More on Montes

Tim Klabunde in When an award is "pre-wired" outlines some ethical guidelines on when and how to handle bidding/RFP situations where you have an unfair advantage -- when does the advantage from great marketing/relationships step over the line and become something you should not touch?

Generosity, greed and the American (Canadian) dream

This image is from istockphoto.com.

Undoubtedly, our lives will be changed by the political and economic drama occurring in Washington and Wall Street. Our industry -- especially the residential side -- has been the most immediately affected by the current crisis, and only a person without any vision would say this won't influence other elements of the economy.

"What can you do about it?", you may be asking.

You need to respect your own needs and those of others. You need to be fair. You need to be responsible for your own circumstances, and not hold anyone else to blame.

I thought these points late yesterday afternoon when, in the midst of a business meeting to discuss a new project with joint venture partners, something didn' feel quite right. In the project, in an effort to invoke participation and support from the other partners, the revenue sharing balance seemed out of kilter (and unfair to me). So -- a mistake at this end -- after the meeting I wrote an email to the other participants making my feelings clear. (Previous postings have outlined the danger of using email for anything contentious.) One colleague responded in another email that he would be happy to leave the project. We need to talk. Maybe his response is the right solution; maybe it isn't, whatever, we need to respect each other to proceed and of course we need to respect the ultimate clients who will be paying for our services.

These types of discussions/decisions are part of business fabric, both small and large (and national/international). We can resort to deceit, to patchy compromises, to imperfect solutions, but if we respect our own needs and those around us, we have a much better chance of finding the right answers.

P.S. Here is an a meaningful and relevant posting in Jeffrey Gitomer's most recent newsletter: Why do businesses succeed or fail? HINT It's not just sales.

Perseverance power

Don't give up -- if you are doing something you really enjoy (and are really good at doing). In that situation, perseverance isn't that hard, and you'll achieve your dreams and goals.

Your best marketing efforts will connect your talents and the things you enjoy with your potential clients. This combination is bound to succeed, over time, because you'll be able to persevere, through easy and challenging situations, as you learn what you need to do to achieve your dreams.

Here is an example from (very) personal experience.

On returning from Africa in 1980, at age 27, I wanted to find the woman of my dreams, settle down, and raise a family. My overseas experience opened the doors to a writing job with the federal government in Ottawa, but didn't solve my real deficiencies in social and personal communications skills.

I'm Jewish, and knew that I wanted to meet a woman of the same faith. So I took my one real skill/talent -- and something I really enjoy doing -- and volunteered to do some writing for the local Jewish newspaper. As I wrote one of my articles, I met a woman who represented a woman's organization. Attractive, yes. We dated, three times. "Let's be friends," she said after the third date.

So we became friends . . . and continued to be friends, year after year.

More than a decade later, in 1991, as my new publishing business went through its first real crisis during the early 1990s recession, I recalled some Brian Tracy tapes about affirmations, "positive self talk" and (most importantly) self responsibility. One day, as all seemed to be lost, I had an insight. "My health is still good, I cannot blame anyone else for my difficulties, and I will do what I can to make things right while accepting total responsibility for my circumstances," I said (out loud) to myself. Then, as I transformed my business, I transformed my outlook on relationships.

A few months later, Vivian suggested that we could go out on a more serious level. Two years later we married. We are still together now, preparing for our 15th anniversary, with Eric at 11 (he has none of my social deficiencies!)

You should never underrate the importance of intelligent perseverance in your business and marketing efforts. The saddest thing you can see is someone with real talent who starts out well, and just quits -- or jumps to something else hoping for a better answer. Usually it doesn't happen. "Intelligent" is an important word -- you should either persevere at the things you do best (for income) and/or which align with your values and dreams. If there are things you enjoy but which you are not great at, carry on -- just do it on your own time, as a volunteer or hobby.

Note in a marketing sense, do not confuse perseverance with becoming an irritating (selling) pest. Some of the saddest situations occur when someone who has played the old 80s sales tapes too often continues calling, again and again, in the hopes of winning business without building a relationship or demonstrating a real meaningful value. You need to respect and understand the needs of the person or organization with whom you wish to work -- and that includes the value of their time and your relevance to them.

In the current economy, you may need some real perseverance and patience -- but you will succeed ultimately if you are really talented at what you do. In the short term, connect that talent to your marketing initiatives; and use it to create/develop your business relationships. (And you can see here how these principals also work really well on a personal level.)

Business Planning: Remembering the basics

The above graphic is from the Caswell Corporate Coaching Company, which facilitates our planning meetings. You could use their services -- or other qualified consultants, to co-ordinate your own planning meetings. You probably should not try to do this sort of thing without outside expert assistance.

In a few weeks, our employees and some key contractors will gather in West Quebec for the annual planning meeting. This is the time when everyone involved in the business participates in setting the course for the next year. The business plan guides our objectives, sets 'limits' on exuberance, and allows for realistic and challenging achievements.

Planning meetings like this are relevant and important from the start, though you may only formalize the process when you have five or six employees. By then, however, you should be ready to implement regular meeting and planning systems into your operations, no matter how busy you are, or how strapped you may be for time and cash to pay the costs. By engaging your employees in the planning system -- ensuring they truly participate, contribute (often lead) and 'own' the plan, your chances of success are magnified, and you will see growth and creativity in your organization you couldn't have imagined otherwise.

Without a plan, you'll find you tend to fall into traps and bad decisions when you go with the flow and follow the short term path of least resistance.

So, what happens if things don't go according to plan, or an exciting opportunity arises outside the plan? (And you can expect both to happen.)

On the former, you can look at your plan, the failure, and determine what adjustments you need to make and what to change.

On the latter, you can either defer a decision until the next planning meeting while doing some preparatory research (not a bad approach for something requiring significant capital or a major change in focus), or you can structure the alternative or additional venture within the plan's guidelines. As an example, recently a significant and exciting business opportunity landed in our laps, but it is one that is outside the business focus and core mission. So I invited joint venture partners to co-ordinate the initiative; freeing our staff resources and time to work on projects within the business plan, while allowing for the revenue and learning from the new business to be adapted into the picture -- and possibly included in future business plans.

You should not rush to conduct these business planning meetings on your own -- competent outside facilitators and consultants can help you with thee mechanics and also ensure the planning process stays on track. You may need to spend $3,000 to $10,000 or more to manage this process -- but if you do, you will set the course for your business future, avoid some of the pitfalls common to many small businesses which don't look beyond short term survival.

"Wiring" the job (or three card monte) (2)

In case you want to learn how three card monte is played on the street, you can learn how in several youtube videos, such as this one.

SMPS members have added further insights into Matt Handal's observations about the way the bidding in supposedly fair projects is played -- where the winner is often decided up front and other professionals are invited in purely to legitimize the selected original client. Handal compared the process to the street con game Three Card Monte in a provocative posting reported earlier here.

The challenging issue is of course not in the cases where you know things are fixed or there are strong existing relationships and you are trying to get in through the front door when you see an RFP or invitation to bid notice. Most professional service firms avoid these situations -- they don't flail around submitting proposals for every project and opportunity that arises -- and they can usually smell a 'rat' when the conditions and terms of the proposal would favour someone else.

The issue is much more complex when you have a very good relationship -- perhaps current or ongoing work -- with a client -- and that client asks you to bid a job knowing someone else is selected. Here, the issue is whether you play the game knowing you will 'lose' the immediate contest, while maintaining your client relationships and ongoing work opportunities.

Ellen Moore at Aker Solutions in Houston describes this process in a fascinating story:

My personal "Three-Card Monte" experience occurred in a previous professional life when I worked in Marketing for a civil engineering firm. At (literally) 3:45 p.m. one afternoon -- as I was packing up to leave promptly at 4 p.m. for a badly needed and long-anticipated haircut (having arrived at the office that day at 6 a.m. to assure an on-time departure for this important event), I got The Monte Phone Call. One of our regional office managers informed me that we "had" to submit a proposal to an existing municipal client by 11 a.m. the next day. This was, of course, the first I'd heard of any proposal to this particular client. I asked a lot of rapid-fire questions and found out that yes, our regional manager had been "asked" by the municipal client to "propose" on a project. The client actually informed our regional manager that we would not be awarded the project, but the client needed a proposal from two other firms besides the Designated Winner to make this procurement "official." As our firm currently had a significant project underway for this client, the client judged correctly that our regional manager would not say no. And, in fact, he said yes, then
called me.

I consulted our Senior VP of Marketing, who called the regional manager from my office to elicit all the sad details. At the end of that conversation, the Sr VP told the regional manager we would comply this time, but added "don't EVER do this again."

I worked from 4:30 p.m. that day until 8 a.m. the next morning to write, produce, and box up our Monte proposal. To deliver our Monte by the client's "submittal deadline," one of our engineering staff was waiting in my office at 7:30 a.m. to take the box of Montes from my hands and drive it to the submittal city. Once I handed over our Montes, I went home, poured a large glass of wine, and rescheduled my haircut appointment at the earliest possible date: 4 1/2 weeks in the future. I did not have a happy day.

Once I calmed down, I tried to look at this situation from both sides. Our regional manager held ultimate responsibility for feeding his staff (and their families). In a smaller municipality, there are far fewer opportunities to win and execute significant projects than in a city the size of Houston. Everybody really does know everybody, and most everybody knows who is friends with whom, whose brother-in-law owns what company, who golfs with the mayor or city manager, etc. etc. Doing business in that environment really is a lot like being a fish in a fishbowl. I can sympathize with a regional manager who is called to the office of one of the firm's largest clients -- while the firm is in the middle of executing a significant project for that client -- and being blindsided by a Monte. I suspect that, taken by surprise, the regional manager's first thought was to do whatever was necessary to protect the existing contract and, by extension, his ability to pay all his surbordinates without a significant revenue interruption. It could not have been a pleasant conversation for the regional manager.

On the other side -- MY side -- it seemed to me we were setting a VERY bad precedent, certainly with this particular client, but also with any other existing or future clients in that municipality who might learn about this travesty called Monte. We also were not providing a very good, professional "lesson learned" for our regional manager -- or anyone else in the firm who might face the same situation in the future. Instead, we caved. And, of course, it was patently unfair for me or any other Marketing professional to be pressured to work all night to produce a Monte proposal regardless of the sacrifices required or the impact on me. Since we already knew we were NOT going to be considered seriously for the "new" project, this Monte exercise truly was a slap in my face as a Marketing professional. I noticed that no engineer or CADD designer was asked to stay all night to work with me on Monte. I guess their time was much more valuable than mine, and their need for rest, ditto. Instead, I was told to take text from this and that previous proposal, combine it, edit it, format it, and produce the required number of Montes. Back then, I stupidly thought I HAD to comply to keep my job. Now, it would be great fun to get a Monte "request." I assureyou, I would laugh amusedly all the way to my hair appointment.

Typically I would respond to Matt that the BD professional assigned to a client trying to pull a Monte ought to have spent enough time with the client to know a Monte when he saw one, and therefore, to anticipate the possibility of a Monte and be prepared to side step it adroitly. But, as my own up-close-and-personal experience with Monte shows, this response really wouldn't have precluded our Monte. Our regional manager WAS savvy. That is why he was the regional manager. He knew a Monte when he saw one -- but what he didn't have ready was an Official Response from Our Firm.

Perhaps the best lesson learned from my Monte experience is this: Principals of a firm are supposed to be street smart, practice wise, savvy, fearless, and ferocious guardians of the firm's resources. The latter does, of course, mean greenbacks, but it also includes the human element. I am sure our Sr VP knew about Montes -- look how firmly he told the regional manager "don't EVER do this again." My question is:
Why didn't he tell this younger regional manager about Monte and give him the firm's Official Response BEFORE the poor guy was staring Monte eyeball to eyeball? Give your staff some muscle in advance -- tell them about Montes when you are training younger engineers to become PMs or managers of practice areas. I sincerely HOPE any AEC firm that prides itself on operating with integrity would provide a one-word Official Response: NO.

In my current job, one variation on the Monte theme involves being asked by a prospective client (no existing client would think we were stupid enough to fall for it) to provide a proposal for, say, one subsea Christmas tree (the single largest and most expensive piece of carbon production equipment we design and manufacture). Just one, lone tree. The tip-off here is that no subsea Christmas tree -- regardless of which
company designs and manufactures it -- operates without a set of controls attached to it. Sometimes a prospective client might choose to buy a set of controls from a company other than mine, but wishes to use our subsea tree. However, I can think of no LEGITIMATE (i.e., real, valid) request for a tree that does NOT involve telling us whose controls that tree will carry, if not ours. We must know that piece of information to ensure that our subsea Christmas tree will operate properly with another company's controls. When the prospective client insists we propose for a lone subsea tree and refuses to say whose controls will operate the tree -- that's a Monte even I can spot a mile away. Monte = Price Check in my world. That means this is no way, no how a LEGITIMATE request for proposal with a real Purchase Order waiting to be awarded at the end of the procurement process. Instead, it means the prospective client simply wants our pricing info to use to beat down the price of subsea trees from the company already earmarked as the Winner. We got one of these requests this past spring, and promptly called a bid / no bid meeting. Thirty seconds into that meeting, everyone in the room agreed this was a very poorly disguised effort to obtain price check info. We declined to bid. That, to me, is the best, most effective way to protect your firm and your staff from Monte. Just
say NO.

