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marketer Volume 31, Issue 2, April 2012 The Journal of the Society for Marketing Professional Services keynotes Water the Bamboo Author Greg Bell by Craig Park conversation With Greg Bennick by Michael Reilly client panel What’s Next for Our Cities? by Nancy Egan programs The Science of Maximizing Revenue by Kelly Riggs CI to Transform Your Game by Scott Braley and Krista Sykes Digital Asset Management by Kelly McNair and Donna Jakubowicz Prevent Burnout by Hope Wilson Take Action! Build Business 2012 Preview leadership advancement program Realize YouR leadeRship potential Career advancement in the design and building 2012 Class MEEts foR 2 sEssions Session 1 Session 2 October 18–19 College Park, MD November 15–16 Washington, DC industry depends on your business acumen. To help you gain the business knowledge you need, SMPS partnered with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business to develop the SMPS University Leadership Advancement Program— a program designed especially for A/E/C marketers and business developers who want to achieve the next level in their careers. Registrations are being accepted for the Fall 2012 Class. In a graduate-level curriculum, SMPS U examines the Discounted Early Registration Deadline: June 15 principles integral to the strategic operation of the learn more and register: www.smps.org/smps_university marketing, business development, and client service professional services firm. Further, SMPS U exposes you to critical business management concepts—research and development, client development, finance, human resources, and leadership. “SMPS U is an entirely new level of professional development for our field. University of Maryland instructors gave us a deeper understanding of business finances, research, and strategy specific to the A/E/C industry. I would highly recommend this program for those who are serious about expanding their business knowledge to grow their career and firm.” “The information presented was immediately and directly applicable to the work my team does every day. I left each session not only feeling inspired to share these new ideas with my team but with the confidence and knowledge to back them up. It was the perfect continuation of what I learned through earning my CPSM.” “Top-notch professors, content, and participants that have helped me become a better business development professional. SMPS University represents an investment in my personal development that translates into quantifiable benefits to my company.” As a participant, you will come away with a clearer understanding of how marketing impacts a company’s performance and equipped to contribute in new ways to your firm’s success. SMPS in partnership with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business inside from the national president 5 Monday Morning: Take Action! BY FRANCIS J. LIPPERT, FSMPS, CPSM from the editor 7 Do the Lights Go Down? BY ED HANNAN 3 Marketer | Volume 31, Issue 2, April 2012 8 cover story 8 Water the Bamboo: An Interview with Keynote Speaker, Author Greg Bell INTERVIEW BY CRAIG PARK, FSMPS, ASSOCIATE AIA features 14 Build Business: The Urban Development Client Panel—What’s Next for Our Cities? 18 A Conversation with Greg Bennick, Build Business Keynoter INTERVIEW BY NANCY EGAN, FSMPS usiness Development: The (Hidden) Science B of Maximizing Revenue BY KELLY RIGGS 24 arketing: Double Vision—Using Competitive M Intelligence to Transform Your Game BY SCOTT BRALEY, FAIA, FRSA, AND KRISTA SYKES, PH.D. 26 ABOVE: San Francisco’s Zeum is a hands-on arts and technology studio where young people can create their own audio, video, and animation projects. San Francisco will host Build Business: Take Action, the 2012 SMPS National Conference, this July. PHOTOS: SFCVB photos by Tom Bross INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL J. REILLY, FSMPS departments 22 ON THE COVER: The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has been a landmark of the South of Market District since it opened in 1995. Designed by architect Mario Botte, it houses one of the most eclectic art collections in the world. echnology: Digital Asset Management— T What Is It, and Do We Need It? BY KELLY MCNAIR, CPSM, AND DONNA L. JAKUBOWICZ, FSMPS, CPSM Earn CPSM CEUs from Marketer. See page 26 for details. 30 Tools: FRIED? How to Manage Stress and Prevent Burnout 34 ehind the Lines: Marketer Team Bids Adieu B to Editor Randy Pollock columns 38 Marketer to Marketer: Educating Coworkers about Marketing 40 Bookshelf: Water the Bamboo: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals 41 When in Doubt: Missed Connection REVIEWED BY JESSICA TAFT BY RON W. GARIKES, FSMPS 43 Resources for SMPS Members 45 National Event Calendar BY HOPE WILSON, CPSM BY MICHAEL J. REILLY, FSMPS SMPS members and their firms contributed photos used throughout this issue. Marketer/April 2012 4 Now is the time to take the next step in advaNCiNG your Career. As a professional services marketer or business developer, you are vital to the success of your firm. Every day you help your company grow by identifying new project opportunities, developing smart business relationships, crafting outstanding proposals, and getting your company’s name in front of prospective clients. Your job is to build profitable business. The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) offers a credential that recognizes your experience and validates your marketing and business development skills in the industry: Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM). Gain the recognition you deserve and differentiate yourself in this competitive employment market by becoming a CPSM. For more information, visit Certification at www.smps.org or call 800.292.7677, x232. Society for Marketing Professional Services from the national president About the National President A coach, a team builder, and a creative, Frank Lippert, FSMPS, CPSM, is a business development and marketing manager for David Evans and Associates, Inc., headquartered in Portland, OR. He serves as the 2011–12 National President of the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Frank can be found on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other SoMe venues. Photo: Adam Bacher Photography, LLC Monday Morning: Take Action! In February, I had the good fortune to be a part of a Fellows Forum at the SMPS Pacific Regional Conference in San Diego. Besides the honor of sitting with esteemed colleagues like Bill Strong, Nancy Egan, Carla Thompson, Marion Thatch, Tom Smith, and Howard Wolfe, I had lots of time to talk to them and get their perspective on SMPS in general. In the course of the conversation, I told them the Build Business 2012 team had exceeded its early-bird registration goals. We beat the goal by about 15 registrations; people are coming back to conference. My fellow Fellows were a bit surprised that I was surprised. In their opinion, the national conference was the most important of all SMPS events all year long. It was a given. In classic fashion, they were passionate. Carla Thompson told us she had been to more than 25 SMPS national conferences over the years. Marion asked her if she began attending in high school. Carla laughed graciously and explained that the conference was a must for her. I dug deeper and asked why. She was nearly tearful explaining the value of the relationships she has built over the years, people she considers the very best of friends, some of whom were seated around the table at that moment. “In fact,” she said, “I met my husband at an SMPS national conference!” Her husband, Don Tuttle, nodded and smiled. While everyone agreed that the renewal of relationships and reconnection to the network were the top reasons to attend Build Business regularly, we talked about the value of attendance beyond that as well. Marion was passionate about the education and programming at Build Business. “Every year, I come away with something to implement that makes my firm even stronger. As a consultant, now I know I’ll bring even greater value with what I learn to my clients,” she said. We talked about the volume of knowledge and what we honestly implement on Monday morning is often only one to three key things at best. Personally, this reality has frustrated me. I think about the money my company invests in my attendance, and I work hard to give back a healthy return on that investment. From the beginning, when I asked my most-trusted friends and colleagues, Myrna Wagner and Beth Harris, to co-chair Build Business, I asked them to help me, to help all of us, find the tools to implement more on Monday morning. I’ve stressed this message over coffee with our keynote speakers, Greg Bennick and Greg Bell. As Program Co-Chairs Doug Parker and Melissa Lutz endeavored to select our outstanding slate of programs, this was top of mind. This team has worked very hard to bring together a conference that will deliver a new reality on Monday morning, a reality where you can “Take Action!” to advance your firm and your career as a professional services marketer. Come join us, I promise to change Monday morning. Marketer/April 2012 5 Welcome to the community! Get connected at mysmps.org! MySMPS is the new online community designed exclusively for SMPS members. The mission of MySMPS is simple: To connect you with the people, information, and opportunities to make building business easier. Log in now to connect to the powerful SMPS network in an exciting new dimension. 7 Reasons to Visit MySMPS.org Today (and Every Day!) 1 Interact online with 6,000+ A/E/C marketing and business development professionals. 2 Complete your personal profile to make it easier for members with shared interests to connect with you. 3 Build your global network of invaluable contacts in the design and building industry. 4 Share your thought leadership by writing a blog or starting a forum discussion on an issue keeping you up at night–the tools are available to you on MySMPS.org. 5 Discover new marketing and business development resources in the modernized Marketing Resource Center. 6 Join (or create!) a group to facilitate committee work, lead sharing, preparation for the CPSM exam, and much more. 7 Find out about upcoming national and chapter events where you can continue networking live and in person! So how do you get started? Step 1: Log in at www.mysmps.org. (Use your member number and password.) Step 2: Click on “My Page” to expand your profile, upload your photo, and add your bio. (SMPS National has uploaded basic contact information for you.) Step 3: Explore the community! (We recommend starting with “People,” “Groups,” and “Marketing Resource Center.”) Step 4: Let SMPS know what you think about MySMPS: E-mail your feedback to [email protected]. from the editor 7 About the Editor marketer team Editor: Ed Hannan ([email protected]) Contributing Editors: Mark Buckshon, CPSM ([email protected]) Nancy Egan, FSMPS ([email protected]) Matt Handal ([email protected]) Linda Mastaglio ([email protected]) Craig Park, FSMPS, Assoc. AIA ([email protected]) Marjanne Pearson ([email protected]) Michael J. Reilly, FSMPS ([email protected]) Andrea S. Walden ([email protected]) SMPS National President: Francis J. Lippert, FSMPS, CPSM ([email protected]) CEO: Ron Worth, CAE, FSMPS, CPSM ([email protected]) Publisher: Lisa Bowman ([email protected]) Design & Production: TGD Communications ([email protected]) Display Advertising: Lisa Bowman ([email protected]) 123 N. Pitt Street, Suite 400 Alexandria, VA 22314 TF: 800.292.7677 Phone: 703.549.6117 Fax: 703.549.2498 www.smps.org The Society for Marketing Professional Services represents a dynamic network of 6,000 marketing and business development professionals from architectural, engineering, planning, interior design, construction, and related specialty consulting firms located throughout the United States and Canada. The Society and its 50+ chapters benefit from the support of 3,250 design and building firms. SMPS’s mission is to advocate for, educate, and connect leaders in the building industry. Marketer (ISSN 0 199-3690) is published bimonthly (February, April, June, August, October, and December). ©2012 Entire contents copyright by SMPS with all rights reserved. Partial quotation with attribution is encouraged, but reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited. All material submitted for possible publication becomes the property of SMPS. The views expressed in this publication are the opinions of the authors and not necessarily of SMPS. Letters should be addressed to the editor or publisher; please include your name, address, and phone number. Marketer reserves the right to edit all submitted material. Periodicals Postage Paid at Alexandria, VA, and Additional Mailing Offices Postmaster: Send changes to Marketer, SMPS, 123 N. Pitt Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-1588. Member annual dues are $355, of which $27.50 is allocated for Marketer subscription; nonmember subscription rate is $115.50. Ed Hannan is principal of HannComm, a firm dedicated to improving the quality of A/E/C marketing communications. He’s spent the past decade covering the industry as publishing director with two leading management consulting firms, ZweigWhite and PSMJ Resources. Ed can be reached at 508.308.9544 or [email protected]. Do the Lights Go Down? We’re a few months away from the National Conference in San Francisco. Rock group Journey, one of the City by the Bay’s most prominent musical exports, offers us this lyric from “Lights”: “When the lights…go down…in the city.” As every A/E/C marketer can attest, the lights never go down in the marketing department. That’s true at Build Business too, where full days of education turn into long evenings of networking. This Marketer offers a preview of the conference, which bears the theme Take Action. Reading these articles written by or about conference speakers should inspire you to take action to build more business for your firm this year. Contributing Editor Craig Park interviews closing keynote speaker Greg Bell. Author of Water the Bamboo: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals, Bell suggests that marketers can be successful by developing personal visions that align with the missions of their firms. (Check out Jessica Taft’s review of Water the Bamboo on page 40.) Opening keynote speaker Greg Bennick, in a conversation with Mike Reilly, discusses how marketers can “master the unexpected” and why he blends humor and serious messages in his presentations. Nancy Egan gets a glimpse of “What’s Next for Our Cities” when she interviews the outstanding clients participating in the Urban Development Panel moderated by ULI Houston and San Antonio Executive Director Ann Taylor. Scott Braley and Krista Sykes outline how competitive intelligence can pinpoint game-changing actions that lead to wins. This is one article and breakout session you won’t want to miss. Co-presenters Kelly McNair and Donna Jakubowicz do a stellar job of making the business case for digital asset management, offering lessons learned from Barton Malow’s recent implementation. Feeling burnt out on the recession? Hope Wilson helps us recognize the symptoms of burnout, identify stressors, and regain control. Her antidote for stress? Music— and she’s got some recommendations for you on page 31. In “Marketer to Marketer,” we ask members how they educate colleagues about marketing, especially after returning from an event like Build Business. Finally, Ron Garikes’ reflections on missed flight connections will surely generate a chuckle. Don’t miss your connection: Book that flight to Build Business now! I look forward to seeing you in San Francisco. Marketer/April 2012 8 Water the Bamboo: An Interview with Keynote Speaker, Author Greg Bell BY CRAIG PARK, FSMPS, ASSOCiate AIA G reg Bell, founder and Chief Bamboo Farmer of the Water the Bamboo Center for Leadership and author of the best-selling book Water the Bamboo: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals, will deliver the closing keynote address at this year’s SMPS National Conference, Build Business: Take Action, July 11–13 in San Francisco. Based in Portland, OR, Greg’s company provides essential value by helping its clients create lasting change while not only maintaining their sanity but bringing fun into the process. Greg and his team help clients formulate and refine their core values, vision, goals, and strategic relationships with a healthy bottom line in mind. Greg learned the virtues of discipline and hard work from his grandfather, a Texas farmer. Greg was the first in his family to graduate from college. He played basketball at the University of Oregon where he was twice named Inspirational Player of the Year. After receiving a political science and law degree from the University of Oregon, he practiced law within a large organization. Personal events inspired him to re-evaluate his life and priorities, and he helped launch the Coaches vs. Cancer campaign for the National Association of Basketball Coaches—a non-profit that has raised over $50 million for cancer research. Recently, Greg sat down with SMPS Fellow and Past National President Craig Park to discuss the philosophy described in Water the Bamboo and the application of those ideas to marketing and business development in the design and building industry. “Every day, before my feet hit the ground, I ask, ‘What’s going well?’ Even on my worst day, I can find something that is working and that fuels me for the rest of the day.” Society for Marketing Professional Services 9 Marketer/April 2012 10 Marketer: What was the genesis for Water the Bamboo? Greg Bell: My goal for the book and my talks is to have them be a mirror. My theory is that you have all your own answers, but you never ask yourself the questions. In my book, I ask more than 200 questions as a part of a Socratic Method of inquiry. I ask, “What are your values?” I don’t tell you what your values should be. I began the book based on one of my popular early speaking programs, “Bring Your Spirit to Work.” That program was based on the idea that everyone starts a new job really excited, but over time, it often becomes just a job. My thought was, “How can I help rekindle people’s attitude and spirit as if it were the first day?” One day, during the writing of the book, I called one of my clients and asked what they were doing. They replied, “We’re watering the bamboo.” This phrase was drawn from one small part of that presentation, but it seemed to resonate with many of my clients. It hit me then that this was the book to write. The phrase water the bamboo became my mantra, because it was more than just a book: It was an idea and an inspiration. And three years later, it became this book, which was the foundation for the Water the Bamboo Center for Leadership. Marketer: The economy’s impact on the A/E/C industry is causing major disruptions, including business failures, acquisitions, and downsizing, and is forcing many firms to reevaluate their visions and missions to deal with harsh realities of limited capital funding, fewer projects, and greater competition. How can our organizations use the Water the Bamboo concepts to help their people become more strategic and ultimately to be more successful? Bell: One of the things I have been telling my clients during these tough times is that there is somebody out there who is going to enter your industry and they are going to win. Even though they’re just starting out, they will become one of the big players in 10 years. I think the question is, what are they doing that you are not? What is it about them? What attitude are they going to bring to their business? I believe it is going to be a water-the-bamboo attitude. They are going to show up, and they are going to water. They are going to have faith. They are going to have belief in what they are doing. They are going to have discipline and courage. Everyone around them is going to tell them, “This isn’t going to work. This is the worst time to start a company.” And after all that, they are going to say, “Mind your own bamboo!” A lot of people think it’s about the bamboo, but really it’s about the watering. It’s about the effort—putting in the time and energy and nurturing the project. While everyone else is talking about the recession, the problems and challenges, and worrying, the bamboo farmer puts all that energy into their growth. Ask yourself, “Does worry work?” It never has once, never solved any problems. What would you do if you thought what you were doing wasn’t going to work? You wouldn’t do anything. You wouldn’t make the call. You wouldn’t go out to seek the work. What if you had a different attitude? You may have to work harder, but it’s just work. It’s part of the process. It’s about character. My ultimate goal is that everyone becomes a bamboo farmer. Marketer: In your book, you speak of attitude and enthusiasm as important characteristics to bring personal vision and projects to completion, regardless of the circumstances. What advice would you give SMPS members, who have roles in marketing, public relations, and business development, to help develop and advance their personal visions? Bell: It is all about being really clear about what your vision is: a burning desire. If it’s too vague, it fades. One of the tools I use is a vision board. Mine illustrates visions for what I want to see in my life and how I want things to be. There are pictures on it. My values are on it. My family is on it. I look at it every day to remind me, because there are lots of distractions in life. I believe that, when a person leaves their house, they should know who they are and what they are after. If you don’t, you can get a little sideways. If you have a vision, then you know when you see it. For most of us, you say “no” to a lot of things before you see the thing you want. Then when you see it, you’ll know, “That’s in line with who I am as a person; that’s in line with my vision.” Then you know what you can say “yes” too. “Don’t lose sight of the importance of relationships. Everyone in your company probably has several hundred relationships. Everyone has to be on board with the marketing of your firm and selling your services. If everyone in your network is not talking about your firm in positive ways, you can miss a huge opportunity for growth.” Society for Marketing Professional Services 11 Marketer: How can they best align their personal vision with that of their company? Bell: We talk a lot about technology and social media, but ultimately we are in a relationship age. People and companies who realize this will thrive. The last project you got was because of the relationships you have. The next project you get will be because of those relationships. Relationships are critical to our own personal vision and mission, to our own marketing and public relations. Technology is a great medium to get our message out, but it’s really your relationships that will yield results. “If you take care of your relationships, results will happen.” Marketer: Your book speaks with a language of discipline, patience, persistence, hard work, optimism, courage, and sustainability and the importance of integrity, resilience, versatility, and flexibility. Which of these characteristics do you think are the most important for people in our industry? As an example, marketing needs to have internal relationships that align with the external relationships—the clients you are trying to connect with. Too often we get caught up in creating a message with a focus just on the medium. But without those relationships, no one will come to your Web site; no one will look at your brochure. Bell: Drawing from the metaphor of the bamboo farmer, the first thing you have to have is patience. You have to have patience with the process and patience with the people. Like the seed of any bamboo, or the seed of any idea, the bamboo farmer has to bring the water. Next, persistence is important. You can’t just water one day and expect results. Don’t lose sight of the importance of relationships. Everyone in your company probably has several hundred relationships. Everyone has to be on board with the marketing of your firm and selling your services. If everyone in your network is not talking about your firm in positive ways, you can miss a huge opportunity for growth. Self-discipline is probably the most important character trait. If you look at any successful person, self-discipline shows up in many aspects of their life. Top salespeople always make one more call then the rest. You have to have balance. How do you keep contact with your key contacts, helping them, and letting them help you? You need to have relationships, but you also have to have results. If you take care of your relationships, results will happen. You need to have balance between the two. The fourth trait would be courage. This concept, while natural, goes against the grain. We live in a society with expectations of instant gratification and overnight success. You have to have courage to take on the bamboo philosophy, because everyone is going to question what you doing. Most great successes start out as delusional ideas. Marketer: What advice can you give SMPS members about using the concept of the Bamboo Circle to stay connected and improve our business relationships? Bell: Your Bamboo Circle is your A List. You can have a personal A List and a professional A List. Your A Lists are your go-to people. What’s interesting about a grove of bamboo is that, underneath, each bamboo shoot’s roots can grow over 100 yards. Because all of their roots are interlocked, when an earthquake hits a bamboo grove, nothing happens. Similarly, if you have developed a strong Bamboo Circle, you can handle setbacks. Winning is the easy part of life. Losing is when you need to be strong and together. That’s when a Bamboo Circle is most effective. Who do I call when it doesn’t go well? Who do I call when I need an idea? Who do I call when I need a project? That’s what I think about when I think about a Bamboo Circle, but you have to build it before you need it. Greg Bell’s book, Water The Bamboo ®: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals, is reviewed by SMPS member Jessica Taft on page 40. Marketer/April 2012 12 “Self-discipline is probably the most important character trait. If you look at any successful person, self-discipline shows up in many aspects of their life. Top salespeople always make one more call then the rest.” And finally, you need belief in what you are doing, belief in your company. The notion of belief allows you to sustain over time. And to extend the bamboo metaphor, while you wait, you can grow beans and corn on top. You often have to do other things to sustain while your bamboo takes root and grows. Focus on these five traits is the core of my message. Bamboo is strong, but it also is flexible. When you take on the qualities of bamboo, you can be resilient, adaptable, and versatile. Marketer: Do you have any last advice for SMPS members on developing a personal approach to enduring success? Bell: I’m often called in to be a motivational speaker, but I tell them I can’t do that. Motivation comes from within. Inspiration comes from without. Motivation is the car, inspiration is the fuel. When these two are combined, you get movement. Find those things in your life that inspire you and put them in your life every single day. Every day, find two or three things—it could be a song or a poem—whatever moves your heart. Make sure those things are part of your routine. Hyatt Regency San Francisco www.buildbusiness.org Closing Keynote Address: “Water the Bamboo: Unleash Your Potential” Greg Bell, Author and Founder, Water the Bamboo Center for Leadership July 13, 9 – 10:30 am Breakout Session 104: “Water the Bamboo: Thriving with Change” July 13, 10:45 am – Noon Society for Marketing Professional Services I have my own rituals. Every day, before my feet hit the ground, I ask, “What’s going well?” Even on my worst day, I can find something that is working and that fuels me for the rest of the day. Then at the end of the day, I ask myself, “What went well?” Those two times of the day are the most critical. I do these rituals because I want to have great days and great dreams. Marketer: I really enjoyed your metaphor of watering the bamboo. It explains how long it takes before an idea grows, the discipline to help it grow, and when it grows, just how fast it happens. I think it’s a message we all can apply to our lives and our business. Bell: When you look at any effort, it takes time to get traction in life. If you think about it, what are grown are the roots. That is the foundation for any person, for any company, or for any marketing effort. It’s a universal message. About the Interviewer Craig Park, FSMPS, Assoc. AIA, is a principal with strategic technology consultants, The Sextant Group. Craig is a past president of SMPS National, recipient of the 2007 Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award, and author of The Architecture of Value: Building Your Professional Practice. Craig can be reached at [email protected]. Halfpage ad smpshrc_2012.pdf 1 1/17/2012 10:21:39 AM 13 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K SIMPLIFIND Tap into the incredible network of the Society for Marketing Professional Services with the A/E/C Buyer’s Guide. Powered by MultiView, the A/E/C Buyer’s Guide is the premier search tool for the design and building industry. Find the companies, products and services you need, within the network of the association you trust. Simplifind your search today at www.smps.org. Marketer/April 2012 14 Build Business: The Urban Development Client Panel What’s Next for Our Cities? INTERVIEW BY NANCY EGAN, FSMPS Society for Marketing Professional Services 15 “What’s next?” It’s the question we hear over and over again in client offices, staff meetings, and SMPS events. And it is on the top of Ann Taylor’s agenda for the Urban Development panel that she will be moderating on July 12 at Build Business in San Francisco. Taylor, who is the executive director of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) for Houston and San Antonio, has convinced three of the best minds in urban development to join her for a discussion about what they see as “next.” With Taylor on the dais will be Uwe Brandes, ULI senior vice president for Initiatives, based in Washington, DC, where he leads ULI’s initiatives on Climate Change, Land Use, and Energy (CLUE) and The City in 2050. Brandes was also a principal contributor to the recent ULI publication What’s Next? Real Estate in the New Economy, a must-read for anyone with an eye on the future in our profession. From the private sector will be Gary Holtzer, the San Franciscobased vice president and global sustainability officer for Hines, the real estate investment, development, and management firm. In his role, Holtzer oversees and coordinates sustainability efforts worldwide for Hines, arguably the most influential real estate development company globally. Bringing his perspective as city manager for the City of Ventura, California, will be Rick Cole. He worked in both the public and private sectors before coming to city management. Cole’s work has been praised by the Los Angeles Times, which called him “one of Southern California’s most visionary planning thinkers.” To get a sense of what this exceptional group might have to say to us, I spent some time in conversation with each of them and cannot wait for the session. Here’s a peek at what we can expect. Ann Taylor sought to have several distinct points of view on her panel: leaders in the field who would generate discussion. “It’s rare that you have your first choices for panelists all commit,” she said. “But I did and I am delighted to have this group together. While each of them has their own perspective, I believe they all will be able to engage across the important topics.” Taking advantage of Brandes’ work on What’s Next?, Taylor envisons the broad themes outlined in the book—jobs, housing, technology, energy, and investment—as starting points for more in-depth exploration. She is already formulating questions that are sure to take the conversation beyond talking points. Thinking about sustainability, she asks, “How do we move beyond the credentialing that is becoming table stakes in the environmental field and find meaningful, new performance measures? How do we inhabit buildings? How does small, incremental change in behavior begin to make a difference?” With Rick Cole on the panel, she wants to know what cities are looking for. Where’s the opportunity, especially in an era of constrained budgets? She also has asked each of the panelists to think about what A/E/C firms and their marketers can and should be doing in response to issues that will be discussed. Uwe Brandes’ broad understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the real estate and development community will provide a clear context for the discussion. Acknowledging that “the economic downturn forced most businesses to make tough decisions,” he is optimistic about the future. “The market is driving the demand for sustainable buildings. Investors are now asking the questions about these issues when they are evaluating properties. To maintain Class A status, sustainability has to be part of the business plan.” —Gary Holtzer “The themes we addressed in What’s Next?