemic experience, when I … Continue reading On an attempt to explain proposal marketing
On helpfulness as a business development tactic
While I don’t do much business development, there’s one tenet that I know works, because I’ve seen it pay dividends again and again: Be helpful. Sounds easy enough, but this directive is harder to follow than it first seems, because knowing how to help someone is more an art than a science. So, let’s amend … Continue reading On helpfulness as a business development tactic
On the pros and cons of a job where you “wear a lot of hats”
When asked, it's a phrase I'll use to describe my job: "I wear a lot of hats." It's a silly metaphor, of course, but the silliness is important: you can't possibly look good or credible wearing every hat. My first job in A/E/C marketing was as a "proposal jockey," as we jokingly called it. Ninety … Continue reading On the pros and cons of a job where you “wear a lot of hats”
On the pseudo-event in the A/E/C industry
It's hard not to roll your eyes looking at photos of some groundbreaking ceremonies. Shoveling a pile of dirt on an empty parking lot? While construction vehicles actively trundle around in the background? Doesn't look like "groundbreaking" to me. The same can be said of many ribbon-cutting ceremonies, too, with their oversize scissors and grinning … Continue reading On the pseudo-event in the A/E/C industry
On the resistance in the A/E/C industry to new brand names
It’s not just the A/E/C industry—it’s most professional services companies. Designers, engineers, accountants, advertising professionals, creatives, lawyers—they all love to name their companies after themselves. There’s ego in this, of course. What better than naming a company after yourself? But there’s also an obvious business development case. As a small firm, it makes sense to … Continue reading On the resistance in the A/E/C industry to new brand names
Taylor Coe 