Frank Lippert, Marketing Manager, Water Environmental Business Line at David Evans and Associates, Inc. in Portland, OR, added his thoughts:

I have to say that there is tremendous opportunity for us as business professionals when the Monte is in play. As Ellen Moore pointed out in her wonderful and thoughtful response, there is a degree of professional judgment at play and it represents a very good opportunity to for all of us to demonstrate our value to our company's leadership.

That value centers on good, sound business judgment. It rises above the fears like, "I have to feed my staff and their families, so I must do as many backflips as our clients demand, no matter what the cost." (Aren't we really all ultimately responsible for feeding ourselves and making reasonable judgments on what's right and wrong?)

As marketers, we have a unique position and written or unwritten responsibility in most of our firms, and that is, to present the business case in every decision. Most of us work with brilliant engineers, talented architects, creative contractors; but few of them wrapped up their A/E/C education with an MBA and set out to be business people. In many cases, marketers are the business people. Our value to our firms is so much greater than "working from 4:30 PM to 8:00 AM" to get a proposal out the door.

I've built my reputation and know many marketers in SMPS that have built their careers by being the voice of reason, the voice of business logic. Yes, it's also the role of the No Go Policeman, the Wet Blanket, the Spoil Sport. But, in the end, over time, that voice of reason is a valued resource to the firm. It doesn't always result in a "no go" either. I've certainly submitted on enough Montes, but I've pulled a few rabbits out the hat in this case too.

When the Monte comes up, recognize it. Be creative in your response to it. Offer back something a little different from what the Monte is asking. If the client wants you to respond, so they can get their three responses; then they want an "apples to apples" comparison... that doesn't mean you can't give them a Golden Delicious when they are expecting a Granny Smith. Of course, that means everyone involved stays and works on the effort from "4:30 PM to 8:00 AM," but if they really "want" the job (have a real passion for it or truly fear that they must feed their staff) wouldn't they want to be there anyway?

In the end, I truly believe that clients aren't intentionally evil. They aren't trying to make us spend our money unwisely and they aren't playing games with us. It's OK to educate them on the cost of submitting at the last minute, odds are, the smart clients know this already. Sometimes, your "apple" can be as simple as a one page letter that states your fee for the work (ballpark it high) and a copy of your general firm brochure.

So, should you play the game? I would argue if the work required isn't great and you can finesse your way out of it (and keep your client happy) then, sure, go ahead, but you need to draw the line at burning all nighters and tying up your staff for an urgent proposal preparation just to keep a client happy. in these cases, the simple process of informing/educating your client about the true work and cost or preparing a compliant proposal might be enough.

Now, of course, if you know you are the winner, pull all the stops out and don't take it for granted! In these cases, I think you should deliver your absolute best, most thoughtful and carefully researched proposal that really delivers value to the client and would, if the competition really is fair, would really be the best.

Notably, if you are on the winning side of a three-card monte game, it can be really easy to pull together your team of sub consultants and professionals to help on the proposal: They know they are not wasting their time on a wild goose chase, and are usually quite willing to pitch in. Thus, we have the intriguing situation where indeed by pre-selecting the person/organization to 'win' the job in a seemingly unfair competition, the client truly receives the best value. Which, I suppose, is why the game is played so often in the real world.

How should a builder market to designers and architects (3)

Consultant Clare Ross of the Clare Ross Organization has added his opinions to this topic:

First you need to market yourself to potential clients who have ongoing building programs that you can do. When you have a relationship with the client, then you can go to the architect with a good solid project lead in hand. If you also have a good relationship with the client and can make an architectural recommendation to the client, all the better.

Contractors who come to the table with a solid project lead get the architect's attention. Learn to develop a relationship of sharing leads with the architect's business development staff and they will share their leads with you. In this case you are building your relationship with their BD team. They will then open the door to their technical staff on their current projects.

The second situation is where you are selling yourself to their technical staff on projects already underway and coming ready for bid. That's a tougher sell unless you have worked with them before and they will usually stick with their proven relationships with other contractors. Successful contractors work on developing your own client relationships with clients who have ongoing building programs. When you have that kind of client relationship base, architects will seek you out

Clare's points enhance the observation that the solution to marketing to architects is unfortunately not a simple direct mail piece and a "lunch and learn" presentation. Your best way to win business, it seems, is by connecting the dots and providing useful leads and business to the architects from which you wish to receive business.

How should a builder market to designers and architects (2)

Yesterday, Jeremy Hartje of James Hartje Construction Inc. in Santa Cruz, CA, received several answers to his question about how he could effectively market his general contracting services to local designers. Here are some additional thoughtful observations on this topic from Society for Marketing Professional Services members and a well-regarded Canadian architect.

Daniel J. Caldwell, Principal at Stout & Caldwell Consulting Engineers & Surveyors (www.stoutcaldwell.com) in Cinaminson, NJ, wrote:

• With six field workers and three office employees, I think that you/they have already established a reputation. What you need to find out is if that reputation is a good one or not a good one (and be 100 per cent honest with yourself)
• Once you have that established, it's easy
• If the reputation is not a good one, you need to fix that first by addressing whatever issues may be causing it, i.e. problem employees, poorly maintained equipment, cost overruns etc.
• If the reputation is a good one, invite some of your best clients to the program and have them showcase the project you did for them. Let them sing your praises, you really shouldn't have to. You just be there to answer questions that may come up
• People, by nature, love referrals and love to hire people who are referred to them.

Rose Walsh, Business Development at Nolte Associates, Inc. (www.nolte.com) in Sacramento, wrote:

To misquote the real estate business: Benefits, benefits, benefits!

We have had a variety of subconsultants provide similar presentations over lunch/breakfast. It's a great initial networking tool (everyone likes free food) and much easier to learn about a new firm/service. However, if you don't have work/leads for us, why should we send work your way instead of someone else (prior relationship)? Have you thought about your follow up plan?

Pamela Rigling Caffrey, Director of Marketing, John Poe Architects, Inc., in Dayton, OH, adds:

If a general contractor ever gave me a lead that I didn't know about or opened the door for my firm into a project, I would FOREVER inform said contractor about any project opportunities I could offer them. Forever. And ever. The same would be true for engineering consultants.

Please consider that an open offer...

Finally, Canadian architect John Davies, in Ottawa, offers these thoughts (which will have special relevance to Canadian contractors):

With regard to your residential contractor inquiry:

1. there are two major construction sectors at this level - residential and Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI)
2. the ICI sector predominantly secures contracts through the formal bidding process.
3. the residential sector predominantly secures contracts by way of negotiation or less formal bidding procedures
4. the best way to get the attention of architects is to convince them that the contractor:

1. Is skilled
2. Exhibits impeccable craftsmanship
3. Is financially secure (even bonded) and pays his trades promptly
4. Has a catalog of good references relating to successfully completed work (both Owners and Trade Contractors).
5. Can illustrate that all his projects have been completed on time and on budget - again with references.
6. Is properly insured with appropriate levels of coverage ... Worker's Comp.; General Liability; Property and Boiler; Owned and Non-Owned Vehicles; Equipment; Errors and Omissions (if a design component is included in the product - also possesses a MMA license number)
7. Is registered with the Ontario New Homes Warranty Plan
8. Has worked with architects on previous occasions and can give references.
9. Has no outstanding claims or lawsuits pending ... and
10. Takes his shoes off when entering peoples homes and in all areas of the work that are not under construction.

"Mark ... if he follows the above he won't go far wrong - with me anyway!", Davies wrote

What can you learn from these observations: No direct marketing piece will substitute for personal contact and relationships; and nothing works better in relationship development than the expression of your reputation/referrals, and your spirit of generosity and sharing. And I wouldn't under-rate John Davies' light hearted final remark about taking your shoes off! Courtesy, respect and sensitivity to the ultimate clients are undoubtedly important in this business. These are basic principals and underlie most successful marketing within the industry.

"Wiring" the job (or three card monte)

Matt Handal at Trauner Consulting Services, Inc. in Philadelphia, PA, sent members of the SMPS Marketer editorial committee a provocative article: "Learning to Accept the Three Card Monte" which touches on one of the most fundamental challenges (and opportunities) within the marketing universe -- the stacked deck, or "competition" where the winner is decided in advance.

Handal's story isn't public yet, so I can't reproduce or quote from it directly here, but the topic he discusses is certainly not a secret -- and is of real importance for anyone marketing architectural, engineering or construction services.

In the bidding and competition game, there are three possible situations. First, the bidding process is truly fair, and you will honestly be evaluated on your proposal's merit. In the second, you know you are going to win, from the start (if you don't blow things totally). In the third, well, Matt describes you as a "mark" (though I'm not sure I wish my name to be associated that way!)

Why does this happen?

Relationships are often forged over the years, and vendors wish to work with particular suppliers. In the pure private sector, this often isn't a problem; you just engage in an ongoing relationship -- if your work quality is top notch, and your relationships are strong, you'll win the repeat business.

But in the public sector and in certain corporate spaces, bidders must be seen as fairly evaluated -- and subject to a competitive process. So competing bids are encouraged and solicited -- and these competing bids can look 'real' to the victims of this game (because if they didn't then the process could be overturned by more senior officials concerned about possible improprieties or bid rigging.)

Often the game is subtly stacked, with terms of reference, and variations that only the insider knows -- in many cases, the insider is invited to prepare the bid documents. If you aren't there -- bam, you've just wasted your time on an expensive bid preparation exercise for a job you have no hope of winning. (As Matt says in his article, sometimes an organization legitimately wishes to spread the work around, so you need to play the game and submit your losing bid for the real opportunity later -- but I think if you are in that position, you'll know where you stand from the start, so the effort isn't really wasted.)

How bad (or good) is this stuff?

No one is going to go out and say they've been part of this process on the winning side, at least gloatingly to outsiders, but I think if we are honest, we'll acknowledge that if we are really successful in business -- that is, if we do really good work, and maintain the highest standards in our relationships, the good news happens -- we get the call and know we are on the inside. Do we turn down the business, act high and mighty, and shout: "We're behaving unethically because we have an unfair advantage?"

No, in the context of this blog's readership, this is just a sign that you've achieved true success in branding and building your business -- and you can claim to be a true success at marketing.

Fixed or negotiated price

If you read this this contractortalk.com thread "Price is not negotiable" you'll quickly discover that not everyone agrees with the thesis -- and some disagree with extreme emotions. In fact, this thread, while tackling an important issue, descends to the lower level associated with political forums and establishments of ill-repute.

Yet the underlying debate is fundamental: Should you declare your price, and stick to it, or build in "negotiating room" and bargain with the client. I tend to agree with one poster, Seth Holdren, that "it depends" -- different selling situations and industries have different practices; the model of selling appropriate for a complete renovation project at a high-end home may be different than the pricing for installing patio doors.

Many businesses, of course, have pricing grids -- some building supply dealers have sophisticated computer programs where they can 'code' their clients and then adapt their pricing accordingly depending on volume and credit worthiness. The price is 'fixed' in these cases, but of course isn't really fixed if you know the critical points in the process. Others, (ourselves included) have variable publicly posted prices -- if you elect to advertise every month, on contract, your price will be lower than if you advertise one time. These variations of course are appropriate because there is value to most businesses in achieving stable cash flow and predictable income streams.

But, the question arises, if you quote a price, whatever it is, should you bend your price if the client comes back and says "that is too much"? What are your opinions?

How should a builder market to designers and architects?

Jeremy Hartje of James Hartje Construction Inc. in Santa Cruz, CA, asked this important question:

My dad and I have a small residential construction company, six field and three office employees. I'm currently conducting a small networking and outreach campaign with a focus on architects and designers. Our goal is to establish a good reputation with designers so they send more bids our way. I'm just about to send out a letter asking them to share a brief lunch meeting, which I will provide the food, so I can give a quick presentation on our company. My question is, what do you think these designers and architects want to hear? What should I make sure to include in a brief presentation to this audience? Any thoughts or ideas on this question or networking in general would be appreciated.

To answer his question, I posted it on the The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Listserve and asked some architects and designers I know for their own opinions. Here are some of the early responses.

Tara Krovich at The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company wrote:

We have found that the best way to better network with the architects in our area and build a relationship to where they feel comfortable feeding us information and inviting us on their teams is by...building that relationship. I don't think a presentation is the best approach. I think taking one or two individuals from the architecture firm out to lunch (making it less formal) and simply sharing with them the information on your company and the type of experience you have, then gaining information on them, what they are looking for, the markets they are in, etc. Don't drop it after this meeting. If you hear of a project of interest, send it to them - and that will open the door for them to reciprocate the favor. It is all about relationships when it comes to architects/cm's, so it just is a matter of having patience and taking the time to build it.

Juliette Brown, Marketing Program Specialist, Western Region, at Honeywell Energy Services said:

First big thing I see: tell him to NOT send out a (junk mail) invitation letter to firms.

At minimum, he should personally call a/the principal at each contractor/architect firm and directly propose a lunch meeting; if he really wants their business, he needs to prove it - and sending out a form letter doesn't put him on the right foot from the get-go.

Conversely, Tim Richards, Chief Financial Officer at WESTAR Architectural Group/NV Inc. In Las Vegas, replied:

I believe you will receive a warm response from architects. We are always looking for opportunities to collaborate with other firms. We hook up with consultants all the time and would love to partner with a construction group. I am actively marketing to construction and engineering groups all the time. . . ."