—accelerating globalization, changing demographics, and evolving technologies—are forces reshaping our world and our markets in indeterminate ways,” Brandes observed. “The conversation is being reframed. It’s important to stay engaged with your stakeholders and for our industry to take a leadership role.” Brandes’ solid grasp of the trends transforming our lives and our communities is matched by his passion as he talks, citing evidence of positive change. He sees that “technology is not just a promise anymore,” but it is up to us to exploit that promise. And he thinks we will as “people are acting in new ways in communities, making sustainable decisions.” Gary Holtzer began our conversation by sharing a definition of sustainability that extends beyond the environment to social and governance issues. “The market is driving the demand for sustainable buildings,” he noted. “Investors are now asking the questions about these issues when they are evaluating properties. To maintain Class A status, sustainability has to be part of the business plan.” Simply put, “green” adds value and reduces risk in the eyes of the investment community, especially those like pension funds who take a long-term view and consistently seek quality buildings. In his work at Hines, Holtzer develops sustainable strategies that include Marketer/April 2012 16 About the Panelists* Moderator: Ann Taylor Executive Director, The Urban Land Institute Houston and San Antonio Houston, TX As ULI executive director for Houston and San Antonio, Ann Taylor serves more than 900 members in one of the leading District Councils of a 30,000-member global organization. Prior to joining the staff of ULI, Taylor had a 20-year career in communications consulting and public relations for clients in real estate development, financial services, and transportation. Her background includes high-profile programs, such as developing worldwide brand position for the R&D arm of one of the world’s largest energy companies. She worked closely with clients in Houston, UK, and The Hague. She also developed and implemented internal and external communications strategy for a consumer airline in 24 North American markets. Taylor’s work has won the highest award for an ongoing communications campaign from her peers in the Public Relations Society of America. A graduate of Rice University and former owner of one of Houston’s top independent PR firms, Taylor has won awards for crisis communications, non-profit public relations campaigns, and news and feature writing. She has been guest lecturer in the MBA programs at Rice University and Texas A&M and for communications classes at the University of Houston and HBU. Taylor’s marketing and public relations campaigns for residential and commercial real estate developers, as well as architecture, engineering, and construction firms, have focused on environmental stewardship and the responsible use of land. “Marketing is always a leader, because marketing is about vision. And we need a powerful vision for this new model, because it is not as cohesive as what we had, but it is richer and more diverse. It is about the renewal of our existing towns and cities.” —Rick Cole Society for Marketing Professional Services the interests of all stakeholders: investors, tenants, workers, and the architects and engineers who design the buildings. Going forward, sustainability will, of business necessity, be part of any competitive development because it makes financial sense. Holtzer suggests that the tasks for the design community are morphing from educating the client and green practice to helping define the next big leap in building performance. It may involve some risk taking on our part in order to mitigate risk for the developer and the investor. While Rick Cole prefaced his comments by claiming that his is an idiosyncratic view, what he had to say will resonate with many in the building professions. “The delivery model for the housing— the production model—is irretrievably broken,” he said. “It can no longer be financed; it can’t be packaged up as a commodity and sold to Wall Street. The model won’t disappear, but it is not capable of delivering a quality product.” The question is, how do we build a new model? If 2006 is never coming back, how do we prepare for 2018? Cole points out that, while the market for large two-story suburban houses is oversubscribed, the market for an entire range of urban dwelling is undersubscribed. “Neighborhoods need to be recontextualized— there is real potential for value and community.” The prospect of addressing a room full of marketers about urban issues was especially appealing to Cole. “Marketing is always a leader, because marketing is about vision. And we need a powerful vision for this new model, because it is not as cohesive as what we had, but it is richer and more diverse,” he said. “It is about the renewal of our existing towns and cities.” Big challenges, new opportunities. The panelists would say, “It’s all about thinking in a different way.” Come and join the conversation in San Francisco. In the June issue, read about the client panelists scheduled to participate in the healthcare panel during Build Business: Take Action. About the Interviewer Contributing Editor Nancy Egan, FSMPS, heads New Voodou, a small consultancy that provides marketing strategy, branding, content development and media relations to the design community. SMPS National President in 1983–84 and the 1996 recipient of the Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award, she is a regular contributor to several professional publications, writing on workplace issues, urban design and architecture, and professional services marketing. You can follow her on Twitter as @newvoodou or contact her at [email protected]. 17 Senior Vice President for Initiatives, Urban Land Institute Washington, DC Cole serves on the Executive Committee of the City Manager’s Department of the League of California Cities and the Sustainable Communities Committee of the International City/County Managers Association and previously chaired the Ventura County City/County Managers Association. As senior vice president of initiatives at the Urban Land Institute (ULI), Brandes leads ULI’s initiatives on Climate Change, Land Use, and Energy (CLUE) and The City in 2050. He brings an unusual public- and private-sector background to city management, having previously served as the Southern California director of the Local Government Commission, Mayor of Pasadena, executive director of the West Hollywood Marketing Corporation, and co-founder of the Pasadena Weekly newspaper. Uwe S. Brandes Prior to ULI, Brandes was vice president of capital projects at the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation in Washington, DC, and associate director of the DC Office of Planning where he managed the award-winning Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, an unprecedented $3 billion public-private partnership including the District of Columbia, the US General Services Administration, the US Navy, and the National Park Service to revitalize the shores of the Anacostia River in the nation’s capital. Brandes was a Fulbright Scholar at the Technical University Dortmund and a Paul Sun Fellow at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He has degrees in engineering science from Dartmouth College and architecture from Harvard University. Rick Cole City Manager, City of Ventura Ventura, CA Rick Cole was selected as city manager in 2004, focusing on the City Council’s four key priorities, the “ABCS” of Ventura government: (1) Accountable government, establishing specific performance management targets for every city department; (2) Balanced budget, overcoming a long-term structural deficit and pursuing a balanced approach to delivering key services within available means; (3) Civic Engagement, ensuring citizen participation in decision-making and encouraging collaborative partnerships to tackle Ventura’s community challenges; (4) Smart Growth, promoting sustainable prosperity and quality of life by holding development to higher standards while streamlining regulatory processes. Gary Holtzer Vice President/Global Sustainability Officer, Hines San Francisco, CA As vice president and global sustainability officer for Hines, a global real estate investment, development, and management firm, Gary Holtzer is responsible for capital transactions and portfolio and asset management in Hines’ investment partnerships. He also oversees and coordinates Hines’ sustainability efforts worldwide. Since joining Hines in 1985, Holtzer has had a broad range of operating, transactions, asset, and portfolio management responsibilities in over 12 million square feet of Hines-owned and -managed office and retail space. *Confirmed as of press time. Subject to change. Hyatt Regency San Francisco www.buildbusiness.org Breakout Session 101: Client Panel: Urban Development Market July 12, 10:45 AM – Noon Marketer/April 2012 18 A Conversation with Greg Bennick, Build Business Keynoter INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL J. REILLY, FSMPS Greg Bennick is a keynote speaker, humanitarian activist, and award-winning producer and writer. He speaks on themes of personal and group dynamics and “mastering the unexpected” to organizations worldwide. Bennick is known for making people laugh while inviting them to think. He speaks about becoming the change you wish to see in the world: getting involved in ideas, leadership, and creativity. He follows up his words with actions: He is the founder of One Hundred For Haiti, a Seattle-based humanitarian relief and development organization helping to rebuild post-earthquake Haiti. His artistic work focuses on projects that explore the depth and range of the human experience. He is the co-producer and co-writer behind Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality and The Philosopher Kings, two award-winning documentaries that look at how we see ourselves and the people around us. On July 12, Bennick will deliver the opening keynote address at the Build Business: Take Action, the 2012 SMPS National Conference, in San Francisco. Contributing Editor Michael Reilly talked with him about the recovery efforts in Haiti, his keynote speaking style, and advice on how to master the unexpected. Society for Marketing Professional Services 19 “One Hundred For Haiti is a global collective of individuals, artists, businesses, and organizations who are providing direct action, humanitarian aid through relief initiatives and rebuilding projects to help in the healing process of post-earthquake Haiti.” From www.onehundredforhaiti.org Marketer: How did you first get involved in the relief efforts for Haiti? Bennick: After the earthquake, I sailed to Haiti with eight of my friends on a sailboat loaded with 10,000 pounds of medical supplies and food. We were one of the first private relief boats to hit the southern coast of Haiti. After being in Haiti and seeing what was going on there, I knew I had to help. So when I came back to the United States, I formed One Hundred For Haiti as a means of providing direct relief and then eventually development support to the people of post-earthquake Haiti. Marketer: How are the humanitarian relief and rebuilding efforts progressing, two years plus after the 2010 earthquake? Bennick: There’s most definitely a difference in Haiti now. People have begun to rebuild. They’ve begun to remove a lot of the rubble. But the problem in Haiti is much deeper. There are problems with corruption, and there’s just so much work to be done. Most definitely what the Haitian people need is development more than relief at this point. So that’s what One Hundred For Haiti has been doing. Switching over from just sending money to actually creating development opportunities. We have more information about our new Moto Logistics program on OneHundredForHaiti.org. It’s a job creation program. We’re moving in that direction of helping with development. And it’s all because of what a man named Jean Baptiste said to me outside a tent city in Port au Prince. “I don’t want you to give me money, I want a way to make money,” he said. That provided a shift of consciousness for us in terms of what we were doing. Marketer: Your keynote speaking emphasizes what you call “mastering the unexpected.” How would you advise someone in a marketing role—and for that matter anyone in a point-person role—to start mastering the unexpected? Bennick: I think the first and most important thing we can do in mastering the unexpected is to stop believing the stories we tell ourselves…the stories that say what we want to do can’t be done. And that might sound like an empty motivational message, but it’s really true in that, especially during trying times, we begin to convince ourselves that nothing’s possible. In doing so, nothing becomes possible. In trying times, the most important thing we can do is stay true to the message. Not just pursuing the light at the end of the tunnel but believing that there is an end to the tunnel at all. I think that’s really important, stay true to what we see as able to be done. Marketer: You are famously popular for blending entertainment and fun in with the more serious message of your keynote presentations. How do you pull that off? Bennick: Yes, well, what I do is present both at once essentially. I find that people hear me more when they are laughing and having a good time. In any speaking situation and in any listening situation, if you are enjoying yourself in that moment, you are going to be more apt to want to continue. So, for example, I make the juggling I present my ideas with be metaphors for the things I am talking about, and it all blends perfectly. “I don’t want you to give me money, I want a way to make money.” —Jean Baptiste Marketer/April 2012 20 “Especially during trying times, we begin to convince ourselves that nothing’s possible. In doing so, nothing becomes possible. In trying times, the most important thing we can do is stay true to the message.” Marketer: When you presented in the past, I’m sure your audiences have learned a lot. What have you learned from presenting these keynotes? Bennick: That’s a great question. I would say to really be present in the moment with my audience. I’ve been presenting and performing since I was 13 years old. And in that time, over the past quarter of a century, you start to do things the same again, and again, and again sometimes. What’s important to remember is that each audience is absolutely different. And if I treat every audience as absolutely different, and truly pay attention to every audience as absolutely different, then I’m going to be able to speak—even if it’s the same material—in a way that is present and immediate for them, and it’s going to make for a more effective presentation. Marketer: Tell me about the Philosopher Kings documentary? Bennick: The Philosopher Kings is a film I worked on as a co-producer and co-writer, and it was an attempt to learn about wisdom, as seen through the eyes of staff members at prestigious American universities, specifically through the eyes of custodians. So it was an attempt to upend the model of who has wisdom and who we listen to. In talking to custodians, you start to realize that, all around us, all the time, are people who most definitely are marginalized or ignored simply because of their social status. So when we hear these people, the world really opens up. We start to hear more of what’s possible from people all around us, just because we are hearing them for the first time. Hyatt Regency San Francisco www.buildbusiness.org Opening Keynote Address: “Take Action: Become the Change” Greg Bennick, Motivational Speaker July 12, 9 – 10:30 am Society for Marketing Professional Services Marketer: So what’s next for you, what’s the next big project you are working on? Bennick: I’ve wanted for a while now to write some books. I’ve never been a published author. My only writing credit is from co-writing the two documentaries. I always wanted to be in a position to share my ideas through the printed word. So I’ve got some ideas brewing on books I’d like to write. I’m always trying to figure out the most effective ways of communicating with people. So focusing on the written word is my next approach. I will be writing about the process of succeeding, and how as I mentioned earlier, we make ourselves fail through the stories we tell ourselves about what’s possible and what’s not. About the Interviewer Contributing Editor Michael J. Reilly, FSMPS, is principal consultant of Reilly Communications, a public relations and marketing firm providing communications strategy and creative content for clients across the United States. Mike is a past president of SMPS National and SMPS Boston, a director and past president of the Massachusetts Building Congress, and an adjunct faculty member at Boston University. In 2010, he received the Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award. He can be reached at 617.464.1717 or [email protected]. 