You will see more responses over the next few days and I will post further follow-ups, hopefully distilling a consensus or, at least, a toolkit of response which will allow you to discover an informed conclusion. Here are my thoughts:

Will a direct marketing/lunch and learn approach work? Possibly, if seen holistically, and not as a one shot magic bullet. A natural way to go about this process would be to connect directly and first with architects/designers with which you have a great relationship already, and ask them the same question, They may help you in networking within your own community and suggest relevant groups, associations and activities. You might also obtain some testimonials which would lend credibility to your marketing materials/messages.

Finally, if you serious about this approach, you should plan a campaign (testing each phase as you proceed) perhaps using a variety of media including permission-based e-letters, phone communications, informal meetings and association events over time, all in harmony and truly correlated to what your business really is, and how it truly relates with architects and designers.

If all of this seems like a lot of work, you are right, but you may find surprisingly immediate results by consulting with the architects and designers you know now in planning and co-ordinating your marketing campaign.

P.S. You may find some additional insights in this contractortalk.com thread on the same topic.

Joining the team

Cindy Pilgrim (Left) with Heather-Ann Duguay at the GOHBA offices. Heather-Ann is responsible for proofing the Impact! before it goes to press (and handling accounting and membership issues for the association when she isn't doing that work.)

Cindy Pilgrim has started working with us -- her responsibilities will be to work with clients in Ottawa and eastern Ontario for advertising in Ottawa Construction News, The Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association Impact! and Ontario Construction Report.

Cindy lives with her husband and family in Petawawa, about an hour's drive from Ottawa. Her husband is in the military. Canadian soldiers traditionally have had peacekeeping roles, but now are actively engaged in combat in Afghanistan, so she brings a new perspective about life to our civilian business.

She can be reached by email at cpilgrim@cnrgp.com or by phone at 888-432-3555 ext 221,

The complaint

Nothing hurts nor helps more than a sincere complaint from a dissatisfied client. When you receive that call, or email, what should you do?

Two responses come to mind. First, very clearly, the matter must receive priority attention. You need to get to the bottom of the issue -- how it happened, and the source of the problem. Then you need to fix the underlying cause, unless the issue is accidental, minor, or unlikely to occur again.

But the biggest challenge is resolving the problem from the client's perspective. In some situations, you might be technically right and legally 'correct' in doing nothing, but from a marketing perspective this sends out all the wrong signals. Your employees, seeing that there is no recourse or internal cost/consequence to leaving a client unhappy, will go on to lower their standards and expectations. And of course you know that complaining clients are often like canaries in mine -- they may signal something much deeper, and more significant, and problems affecting the 'silent majority' of your customers.

When someone complains, you need to take action, now.

Email vs. Phone vs. In-Person Meeting? Four Viewpoints

To what extent can you substitute emails for telephone calls and face-to-face meetings when maintaining and developing relationships with clients and other key market contacts? The answer to this frequently-asked-question affects how you spend your precious business development time and money. Getting it right will improve your sales effectiveness. No wonder it’s so frequently asked. But what is the answer?

Today, four bloggers are posting simultaneious answers. They are:

1) Brian Carroll, (startwithalead.com) specialist and noted author on generating leads for the complex sale.
2) Tom Kane, (legalmarketingblog.com) specialist on marketing and selling legal services.
3) Ford Harding, (hardingco.com/blog) an expert on "Rainmaking" in professional practice, who has written some influential books on the challenges of selling professional services.
4) Me.

We hope this attention to the issue generates conversation on the subject with all of our readers. This is my first participation in a Synchroblog and I think we will all enjoy the diverse perspectives on this important marketing topic.

My post follows.

Construction Marketing: When to email, call, and visit

When you ask the question "Should I email, phone or visit?", you can best answer with another: "What works best for the recipients?" You need to respect their personalities, priorities, values and their ability to effectively and conveniently receive your message.

Email has several wonderful and powerful advantages: It is fast, portable, and people reading your email communication can select the time to review and respond to your message -- they aren't forced into action. They choose to respond and it is easy for them to answer if they wish. Handled properly, therefore, email can be ideal for introductory and routine communications or (when you know the other people well) off-hours and weekend messages.

Email is far superior to voice mail for routine or introductory communications where you expect a response. Can you recall your frustration in trying to retrieve and decipher incoherent voice mail messages -- especially when the callers provide their phone numbers rapidly at the end of very long and rambling monologue? Think of how this problem compounds when you are rushing between airport terminals, trying capture your voicemail messages with your cell phone while holding your carry-on bags in your other hand? And as a victim of uninvited phone or in-person intrusions, you undoubtedly recall the irritating telemarketing calls, often at inconvenient times and locations (and even worse, uninvited door-to-door solicitations!)

These points noted, if you wish to develop a meaningful, longer and deeper relationship with your current and potential clients, you'll need to phone and ultimately meet them. However, you need to respect their time, and their convenience. If you wish to talk to someone on the phone, why not leave a voice message AND a communicating email, and suggest or invite setting the call for a mutually convenient time. (If the person receiving your message has a Blackberry, for example, he can simply click on the display number and return your communication right away -- even from the airport terminal.)

As well, if your message is complicated, or you sense frustration or tension or indications of miscommunication, you should phone rather than email -- you need to have clarity and immediate feedback-response to allay misunderstandings. Note this comment from Mike Davis in Michael Stone's Markup and Profit Blog:

The challenge with email is that you cannot determine the actual emotion that is behind it. I once had a client who was as sweet as sugar plum pie. I wrote an email to her and made a comment that I thought was funny. But, because of her mood when she received it, she took it as a negative. The damage that was done was almost beyond recovery. All because I was trying to be cute. Don’t ever use email as a primary source of communication. Use it only as a follow up to face to face communication.

While I think Davis overstates the arguments against email, he is certainly correct that you should be careful about emotional nuances and implications -- and if your communication is long, complex, or could be misinterpreted, either phone or send an email requesting a phone conversation or meeting!

Finally, phone (not voicemail, of course) or private meetings are best where you must not leave any paper (electronic) trail in your communications, especially for legally sensitive matters.

These points lead to a crucial question: Can you build a really meaningful and lasting business relationship through email or phone, without personal meetings? The answer is that, for most people, you must have eye-contact to connect, to build trust, and to establish your relationships.

Conferences and association meetings are great for relationship building and face-to-face meetings, because in these environments, you can achieve spontaneity without inconveniencing the people you wish to see. I remember well, for example, getting together at the SMPS Build Business conference with Tim Klabunde and Mel Lester for our first face-to-face bloggers conference. And our company's sales representatives are provided a budget and encouraged to attend relevant association events.

You should also consider demographics: A young person raised in the era of instant communications, Twitter and the like, may prefer to conduct transactions and develop relationships by email, while you probably would want to use the phone, or better, find a natural meeting ground to connect with a baby boomer or senior citizen who is not interested in technology.

Here are some email/voice/in-person marketing don'ts:

• Unless it is a real emergency or you've arranged it in advance, don't phone outside of business hours, especially to cell phones. Who wants to receive any kind of solicitation or business communication you are 'forced' to listen to or transcribe after hours? (If you are in the consumer marketplace, telemarketing and door-to-door canvassing may be effective, but these are high risk/irritation strategies.)
  
• Never spam -- don't send unrequested bulk promotional emails. You marketing emails should individually communicate thoughtful and personalized ideas. You can also send email newsletters if you have received permission and the newsletters are directly relevant to the your readers.
  
• If you are leaving a voice message, don't speak quickly and make it hard for the person you are calling to transcribe/return the message. Repeat your information, clearly, both at the beginning and end of your voice message. (See Ford Harding's posting: How to Leave a Voicemail Message.)
  

In deciding whether to email, phone or arrange a face-to-face meeting, consider the 80/20 rule. For most preliminary and simple matters, and much routine follow-up communications, email is best. For deeper, meaningful and lasting communications, you will need to phone (and more importantly) meet face-to-face: These communications should always be with respect and consent -- that is why I like using email for much initial communication and to set appointments for phone or in-person conversations. But if I have a special or more complex mater to discuss, I'll phone and, where appropriate, arrange for a meeting.

PS: Consider the advantages of the Post Office for personal Thank You notes and gifts, and faxes or Fedex packages for follow-up documentation when you wish to convey urgency.

Sales compensation: Some observations

In email exchanges yesterday, consultant Tim Nagle offered some additional observations on the sales model he found worked best for him when he built the Richmond VA Champion Windows and Doors branch to nation-leading levels.

He said his salespeople worked for 100 per cent commission, but these were not slouchers.

In home improvement sales it is widely known that only the top 10% make $100,000 or more. I had a sales office that 80% made $100,000 and the other 20% made over 200,000. Two of my reps were top 5 nationally. There is plenty to discuss in this situation.

Absolutely: You might wonder how you can attract -- and retain -- this type of high producing sales force.

How do I attract people to hire?
It all starts first by building that "culture" in the office/business. I focus on one successful model (person) and move to the next. I build it one at a time and use that to my advantage. One attracts the next.
If you aren't hiring someone " you are not looking hard enough!"

How do I attract them and how do they want to come aboard?
MY passion and willingness to make them successful and being a great leader. They feel my passion and know that I will work to make them successful.

How do I deal with the "primadonna's?"
Leadership skills, firmness and keep them motivated & in check by constantly raising the bar. They are too busy and fear losing that position, because I am never satisfied. (understand what I mean?) It is a mental challenge I put them through!

The model for direct-to-consumer sales of simple products probably doesn't apply for you if you are selling higher-end technical or AEC services, where expertise and accomplishment (and often professional credentials) are essential. You don't generally choose a lawyer by talking to a commissioned sales rep; nor would you hire an architect. As well, you should consider Nagle's important point: the business culture really counts.

Education levels may be important -- If your sales opportunity requires more the natural sales/persuasive ability than real professional/technical knowledge; if your clients are middle class and lower-middle class consumers rather than postgraduate degree holders, your sales team may have just a basic high school or technical education with limited earning/income opportunities in non-sales careers. Then, you can manage/motivate them with high paying work on commission. The sales cycle length is also important

You may wish to review this earlier posting: Sales: What are you paying for?

Coming tomorrow morning: Email vs. Phone vs. In-Person Meeting? Four Viewpoints

To what extent can you substitute emails for telephone calls and face-to-face meetings when maintaining and developing relationships with clients and other key market contacts? The answer to this frequently-asked-question affects how you spend your precious business development time and money. Getting it right will improve your sales effectiveness. No wonder it’s so frequently asked. But what is the answer?

On September 22, four bloggers will post their answers simultaneously. They are:

1) Brian Carroll, (startwithalead.com) specialist and noted author on generating leads for the complex sale.
2) Tom Kane, (legalmarketingblog.com) specialist on marketing and selling legal services.
3) Ford Harding, (hardingco.com/blog) an expert on "Rainmaking" in professional practice, who has written some influential books on the challenges of selling professional services.
4) Me.

We hope this attention to the issue generates conversation on the subject with all of our readers. This is my first participation in a Synchroblog and I think we will all enjoy the diverse perspectives on this important marketing topic.

Consultants: Using Internet forums for your marketing

Tim Nagle, in the Richmond VA area, has started promoting his consulting business through provocative contractortalk.com postings.

One of the most effective ways for you to market professional and consulting services is to achieve expert status on relevant Internet forums. As you contribute and post your insights and observations, your reputation will soar -- if you do it right.

If you do it wrong, you'll be seen as an opportunist, or worse, as a spammer. Forums have their own rules and personalities -- and unless you really know your way around, you risk a flame war or, worse, banishment.

Several months ago, for example, and relatively early in this blog's history, I stepped over the line at contractortalk.com, when I invited readers to participate in a survey. You can avoid similar mistakes by reading the forum rules, which are usually clearly posted.

Humbled by the error, I set out to correct things, always checking with the forum administration BEFORE posting if the activity could be seen as stretching the rules.

Sometimes, new people arrive on the scene with a real splash. Tim Nagle, who goes by the user ID "Remodel Bud" joined the fray with some provocative postings beginning with this thread, "Sales Training Instruction 9 - 2 - 08". Intrigued, I phoned Nagle, whose RemodelBuddy weblink takes you to a regional leads referral service for the Richmond, VA area.

Before starting out on his own as a consultant/local leads service provider, Nagle says he had been a partner and successful manager of the Champion Window, Siding and Patio Room branch in Richmond, which he turned from a money-losing business into one of the most successful branches in the Champion network, generating upwards of $10 million in sales each year. Nagle says Champion decided to use his location as a training centre for other location managers, who could see first-hand how to do things properly.

He's now setting out as an independent consultant, and naturally, his clients are likely the people reading the contractortalk.com forums (and this blog).

Nagle believes contractors should hire only commissioned sales representatives. (This point is debated by many pundits -- but the consensus seems to be for retail-focused direct to consumer sales, commission sales appear to have the greatest industry acceptance.)

But where/how do you find the great salespeople you need to run your business?

First, says Nagle, make the business truly appealing -- show the representatives you are planning to hire the quality of the environment and the existing sales force. (When he took over responsibility for Champion in Richmond, this meant a few months of house cleaning, as many lower performing people left.)

"The hiring process starts before you hire anyone -- you are building the culture in the office; a great environment leads to great success," he said. "Whenever I interview a salesperson, I let them interview the other salespeople in the office -- and they want to work there."

To find new representatives, "you are out looking for people actively, networking, checking other companies, home shows, contractor businesses, that's generally the best means of hiring.
"Building a sales team is a constant work in progress," Nagle said. "You have to be working (at recruitment) when there isn't a need to look."

For his consulting service, Nagle said fees vary depending on what is required. Some people, he said, just need phone consultations, and these can be accommodated for $50 per week. In other cases, Nagle said he is asked to conduct full-blown on-site sales training and hiring -- and this of course will be more expensive. He is selective in the clients he works with; a young, struggling contractor with a brain on his head and willingness/eagerness to learn will receive his services for lower fees; he will decline doing business with people who don't want to learn and listen.

Is Nagle worth his fees? I can't be sure -- but his writing and communications suggest he knows what he is doing -- and of course you can check his references and validate his abilities in the early going of your relationship. One thing is certain: Some solid consulting from experts who really know their stuff can save you much agony, frustration, and wheel-spinning as you build and maintain your business. And you can learn something from Nagle about marketing your business by connecting with Internet forums relevant to your potential client group.

Sharing power

You need to throw some of the conventional concepts about selling in the trash can when you want to be truly effective at construction industry marketing. Eighties-style 'closing techniques' still taught by some marketing gurus can work in some situations, and hard-rock personal soliciting and marketing techniques may bring in clients, but at what cost?

Last night, at 8:30 p.m. two events occurred showing the truly different ways of doing things.

Someone called on my cellular phone to offer service with a competing cellular service provider. Rarely, do I blow my stack -- but this call is way out of hours (unless there is a dire emergency, employees and others will never receive a phone call from me after hours), but worse, the telemarketer expected me to pay toll charges for her soliciting call.

Then, a few minutes later, someone else from the same organization called. "We're not selling anything," he said. "We're offering you a free cellular phone."

Sure, and elephants live in Antarctica, and you can meet SpongeBob on the moon. At 9 p.m.
Contrast this note from Chase, attending an evening Barrie Construction Association meeting. (Sure, the meeting is in the evening but everyone attending is there voluntarily!) After the meeting, he emailed our editor:

Not sure if you have started working on the Gilda’s Club news story for October, but the timing could not be better to do it. This evening at the Greater Barrie Home Builders Meeting the GBHBA and BCA presented Gilda’s with a cheque for $300,000. The two associations got together and built a home in 55 hours and just sold it this week with the proceeds going to Gilda’s House which will provide a place for cancer patients and families. http://www.gildasclubbarrie.org/

This company's employees are empowered to give publicity and advertising to relevant associations and non-profit initiatives. There's no catch, nothing expected in return, no "free phone" in exchange for thousands of dollars in lock-in service fees. The only, but important, guideline, is this generosity should be visible within the community of potential advertisers.

You'll see this blog takes things to a higher level. Originally intended (and still part of) the Thank You package for existing clients, its reach extends far beyond the this business's current service areas in eastern Canada and North Carolina. Readers who ask questions or seek guidance, no matter where they are, will receive respect and recognition and our support of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) transcends any chapter or geographical boundaries.

Why? Because real generosity and community service really works; not plastic stuff, not disrespectful intrusions with irritating free offers, intended to win business sales. Your brand shifts, your reputation evolves, people feel comfortable doing business with you, and when the time is right, you find amazing business results.

Construction Writers get it right

The Construction Writers Association recently issued a news release:

Construction Writers Association Smart Move-Gaining An Edge October 15-17, 2008

announcing their upcoming mid-year meeting in Chicago.

How did they do with the PressRelease Grader? Score: 86 out of 100.

The press release (and PressRelease Grader)

This overview video at the PressRelease Grader site explains how effective Internet press releases can be in promoting your business.

If you are a SMPS member, you have access to a weekly e-letter with some useful tips and resources. This week's newsletter includes a link to an intriguing tool, The PressRelease Grader, and assorted information from Hubspot.com, outlining methods to use news releases to accelerate your presence and web-based marketing impact.

Hubspot advocates that you frequently issue news releases, not primarily for the news media's interest, but to help your search engine status. And it suggests certain formats and styles are most effective. In other words, you shouldn't wait for something really newsworthy -- something you think the mainstream media will find interesting -- before you issue a news release.

Well, how does the news release issued here fare with the Press Release Grader? It is the Construction News and Report Group of Company's announcement of an agreement with Tree Canada to plant a tree for every advertisement in each issue of our publications. We posted this on the Canada News Wire Service since obviously the news release is only really relevant in Canada.


Attention News Editors:

Construction publishing company becomes first in Canada to plant more trees than it consumes

    OTTAWA, Nov. 21 /CNW Telbec/ - The publisher of a group of Ontario
construction industry newspapers will plant at least 70 trees for every 11 it
consumes, making it the first Canadian print publisher to produce more forest
life than it consumes.

"We have made arrangements with Tree Canada to plant a tree for every
advertiser in every issue of in our publications," says Chase, who
co-ordinates the initiative for the Construction News and Report Group of
Companies(CNRG). "Our printers tell us we consume approximately 11 trees per
month - we expect to plant 80 or more each month in return."
The CNRG publishes Ottawa Construction News, The GTA Construction Report,
Ontario Construction Report, as well as speciality publications under contract
for associations such as the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association (GOHBA).
Tree Canada, established in 1993, has planted over 75 million urban and
rural trees, potentially sequestering more than 58 million tonnes of carbon
dioxide.

Further information about Tree Canada is available at
http://www.treecanada.ca.

"We believe this initiative will make a significant contribution to
improving forests and urban life - and make us 'net positive' with
environmental and global warming issues," said CNRG President Mark Buckshon.
"We are hopeful that other businesses will follow this example for their own
communities."

For further information: Construction News and Report Group of
Companies: Chase, 888-432-3555 ext 211, chasemarketing@sympatico.ca or Mark
Buckshon, 888-432-3555 ext 224, buckshon@constructionnrgroup.com; Tree Canada:
Michael Rosen, (613) 567-5545, tcf@treecanada.ca.

The PressRelease Grader gave this effort a truly failing score -- 25 out of 100. Ouch! This release is too short, doesn't have suitable clickable links, and fails to include the boilerplate company description and links required for the best results. The reason for some of these rather significant failings is that the company's corporate website is still under construction in a rather major rebuilding project -- when things are done in the next couple of months, the links here will work much more effectively.

The PressRelease Grader documentation also provides insights into why you should be striving for a high search engine placement. It of course is part of the most effective methodology in online (and for that matter any) marketing: Give away lots of useful stuff and clients will be attracted to you -- and you'll sell a whole lot more than by pushing your product or service in their faces.

Still, be cautious in rushing to implement Hubspot's strategies or implementing their services. Many people are trying a variety of techniques to game the system; to push up their organic search engine rankings, but you will find nothing works better than sincerely doing your best and relating and connecting to your current and potential clients.

More on isomorphism

Marketing Guru Seth Godin in But you're not saying anything observes how many corporate logos are bland and virtually indistinguishable. He also notes how his books are generally sold in the standard size at the standard price. The reason: You don't want to stand out from the crowd on elements of your message that are not essential to your differentiation. He writes:

If you're not telling a story with some aspect of your marketing choices, then make sure that aspect is exactly what people expect. To do otherwise is to create random noise, not to further your marketing.

Exactly! Brochures and company literature for AEC firms look alike (generally) for a reason: They, in general, aren't the defining difference or uniquely special quality of your business/practice. You need to pick where to focus your marketing risk/expense -- and your differentiation.

See this post on Isomorphism for a recent perspective here on this topic.

Building New Business Blog

Atlanta marketing consultant Bobby Darnell has started a blog -- Building New Business: Thoughts, Ideas, Ponderings And More About Business Development, Sales & Marketing In The Architectural, Engineering And Construction Industry.
He's only written two entries so far, but they are useful and he has years of relevant experience. And obviously the topic is relevant -- so his blog is added to the permalink list.
(If you have a blog relevant to construction marketing, please feel free to email buckshon@cnrgp.com -- no reciprocation is required for a permalink if the blog relates directly to AEC marketing issues.)

Patient change

Real Change isn't easy, Mel Lester writes. Most successful consultants will describe how their clients are happy to pay for their services, but when it comes right down to the business of changing their practices, nothing happens.

Mel Lester has written a great posting in his E-Quip Blog: The Hard Work of Real Change. He describes the frustrating reality of initiatives to improve/change business practices that fail on the hard rocks of reality -- initiatives which don't go anywhere, really, because managers and employees aren't ready to buy in to the hard work to really make the necessary changes.

Indeed, real change is hard -- it usually takes a life-threatening crisis or fundamentally critical circumstance to force the necessary revelations. People are looking for quick fixes, easy answers, fast and simple solutions, and these people are not just suckers for consumer scams, but business leaders who should know better!

Successful business consultants, in fact, complain about this frequently -- their clients pay for their services, and are happy enough to repeat and give the consultants even more money -- but when it comes right down to doing what needs be done, they don't. It almost is as if, as a client, by paying a consultant's fees, you are really changing, when in fact you are simply throwing away your money on a feel-good exercise.

If you are expecting a magical and fast solution to the questions/challenges in this blog, you will need to look elsewhere. Here are Mel Lester's conclusions:

So what should you take from this? First, set realistic expectations. If reaching your goals is important, consider how much effort is really needed. Then determine if you can commit that much time and attention to it. If not, scale back your goals. False ascents up the mountain of change not only fall short of the goal, but discourage people from committing to future change efforts.

Second, carefully budget time and attention. There's a limited supply. Firm leaders commonly over-commit then under-achieve when it comes to change. Manage change initiatives like projects, defining the tasks, manpower, time, and money needed to get the job done. Don't double-book. Whatever is committed to a specific change effort should be off-loaded somewhere else. Remember people are already suffering from mental overload. To keep the desired change at the forefront of their minds, you have to keep it constantly in the corporate conversation.

Finally, don't make promises you can't (or won't) keep. This is a matter of your integrity and credibility. Without it, you can never build the trust necessary to guide people through the transformation. In the end, trust is the bedrock on which sustained change must be built.

Finessing: Is it for real?

Many businesses and consultants put on a big show on the web -- but their credibility is tested when you dig deeper. Conversely, some great AEC businesses have truly limited -- sometimes incompetent -- websites. And of course some 'one person bands' really are worth working with -- they don't have the overhead and excessive costs of the bigger players, and they can really get the work done.

Nevertheless, credential and competence-inflating websites happen. Are there cures for this ailment? Yes.

• WOMRR -- Word of Mouth Recommendations and References: If you come across new or unsolicited marketing materials, you can check out the person/organization by asking friends who may know the person -- or if the person solicits your business, ask for references, and call them. Sure, people can give friends and colleagues, but you'll read between the lines and learn a lot.
• Deep web searching -- I really enjoy this technique, and have had a lot of fun with it. You can find all kinds of things about people with imaginative and resourceful web searches. In one case, an Internet Service Provider offered "anonymous hosting" to organizations with a dubious reputation. Knowing the ISP's home town, I checked the municipal library's website and found a business license listing including the business owner's registered address -- his home. Then assessment roll data led to detailed information about the house -- and Google Maps provided an Ariel view of the modest residence. The site owner had been putting on a show far greater than his substance.
• Intuition and common sense: The basic rules of business always apply. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is; if someone talks big but fails to provide concrete and immediately verifiable examples, the talk is more than the substance; after a while, if you have any experience in business, you can smell something fishy.
• Go beyond the web: Phone, and visit. See for yourself. An offer to visit -- to travel to the site of the person you are communicating with -- will really show things for what they are. If they have been implying they are running a bigger business than they are; they won't want you near them. And you'll know that the story isn't what it seems to be.

These observations should not suggest that little guys don't deserve their moments in the sun; and finessing things so you look bigger and better than you actually are is wrong. It is part of business. You'll simply want to know who you are dealing with, and their character, before committing significant time and resources to the relationship.

Disclosure: The business behind this blog is small; we have five full time employees, and a modest office in a low-rent building in an Ottawa industrial area.

Ten commandments for business (and construction marketing) failure

Former Coca-Cola President Donald R. Keough has written a fascinating and simple book: Ten Commandments For Business Failure. Keough of course is friends with Warren Buffett, who can be described as anything but a failure in business. His advice is relevant for all businesses; here are some interpretations within this blog's theme.

Commandment One ---Top of the List -- "Quit Taking Risks"
Success can be dangerous, indeed. You start thinking you know it all; you build systems and processes and insulate yourself from danger, and then, out of left field, something surprises you. Note the posting about Isomorphism and Seth Godin's Purple Cow concept. You always need to keep a significant element of newness, freshness, and daring in your business if you want to achieve great things (and even survive long-term).

Commandment Two -- Be Inflexible

Yes, you have the right way, the only way, you have rules and policies and procedures, but don't see things from your clients' eyes. So, what do you do when you are a supplier to a sub-trade who can't pay you because the general has stiffed his business on a major job? (Hopefully your business is not structured to depend for its survival on any single account.) Do you press that supplier to pay up, regardless, or do you bend your payment policies to accommodate and show respect for his crisis/frustration? Who gets more lasting business in the long term?

Commandment Three -- Isolate Yourself
Ah, yes, yours truly has been guilty of this one -- and it cost dearly! If you think you can delegate your client relations and responsibilities to your sales team or front-line employees while you focus on administering your business (while taking long personal breaks, perhaps), you will ultimately lose contact with your marketplace, and things will go very wrong.