21 CAREER CENTER Build your team. Build your bottom line. Society for Marketing Professional Services Let SMPS help you find qualified staff from the convenience of your desktop. The SMPS Career Center is the only online employment site for professional service marketers in the A/E/C industry. View 1000+ resumes or post an employment ad online in the Career Center which receives thousands of views per month! See for yourself why hundreds of firms are using the SMPS Career Center to hire professional service marketers and business developers for their teams. Visit www.smpscareercenter.org today or call 800.292.7677, ext. 231, for more information. www.smpscareercenter.org It’s Here: Marketing Handbook for the Design & Construction Professional, Third Edition Marketing Handbook for the Design & Construction Professional is an indispensable resource for those engaged in professional services marketing and dedicated to building business for their companies. Reflecting the remarkable changes in business practices and technology that have developed over the last decade, this third edition encompasses 64 chapters—including nearly 20 new chapters—authored by 72 industry leaders and practitioners with bottom-line accountability for the success of their A/E/C companies. Chapters are organized into six sections covering all aspects of professional services marketing: market research; strategic, business, and marketing planning; client and business development; qualifications/proposals; promotional activity; and marketing and business performance. New material addresses metrics for marketing and sales, crisis communication, social media strategies and tools, strategic branding, media relations, building consensus, go/no-go strategies, positioning, sustainability, proposal writing and the SF330, client feedback initiatives, technology, and the evolving role of the chief marketing officer. Marketing Handbook for the Design & Construction Professional, Third Edition Published by SMPS, SMPS Foundation, and Building News Inc. $69.95 plus shipping and handling (SMPS members: Log onto www.smps.org to access the 10% discount code.) To order, visit www.smpsbooks.com or call 1.800.896.0793. New features added in the third addition—a glossary, chapter take-aways, and recommended supplemental reading—help to make this a must-have reference for marketers and business developers as well as principals, CFOs, COOs, CEOs, project managers, graphic designers, HR directors—virtually anyone whose job description includes marketing and business development responsibilities. The handbook is a primary reference book for SMPS’ Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) Program. Marketer/April 2012 22 business development The (Hidden) Science of Maximizing Revenue BY KELLY RIGGS D ownward economic trends do tend to put a significant damper on business enthusiasm. It’s just a lot easier to make money when the economy is booming and opportunities abound. More problematic is a prolonged economic slide like we are currently experiencing. Not only do revenues decline as opportunities diminish, but every marginal competitor in the marketplace resorts to slashing prices in a desperate attempt to stay in the game. The assault on margins inevitably damages the entire marketplace, including those well-managed companies that work diligently to create real value for clients. Maximizing revenue is a subject for any economic climate, of course, but a declining economy puts additional emphasis on every single dollar of margin. Typically, as business slows, companies seek ways to improve efficiency and trim expenses. Nonessential extras are the first items to be cut out, followed by more critical items like training and marketing and some employee benefits. Then, as things get particularly difficult, cuts in direct labor costs follow. While controlling expenses is a necessary part of maximizing revenue, the other side of the equation—the revenue side—is equally as important. More companies competing for fewer projects will always compress margins, but preserving even one or two points of gross margin on each project will have a significant impact on the bottom line at the end of the year. This means that companies must vigorously prepare to wage war to defend their margins on the revenue side as well as the cost side. In those opportunities where it is possible to negotiate pricing, companies must bring considerable focus to bear on the critical areas that dramatically impact the ability to protect each and every margin dollar. Society for Marketing Professional Services Unfortunately, these areas are not always readily apparent. Consider one area of great importance: competitive differentiation. In my experience, companies are rarely able to effectively articulate what makes them unique and compelling to potential clients. While representatives readily extol the merits of their company’s capabilities, when it comes to defining competitive advantages and creating uniqueness in the eyes of the client, there is generally little, if any, real differentiation. For example, in a client presentation, representatives typically trot out the same old slides—a list of generic benefits easily transferred to every other competitor. We’re the industry leader. We’re dedicated to providing the best quality product/service. We’ve been in business over 50 years. We strive to exceed our customers’ expectations. What follows is also predictable: a list of successful projects, a description of the project team, and a review of current industry accolades. The problem with this presentation approach is that it does little to rid prospects of the notion that most companies are pretty much alike and offer nearly identical products and services. Since every company makes almost identical claims, the client is presented with the perfect opportunity to pit what appears to be equally capable competitors against each other to obtain the best price. Good for the client—bad for margins. “Maximizing revenue is a subject for any economic climate, of course, but a declining economy puts additional emphasis on every single dollar of margin.” When every single dollar of margin is critical, the tendency is to give in to the idea that price is, as clients readily claim, the only criteria in which they have any interest. In this case, clients have done a far better job of selling contractors than contractors have done in selling clients. Remember this: Consider a second area that can dramatically impact the ability to defend margins yet is typically overlooked completely: the need for a defined sales (business development) process. The irony in business is that just about every aspect of business is governed by process—except business development. Manufacturing, operations, engineering, finance, and accounting all have defined processes that must be followed to ensure accuracy and consistency. However, those responsible for business development rarely have a clearly defined process for developing and managing new opportunities. As W. Edwards Deming once noted, “If you can’t describe what you’re doing in a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” “More companies competing for fewer projects will always compress margins, but preserving even one or two points of gross margin on each project will have a significant impact on the bottom line at the end of the year.” Without a defined business development process, companies face predictable challenges. For example, it is very difficult to know exactly why a deal is won or lost. If you didn’t win a project, was your price too high (the usual assumption), or did you fail to create a compelling case for your company? Was your presentation lackluster, or did you fail to uncover critical buying motivations? Did you lose—or did someone beat you? Did the client simply choose a “safer” option, deciding against your “innovative” approach? In my experience, when a team wins a project, they believe it’s because they are good at what they do (they are responsible), but when they lose a project, the fault lies with the economy (they are not responsible). The lack of a process in business development prevents a company from accurately identifying performance barriers, determining causes of failure, or training on specific skills necessary to win new projects and/or defend margins. On the other hand, an effective business development process ensures you are chasing the right opportunities, that you have properly qualified each opportunity, that you understand the factors that give you the best opportunity to win, that you have the right criteria for sound go/no-go decisions, and much more. If there is no process, you cannot assess it effectively. If there is no process, you can’t measure it accurately. If there is no process, you can’t improve it specifically. These two items alone—differentiation and process—can have a measurable impact on margins, yet they rarely get the time and consideration they deserve. These are mistakes that leaders simply cannot afford to make. Maximizing revenue, particularly in a declining, price-driven market, is a difficult proposition, but the solution is to carefully consider what strategies can be employed to protect gross margins on the revenue side as well as the cost side. Or, you could just wait for the economy to improve. Kelly Riggs will explore this topic in greater detail during his breakout session, “The Science of Maximizing Revenue: Why Many Companies Fall Short,” during Build Business: Take Action on July 13. About the Author Kelly Riggs is the founder and president of Vmax Performance Group, a business performance improvement company located in Broken Arrow, OK. A Registered Corporate Coach with the World Association of Business Coaches, he currently serves as a leadership and business development trainer for the Associated General Contractors (Oklahoma) and the Construction Leadership Council (Oklahoma). Kelly’s second book, 1-on-1 Selling™: How to Win More Sales, Defend Your Margins, and Build Your Brand, will be published this year. This is his first contribution to Marketer. Kelly can be reached at [email protected]. Hyatt Regency San Francisco www.buildbusiness.org Breakout Session 405: “The Science of Maximizing Revenue: Why Many Companies Fall Short” Kelly Riggs, Founder and President, Vmax Performance Group July 13, 1:30 – 2:45 pm Marketer/April 2012 23 24 marketing Double Vision: Using Competitive Intelligence to Transform Your Game BY SCOTT BRALEY, FAIA, FRSA, AND KRISTA SYKES, PH.D. H ow do you play the A/E/C Game? Do you follow the rules and hope for a win? Or do you recognize that success isn’t only about the rules but rather about how the participants play the game—their strategy, their skill, their positioning, the amount of risk they take? In all cases, winning comes down to how well you perform compared to those with whom you compete. On the surface, the A/E/C industry appears to be monolithically project-centric. Many argue that, at its core, the A/E/C industry has and will always boil down to clients and patrons, opportunities and problems, creative designers and problem solvers, and the resultant technical solutions. In a sense, this fundamental composition and sequence—the A/E/C Game— seems timeless. Similarly, the basic “rules of the game” remain fairly consistent: find clients or patrons, create opportunities or solve problems, provide attractive services, and hopefully reap the rewards of professional satisfaction and commercial returns. Consequently, many within the industry believe that success is essentially rooted in the balance of two key forces: marketing and operations. For many in our industry, the clichéd admonishment to “keep your eye on the ball” takes on an ironic and taunting connotation: “Which ball, which rule?” Unlike a traditional game, we suggest that winning for A/E/Cs isn’t about myopically following the rules. Success requires double vision; the dual focus should be, “What now, what next?” Here competitive intelligence transforms the game. Vision / Research Analysis Society for Marketing Professional Services Competitive intelligence (CI) is an orchestrated process of deliberate research, logical analysis, and strategic decision-making. At its core, CI is a tool that will help you discern the actions you can take to assure your success. Sometimes those actions may be as basic as distancing yourself from the “we-all-look-alike” commodity-influenced market. In other cases, the actions may require genuine game-changing strategies and tactics. And in some instances, the right action may be no action at all—stay the course. CI proposes a consistent and orderly approach to make the complex equation less daunting. CI’s process and outcomes provide clarity and a logical basis for making the most essential marketing decisions. Competitive intelligence work is accomplished at and for three A/E/C levels: market/client, firm/practice, and individual project capture/execution. While the perspectives and performance metrics may be different, the approaches and goals are quite similar at each of the three levels. Use and application of the CI process for A/E/Cs has four fundamental components: vision, research, analysis, action. Take these four elements and use them in one of two logical sequences. In our experience, some A/E/Cs choose to begin with a clearly defined vision of success such as expanding market share or securing a specific client/project. On the other hand, some A/E/Cs choose to begin with research based on a broad entrepreneurial perspective with few limits or boundaries, thus using CI as a basis for defining and clarifying the vision of success. Either way can work well. The right approach depends on the type and style of the A/E/C firm, the entrepreneurial bent of the individuals involved, and the targeted level of CI focus (i.e., market/client, firm/practice, project). Strategic Action Game-changing action requires research, analysis, and strategy. Luck accounts for success in some games, but it is not reliable in the A/E/C industry. And while virtually all of our clients highly value professional satisfaction, few are “playing just for the fun of it.” Consequently, in our work, we have discovered that two fundamental decisions—positioning and direction—are key elements of every winning move in the A/E/C Game. If you are responsible for individual project pursuit decisions, market or client engagement, or even overall firm strategy, CI should be your go-to tool to ensure proper focus. Use CI to make the right decisions and take game-changing action in positioning and direction. Check your perspective, and make sure you have 20/20 double vision! Double vision is exactly what A/E/C firms need. Use CI to discern the answer to pairs of diagnostic questions: What’s happening now, what’s happening next? What position now, what position for the future? What decision for today, what decision for tomorrow? During their breakout session, “Combining Competitive Intelligence and Action to Change the Game!” on July 13 at Build Business: Take Action, Scott Braley and Krista Sykes will introduce and explore CI as a science and an art—the processes, disciplines, and procedures, as well as how to use the tools for effective CI analyses and decision-making. The session will combine theory, evidence-based A/E/C practice experience, and anecdotes. Participants will be guided through a hands-on illustrative CI analysis in which they can target one of their own markets, clients, or project pursuits. “Two fundamental decisions—positioning and direction—are key elements of every winning move in the A/E/C Game.” As simple as these appear on the surface, wise A/E/Cs recognize the awesome potential of the answers. Virtually all CI research work combines both internal and external sources to uncover, organize, and integrate a wide variety of material. Our CI investigations move beyond base research to dissect and analyze both data and information. This uncovers patterns, trends, and evolutions, revealing truly beneficial knowledge. Then we move to strategic and tactical options—creating, testing, refining, eliminating, and ultimately helping A/E/Cs choose the optimum action for the market/client, firm/practice, and/or specific project situation. The CI process demands coordinated research, entrepreneurial interpretation and analysis, facilitated visioning, and pragmatic strategic and tactical decision-making. From a focused marketing perspective, the process addresses the full range of influences— strategic marketing planning, brand development, client engagement, as well as highly effective marketing, business development, and selling practices. Certainly A/E/C success is based in great measure on marketing, but marketing alone is not the answer. Therefore, CI initiatives must also include considerations related to operations, finance, talent management, and other aspects of A/E/C performance. About the Authors Scott W. Braley, FAIA, FRSA, is the lead principal of Braley Consulting & Training (www.braleyconsulting.com) based in Atlanta. An active veteran member of SMPS, Scott helps A/E/C firms in the areas of strategy, leadership, marketing, management, and project delivery. During his 30 years of private A/E/C practice, he was a highly successful “closer/doer,” then served as managing principal in an ENR Top 40 Firm. He may be reached at 404.252.9840 or [email protected]. A. Krista Sykes, Ph.D., founder of