Commandment Four -- Assume Infallibility
Sure, you are on the top of the world; for now, but who says you won't be like the many titans of business success falling like dominoes because they thought they could make money by selling/backing mortgages to uncreditworthy people who couldn't really afford their homes.

Commandment Five -- Play the Game Close to the Foul Line
I like this one, though of course there are exceptions that prove every rule. Sure, Conrad Black is receiving food and shelter courtesy of the U.S. Government for five and a half years even though he declares his innocence; and someone who admitted embezzling a major bank (and served time for it) is now prospering with a media/marketing business, and the judge who nailed a former Ottawa general contractor in a messy bankruptcy hearing is now facing discipline -- but something can be said for (while admitting imperfection) living by solid values, doing the right thing, and respecting others. For those with some conscious and ethical core values, business can still be fun and truly rewarding.

Commandment Six -- Don't take time to think
Yes, you need time to reflect, to consider options, and to see the big picture -- the basics remain the same, but there are constant changes all around us.

Commandment Seven -- Put All Your Faith in Experts and Outside Consultants
You certainly need your own road map; passion, and values. Certainly, you should listen to outsiders -- gather several opinions if necessary -- but listen to the mood of your own clients, employees, and suppliers, and then make your own decisions based on your insights and knowledge.

Commandment Eight -- Love Your Bureaucracy
This one is a tough one -- businesses need systems, rules, processes and hierarchy to operate, and going too far to eliminate these can result in anarchy, chaos, and dissension (guess who learned this lesson the hard way . . . ). But equally, you can get far too rule bound. For example, you find a process mistake results in an error which causes client dissatisfaction; should you simply work to make the customer happy and move on, or restructure your processes with an additional 'check' on procedures to ensure the mistake is not repeated? Probably the former is the best approach, unless you are finding the error is repeating and there is no simple tweak you can make to resolve the situation.

Commandment Nine -- Send Mixed Messages
Ah yes, you know the contractor who cites LEED in marketing material, then drives a Hummer to work; or the organization which advocates "Great Customer Service" and doesn't return phone calls. You've got to be consistent or you lose.

Commandment 10 -- Be Afraid of the Future
Undeniably, if you live in the present and past but don't adapt and change you will begin to fail, no matter how well you are established, and how much you think your existing relationships will sustain you in the future.

Keough adds at vitally important Commandment 11 -- Lose Your Passion for Work -- For Life. He writes:

You have to be passionate about doing the job at hand to get the best results possible. The easiest way to develop an inner passion in a business setting is to focus all your mind and heart on four aspects of your world: Your customers, our brands, your people, and finally, your dreams.

Keough's advice transcends all businesses, but his first-person experience at the helm of one of he world's largest multinationals certainly lends credibility to his observations. You can learn from him.

Crete Busters, Track Haulers, and Search Engine Optimization

This image is one of several embedded youtube.com videos on the Crete Busters site -- you'll see here how effective use of video really enhances the marketing power of your websites.

Kerry Patrick, marketing director of Crete Busters Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio, called today to ask about effective methods to enhance his business presence on the search engines. He says the company, in building its local business, discovered a unique and truly useful tracked hauler -- ideal for small, heavy loads, in places where larger equipment wouldn't work practically, and where the traditional small-haul load tool -- the wheelbarrow -- could break backs and strain even the most diligent construction workers.



He asked whether certain commercial services would be effective in raising his site's Google presence; and whether embedding blogs and forums could be useful. Regarding blogs, you can read the previous posting for some insights. Forums are challenging -- first, it is truly hard to gather enough 'traction' with core and interested users, and then there are really big challenge (if you are successful) in moderating the forum (not something that really makes sense for a concrete cutting business.)

However, Kerry really has it right with the use of video to demonstrate the equipment. The images show clearly this equipment's potential -- and Youtube.com video postings are free.

If Kerry can write a blog -- or contract with a local writer to handle the writing -- the site could rise in the search engines. Another idea: Create a separate site for the hauling machinery -- hosted perhaps on a different server -- with lots of videos and useful content/testimonials (and maybe another blog).

Google's magic

So this blog is number one (in the U.S.) on Google for the keywords, "construction marketing" -- and there is a link here (albeit with a rather embarrassing spelling error) at number 3. Is this good for business? And, you may be asking, how can you achieve the same results within your relevant keywords?

To answer the first question, "yes" but the process is a long-term objective/initiative. The blog in itself provides little direct business right now, but it is really useful in connecting relationships for the long-term. It certainly isn't a waste of time; it is generating useful revenue and immediate orders, but if these were the main objectives, you would rightfully say this is a lot of work for very little return.

You'll find the answer to the second question relates to the first -- if you enter the process of blogging with Search Engine Optimization as your primary goal, and set out to manage the process simply to get a higher Google listing, you may succeed, for a time, but ultimately you risk a rather serious failure. There is a constant tug-of-war between SEO 'experts' and the search engine owners -- the people gaming the system try to put less-than-interesting and relevant sites to the top of the rankings; the search engines, of course, wish the top sites to be the most interesting and relevant. (This allows them to attract more traffic, and advertising revenue.)

Fair enough, you say, but how can you succeed in the search engine process?

• A clearly commercial site is unlikely to score highly -- who, generally (without compensation) is going to create a legitimate back link to you if you are just advertising your business?
• Blogs work, really well, but you need to commit significant time and energy to make it happen. If you are a writer by trade or interest, this isn't too hard, but if you aren't, maintaining daily or at least weekly postings will strain your resources.
• You can hire a writer to do the heavy lifting for you -- but you need to work with your writer to determine the focus and content -- and you should engage in the process of sharing your honest thoughts -- and avoid 'corporate speak' in your messages.
• A more aggressive strategy is to allow/encourage your employees to blog on their relevant responsibilities. Of course this won't work if you need to manage every word your employees utter in public!
• This is a long term process. Google, especially, has 'sandboxes' built into its algorithms; it isn't going to push you to the top until it is ready -- and you can't decide that. Excessive manipulation or game playing may result in a really bad ranking, or banishment to the bottom of the SERPs.
• It obviously doesn't hurt to build relationships or seek one-way referrals from high level sites. You'll need to add something of value when you do that. (And, yes, this blog's writer receives plenty of calls and inquiries now -- nothing wrong with that, of course, that is the way you build business, though callers receive a pleasant surprise when they find that they are not being 'pitched' anything here.)
• Finally, here is a piece of advice worthy of considering seriously. Success within the SEO process is more from giving than receiving; worrying about your results will give you a lot less value than sharing your talents, expertise and spirit without seeking reward. At the very beginning of this blog, for example, I decided to grant one-way links to anyone with a legitimate construction marketing blog. Of course, many reciprocate, but that is not a condition of the deal.

Isomorphous

Craig Galati in his Heart of Business Blog describes a problem he noticed when judging the Society for Marketing Professional Services’ (SMPS) 2008 Marketing Communication Awards."I was one of four people who judged the Firm Brochure category," Galati writes. "There were more than 40 submittals from firms of all sizes and locations."

While the quality of the submittals was high, one of the things that stood out was how similar the brochures were. Some of the submittals had better graphics and copy than others, but the essential messages were identical. The construction firms’ submittals looked similar, the engineering firms’ submittals looked similar and the architectural firms’ submittals looked alike. I imagined that all the firms’ owners dressed the same, talked the same and led in the same manner.

Galati has some fun using a big word -- isomorphous -- to describe this phenomena. It is the opposite of differentiation -- the key element of successful marketing practice: In other words, defining your business in a unique manner to stand out from the crowd.

So why is this happening -- and is it necessarily wrong?

Probably not, if you consider that most AEC professional firms derive 80 per cent or more of their business from existing clients or direct relationships and referrals. In other words, people who are really happy doing business with the company the way it is, and return for more or recommend others to do the same.

But there are always outsiders nipping at the bud, and occasionally, someone scores a home run. For example, a general contractor, active in the environmental movement, sees the trend before everyone else, obtains LEED certification (the first in the area) and committee leadership within the relevant environmental organizations. He achieves truly great recognition as an environmentally sensitive contractor -- and suddenly the universe unfolds and everyone is interested in environmental issues.

He has an undoubted advantage -- but what about everyone else? They can choose to ignore the trend, or adapt/copy it to avoid losing ground. The issue is less finding new clients (or differentiating) than to lose their existing clients because they fail to respond to the trend; the crowd; the new norm.

So, not surprisingly, much of what passes for marketing is actually safe and sound, riskless, and standard -- reflecting the external environment, camouflaging, you might say, the differences.
The challenge is to strategically find and define your differentiation -- and that, of course, is easier said than done.

The cornerstones of construction marketing success (2)

Today, several readers answered these three questions in a special online survey following up on the recent posting: The cornerstones of construction marketing success:

1. In you opinion, describe your greatest competency: That is, the element of your business/self where you truly are among the best in your field.
2. Now, describe your greatest enjoyment/passion: The interests or activities (either personal, business, or both, which give you the greatest pleasure and enjoyment.
3. Have you combined your competency and passion in reaching out to your potential market (previous, current and potential future clients)?

The responses are interesting -- only a small number answered conclusively "yes" to the third question. Your written observations need to be followed up with some phone conversations and interviews.

Still, is it true that only a few of you are actually combining your passions and interests with sincere and ongoing relationships with your clients and potential clients? Or, perhaps, you may take for granted your competencies and passions because they happen so easily and naturally you don't attach significance to them?

101 Ways to Destroy Your Tribe

You'll find many useful 'don'ts' in this e-list from Ed Welch. Worth printing out and reading, and rereading.

Online Entrepreneur Ed Welch has written this fascinating -- and really useful -- list of "101 Ways to Destroy Your Tribe". The ideas here reflect the basics of simple and responsible business in any field.

Some updates

Here is a link to the announcement posting for the Synchroblog next Monday: Email vs. Phone Vs. In-Person Meeting? Four viewpoints.

Also, today, you may have received an invitation to complete a three question survey relating to the posting: The Cornerstones of Construction Marketing Success. You can access the survey at this link:

Discover your strengths with this three-question survey . . .

An impressive introduction

Recent postings from "Remodel Bud" on the Contractortalk.com forums are attracting interest -- he is stirring the pot with some forceful and thoughtful interpretations on the best ways to sell and attract business in the retail contracting market.

"Remodel Bud" hasn't identified himself by name in his postings, but a blog at his Virginia-based remodelbuddy.com site identifies TimNagle@RemodelBuddy.com as the contact email address for business consulting services. The writer says: "My proudest accomplishment was turning a company losing money year after year, to the most profitable branch in the nation with a National Home Improvement Company."
This company presumably is Champion Window and Patio Room based in Cincinnati, OH, listed as the second largest U.S. remodeling contractor in Qualified Remodeler magazine, with sales volume of $334.8 million.

You can see some of his interesting threads here:

Generate sales, just one way

Sales Training Instruction and Sales Instruction Part 2

Do I agree with everything he says? Well, he advocates that salespeople should all be on pure commission. This may be rational for his business -- and yours -- but there is a solid counter-argument here if you wish to encourage an environment of consultative and ongoing relationships; providing you have solid and stringent hiring and performance accountability criteria.

The cornerstones of construction marketing success

If you are passionate and excellent at what you do -- and your organization reflects these values -- you'll succeed in marketing your services by reaching out within your community and sharing these competencies with previous, current and potential clients. These are two of the four cornerstones of Construction Marketing success.

Are you looking for a simple, easy-to-understand and implement formula for construction marketing success? Here it is.

Consider these essential foundation cornerstones:

1. You must passionately enjoy and be really good at what you do -- and these values must be shared by your employees, contractors and suppliers.
2. You must reach out into the community of your previous, current and previous clients and share with generosity and a positive spirit your competence and helpfulness.
3. Your business must observe the best practices and principals of all successful enterprises -- combining innovation, systematization and accountability.

That's it. Three simple points -- and their implementation will be easy if you can overcome inertia and, if necessary, make some hard and painful decisions to remove barriers thwarting your passion, competence, and connections.

Why are you virtually certain to succeed if you respect this formula? If you really enjoy your work, and you are really are good at it, your clients indeed will be more than satisfied -- they will be overjoyed -- to recommend your services to others. So you have a natural edge in any competition.

Then, by reaching out to your community with good will and your expertise, you cement your business and its image among the people who are most likely to purchase your services. And you can have fun doing his -- by reflecting your passions and interests (and encouraging your employees to do the same.)

To be successful, your business must be run like a business -- you need to ensure that the various processes and procedures within your company are effectively managed so you earn a fair profit for your work, your employees either get the message or leave, and you can count on everyone knowing how to handle both the routine and unexpected.

None of the three elements involves great expense or stress. But they are effective.

What is the fourth cornerstone?

4. You'll find it in the intangibles of spirituality and fate. Luck, the higher power, your religious faith; the inevitability of change and life all have a place in the story -- you can't control these qualities, but you know they will work well for you when you respect the three other cornerstones.

Sam Morgan of SW Morgan Fine Homes in Nephi, UT, started the JLC Online thread, Share some marketing/advertising ideas??? described here. He has an impressive website with great testimonials, indicating he cares about quality and reputation. His idea, however, of mailing a financing offer to renters doesn't seem to be working.

These three postings on a Journal of Light Construction thread tell a disturbing story. (Of course you should visit JLC Online to read the entire thread.)

The thread starts with this post:

Anyone want to share some marketing and advertising ideas that they are using right now with the market so dang slow??? I'm in the middle of one that I hope will get the phone ringing....so I can't say whether it is going to do any good or not. I am specifically a new home builder....so I am out looking for new home prospects.

If anyone is interested in this thread idea....I'll post more of what I am doing now....and over the next few weeks I can post results of whether or not it is working.

Then the original poster explains his plan:

Yes...looking for clients to build presold homes for. I've done way to many specs and not interested in doing any more....live in several of them!!!! You may remember that a few years ago I moved to this new area....only 20,000 people in the whole county so I am pretty much marketing to anyone and everyone!!!!

I do not currently have any lots of my own...although this coming year I may be working with at least one "partner" to develop one or more locations.

Things are deathly slow here now after really being quite busy all last year and earlier this year. I'm ready to move past the downturn I'm in with my current development project with all of these condos/townhomes that are going back to the banks and go back to building homes like I used to when you and I first met.

So...here's what I am working on right now. I obtained a mailing list from the city office of the city I live in, which is the largest city....of all of the rental units in town. I figure this target market has two things going for it with things being so slow right now. First, no current home to sell and second, most likely can qualify for the first time homebuyer tax credit. Those of you that are following along here may want to look into that for your own marketing at www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com which is a website the NAHB set up with all of the rules for getting the $7,500 tax credit for first time home buyers. The nice thing is, you can have previously owned a home to be considered a "first time" home buyer.

Anyway...I have a pretty awesome brochure that I had 10,000 copies made up of several years back. You may even remember that we did an article in JLC about that as we had our subs and suppliers participate in the advertising and cost of the brochure which is really almost more like a magazine than a brochure. I sent the brochure, one of the NAHB premade flyers regarding the tax credit, a letter explaining how the tax credit works, and a cover letter explaining who we are and how we can help them get into a new home even though the credit market sucks right now.

NOW....this is where it gets really interesting and where I think my marketing idea is getting good. I wouldn't normally do something this bold....but I've been sitting at home doing nothing lately.....so I figure anything to get work is better than nothing.

I'm offering....as an assistance to help people qualify for their construction financing, to subordinate half of my builders fee during construction. I do all of my jobs on a cost plus contract....always have. I typically do cost plus 10, plus I have a percentage for overhead and supervision. So, I am offering to collect my normal overhead and supervision and only 5% during construction and leave 5% on the table to help them qualify......so they don't have to bring as much in as a down payment....possibly having to bring in NO DOWN PAYMENT!!!

Of course I will have liens on the property throughout the job so I am protected and then will get a lump sum at the end when the home closes. I normally wouldn't even think or consider something like this......but I'm SLOWWWWWWW right now....been doing nothing but sitting a home drawing plans for myself and working on getting a book full of plans together. With any luck I may get 3 or 4 projects out of it???

So far, I've just sent out info to renters in this one town only as that's the only list I had access to. If I start getting some calls next week, I looked into a list from an online company and I can access the rest of my county for $75.00.

And here (and alas not surprising) are his results:

Well.....so far....not one single phone call. I'm trying to not get discouraged thinking that many of these people are worried about what they are seeing on the news so they are being careful and taking time to think about things before they act at all. I'm going to put an ad in the local real estate magazine over the next few months that will have the same message so hopefully that will get some things going.

Fortunately, the contractor who tried this marketing approach didn't spend thousands of dollars on the ill-fated experiment, and he deserves respect for telling his story openly. And other thread posters suggest that is best hope is not so much in trying to get renters to start building homes using financing programs (probably a rather dubious concept in the current environment) but to diversify and find opportunities within his area.

I think one challenge with the general direction of this builder is that he can't pass the "word of mouth" test. Is (in the current environment) a renter going to brag to his friends that he can get a new home with a builder willing to help carry the load on financing, when so many have lost their homes because of supposedly easy credit. No relationship is established, no connection from the heart is made, in selling a supposedly rational offer.

What should the builder do here?

• Who are the most successful people in town? The top-producing Realtor, the best recognized banker, the community newspaper publisher? Can he outline his advantages, and unique selling proposition to them -- in a thoughtful way? In a community with a 20,00 population, these leaders won't be inaccessible.
• Who is currently building, and who is currently buying what is built? The local building permit department may help. The sample won't be large, but it will provide insights and clues about where potential clients can be found.
• Could the builder claim expert status with straightforward insights and knowledge on how to successfully navigate the real estate/construction markets in his community? Then he can write articles, give speeches and presentations, and generally achieve visibility as an expert within his community. And the phone will, then, ring.

All of these initiatives require outbound effort and communication on a one-on one rather than mass basis. Marketing strategies which involve placing ads and hoping people respond, or sending out standardized direct mail fliers and dreaming of response, generally are disappointing. Look at the poll results on this blog's sidebar and remember that most business arises from word of mouth and repeat clients. Your alternative marketing strategies should supplement and encourage, not replace, these key methods.

About criticism

Seth Holdren in his blog posting "Marketing is a People Based Game" reminds readers that you never win by criticising, especially the competition. Almost inevitably, this type of negativity backfires or has unintended adverse consequences.

So what should you do when your competition plays dirty, unfair, or you see something wrong? Point out positive, practical solutions, or suggest a remediation that will truly help your potential client.

(Of course it is fun when potential or former clients come to you slagging the competition and telling you that they really want to do business with you because they know you will get it right. When that happens, you know you are on the right track, in both your business and marketing practices.)

Istockphoto.com suggested this image of a Berlin building when asked to provide images related to "marketing differentiation". While obviously far geographically from the question below, the building symbolizes the distinctions and globalization -- and is a reminder, as well, that geographical focus remains a valid and vital differentiating quality.

Here is a challenging and thought-provoking question sent by a long-established and successful North Carolina contractor:

I think your newspaper's best service will be to identify the next trend we will need to survive - my opinion is that LEED is already becoming commonplace and BIM will sweep the scene right behind it. What's coming after that - what will we have to embrace next to stay in business?

Also, I would love to know what other general contractors are doing to educate their existing and prospective clients about the services that differentiate them from other GCs in the marketplace...what tactics/actions get through to our customers? And which services really ARE differentiators in this day and age?

For the contractor's first question, the answer of what's next on the horizon, indeed, is a combination of Building Information Management (BIM)technology, and new trends to P3 or Public-Private-Partnership business models. Both are, for want of a better word, disruptive. The are strong enough to test the bounds of existing, long-standing business relationships AND create new bonds that can tie and set long-term sticky connections and relationships.

Since BIM involves the integration of the building concept drawings into a multi-dimensional and organic, interlinked perception, whoever has access or ownership of the BIM database for the project will be well placed to build the project, handle renovations and updates, and additions -- and of course, if the template is strong, then the model can be replicated in more than one location, again providing market power and control to the player(s) who are well connected to the technology and its rights.

P3 projects, meanwhile, change the scope of relationships between owners, designers, and contractors -- in some cases, the designer/contractor can become the owner by arranging the financing and pulling together the consortium to build the project. Here, rules vary by state and region; and the ground is still murky -- both creating opportunities and risks for everyone involved.

The contractor's second question is more challenging, yet in some ways, simpler to answer. To differentiate effectively you must play on one or more of your core strengths -- related to our passions and values (and of course these must match the interests of your marketplace!) Your differentiation may be your years in business (long standing tradition and reputation), your geography (we are the number one contractor in our rural area), or specialty (we are the leading builder of mini-storage facilities. These elements, combined, give you your strength.

So if you are the number one builder of Mini-Storage Facilities and have been doing this from the beginning, say 50 years ago, you'll have a compelling story to tell. Generally, the more specialized your area of expertise and differentiation, the wider your geographical coverage is -- but you can reverse the specialization by focusing on smaller geographical areas. "We only build within a 50 mile radius of (town)" is a valid distinction, and allows you to do all kinds of work within your region, either directly or through joint ventures with specialist contractors who have achieved their own niche reputation.

One important word of warning here: If you don't think your current differentiation is working, be very careful before throwing away your brand and focus, with some grand vision to change. You may be giving up your soul for an uncertain and unnecessarily risky future. Your solution may simply be to keep pace with the must-haves in business which will allow you to retain your differentiating advantage. (So, yes, make sure your staff is LEED certified if you wish to do any commercial or institutional work.)

The We We Calculator

George Zarogiannis, president of Ecopainting Inc. in Toronto, introduced futurenow's "We We Calculator" in this contractortalk.com thread. This image above is from Ecopainting's own web site. How does your own website score?

One of the basic principals of marketing is your message must be client rather than self-focused. So the "We We Calculator" is a nifty, if somewhat sobering, tool. The idea is to see how much your website is client rather than self-centric.

Take the test and see how you do.

Here are the customer focus rates among some of the blogs reviewed here.

Ford Harding -- 72.39%
CofeBuz (Tim Klabunde) -- 52.78%
Markup and Profit blog (Michael Stone) -- 64.53%
PSMJ Resources, Inc. blog (Ed Hannan) -- 76.11%
Yours truly (the banned word goes here, you know who it is!) -- 38.72%

Ouch!

"You speak about yourself almost as often as you speak about your customers. Might you improve that?," the test results note.

George Zarogiannis at Ecopainting Ltd. in Toronto introduced this calculator and its source, grok.com in this Contractortalk.com thread.

Future now, a proponent of persuasion architecture, has a nice little tool.
It analyzes the "about you" or "about the customer" focus of a webpage.
Type in a url and find out. Ours needs work just found out.

Also, on that topic, Bryan Eisenberg, the authority on that subject has some interesting points:

"It's the Customer, Stupid"

http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=843281

Lessons learned here -- look at Ford Harding, Michael Stone and PSMJ's results -- Impressive, eh. Can (bleep) do better?

Blogging power

Keith Bloemdaal (left) of Raleigh Fence Contractors observes how his blog has succeeded with me and North Carolina Publisher Bob Kruhm.

Keith Bloemendaal has discovered blogging power. The Raleigh, NC fencing contractor has developed a new network of clients, relationships, and connections just months after starting his blog -- and he hasn't yet reaped one of the most tangible (and business building) rewards of a well-managed blog -- really high search engine rankings for his business.

North Carolina publisher Bob Kruhm arranged for us to meet with Keith during my visit to Raleigh yesterday. At 3:30 p.m., we consumed several cups of coffee at an Olive Garden restaurant, as he relayed his life story and experiences, and how he has found the blogging process has influenced his business.

Bloemendaal's web designer created a blog that combines the immediacy, relevancy and ease of updating of a blog, with the design of a professional business home page/website. I like his blog -- it exudes professionalism. And he writes well. This has caused his blog to attract attention of some of the leading luminaries of the blogging community, creating link backs and traffic -- and within Raleigh, connections within the community's high technology community. Many of these people need fencing for their homes, and some have been calling him for estimates, and to give him work.

Keith however must wait several months for Google to do its thing. Google takes its time in giving high search engine rankings to new blogs and websites -- sometimes you can wait for upwards of a year before you are out of the "sandbox". We can speculate on the reason for the seemingly unmovable delay -- it could be to ensure authenticity and discourage spamming, or it could be a device to induce people needing higher search engine rankings to purchase advertising through Google's Adwords program.

(Keith says he tried Adwords but this grew costly as local competitors engaged in bidding wards, pushing the price for key words through the roof. )

I told Keith that a good sign his blog will be leaving the sandbox is when he finds, suddenly, that Google disables it. I experienced that on my Blogger account -- to find once the site had been manually inspected by a real person (presumably to ensure I wasn't publishing a Splog -- or a blog entirely designed to manipulate search engine results), that this blog's search engine rankings suddenly skyrocketed. Keith may not experience the same thing; he is using an alternative template and thus may not be subject to the Blogger controls I experienced.

Regardless, Keith's blog combines the right combination of authoritative, interesting information, and practical self-promotion. You can read the blog and learn stuff about fencing whether or not you have any interest in calling him, but you'll find his phone number clearly displayed if you need fencing in Raleigh and wish a free estimate. (I don't really like 'free estimates' but realize it is common practice among residential contractors and service providers.)

Keith suggested he in the future he could provide blogging consulting services for other contractors. He could succeed at this, I think, but the challenge is really good blogs must reflect the individual character and personality of the blogger; and not that many fencing contractors, I think, are great writers who enjoy the hours that need to be spent in making an effective blog. Of course, if you are in that category -- or are willing to pay someone to be your ghost writer -- you could still succeed.

If you know of other examples of well produced local blogs from construction contractors, let me know. I expect I'll segregate these into a special reference list -- and of course the blogger will gain the advantage of a one-way positive link from a highly ranked and relevant blog. (And that gets into that other area of Internet marketing -- Search Engine Optimization).

Some voice mail thoughts

Ford Harding makes some useful points in his blog entry: How to leave a voicemail message -- especially his suggestion that you leave your number early, rather than late, in the message.

I'll implement that strategy. I already slow down when it comes to leaving the callback number, and generally repeat it twice -- to make it much easier for the recipient to respond.

In practice, voice mail responses can still be difficult. Here is an example. Arriving in Raleigh, North Carolina, yesterday, I turned on the cellular phone/Blackberry and found a lengthy message from a good friend inviting me to lunch (in Ottawa!) that day. Holding my carry on bags, walking quickly through the terminal to meet the person taking me to lunch -- in Raleigh -- I somehow had to juggle the phone, the virtually inaudible message, and figure out how to answer.