Architecture In Context, provides competitive research and analysis for A/E/C professionals. An author of books and journal articles, she has been involved with the design industry for 15 years. She can be reached at 617.320.9445 or [email protected]. Krista and Scott wrote “How Does Your Competitive Garden Grow? Using Competitive Intelligence to Determine Your Competitive Landscape” in the February 2012 issue. In every case, success begins with action. What action now? What action in the future? The A/E/C Game is evolving. Most notably the style and speed of play have altered the game forever. Competition has increased in both level and numbers, exceptionalism is often the price of admission, all-star capability is common, and more and more competitors are earnestly working to win. More often than not, what worked in the past will not suffice for the present, and certainly not the future. Within this dizzying environment, success is not about playing the game—it’s about acting now to change the game! CI helps pinpoint the game-changing actions that lead to success. Hyatt Regency San Francisco www.buildbusiness.org Breakout Session 205: “Combining Competitive Intelligence and Action to Change the Game!” Krista Sykes, PhD, Founder, Architecture In Context, and Scott W. Braley, FAIA, FRSA, Principal, Braley Consulting & Training July 13, 1:30 – 2:45 pm Marketer/April 2012 25 26 technology Digital Asset Management: What Is It, and Do We Need It? BY KELLY MCNAIR, CPSM, AND DONNA L. JAKUBOWICZ, FSMPS, CPSM W e’ve all heard or read about digital asset management (DAM). If you’re like us, you might have wondered if a DAM system would benefit your firm. Barton Malow has 12 offices in 8 states. Each office has marketing staff that needs to access photos, graphics, video, and audio. We knew we weren’t managing our assets effectively or efficiently and there had to be a better way. For us, the solution was DAM. What Is DAM? A digital asset management system provides an organization with centralized storage, retrieval, and distribution for all digital media, collectively referred to as assets. Assets can be any kind of digital file, but most commonly assets are made up of digital images, video, audio, and other creative documents types like InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and PDF. DAM is gaining popularity in a world where we interact with an increasing number of digital assets on a daily basis. Many DAM providers provide their systems in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS), in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally (typically in the cloud) allowing for browser-based access to assets and ensuring 24-hour access. Earn CPSM CEUs To earn one CEU toward Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) recertification, go to the CPSM group library on MySMPS and access the Recertification Materials folder. Questions about this article will be available in the Marketer Questions for CEUs folder. Questions? Please contact SMPS National at 800.292.7677, x232. Society for Marketing Professional Services Benefits of DAM as SaaS Among the benefits of SaaS-based DAM are: front-end interfaces for browsing, searching, and downloading that are familiar to users so that they can find what they need with no training or experience efficient organization, storage, and protection of digital assets in a central location dynamic distribution of assets to internal and external teams cost savings realized by the ability to quickly retrieve needed assets, eliminating redundant asset creation and wasted time quick, seamless, automatic upgrades to the latest software releases without the traditional hassles of a hosted installation no software to buy or hardware to install and no internal IT support needed ease of customization, including custom branding The Business Case for DAM As mentioned above, we weren’t managing our assets efficiently. Thousands of images and videos stored in network folders were accessible by all marketing staff in our multiple offices, but the process for accessing the files was painfully slow and very frustrating. Aside from the time wasted searching for items and then waiting to download them, we found that some marketers saved files on their hard drives, and as a result, some graphics were not being shared. We needed to streamline how we managed our images and videos. As we explored options, it became clear that a DAM system made sense for Barton Malow. If you’re considering whether a DAM is right for your firm, Marketnology.com (http://www.marketnology.com/2010/03/29/ does-my-company-need-a-digital-asset-management-dam-system/) suggests asking the following questions: Does my company have thousands of brand assets managed by numerous departments and/or vendors in various geographic locations? “A digital asset management system provides an organization with centralized storage, retrieval, and distribution for all digital media, collectively referred to as assets. Assets can be any kind of digital file, but most commonly assets are made up of digital images, video, audio, and other creative documents.” Is my company challenged to verify we have the rights to use some assets in our existing asset library? Is there potential for numerous organizational groups to reuse our digital assets across multiple communications channels? Is the process/workflow for attaining access to digital assets convoluted, confusing, frustrating, or improvised? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, Marketnology.com suggests your company might be a good candidate for a digital asset management system. If you need further guidance, there are some great articles that discuss digital asset management, including “Making the Case for Digital Asset Management,” which can be found at www.databasepublish.com/blog/ making-case-digital-asset-management. Once we determined DAM was right for Barton Malow, we began the process of building our system. We focused on four areas for implementation that you might find helpful. 1. Assets. Before you begin cataloguing assets in your system, it’s important to get organized. Determine what files are needed and how they will be categorized. The science of naming and organizing things into groups or classes that share similar characteristics is referred to as taxonomy. It also can refer to any scheme for organizing information and, in the case of DAM, classifying and identifying digital assets. 2. Metadata. Metadata is structured information that describes the contents of digital assets. It’s often called “data about data.” Metadata is extremely important in a digital asset management solution, because it describes your assets appropriately, and most importantly, it makes the assets easier to find. Tagging your assets appropriately and with some appreciation of the needs of the users will ensure a quality search. 3. Workflow. An efficient workflow is imperative to keeping track of and organizing your assets. A standard workflow may include the following steps. A. Upload assets to the system. B. Apply metadata and other custom fields to your files. C. Organize files in different categories or hierarchies. D. Set appropriate permissions. E. Share files with other users. 4. Permissions. Varying levels of user access and rights management allow for customized control of assets. Utilizing role-based permissions enables administrators to set permission levels for viewing, downloading, and even uploading, on a group-by-group or user-by-user basis. Lessons Learned Barton Malow’s DAM launched in early September 2011. While we’ve been pleased with it and our provider, Quick Square Consulting, here are some implementation tips based on our experience. 1.Have a solid idea of just how much space you need to store your assets. This is important because many providers charge by the amount of space used. We underestimated our needs and had to increase storage space, and therefore our cost. 2.Have a clear idea of how many users will access your DAM. We overestimated the number of people who actually accessed our system and initially wasted money paying for their unused access. Marketer/April 2012 27 28 technology 3.Find a provider who will work with you as a partner. Quick Square was remarkably flexible in its pricing structure and worked with us on the above bullets as well as with the structure of our DAM. Be sure the provider you select is willing to share best practices for set-up and implementation. 4.Understand the amount of time required to tag images. This is where your provider should be helpful. Quick Square was willing to tag images for us. But for budget reasons, we opted to handle it ourselves. We underestimated the amount of time tagging our images would take. Double whatever time is estimated. “Thousands of images and videos stored in network folders were accessible by all marketing staff in our multiple offices, but the process for accessing the files was painfully slow and very frustrating.” Positive Results While it was not fast—we spent months planning and then organizing and tagging images before anything was uploaded— the process was remarkably smooth for us. Since launching in September 2011, we’ve seen positive results. Assets are easily accessed. The search function built into the DAM makes it as easy to use as Amazon.com. New images are uploaded and accessible immediately. No waiting for discs in the mail or FedEx or slow network connections. Hyatt Regency San Francisco www.buildbusiness.org Breakout Session 201: “That DAM Project: Implementing a Cloud-Based Digital Asset Management System” Kelly McNair, CPSM, Marketing Systems Manager, and Donna L. Jakubowicz, FSMPS, CPSM, Corporate Marketing Director, Barton Malow Company July 12, 10:45 am – Noon Society for Marketing Professional Services Photographer information is stored with each photo. No more searching for the photographer’s name or correct copyright information. Images and photos are now shared more freely between offices and groups. We’re not wasting time recreating graphics or buying multiple copies of photos. Kelly McNair and Donna Jakubowicz will explore this topic in greater detail during their breakout session, “That DAM Project: Implementing a Cloud-Based Digital Asset Management System,” during Build Business: Take Action on July 12. About the Authors Kelly McNair, CPSM, is marketing systems manager at Barton Malow Company (www.bartonmalow.com). Kelly is responsible for managing the development and maintenance for the firm’s intranet, corporate Web sites, marketing databases, and digital assets. She served on the board of SMPS Michigan as Marketing Committee chair and has remained on the committee to provide Web site editing and management of all electronic communications for the chapter. Kelly wrote on search engine optimization in the August 2011 issue. She can be reached at 248.436.5520 or [email protected]. Donna L. Jakubowicz, FSMPS, CPSM, is the corporate marketing director for Barton Malow Company. Active in SMPS, she has served on the National Board of Directors and as programs chair, president-elect, president, and past president of SMPS Michigan. Currently, she is the president of the SMPS Foundation. Donna wrote on cost-effective marketing ideas in the August 2009 issue. She can be reached at 248.436.5502 or [email protected]. 29 Article Update Effective March 12, 2012, the Small Business Administration increased the small business size standards for a number of professional and technical services. This changes the information presented in the article “Navigating Federal Procurement Opportunities” (Liz Kupcha, December 2011). The following excerpt from the new Size Standards Table from the Small Business Administration breaks down for the design industry the average annual receipts to qualify as a small firm. 22 business development Navigating Federal Procurement Opportunities it’s More Than Checking FedBizOpps BY LIZ O’ROURKE KUPCHA, CPSM NAICS Codes NAICS U.S. industry title Size standards in millions of dollars 541310 Architectural Services $7 541320 Landscape Architectural Services 541330 Engineering Services $7 541340 Drafting Services 541370 Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services 541410 Interior Design Services 541613 Marketing Consulting Services $14 541620 Environmental Consulting Services $14 $14 $7 $14 $7 L earning about upcoming opportunities within federal agencies is an overwhelming task. There are more than 20 different agencies, each with numerous departments, divisions, reporting structures, etc. Learning which opportunities are appropriate for your firm and where your efforts should be expended is tough to figure out, and it’s easy to give up when the answers don’t seem accessible. It can be agreed that merely searching through FedBizOpps is reactive and that by the time an opportunity is published, it’s too late to do any pre-selling, perform appropriate research, and secure teaming arrangements. With targeted research, firms can perform competitive analysis and develop client development programs to properly position themselves for upcoming opportunities. First Things First In order to be considered for any federal project opportunities, register with Central Contractor Registration (CCR) by visiting www.ccr.gov. This centralized database is used by Federal agencies to learn about companies. Your firm’s profile, when completed, will show assorted information including location, areas of specialty, contact information, and socio-economic factors. From a company’s perspective, creating a profile allows you easily to update your information in one location, and the changes are typically implemented within two to three business days. A DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number is required for registration with CCR. There are two ways to get this number; one is by going to www.dnb.com and the other is through a link on the CCR page (www.bpn.gov/ccr). Getting a DUNS number for federal work is free; additional features are available for a fee through Dun & Bradstreet in the areas of credit and data management. You must certify that all of the information in your company profile is true is by completing the Online Representation Certification Application (ORCA). This is another centralized database that can save you time (and paper) by eliminating the need to submit multiple copies of certifications to numerous agencies. Learn Which Agencies Have Contracted Similar Services The Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) allows site visitors to see what projects have been awarded by Federal agency and corresponding department. This site covers awards of any size and updates in real time. Information can be drilled down by agency, department, and vendor. In addition, contract information can be sorted by various criteria including date contract was signed and contract amount. Go to www.fpds.gov and enter the NAICS number that relates to a particular service in the “ezSearch” bar. For example, enter the NAICS code for land surveying. A new window will appear, and you will learn 27,293 projects have been awarded since 1998; 12,211 of those contracts were awarded by the Department of Defense; and 10,968 were issued by the Army. “To be considered a small business, an A/E firm needs to prove that it earned under $7 million, but in the case of general building and heavy construction, the earnings ceiling is set at $33.5 million.” Society for Marketing Professional Services The full Size Standards Table can be viewed at www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/Size_Standards_Table.pdf. IS YOUR FIRM RETAINING CLIENTS AND WINNING PROFITABLE PROJECTS? During this workshop, seasoned practitioners will give you proven tools and strategies to lead an effective business development program in your firm. MANAGING AND LEADING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM Atlanta, May 17 | San Francisco, July 11 Learn more and register: www.smps.org/bdmanager Marketer/April 2012 30 tools FRIED? How to Manage Stress and Prevent Burnout BY HOPE WILSON, CPSM “T o be honest, the greatest pressure I feel is not reduced financial resources but personnel resources,” a worn CPSM shared in a discussion group. “Our firm had to let my marketing coordinator go during the recession, and now I’m expected to handle both of our workloads. They just don’t get how hard it is—how much work goes into proposals and marketing campaigns. I’m burned out, and I’m thinking of leaving the industry altogether.” Others at the table nodded in agreement. Our group was participating in a roundtable discussion on “Doing More with Fewer Resources Available” during CPSM Day in August 2011. There seemed to be consensus that what we needed most was more marketing personnel…or more hours in a day. The Great Recession may be over, but many marketing departments continue to feel pressure to produce the same winning proposals and campaigns that they had before the surge of layoffs began five years ago. For many who remain in the industry, the increased workloads have resulted in high levels of stress, and even burnout. Research indicates that jobs centered on creative- and communications-related tasks are among the most stressful careers today. A recent article in Forbes includes event coordinator and public relations executive among the top 10 most stressful careers (“The Most Stressful Jobs of 2012 Aren’t for Girls,” January 2012). Develop magazine studied creative professionals in the games industry, noting that “crunch seems to just be accepted as ‘the norm in creative industries,’” and that these uncompensated overtime hours often resulted in burnout (“Industry Comes Clean on Crunch,” May 2009). Society for Marketing Professional Services The Centers for Disease Control’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health notes that, “In a tight economy, overtime is not only increasing but also becomes less optional.” This stress is augmented by the way in which overtime is assigned: About 75% of the facilities studied by the CDC used “hold-overs,” which means that employees show up at work then are expected to stay late, with limited notice or ability to make the appropriate personal preparations. But there is hope. Marketers can take several steps to mitigate their stress levels, maintain balance within their lives, and prevent burnout for themselves and their teams. Recognize Symptoms The first step is to recognize the symptoms of overload. In their report “Evaluation of Stress Levels of Professionals,” Janet K. Schnorr and Jettie M. McWilliams noted three prevalent symptoms of stress among the 800 professionals they studied: fatigue (83%), nervousness (75%), and irritability (72.4%). Other signs to look for include use of tobacco, alcohol, or other mood-altering substances; forgetfulness; inability to concentrate; headaches, stomachaches, or other muscle aches and tension; grinding teeth; high blood pressure; excessive perspiration; anxiety; depression; changes in eating or sleeping habits; difficulty communicating; negative behavior towards others; and social withdrawal. “Research indicates that jobs centered on creative- and communicationsrelated tasks are among the most stressful careers today.” 