This is one of the cases where I wish my friend had sent an email with his phone number and email for reply. With that information on the Blackberry, I could quickly scan his message and return his call (by phone) with one click of the dial.

Voice mail messages are inherently inconvenient to return. This is one reason why, while I have a practice of returning all calls within 24 hours, I sometimes fail to return promptly calls from salespeople with propositions of little interest to me, who 'rush' their voice mail message and make me listen to it again and again, to respond. Why bother . . . the answer will be 'no' and I'm not going to be too eager to do business with anyone who both inconveniences me, and makes it difficult to respond.

Editorial Advisory Roundtable (l to r) Matt Smith, Barnhill Contracting Company; Donna Emmary, Frank L Blum Construction Co., Bob Kruhm, NC Construction News, Shan-Te’ Johnson, MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Mark Buckshon, Construction News Group and Burke Wilson, Sharpe Images.

I learned some important things during my brief visit to Raleigh, North Carolina, yesterday. The most important lesson is how successful regional businesses survive and thrive through generations and changing economic circumstances and technologies. They maintain their cohesive and simple values of respect, integrity, and respect for competence -- while adapting, consistently, to the changing environment.

Barnhill Contracting Company has been around for 65 years and Frank L Blum Construction Company has been in business for 85 years -- Donna Emmary says her company has the second oldest active North Carolina construction business registration. And Sharpe Images, represented by Burke Wilson, has been in North Carolina for 50 years. Shan-Te’ Johnson, MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, represents the new era as larger, multi-state businesses form through expansion and mergers and change the shape of the business landscape.

Matt Smith from Barnhill Contracting and Donna Emmary at Frank L. Blum both observed they are facing new competitive challenges as out of state contractors, many of which are well funded and established, are setting up North Carolina branches to capture one of the most vibrant markets in the South. While residential construction has declined along with private-sector commercial construction, much work is either under construction or in the pipeline in infrastructure and institutional areas -- and the State has avoided the worst elements of the mortgage crisis (it implemented anti-predatory lending legislation and avoided the worst excess's of high-risk mortgages that have plagued other Southern markets.)

Everyone agreed that expertise in issues such as Building Information Management and environmental sustainability -- LEED certifications -- are now essential for survival; competence in these areas doesn't carry too much marketing weight in itself, but lack of these capacities will set them back. Burke Wilson said his business generally does better in slower times, as more copies of plans and documents must be printed for the higher number of bidders for each job. Of course, the reprographics business is undergoing its own challenges -- with electronic communications, use of conventional blueprints is declining, but opportunities still can be found -- Wilson's company, for example, has just set up a private electronic plans room with Frank L. Blum.

Changing values of course reflect the environment -- and everyone is aware that the rules of the game may shift after the November election, with the surge in black voter registrations. Panelists noted to me that since county and state officials are also elected at the same time as the federal elections, there could be major changes in the balance of local political power. No one sees this as necessarily a bad thing. North Carolina publisher Bob Kruhm remembers how, as a younger person, he sought to register to vote in neighbouring Virginia. He said he was instructed to visit some one's home, presumably to inspect him and verify his race (White) would be suitable to be allowed to be on the voter's roll.

"How can a publication serve this dynamic market?", I thought. And the answer, while not earth-shattering, is as simple as the meeting: Good will, mutual respect, and an acknowledgement that construction businesses both need to maintain their relationships while adapting and innovating -- and our role as publishers should be to encourage and engage in these relationships and provide information and insights, and work on enhancing the community and its spirit.

Visiting North Carolina

The Cardinal Club in Raleigh, NC.

Today, I'm flying to Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend a meeting of the Society for Marketing Professionals (SMPS) Research Triangle Chapter, followed by our first editorial advisory meeting. North Carolina publisher Bob Kruhm will introduce me to readers and advertisers for an hour's conversation and dialogue. Our objective is to learn what we are doing well, and (more importantly) what we can do better to communicate construction news in North Carolina. I'm especially interested in learning about topics and issues of special concern and worthy of additional attention on our part.

This will be a long day. My outbound flight (connecting through Toronto) leaves at 6 a.m. and I return at 1 a.m. the next morning.

Can you manage or harness Word of Mouth marketing? Maybe . . .

In my previous posting, I contended: " I don't think you can manage or harness your word of mouth marketing." Perhaps this is not 100 per cent correct. Organizations such as BzzAgent Inc. offer a service to consumer marketers to spread the word through organized word-of-mouth seeding. Dave Balter's book: Grapevine: Why Buzz Was a Fad but Word of Mouth is Forever explains the concept -- the BzzAgents receive product samples and guidance, he says, but are encouraged to be transparent about their objectives, and file reports on their word-of-mouth spreading activities. I signed up to be an Agent last night. (Agents are paid in rewards points and with free samples, but most participate for the chance to be ahead of the curve in new product introductions and for the ego satisfaction in spreading the word.)

I doubt most construction industry businesses could benefit from this type of consumer-market service; just as they would probably not have sufficient sample size and market diversity to benefit from organized consumer feedback surveys conducted passively (that is, by relying on online invitations rather than someone going out and directly asking the survey questions, which can be both intrusive and irritating to the person receiving the survey questions.)

But there are ways, I believe, to engage clients and 'manage' word-of-mouth, and in the previous posting, I suggested a simple approach -- find ways to go with your most satisfied clients to association/community events and network with them among peers and other potential clients.

I also think if your business culture internally is respectful, engaging, and rewarding, your employees will naturally spread the word among their peers and connect in the community with potential clients in ways that can only help attract new business for you. Of course, encouraging non sales/marketing employees to help out with referrals and recommendations (and leads) is sometimes easier said than done -- but will probably be a whole lot more profitable than engaging external marketers to drum up new business.

Can you manage or harness Word of Mouth marketing?

This ad is from the home page of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, which publishes a blog, The Womma Word. I first learned about this association from the late Sonny Lykos.

Undoubtedly the most effective -- or damaging - market force affecting your business is word of mouth. What people say about your business behind your back, including current and former clients, employees, suppliers, and in some cases complete strangers, will determine your marketing success or failure. The slickest, most expensive, and best executed advertising strategy will (with few exceptions) go to waste if your community sees your business in a less-than-positive light; conversely, if you are well regarded, your phone will ring or email will ping, and you'll have plenty of business to keep you going.

The answer to the question "Can you manage or harness Word of Mouth marketing?" is two pronged.

If you have a great reputation -- your word of mouth is truly positive -- you can, indeed, capture and use it in your marketing to boost your effectiveness and results. This is great news for many excellent contractors, who in good times, didn't need to look for business -- it came to them without any effort -- but now are facing some challenges as the phone has stopped ringing on its own.

If you have a not-so-great reputation, you need to fix the underlying problems before you begin assertive marketing. The best solution to this issue, I've found from hard experience, is deeply engaging yourself with your business and your clients. You need to clear away the muck of desperate employees, and find first-hand what is wrong and then fix things before you begin worrying about your external marketing.

Finally, of course, if you are new or a start-up, you need to set habits and business practices to create the positive word of mouth setting, and build it from there.

These may be obvious truths, but here is an example of what I mean in practice. Yesterday morning, I received a call from a Chicago-area roofer. He wanted to know what I could do for him. "Do you have blast faxes, or mass email services?" he asked.

"Well, no," I replied. "In the U.S. advertising faxing will land you in trouble with the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and I'm not really into spam."

I made it clear that in fact, I have nothing at all to sell to him -- we don't have a publication serving his market, and even our regional websites are in most areas still hidden under a generic cover page. But as you may notice from the blog's sidebar, I've gone out on a limb and offered free suggestions and advice for marketing, so proceeded to help him as much as I could.
Without an axe to grind (or any benefit in mind for my own business), I asked him if he has a good business reputation. He said, "Yes, our customers really appreciate our service and honesty." Since I am not in Chicago, I have no way of knowing this for sure, but I found this one clue about his business, Wayne's Roofing, at phone number 800-300-5910. ("Great phone number," I told him.)

In his listing on yellowpages.com you'll notice this positive comment, posted on March 17:

Great Value; Very honest guys with quick work turnaround. Great pricing, quality materials. I was very pleased with the job they did. I would definitely recommend!

Cool -- as far as I can tell, even with one example, Wayne's Roofing is getting it right.

Now I'm not rushing to suggest that this company spend more (or anything, at all, for that matter) on Yellow Pages listings, and certainly the business owner shouldn't spend money on blast faxes or spam! But I'll take him at his word, he delivers "Great Value".

I asked Wayne some additional questions. He said he is looking for commercial rather than residential work. This led me to suggest:

1. He work on getting a proper website set up; nothing fancy, just good enough to be an introduction to his business;
2. He plan some targeted Google Adwords advertising in his market, and take advantage of the free Google Local service; and
3. He find out which trade associations and groups his most satisfied clients belong to, join these organizations, and then go to association meetings one-on-one with his satisfied clients.

I think Options 1. and 2. went over his head -- he isn't really interested in the Internet, technology, blogging and things like that, and there is no way it makes sense to run a business against its grain. But he liked and thought he could implement Option 3. easily enough. "I enjoy being with my clients," he said. Clearly, if he attends meetings and events with satisfied clients, he will pump the prime for word-of-mouth recommendations.

For example, he could invite a client to attend BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) Chicago chapter meetings. He sits at the lunch table next to one of his most satisfied clients, a local property manager. Just imagine the dynamics of the table, the spontaneous observations, and the behind-the-scenes information he can share/receive in this environment. He is setting the stage for referral and recommendation business, and insights into upcoming work and opportunities. He'll also learn through the grapevine about who to avoid -- the slime balls and dishonest businesses or those who can't pay their bills. This only works, of course, if his clients are truly enthusiastic about his service and value.

You may find other clues about 'harnessing word of mouth' in this example. Some companies have found setting up feedback forums and services and publicly encouraging client comments (negative as well as positive) facilitates the expanding impact of Web-based word of mouth advertising. The Apple ads with the bloated (and nerdy) Microsoft Vista user are effective because (alas for Microsoft) they reflect truth -- and what is happening in the word of mouth community; certainly the community I inhabit.

Finally, a word of warning. You may be tempted to fake your word of mouth reputation. If you want to play these games, (which I don't recommend) proceed with caution. Sure, you can seed Internet forums and public listing services with positive comments from your friends and employees, but if these comments don't reflect what is really happening, the backlash will haunt you. You can also pay for artificial and phony surveys to obtain the result you are seeking. But wouldn't it be more helpful for you to know what your clients really think about your business -- and then do something about the underlying problems.

In conclusion, I don't think you can manage or harness your word of mouth marketing. But you can solve the underlying issues to create an environment where positive word of mouth is earned and deserved -- and you can certainly foster and encourage this good-will through your marketing strategies.

A look behind the 49 New Marketing Strategies

I read virtually everything available about marketing, especially construction marketing, and will pay for stuff, including Steve Flashman's new e-book, Marketing for Construction. (Since I just ordered and received the e-book just a few minutes ago, it is far too early to write a review, but I'm sure you will find value in it if you purchase it.)

Of course, some of the best stuff out there is free, so I appreciated canvassing consultant Joseph Needham's contribution when he forwarded another e-book, "49 New Marketing Strategies". This e-book carries a copyright by Kapstone Marketing Inc. (Kapstonemarketinginc.com) but no author credit. It seemed strange that someone would publish an e-book with (mostly) incredibly useful information and ideas, and not take authorship credit for the work.

Kapstone Marketing is operated by Jay Medley in Los Angeles. "In case you were wondering Jay Medley did not write that book, it was written by someone else and he somehow makes it look as though he was the author. However when you ask him, he won't take credit for it," Needham emailed me.

I Googled some body text from the e-book, and discovered the wording had been replicated several times by other marketing consultants in various U.S. cities. Then I read the document carefully. While most of the advice in the book made a lot of sense, the author in a few places suggested that marketers use broadcast faxes to promote products and services. This raised a huge red flag to me. The Federal Communications Commission has some pretty stringent regulations about using the fax for advertising --- advertising faxes can lead to a $500 civil penalty for each fax -- so imagine the liability if you send out, say, 1,000 faxes -- a smart lawyer could launch a class action and nail you for $500,000. (There are exceptions to the law but generally you want to be very careful if you are contemplating using the fax for marketing anything in the U.S.)

My research led me to this fascinating Google Answers research posting:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=537660.

The source of the Kapstone Marketing e-book is Rich Harshaw's Monopolize Your Marketplace. MYM has sold the material and a system to provide services as marketing consultants to several people across the U.S., with apparently mixed reviews (some are enthusiastic, others not so.)

So, what can we interpret from this material? I'll ask Jay Medley for his observations, of course, and respect that he could be truly competent at marketing and decided that the system he acquired is both worth the money and worthy of sharing with others.

Real customer satisfaction -- two simple solutions

Marc Thibeault, of J.D. Power and Associates (right) presents a plaque recognizing Mattamy Homes as the best 2008 Ottawa area builder for customer satisfaction to Troy van Haastrecht, president of Mattamy’s Ottawa operations, at the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association (GOHBA) Customer Service Awards evening.

Here are two simple things you can do to really increase your client satisfaction -- and your genuine brand/market effectiveness -- without paying much, if any more than you are presently spending on marketing.

1. Keep your job sites clean, every day.
2. Communicate the job's progress through regular reports to your clients.

Marc Thibault, real estate practice leader at the Canadian office of J.D. Power and Associates, communicated these suggestions at the annual Customer Service Awards dinner at the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association last night. J.D. Power conducts a 62-point survey of home builders each year, and compiles a report with observations that could put fear or pride in the heart of local builders.

Many of Thibault's observations are local in nature and appropriately will be reported in detail in The Impact!, the GOHBA newsletter we publish under contract, rather than this blog. But I found his observations and suggestions about communication and cleanliness to have widespread and easy-to-implement effectiveness for your business.

"Job site cleanliness is the number one driver of the metric" of the second most important aspect of client satisfaction -- the work of the construction/site team, Thibeault said. (Other important elements on the construction site include speedy resolution of problems, the thoroughness of he pre-delivery inspection, contractors appearance and dress, and their courtesy and patience.)

The most important metric for client satisfaction is "home readiness" -- that is, when the project is handed over to the purchaser, it is really finished and defect free. Thibeault suggested many problems are occurring in client satisfaction when, in the rush to complete the work and hand it over to the purchaser, the project isn't totally complete. The site and home readiness aspects combine to produce 47 per cent of the client satisfaction indicators -- suggesting these two elements are vital to a successful project.

But what about communication? Thibeault said the survey data shows a truly marked increase in performance and client satisfaction from clients who receive regular progress reports from their builder, implying that it may be better in some cases to communicate well and complete the project late (and complete) than rush it to stay on schedule. (I didn't ask Thibeault this question, but it might have been a good one to check; whether, if you know you are running into delays, to give the consumer a choice -- accept occupancy on the original schedule, with the possibility of a need for increased call backs and fixes -- or delay and deliver defect free. Presumably some consumers, knowing in advance the situation, might tolerate or even embrace the post-completion problems if they are given the choice because they absolutely need to obtain occupancy and make the move, while others would be willing to wait a while for a higher level of perfection.)

At the GOHBA dinner, 28 employees received recognition as nominees for customer service excellence. Independent judges selected George Jacques of General Repairs and Renovations as the Trade Supplier Customer Service Leader and Jan Coulis of Minto Homes as the winner for Builder Construction Leader.

Thibeault said the Ottawa-area home builder satisfaction ratings overall remain flat from last year, with some builders running into problems with incomplete and unresolved problems on home completion -- presumably because they were rushing to meet delivery deadlines. Mattamy Homes ranks highest for client satisfaction in the Ottawa market.

See the J.D. Power news release here.

The call

We're in the midst of a couple of marketing success stories I cannot share all the details with you right now because of confidentiality requirements. The developments are certainly livening up our days here -- and show, more than ever, the power of integrated approaches to marketing, combining this blog, service standards, and community connections and relationships.

While I'm constrained in describing the details, one example will show how all the pieces fit together. A couple of weeks ago, I received a call inviting me to bid on a project. Observing the circumstances, I realized the project is beyond our business scope, focus and plan -- but it certainly is within our marketing community.

My 'mental Rolodex' went to work, and I thought of someone I knew from years ago, with the relevant connections and experience. Thinking he is in semi-retirement, I figured a call to him would not hurt -- he might be able to refer me to someone who could help deal with the situation.

He returned my call today. Turns out, he is only temporarily 'retired'. We discussed the project parameters, and he suggested we bring in a third person (who I know and respect). Once I gather some additional information, our team will be able to present an incredible proposal, based on years of relevant experience and industry knowledge. I think we will blow away the competition.

This is the stuff of great business. The person I called had earned his brand reputation through years of business and relationships; he didn't need to go out and sell himself (as I didn't, in learning about the original opportunity.) We aren't forcing ourselves into contortions to win the work; we are simply building a natural and effective team that can do what needs to be done with quality, effectiveness, and reliability. And we'll only bid the work if we can earn a profit.

Relations like this often occur through long-standing participation in relevant associations. Although this story is not related to The Society for Marketing Professional Services, I've heard from long-standing SMPS members that the greatest business value of their association membership is, indeed, the relationships -- especially when they are working on projects that transcend their regional geographical scope or specific expertise. They know who to call on for insights, ideas, and in some cases, joint ventures and proposal development initiatives.

In these cases, marketing success seems so natural you almost wonder if you need to work for a living. Minding your own business, you receive a call out of the blue from someone you know, who invites you to join in the project. Where is the salesmanship, the search for work, the hard effort here? Of course, you still need to do your work really well. And you won't get that call unless you are around, in sight and mind, or your achievements leave such a strong impression (brand?) that when the need for your services arises, the prospective client or joint venture partner will call you first.

The interesting thing about this form of marketing is its seemingly indirect and long-term nature. This is not the stuff of cold calling and canvassing; of expensive advertising campaigns and high-cost sponsorships. It is, piece by piece, making the connections, contributing, and delivering value. And there is an extra bonus. As you succeed in this type of marketing, you'll notice great things happen in your own organization as work flows in. The success spirit is infectious.

Microsoft's response

After posting my observations and frustrations with Microsoft Vista's crash-laden software with a backup utility that 'locked' my backup data in still inaccessible format, I searched for and found a blog maintained by Microsoft relating to the topic. And I sent a rather firm and angry email, with reference to my earlier blog posting on my decision to switch to Apple.

Today, I received an email response from Malu Menezes at Microsoft.

Hello, Mark

Sorry to hear about your problems with Vista.

I actually faced something similar with my brand new laptop in 2006, before I came to work at Microsoft.

In my case, I was able to solve the problems once I performed a clean install of Vista, using a Vista CD - not the ones provided by my laptop manufacturer. Once I reinstalled Vista from scratch, I downloaded from the manufacturer's site only the drivers I needed to make the computer work - video card, webcam and a couple of others. I never had another problem again. I believe some pre-installed software was making my computer unstable. Some manufacturer put a lot of doubtful quality drivers and applications in the laptops.

Anyway, sorry again for your problem, and we hope we can win your business back in the future. I'm forwarding your comments to our internal discussion list.

Regards
--Malu

Malu's Bio at Microsoft's "The Storage Team at Microsoft -- File Cabinet" says:

I joined the Storage Solutions Division in November 2007, as a Customer Connection Program Manager.

My job is to facilitate our team’s communication with our Customers. And to achieve that, I help people from my team to engage in Forums, Beta programs, Influencer programs and… Blogs!

Fair enough. I appreciate the response. But alas his observation just adds to the problem. He is shifting the blame -- not accepting responsibility for the fact that Microsoft entered into the licensing arrangement with the manufacturer to virtually force the end-user to use Vista. If the software cannot handle the conflicts, it should NOT be the consumer's responsibility to sort out the mess.

I've had my MacBook Pro for close to two weeks now, and it hasn't crashed once. I turn it on and it works. I do not want to deal with "system registry" issues and agonize over software conflicts. And I don't need to, any more.

Most people reading this blog, undoubtedly, are not working for businesses of the size and power of Microsoft. We don't have a fortune to spend on advertising in the most expensive national media, or to hire experts with six or even seven figure salaries. But if we've been able to stay in business a while, we know the essence of success in developing and maintaining our business (and our brand) is to deliver the goods in a way that clients feel connected and more than content. I'm happy that Malu is making the connection -- Microsoft has a long ways to go to create the contentment.

When is enough, enough?

Editor's note: After writing the original version of this posting, the owner at the Internet Service Provider we use sent a lengthy email, concerned about how we were representing his business. I picked up the phone to respond. I explained this posting is NOT intended to speak negatively about his business, but to relate the complexities and challenges of relying on email communications for marketing and branding. To avoid any misunderstandings, I've removed any reference identifying the organization involved. They really give great service -- the somewhat testy email example is reported below to show the risks and challenges of email communication, not to criticize the service we've received.)

In the email era, I am amazed how much work and communication we complete after hours. One prime time I've discovered is between 10 pm and 1 a.m. It seems many of us are at our computers then, with the children asleep, and we are catching up on business. I often use this time to take care of the nitty-gritty details of our still-under-construction websites, e-letter writing, and blogging (though I write most of my blog entries when I wake up the next morning -- it is my best writing time.)

Last night, I had the challenging task of transferring PDF files for features and news stories for our September print issues to our salespeople. This work includes sending the original PDF files, and setting up the documents at our Internet Service Provider (ISP) host server, so employees can paste the links into communications and provide direct weblinks for clients and their own blogs. Since our business at present only has five employees, we don't have an internal webmaster -- the job rests on my shoulders. I generally enjoy this non-executive responsibility, though I cannot claim to be an expert and sometimes things are exasperating as we wait for our contracted web developers to complete their work and set up a new comprehensive, complete site.

Facing a technical difficulty (and yet another email at 11 pm from one of my employees questioning why the links I had provided weren't working), I received this response from one of the partners in the ISP we use:

I would be more than happy to create the links to the adverts for nc (North Carolina) sites and create links for you for files you need to share (and the sub directories to store them in), the cost would be 95/hr with 1 hour minimum per session.

Our support team is always ready to assist you, please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or problems you encounter.

The type faces/sizes are proportional to the original. The bottom "Our support team is always ready" is template material. Do you notice an inconsistency here?

I responded, intuitively, and angrily, that I would be "happy" to pay the $95.00 if the developer would show me how to do things so I don't need to bother him again. I realized on waking up that I had been (partly) unreasonable here -- the developer, working at 11 p.m., fielding yet another unpaid request for service/support, had reasonably expressed his frustration. And so was I -- facing the email conundrum with at least two employees bugging me with requests at the same late hour.

This morning, I recalled Ford Harding's email earlier in the day reminding of the Synchoblog he has co-ordinated for September 22, when a four-person blogging team will answer "The Email Question".

Getting a head-start, I'll observe some qualities about email that are both good and bad:

• Email facilitates communication at otherwise inconvenient times, increasing productivity and effectiveness. (I solved problems and learned about issues at 11 p.m. last night relating to our websites.)
• Email can facilitate incomplete or less-than-positive communications, resulting in absurdities such as the note from my web developer. Carelessly applied, you can damage relationships with insensitive or inappropriate communications, especially when you fail to read the nuances correctly or turn the thing off.

In mu own business, I've always asked employees not to phone me or each other after hours unless the situation is critical. The phone is intrusive, disruptive, and often inconvenient -- do we really need business calls when we are with our families? (Our clients' businesses thankfully operate within regular business hours, so we don't need to worry about what would otherwise be essential after-hours service.)

Conversely, I tell employees they have two options with email. They can send it and read it any time they wish, but they do not need to respond after hours -- late night exchanges should only happen when both the sender and receiver wish to communicate.

These are some of email's biggest advantages: It is fast, quick, quiet and non-disruptive of others, and you can respond quickly, or in a timely and thoughtful manner. Just remember, you cannot always read the nuances or inflections accurately and you can be caught, like my internet service provider did last night, with an inconsistent response that distorts client service and relationships.

When to meet, when to not

This image is from the Construction Business Development Blog (U.K.), the inspiration for the following posting.

How important is it for you to meet face to face -- or for that matter, on the phone -- with potential clients? This question is raised in Ian Brodie's Sales Excellence Blog, where the writer suggests that he always obtained better results with direct client meetings; but observed that recently he has found it easier to purchase in some cases from vendors who don't push for the meeting, but effectively answer his inquiries and provide the information he needs by email.

A Sales Conundrum: Do We Need a Sales Meeting to Sell Nowadays?

I discovered this posting at the Construction Business Development Blog from the U.K. I've never met any of the people behind either of these blogs. Many times now, indeed, I would rather get the information I need and make the purchase decision without 'encountering' a sales rep (or if I do, a simple email exchange or perhaps a brief phone conversation -- initiated by me -- are all that are needed to get the 'yes' response.)

Yet I believe face-to-face meetings are important, though not necessarily to sell! Undoubtedly we obtain useful business from our relationships at construction and community associations, but the difference here is that our sales guard is down; we aren't pushing for the business, nor are we intruding on any one's space or time.

Certainly, there are some situations where, for example, you need to go on site and get measurements, and in these circumstances it is probably helpful to have the decision-makers around. If you receive a cold inquiry to "just check the site, and email the estimate" you may be working with someone who is wired to work with a competitor and just wants a second quote to keep the regular supplier honest. But, again, I think if you force yourself in the "one stop close' model -- as advocated by some sales gurus -- you are playing in the high pressure world, which discourages rather than encourages most prospective clients (at least clients with money).

We've found something of the same situation in hiring employees. Virtually everyone who responds to our advertisements receives a response -- an introductory note and questionnaire. For sales career opportunities, I also provide my phone number and email address. I'll respond within 24 hours to anyone who inquiries, but have discovered that candidates who push for an interview right away don't work out. They don't really know who we are or understand that the thing that really matters to us is whether they can do the job, not "interview well". In fact, while we'll invite people in the Ottawa area to work from our offices for the evaluation working test, we expect other finalist candidates to work from their homes and only if they do well -- and we are ready to offer employment -- will I fly out and meet the finalist in person (and it is important to have that meeting then.)

How to get on top of Google Local in under one month

The headline for this contractortalk.com thread reads like one of those "get rich on the Internet quick" scams, but the substance appears valid. If you have a local business, feeding the correct information into the Google matrix may produce a virtually instant win for your local marketing initiatives. Conceivably, the crowd will grow but there are real advantages in the Google algorithms to your being first. Since the cost in time and effort is as close to Zero as you can get, this one is a no-brainer to implement.