31 Identify Stressors Recognizing the signs and sources of stress can be difficult, as focus and self-awareness may be compromised. There are many self-tests online to help identify issues that may be causing stress. While they are not meant to replace an assessment from a qualified healthcare practitioner, they can provide a framework for the initial discussions. There are also smartphone applications available to track heart rates and stress levels. Track Your Stress Levels In addition to general assessments like the ones above, it can be helpful to keep a personal log of stress levels. Throughout the day, track your stress levels on an hourly basis, using a scale of 1 (no stress) to 5 (very high stress). Note what you are doing, the place you are located, and the people you are with. Also, note your thoughts and feelings. Identify any specific circumstances that are affecting your level of stress. Repeat this on a daily basis for at least a week to recognize the people, places, events, internal dialogue, and times of day or days of the week that are affecting your stress levels. Take Control To successfully manage stress and prevent burnout, a key step is to regain control over your life. “Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems,” states Helpguide.org. Clearly identify what you need to effectively accomplish your work tasks while maintaining balance in the other areas of your life. Assert these needs in a calm, friendly, and firm manner. Manage Your Time In a deadline-driven profession like ours, strong time management is essential to career sustainability. Procrastination can spike stress levels and result in feelings of being out of control. At the onset of any project, implement a schedule with well-defined milestones. Block out sections of time on your calendar on a regular basis to focus on project tasks. If asked to take on an additional work project, ask for guidance in prioritizing the related tasks. Feeling Fried? Positive music is like aloe for the burned-out spirit. Give yourself and your team a dose of soul-soothing tunes. Access the complete list or pick your favorites from an ever-growing selection of more than 100 uplifting songs at www.wilsonbgc.com. Tunes include: “Don’t Stop Me Now,” Queen “Feeling Good,” Nina Simone “Hold on Tight,” ELO “I Believe I Can Fly,” R. Kelly “I Can See Clearly Now,” Johnny Nash “Not Going Down,” Jo Dee Messina “Today,” The Smashing Pumpkins “Three Little Birds,” Bob Marley “We Can,” LeAnn Rimes “You Gotta Be,” Des’ree Marketer/April 2012 32 tools Manage Expectations In an informal survey of marketing professionals, a common frustration was that their firms’ principals failed to realize the amount of time and effort required to effectively complete marketing tasks. “[The project managers] just don’t understand how much time and effort goes into marketing projects,” one CPSM noted. “They think I can just snap my fingers and it will happen.” “In a deadline-driven profession like ours, strong time management is essential to career sustainability.” To overcome this hurdle, think like a project manager. When you create your project schedule and establish milestones, be sure to incorporate descriptions of the required tasks and subtasks, as well as the number of hours required to complete each task. (For added emphasis, consider tracking ongoing marketing projects on a Gantt chart.) By calmly communicating your workload in an objective format that is familiar to your audience, you can help them understand the effort required to effectively complete your work responsibilities. Hyatt Regency San Francisco www.buildbusiness.org Breakout Session 306: “FRIED: How to Control Stress and Prevent Burnout of Marketing/BD Professionals” Hope Wilson, CPSM, Principal, Wilson Business Growth Consultants July 13, 3:15 – 4:30 pm Society for Marketing Professional Services Infuse Your Day with Joy Even on-the-go marketers can take steps to increase the joy and pleasure in their lives. As you move throughout your day, identify little things that you can do to make each location and task more enjoyable. Listen to uplifting music or a favorite comedian during your morning commute. Place fresh flowers and photos of family vacations in your office. Hire a cleaning service to make your home an oasis at the end of a stressful day. Keep a journal of all the things for which you’re grateful, and read it when circumstances have you down. Participate in enjoyable exercise with an optimistic friend. Nurture your body, mind, and spirit as much as possible to infuse your day with a sense of joy. With awareness, management of time and expectations, and added elements of joy, it is possible to experience a rich, fulfilling career in marketing professional services. Hope Wilson will share additional insights and resources on this topic during her breakout session, “FRIED: How to Control Stress and Prevent Burnout in Marketing/BD Professionals,” during Build Business: Take Action on July 13. About the Author Hope Wilson, CPSM, is principal of Wilson Business Growth Consultants (www.wilsonbgc.com), a woman-owned business enterprise that specializes in business development and communications for professional service firms. She is the author of the 2011 SMPS Foundation-funded white paper, “Funnel Government Funds to Your Clients’ Projects: Five Components of a Strong Government Affairs Program,” which she excerpted for the October 2011 Marketer. Based in Denver, Hope can be reached at [email protected] or 303.204.8563. 2009 Marketing Salary and Expense Survey Option 1: The Full Salary and Expense Report* The full report includes: • A survey sample of 1,153 respondents representing 774 offices • Compensation tables for the following job functions: Owner/Principal, Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing Management, Business Development Management, PR/Marketing Communications Management, Business Development/Sales, and Marketing/Business Development Coordination • Compensation tables for 7 job functions that include: Commissioned by the SMPS Foundation, this study is the largest salary and expense survey of marketing and business develop‐ ment professionals in the A/E/C industry available today. mean salary, demographics, education, technical training, years in marketing, number of employees supervised, firm size, office’s 2008 gross revenues, percentage of revenue spent on marketing, primary services offered, scope of operations, and region/metro area (for categories with 20 or more responses) • 30 charts and 15 tables of relevant salary and benefits‐ related data SMPS Member Price: $125 Nonmember Price: $250 To access the SMPS member discount, log in using your member number and password at www.smps.org and then visit www.smps.org/shop to purchase the full survey or individ‐ ual tables today! Nonmembers may proceed directly to purchase at www.smps.org/shop. Purchase the full report or compensation tables for individual job titles. Get your copy today to inform your next performance review and to ensure that your firm’s compensation program is competitive! Option 2: Individual Compensation Tables* Do you need quick salary data? Each compensation table below was extracted from the 2009 Marketing Salary and Expense Survey to provide detailed compensation data for the noted job functions: • Marketing Management (Director and Manager) Compensation Table (PDF) • Business Development Management (Director and Manager) Compensation Table (PDF) • Marketing/Business Development Coordination Compensation Table (PDF) SMPS Member Price: $50/table Nonmember Price: $100/table 34 behind the lines Marketer Team Bids Adieu to Editor Randy Pollock BY MICHAEL J. REILLY, FSMPS A few issues into his 14-year run as Marketer editor-in-chief, Randy Pollock opened a two-line e-mail one morning in his Houston office. “Randy: Whatever you are doing editing the SMPS magazine is really working. The quality of articles has improved significantly.” This brief note, written by Bob Richardson of Pepper Construction (now Pepper Lawson Construction, L.P.), was a succinct preview of what was already underway: a transformative era for Marketer and appreciative notice by its readers. When you consider Randy’s many achievements—recruiting talented writers, winning awards, and upgrading the magazine’s design and layout—what stands out is his instinctive ability to inspire quality reporting. Staying true to his vision, and covering “the way we market now” with integrity and style, Randy created appointment reading six times each year for Bob and thousands more SMPS members and Marketer readers. Marketer in 1998 published an eclectic mix of contributed articles but suffered from frequent editorial turnover, a lack of editorial direction, and mediocre design. Under Randy’s guidance, the fledgling publication quickly reversed these obstacles. Randy aimed high, applying a creative style and attitude that became Marketer’s new brand. Whether reporting on emerging trends, chronicling success stories, reviewing books, questioning traditional marketing strategies, or “Flying with Eagles,” Randy’s Marketer team was inspired to deliver great writing. Photo: Courtesy of HDR Architecture, Inc.; © 2012 Jaime Sliker Randy Pollock, FSMPS, in HDR’s Princeton, NJ, offices. Society for Marketing Professional Services In the December 2011 issue, his last as editor, Randy wrote about his experiences and his decision to give up this labor of love. “It’s time to move on, to do other things, and let others step up,” he wrote. In this issue, we depart from our usual reporting to acknowledge Randy’s accomplishments and impact. On behalf of the hundreds of writers and collaborators who worked with him over the years, we present a few reflections on our longtime editor. 35 “In Randy’s tenure at the helm of Marketer, he has served at many posts—editor and writer, mentor and collaborator, leader and teammate, and above all else, friend. It has been a heck of a journey.” — J. Rossi Bruce Lea, FSMPS, 1986–87 President of SMPS National and a former Contributing Editor to Marketer: “Unbelievable that someone would volunteer for such an assignment as Marketer editor, keep at it so long, and do it so well. Of course, he recruited an exceptional cadre of writers and contributing editors, I think we’d all agree. But that also was part of his genius. His most amazing accomplishment may have been getting us all to meet our deadlines. I can’t think of any other volunteer who has served SMPS so long and so well in such a crucial role.” Contributing Editor Marjanne Pearson pointed out “how seriously Randy took his responsibility, and how wonderfully he worked with all of the contributing editors, writers, and staff. Each year, he and [publisher] Lisa Bowman created an editorial calendar that would encourage all of us to bounce ideas off each other and reach out to others for stories and information. He was always open to suggestions, helping us formulate a way to approach an interesting topic or making suggestions about who else might be able to help. Each assignment would expand our thinking and help us find new ways to talk about what we thought mattered most.” Former Contributing Editor J. Rossi: “A truly good captain wears many hats as he guides his ship and crew through known and unchartered waters. In Randy’s tenure at the helm of Marketer, he has served at many posts—editor and writer, mentor and collaborator, leader and teammate, and above all else, friend. It has been a heck of a journey.” Former Contributing Editor Sheryl Maibach, FSMPS: “Only Randy Pollock could have molded a group of writers with divergent ideas into a single voice that educated a generation. And he did it with wisdom and humility. Randy inspired and influenced writers and readers. We are better because of you. Bless you for setting the bar high.” SMPS National President in 1991–92 and current humor columnist Ron Garikes, FSMPS: “In my humble opinion, Mr. Pollock was the epitome of a successful and effective editor, especially when it came to my humor column, ‘When in Doubt.’ Randy granted me almost complete editorial discretion for the topics and content of my columns. I’m sure all who know me personally appreciate how risky and potentially dangerous Randy’s hands-off leadership style was, entrusting me with such a high degree of literary freedom. Turns out the boy was a bona fide genius.” SMPS CEO Ron Worth, CAE, FSMPS, CPSM, Assoc. AIA: “Researching ideas, recruiting talented and knowledgeable authors, constantly following up, coaching, mentoring, and every other month turning over a finished magazine to the National staff…this process has been his trademark. His industry experience and editorial skills have touched every member of the Society and reached outside of the boundaries of SMPS into all segments of the A/E/C community. Randy’s dedication has raised the bar for the marketing profession, pulling us all up another notch or two. Never content with an issue, he kept fine tuning and improving Marketer over the years, leaving in his wake the absolute best publication on professional services marketing.” Marketer/April 2012 36 behind the lines Mitch Levitt, FSMPS, 2001–02 President of SMPS National and a contributing author: “Randy Pollock has committed a good part of his professional life towards the improvement and elevation of SMPS in the eyes of our peer organizations and our membership. He has made Marketer one of the premier publications in the A/E/C industry. Somewhere in between, he even took time out to serve as SMPS National President while coordinating guest editors for each issue. SMPS is better because of Randy’s devotion, and for that he is owed a wealth of thanks.” During the 2008 SMPS National Conference in Denver, Randy Pollock was recognized for his then-10 years of service as the editor of Marketer by 2007–08 National President Donna Corlew, FSMPS, CPSM. (Also pictured, SMPS National Senior Vice President Tina Myers, CAE.) Carla Thompson, FSMPS, contributing author: “I met Randy when he was a board member with the Houston Chapter. He was eager, had great ideas, and wasn’t afraid to step up and take on challenges, the bigger the better. It wasn’t long before Randy moved up to fill many national roles, including SMPS National President. But his greatest legacy is Marketer. He took what basically amounted to a newsletter created in PageMaker (which we thought was stateof-the-art at the time!) and turned it into a glossy, well-designed national magazine that is chock full of great content featuring only the best marketers and writers, starting with his own column, ‘From the Editor.’ The quality is so good that I route every issue to all my principals. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for taking Marketer, and SMPS as a whole, to the next level.” Joan Capelin, FSMPS, Hon. AIA, former Contributing Editor: “If anyone inspires creativity, it’s Randy Pollock, who has been my editor for many years and friend long before that. How many times has Randy lobbed one over Marketer’s net to me? I’ve never counted the cover stories and columns that he encouraged me to write—most of them launched with his ‘Why not …?’ or ‘Go for it.’” Contributing Editor Matt Handal: “Randy’s greatness wasn’t in what he published. It was in what he didn’t publish. For example, I’m a strange individual with weird ideas. Not everything I sent Randy made its way into Marketer. But when Randy felt a piece I wrote fit, his edits made my words much more digestible for a diverse and sometime fickle audience. Looking through Randy’s lens, the reader always received the best of what I have to offer. That’s what makes Randy a great editor and a wonderful person.” “Randy Pollock has committed a good part of his professional life towards the improvement and elevation of SMPS in the eyes of our peer organizations and our membership. He has made Marketer one of the premier publications in the A/E/C industry.” —Mitch Levitt, FSMPS Society for Marketing Professional Services 37 Newly Released: Design-Build Services: A Marketing and Business Development Handbook Design-Build Services: A Marketing and Business Development Handbook discusses the selling and marketing of design-build which has become a leading procurement practice in the United States. If you want to succeed in today’s aggressive, competitive building environment, you need to master a new set of skills to market this powerful service to clients. The first part of the handbook takes the reader through the process of developing a successful design-build marketing and sales program. Using examples from successful companies around the country, it shows how to create targeted marketing plans; market services for private, public, and federal projects; research new design-build projects; create a market-driven sales force; and write successful proposals. The second half of the handbook focuses on how to run a successful design-build firm once a project has been awarded, presenting the reader with tools for scheduling, quality control, and ensuring client satisfaction. This book is packed with ready-to-use forms and sample documents, laying out a complete “blueprint” for your success in marketing design-build. Written by an expert team of seasoned practitioners, consultants, and university researchers, this book will quickly transform your firm into a competitive design-build powerhouse. Design-Build Services: A Marketing and Business Development Handbook by Ron Worth, Kevin Miller, Sally Handley, Carla Lopez del Puerto, Douglas D. Gransberg Published by SMPS and Building News Inc. $69.95 plus shipping and handling (SMPS members: Log onto www.smps.org to access the 10% discount code.) To order, visit www.smpsbooks.com or call 1.800.896.0793. THE BASICS OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN THE A/E/C MARKETPLACE DO YOU KNOW HOW TO FIND NEW PROJECT LEADS AND MEET CLIENTS? During this workshop, gain tools and techniques to improve your business development skills and structure an effective program that will result in leads, clients, and profitable business for your firm. Philadelphia April 10 | Honolulu April 19 Indianapolis May 15 | San Francisco July 11 Learn more and register: www.smps.org/bdbasics Marketer/April 2012 38 marketer to marketer Educating Coworkers about Marketing Do you share with your colleagues the information you gain during professional development programs to educate them about marketing/business development? What methods do you use to share this information? Thomas S. Townes, AIA, FSMPS, CPSM Tamara Goff, CPSM Director, Business Development Director of Marketing/Senior Associate Van Note – Harvey Associates Hnedak Bobo Group Pennington, NJ Memphis, TN I am a firm believer that everyone in our company needs to understand something about marketing. By helping, it gives them a perspective of the business they are typically not familiar with, which can only put the organization in position to develop more relationships. There are four things I like to do to help my colleagues understand marketing and what their role can be. 1.Once a month (same date each month), I will email all staff a new Marketing Tip. It may address past experiences and/or what I have learned through the development programs I have attended. VNHA does have a policy if you attend a program, it is your responsibility to share what you have learned. 2.The owners have a monthly VNHA Coordination Meeting with the managers. As part of my report, I address one marketing Discussion Topic. The topic will address something different than the monthly marketing tip and will be directed more specifically at the managers, as they are more visible to existing and potential clients. 3.The individuals who participate in the marketing effort sit down on a regular basis to evaluate what we are doing. Those discussions and decisions are typically backed up with educational-based references. 4.Lastly, I have conducted Lunch-and-Learns. I created a Domains presentation [based on the Domains of Practice for Professional Services Marketers] that is presented over a six-week period, not necessarily consecutively. The presentation lasts one hour and is open to those who are interested. Society for Marketing Professional Services Sharing knowledge we gain outside our organization helps energize our own creativity, gives us an opportunity to compare and measure our initiatives, and often ignites the spark we need to galvanize a campaign or strategy we’ve been mulling. Our marketing team typically gathers informally to share ideas learned at Build Business or other seminars. Over the years, these have evolved from information downloads to interactive brainstorming sessions. We openly share what we’ve learned, together with insights and suggestions for effectively introducing new concepts into our marketing plan. Having participated in SMPS’s Marketing Communications Awards (MCA) program for over a decade, it’s also become a tradition for our team to review MCA gallery photographs and discuss ideas that shaped the year’s winners—evolving the conversation as an informal audit of our own initiatives. I’ve often been so moved by a speaker or a breakthrough topic at conference that I’ve pulled together a simple 5- or 10-minute synopsis for a larger audience of principals and associates, capturing the big ideas and connecting those to specific applications and strategies within our business. We’re fortunate at HBG to also have a forum for sharing knowledge firmwide on a regular basis through our monthly “coffee talk” series. I’ve used this open platform to share trends and engage deeper involvement in marketing and business development across all levels of the organization. We’ve also recently begun posting educational marketing content on our intranet and have been tweeting on key marketing tips and techniques when we attend conferences. 39 Scott D. Butcher, FSMPS, CPSM Michael T. Buell, CPSM Vice President Marketing Director JDB Engineering, Inc. MHTN Architects York, PA Salt Lake City, UT We’ve increasingly emphasized the importance of knowledge sharing for professional development and actually gone a step further and implemented a policy requiring employees who attend company-paid conferences to share lessons learned. Employees can present an hour-long lunchtime seminar, which helps strengthen speaking skills, or write an article for the intranet. We’re interested in trends, new techniques or approaches, benchmarking with similar firms, conversations with colleagues, etc. At this juncture in my career (20 years leading strategic marketing/business development efforts), I rarely find myself attending professional development programs. It is not that I don’t strive to learn something new every day, which I do, it’s because I am regularly leading professional development programs myself. When I attend, say, national conference, however, I am interested in hearing a few nuggets that may supplement my material. Whatever interesting dialogue I experience, I always share with my staff. Knowledge is also shared in company meetings with all staff present, though the duration is usually only 5 or 10 minutes. For instance, after I attended Build Business 2010, I came back with a ton of knowledge about social media, which I presented to staff at a company meeting. I followed up with an hourlong seminar, “Social Media in the A/E/C Industry.” I’ve since implemented Business Development University, and I’m now looking for monthly content. Our January session was “Blogging for Business,” which was an outgrowth of Build Business as well as an SMPS Central Pennsylvania session in which I participated last December. SMPS is ripe with knowledge, so I continue to look for the best ways to share that knowledge with co-workers and colleagues at our affiliate companies. At our firm, we have full-staff training sessions every Monday morning, 11 am – Noon, on a variety of subjects from operations, to project management, to marketing. I am firmly entrenched to lead at least one session per month on a marketing topic. My sessions have covered such subjects as networking, client relationships, differentiation, prospective client engagements, client presentations, etc. Seminars are videotaped and posted on the intranet, with PDFs of any related PowerPoints, for staff who could not attend or for those who want to go back and reference the information. We also use email summaries of conferences, trade shows, networking events, and professional society meetings to quickly distribute noteworthy information to key staff. I lead highly specialized public speaking/presentation workshops for select staff members on a quarterly basis. These sessions consist of 3 different groups of 12 – 15 people on successive Friday mornings. These sessions are highly interactive and very heavy with discussion and exercises. Whether my attendees are young, developing talent or tenured principals, they all take away something they know will help them develop stronger and more abundant client relationships. This training regimen is considered the primary reason our hit rate doubled within the first six months of my time with MHTN. Being a leader means wanting to help others grow. That is my professional passion...and I hope I’m helping others grow every day. Marketer/April 2012 40 bookshelf Water the Bamboo: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals REVIEWED BY JESSICA TAFT I n Marketing 101, we learned that even the bestresearched and well-written strategic marketing plans fail without a strong implementation strategy. Through experience, we know the same can be true in our personal lives—many of us excel at planning projects but struggle when it’s time to carry out our ideas. Author of Water the Bamboo: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals, Greg Bell believes that each of us has the potential to achieve long-term goals in our professional and personal lives if only we’d take a deep breath, identify our values, and pursue meaningful projects that reflect those beliefs. Throughout the book, he uses the metaphor of bamboo farmers, who must plant and tend to their seeds for years before a harvest, to explain that faith, perseverance, and an unwavering sense of purpose are the keys to meaningful accomplishment. He believes the same is true in our work lives but with one small adjustment: After identifying our values, we should examine where they overlap with our firm’s mission and use that overlap to develop long-term projects that will benefit everyone involved. Why Water Is Different Water the Bamboo is full of pithy quotes and famous examples of perseverance and success. It describes traits of successful people (self-discipline, courage, optimism) as well as their habits (learn, practice, don’t give up). The ideas aren’t new; it’s Bell’s approach and methods that set him apart. At the end of each chapter, Bell provides not only a review of key ideas but also detailed exercises that demand a high level of thought and analysis. The exercises are cumulative, and by the end of the book, even the most self-aware among us will have a new understanding of what lies within our institutions and ourselves; we will be equipped to set goals, effect change, and reap our harvests. Society for Marketing Professional Services Water the Bamboo: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals By Greg Bell Three Star Publishing, 2009 190 pages, paperback; $14.95 Available at http://waterthebamboo.com or on site at Build Business. The Power of a Group A key element of Bell’s book is the value of small group mentorship. He calls these groups “Bamboo Circles” and describes them as a meeting of like-minded individuals who hold each other accountable for achieving goals and moving forward to set new ones. Bell writes, “Bamboo Circle members ask questions, offer suggestions, and brainstorm helpful tips and ideas to solidify others’ goals and plans.” An internet search suggests that hundreds of people meet in, and benefit from, these groups every month. Summer in San Francisco As a keynote speaker at Build Business 2012 in San Francisco, Bell’s presentation “Water the Bamboo: Unleash Your Potential” will likely mirror many of the themes in this book. After reading Water, I’m both excited to hear him speak and looking forward to the opportunity to ask him about his ideas. About the Reviewer Jessica Taft is the marketing director for Enterprise Engineering, Inc. (www.eeiteam.com), a multi-discipline engineering firm with offices in Anchorage, AK, and Freeport, ME. She also serves as the secretary of SMPS Alaska. Jessica can be reached at 907.563.3835 or [email protected]. This is her first contribution to Marketer. when in doubt 41 Missed Connection BY RON GARIKES, FSMPS I n the never-ending pursuit of new and profitable work, one of the alleged perks many professional services marketers enjoy is the opportunity to travel on behalf of our companies. Visiting exciting new destinations, being exposed to different cultures and the sights and sounds of exotic locales, can be a rich and rewarding experience. 3.said mad dash would disappointingly negate my typical leisurely caffeine, tobacco, and/or adult beverage fix at favored airport gathering spot On the other the hand, the trials and tribulations experienced by today’s Road Warriors are enough to make a grown man cry, a preacher cuss, and scare a dog off a meat wagon. Canceled flights, closed rental car counters, security checkpoint maulings, lost luggage, and encounters with rude travel industry personnel are more abundant than white on rice. Upon finally arriving at the departure gate—sweating profusely, gasping for breath, and more than a little agitated, to my great surprise, the door to the jet way was still open, and the message board clearly stated “Status: Boarding.” With a great sense of relief and hopes riding high, I presented my ticket to the gate agent, fully expecting to calmly board, throw the luggage in the overhead, and plant my happy butt in 3D for the two-hour flight back to God’s country. After chalking up over 2 million frequent flyer miles, untold free car rentals, and premium hotel memberships during my 30 years of life on the road, I certainly endured my fair share of travel mishaps. Following is one of my most memorable, a situation that is not only a powerful lesson in customer service but also brought into question and severely tested my patience, calm demeanor, sanity, and chosen career. There is an old saying in my hometown of Birmingham, AL, suggesting that, even when we die and head home for Glory, we’ll still have to make a flight connection in Atlanta or Cincinnati. When all the airline folks, waiters, and bartenders at these two airports know you on a first-name basis, it’s hard to argue the veracity of this sentiment. Running over two hours late on the first leg of my return flight, there was no doubt: 1.the chances of making the connection in Cincinnati were slim to none 2.this would require a mad dash on the walking escalator and down the stairs to the buses, enduring the seemingly endless ride to the adjacent concourse, and a full sprint (narrowly dodging small children and old folks) to get to the departure gate before they pulled away from the jet way 4.the connecting flight out of Cincinnati would be making a rare on-time departure 5.missing the evening’s scheduled recital would not be well received by the wife and daughters back on the home front “This impressive display of decisive leadership, initiative, and common sense effectively averted a passenger revolt, enhanced the brand loyalty of at least 10 frequent flyers, and kept me on speaking terms with the family.” To my astonishment and chagrin, with her best beauty-queen smile, the gate agent robotically informed me my flight was closed, I had been placed on standby on the next flight leaving in two hours, and not to worry as I was confirmed for the last plane of the evening which had a scheduled departure time five hours later. Expecting an expression of my thanks and heartfelt gratitude, I suspect my less-than-gracious retort of “You’ve got to be #@%$ $%#@* kidding me” didn’t exactly endear your humble columnist to said gate agent, her colleagues in close proximity, and several security types who were within earshot. Marketer/April 2012 42 when in doubt Our subsequent discussion went down something like this (and didn’t exactly further enhance my standing with said gate agent and company): “Is the plane still parked at the jet way?” “Why, yes it is.” “When is it scheduled to leave?” “In 45 minutes to an hour because of ground traffic backup.” “Is the flight full?” “No, actually it’s half empty.” “So, you are not letting me board this flight because why?” “After we shut that jet door, company policy and procedures prohibit us from re-opening it.” “Have you ever considered $#*& &%^$ your precious policy and procedures?” With several security types now bearing down on me, ears pinned back and taser guns set on ready, I was mercifully saved from a deserved, and let’s say enthusiastic, interrogation when 10 or so equally agitated fellow passengers from my original flight showed up at the ticket counter. It just so happened they were also making the same connection to Birmingham. NEW MEMBER RESOURCE! Blueprints: Guides to Marketing and Business Development Departments in the A/E/C Industry Inside Blueprints you will find: Contents + Blueprints Guides for Marketing and Business Development Departments in the A/E/C Industry www.smps.org Ideas on Structuring Your Marketing/ BD Department Job Descriptions for Marketing/ BD Positions A Career Assessment Tool Blueprints can be found in the SMPS Marketing Resource Center under “Career Resources” on www.mysmps.org. Use it to map your career path, advocate for your position in your firm, and plan an effective marketing structure for your business. Now on MySMPS.org Society for Marketing Professional Services They were also tickled pink and relieved to see the door was still open and “Status: Boarding” posted on the message board. Unfortunately, their elation quickly abated following the flight update from said gate agent. After my subsequent report on the reality of our situation, a full-blown passenger revolt was quickly materializing as a distinct possibility. About the time I handed over my cell phone to said gate agent and instructed her to explain to my daughter why I was going to miss the recital, a senior airline official showed up to assess the growing insurrection. After making direct inquiries with said gate agent, security, and me, she immediately instructed her people to escort all of us to the gate, open the jet door, and see to it we were comfortably seated and primed with free beverage coupons for the flight home. This impressive display of decisive leadership, initiative, and common sense effectively averted a passenger revolt, enhanced the brand loyalty of at least 10 frequent flyers, and kept me on speaking terms with the family; I arrived safely at the recital with time to spare. Disaster avoided, I lived to miss that same connection dozens of times over the next few years. Said gate agent thoroughly enjoyed each and every opportunity to inform me, including announcements on the public address system, postings on the message board, and even greeting me at my arrival gate with a change-in-flight-status update. Got to admire her enthusiasm and commitment to personal service. Happy Hunting! About the Author Ron W. Garikes, FSMPS, is executive vice president (retired) of Karlsberger Laboratory & Technology Group. Based in Birmingham, AL, and a past president of SMPS National, Ron can be reached at 205.995.2247 and [email protected]. He has been writing this humor column since June 2009. resources for smps members T he following services and resources make your SMPS membership a valuable investment in your career and your firm’s success. Get Connected A/E/C Buyer’s Guide This powerful online search tool can help you to identify, research, and connect with A/E/C companies, products, and services to support your practice or help you deliver projects to clients. From public relations experts to photographers, graphic designers, and printers; from historic preservationists to laboratory, school, and airport designers; from CRM and accounting systems to furniture retailers, you can find them in the A/E/C Buyer’s Guide, accessible from the SMPS home page at smps.org or at aecbuyersguide.com. (Previously known as the A/E/C Network.) Build Business: The SMPS National Conference Build Business is the leading business development, marketing, and management conference for the design and building industry. SMPS brings together 1,000 principals, business developers, marketers, and senior managers with bottom-line accountability for the success of their firms to explore best practices and expand their networks of valuable business contacts. Developing details on the conference are available at buildbusiness.org. Future conference locations and dates: July 11– 13, 2012 San Francisco, CA July 31–August 3, 2013 Orlando, FL July 30–August 2, 2014 San Antonio, TX Chapter Membership Local and regional contacts await you when you participate and network within your local chapter. Typical opportunities include networking events, educational programs, client panels, regional conferences, charitable activities to support the local community, and more. National Membership Directory Available online at mysmps.org, the online membership directory allows you to search for members by name, title, city, state, company services, and chapter. In addition, you can keep your own profile information up to date using this tool. SMPS Connections Containing news about SMPS, members, chapters, professional development, leadership opportunities, tips, and tools, this bi-weekly electronic newsletter is your connection with the Society. Archived issues are available on www.smps.org under Resources, Publications. Social Networking SMPS groups on Linkedin and Facebook offer new opportunities to connect and communicate with community members. Follow SMPS National on Twitter too (#smps)! Forums The SMPS forums connect you via mysmps.org and email to member subscribers all over the world. When you participate in these topic-specific conversations, you can seek first-hand advice from your peers, solicit multiple perspectives on a marketing issue, and send and receive important industryrelated information. To learn more about the forums, visit the Message Board at mysmps.org. Get Ahead MySMPS.org MySMPS.org is the new online gathering place for SMPS members. The mission of MySMPS is simple: To connect you with your peers, with information, and with opportunities to make building business easier. Build your network on MySMPS.org by completing your profile, accessing samples and models to make your job easier, participating in forum discussions, and joining groups that are of interest to you. Career Center Whether you are seeking qualified marketing professionals to fill a position or planning a personal career move, the SMPS Career Center is a valuable member resource. Check out the Career Center at smpscareercenter.org. Bookstore SMPS’s bookstore offers an ever-growing selection of publications and resources on marketing, business development, and management to support you as your career advances. Shop the SMPS Bookstore online at smpsbooks.com. Marketer/April 2012 43 44 Certified Professional Services Marketer Program Based on the Domains of Practice for Professional Services Marketers, the CPSM program measures a candidate’s experience and ability to apply knowledge in six core areas. To earn the CPSM designation, candidates must meet educational and experience requirements, pass a rigorous written examination, and pledge to abide by the Code of Ethics. Successful candidates are recognized as having the experience to generate profitable business in the architectural, engineering, and construction marketplace. Details about the program can be found by visiting the certification page at smps.org. Marketer This bimonthly journal—the premier publication of SMPS, regularly cited as the top benefit of membership— provides original, knowledge-based content on a wide range of subjects of interest to members. Innovative marketing, management, and leadership strategies; case studies; and lessons learned are covered for marketing and business development professionals. Articles are written by industry experts who face the challenges of marketing professional services every day. Archived issues can be accessed in the members-only Marketing Resource Center on mysmps.org. An editorial calendar is available under Resources, Publications at www.smps.org. Published in February, April, June, August, October, and December. Marketing Resource Center This powerful Web-based tool puts a wealth of resources on market research, marketing planning, client and business development, proposals, promotional activity, and marketing and business performance at your fingertips. Search results produce links to articles, research, Web sites, blogs, books, and programs. Visit the Marketing Resource Center at mysmps.org. Society for Marketing Professional Services Professional Development SMPS works with industry leaders in marketing and management to offer educational programs at fundamental, intermediate, and master’s levels. These programs are designed to expand your knowledge about business development and marketing and to provide you with valuable skills to build business for your firm. Information about upcoming programs is available in the Calendar at mysmps.org. National programs are available to firms to bring in house for staff training. Call the Education Department at 800.292.7677, x228, to request a program catalogue and details. SMPS Foundation The SMPS Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization established by the Society to promote research and education in professional services marketing that advances the body of knowledge and builds awareness of marketing’s value in the design and construction industry. The Foundation actively promotes recognition of professional services marketing as an essential element of the modern A/E/C business model. To access the Foundation’s research, visit the Foundation section on smps.org. Get Involved Awards and Recognition SMPS’s awards programs recognize the best and brightest leaders in professional services marketing and the Society. To learn more, check out the Awards section of smps.org. Marketing Communications Awards MCA is the oldest and most prestigious awards program recognizing excellence in marketing communications by individuals and firms in the design and building industry. The 21 competition categories range from books and brochures, to media relations, threedimensional design, newsletters, and Web sites. Marketing Achievement Award The society’s highest honor salutes a remarkable marketing or business development professional for career achievements, leadership, and industry contributions. Fellows Recognition Program SMPS is proud to recognize with the designation of Fellow (FSMPS) longstanding, certified members who have made significant contributions to the profession and the Society. Chapter Awards The Striving for Excellence and Chapter President of the Year awards honor dedicated volunteers and their chapters for extraordinary leadership and service to members. Leadership Volunteer service at the chapter or national level can enhance your portfolio of talents and leadership skills as you make a significant contribution to the profession and the industry. To find out how you can get involved in SMPS, contact the Membership Department at 800.292.7677, x224. Visit smps.org or call the Membership Team at 800.292.7677 to find out more about these resources and other benefits of SMPS membership. national calendar 45 Subject to change. Visit http://mysmps.org/c/month.php for details. April 2012 3 “The Basics of Business Development in the A/E/C Marketplace,” Kansas City 5 “Managing and Leading a Successful Business Development Team,” Phoenix 10 “The Basics of Business Development in the A/E/C Marketplace,” Philadelphia 13 SMPS Foundation Think Tank: “Bridging the Gap Between Management and Marketing,” New York, NY 13 Nominations Deadline: 2012–13 SMPS National Board of Directors Nominations Deadline: 2012–13 SMPS Foundation Board of Trustees 17 Webinar: “10 Steps for Launching an Award-Winning Communications Program,” Online, 2 pm ET, 1 pm CT, Noon MT, 11 am PT 19 “The Basics of Business Development in the A/E/C Marketplace,” Honolulu 19–21 Chapter Presidents Leadership Symposium, Alexandria, VA 26–27 Heartland Regional Conference, Cleveland, OH 27 Nomination Deadline: 2012 SMPS Chapter President of the Year Award Entry Deadline: 2012 Striving for Excellence Awards May 2012 4 9–11 Nomination Deadline: Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award Northeast Regional Conference, New Haven, CT 15 “The Basics of Business Development in the A/E/C Marketplace,” Indianapolis 15 Webinar: “Ignite Your Marketing Program into Action—Client Surveys,” Online, 2 pm ET, 1 pm CT, Noon MT, 11 am PT 17 “Managing and Leading a Successful Business Development Team,” Atlanta July 2012 11 “The Basics of Business Development in the A/E/C Industry,” San Francisco 11 “Managing and Leading a Successful Business Development Team,” San Francisco 11–13 Build Business: Take Action, the SMPS National Conference, San Francisco Marketer/April 2012 46 national contacts National Board President Francis J. Lippert, FSMPS, CPSM Associate, Marketing Director David Evans and Associates Inc. 2100 SW River Parkway Portland, OR 97201 503.223.6663 [email protected] Past President Carolyn Ferguson, FSMPS, CPSM President WinMore Marketing Advisors 19803 Sage Tree Trail Kingwood, TX 77346 713.305.8163 [email protected] President-Elect Kevin Hebblethwaite, FSMPS, CPSM President/CEO Hebblethwaite LLC 9 Arbor Shores North Newnan, GA 30265 770.401.4797 [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer Barbara D. Shuck, FSMPS, CPSM Vice President, Marketing Director Emc2 Group Architects Planners PC 1635 N Greenfield Road #144 Mesa, AZ 85205 480.830.3838 [email protected] Chapter Delegate Holly R. Bolton, CPSM Director of Marketing CE Solutions Inc. 10 Shoshone Drive Carmel, IN 46032 317.818.1912 [email protected] Fellows Delegate Paula M. Ryan, FSMPS, CPSM Director of Marketing Braun & Steidl Architects 234 N Fifth Street Columbus, OH 43215 614.224.9555 [email protected] At-Large Delegate Brad Thurman, P.E., FSMPS, CPSM Principal & Chief Marketing Officer Wallace Engineering 200 East Brady Tulsa, OK 74103 918.584.5858, x7368 [email protected] National Staff Executive Office Ronald D.Worth, CAE, FSMPS, CPSM Chief Executive Officer 800.292.7677, x221 [email protected] Certification Department Kevin Doyle Certification and IT Manager 800.292.7677, x232 [email protected] Communications Department Lisa Bowman Senior Vice President 800.292.7677, x230 [email protected] Molly Dall’Erta Web Project Manager 800.292.7677, x231 [email protected] Michele Santiago Director of Marketing 800.292.7677, x245 [email protected] Alexandra Chagouris Marketing and Communications Coordinator 800.292.7677, x227 [email protected] Society for Marketing Professional Services Education Department Mark DellaPietra Vice President, Education, Certification, and IT 800.292.7677, x228 [email protected] Daniel Reilly Manager, Education and Events 800.292.7677, x223 [email protected] Natasha Moussavi Education Coordinator 800.292.7677, x243 [email protected] Member and Chapter Services Tina Myers, CAE Senior Vice President 800.292.7677, x224 [email protected] Mary Cruz Director of Chapter Services 800.292.7677, x225 [email protected] Lisbet McCarrick Membership Coordinator 800.292.7677, x225 [email protected] Denise Schjenken Membership Manager 800.292.7677, x229 [email protected] Franco Holmes Membership Coordinator 800.292.7677, x246 [email protected] B p k arty c o l b B July 13 trucks 6pmFOOD by OFF THE GRID 10pm live TWO aMUSIC BARS friday local AR 111 MINNA ST gallery space and alley way REGISTER smps non-member/ TODAY $75 member $100 at-the-door Search Event #: 235481 or “BuildBusiness Block Party“ SMPS San Francisco is throwing a block party to help mark the closing of Build Business: Take Action and to celebrate its 30th anniversary! Learn more at: smpssf.org 123 N. Pitt Street Suite 400 Alexandria, VA 22314 Take Action: Register by May 15 to Save $100! www.buildbusiness.org July 11–13, 2012 Hyatt Regency San Francisco San Francisco, CA www.buildbusiness.org Hosted by The premier business development, marketing, and management conference for design and building industry professionals www.smps.org