Small communities and big opportunities

The Design and Construction Network -- Ottawa is still at the early stages, but is part of a growing interconnection of international Internet specialized networks with local counterparts.

Following yesterday's posting, I engaged in email communications with Rory Swan at Servicez Unlimited in Washington DC and Leslie-Anne McAllister in Atlanta, GA. Both are contributing useful and effective resources on the remodelcrazy.com forum and both helped answer some questions I had about construction marketing issues. (Rory clarified his CRM system is part of a much larger -- and much more expensive -- software package, and Leslie-Anne and I explored aspects of SEO and the local Internet vs Yellow Pages marketing.)

Dialogue on a Sunday morning between Washington, Atlanta and Ottawa, without any oral communications? (I'm setting up further discussions with both Rory and Leslie-Anne but we all appreciate that these need to be fit within sometimes intense business/work schedules.)

Of course, remodelcrazy.com is actually a small community, and (not surprisingly) we find many of the same participants there in other online groups, and among this blog's readership. These communities represent only a tiny portion of the remodeling and renovation industry; tens of thousands of small businesses in communities around the world are nowhere near these online groups and networks.

But that is okay, because the people in this space are probably the most important community in the industry.

The reason is simple: By openly sharing ideas and best practices, they are gaining a powerful competitive advantage. Sure, some people out there are lurking, listening in without participating, and "stealing" ideas, but without active engagement in the community, they fail to realize the back and forth dialogue, insights, and market testing that goes on in these spaces.

The interesting and exciting development is that we can now begin taking these concepts to a more local level. Previously, your networking and business development opportunities locally would be through relevant associations and community groups (and your existing/previous client list). These resources continue to be the most effective route to networking especially for business-to-business marketing.

Now, however, you can link the online and offline network opportunities within your own area, and in many cases tie these to the larger online communities.

This is still at a very early stage, but the progress with the Design and Construction Network and local subgroups is exciting. You can see our early version for Ottawa, here, in co-operation with the Ottawa Chapter of Construction Specifications Canada.

The online communities are (still) relatively small but I believe provide forward-thinking construction industry marketers big opportunities for the future.

The perfect (and near-perfect) marketing place

The BILDCOttawa event provided plenty of networking opportunities, in a natural environment. Perfect for marketing.

Yesterday afternoon, recovering from my spammy survey market research effort, I attended a perfect marketing event. Perfect for my business, that is. Nevertheless, the event also proved to be near-perfect for most of the other participants.

The event: A BILDCOttawa afternoon panel discussion focusing on the "Anti-Recession Infrastructure Program". BILDCOttawa is a lobbying and information-sharing consortium of associations representing the Ottawa Regional Society of Architects (ORSA), The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) -- Ottawa, the Consulting Engineers of Ontario -- Ottawa Branch, the General Contractors Association of Ottawa (GCAO), and the Iinternational Facilities Management Association (IFMA) -- Ottawa Chapter.

GCAO representatives encouraged me to attend, and organizers made me welcome by waiving the $25.00 fee (which included lunch and dinner). Representatives of several companies providing products and services for facilities management paid to be sponsors and had space for their exhibits.

The meat of the event: Representatives of the Canadian federal government and the City of Ottawa explained exactly how much money they had from anti-recession infrastructure programs, and how they planned to spend the cash. This is golden market research information for the general contractors and architects in the room and great stuff for Ottawa Construction News. (I was the only journalist there.)

I'm sure you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see why this is a perfect marketing venue for me.

• The participants and organizers wanted me to be there because my presence lends support and credibility to their efforts;
• The participants are mostly decision-makers and senior executives within the community of people who can facilitate revenue-generating features and advertising for our publications;
• We were in a warm, educational, and relaxing environment, where we had plenty of opportunity to network, communicate and share stories.
• The event cost me nothing but time (and this time is well spent -- I have significant editorial content for our publications, as well as valuable marketing and sales leads).
• Our presence there creates a positive connection between our publications and the marketplace; in other words, it helps the brand.

In reading these observations you may be saying "good for you, but how does this help my business?" The answer is that you can find similar opportunities, right under your nose, if you look in the right places.

Consider these points:

Association involvement, especially with associations that connect or serve your clients or key influencers, provides powerful marketing opportunities.

You may find you can take things a step further by building liaisons and linkages between your specific trade association or group and client-centric organizations, to create new levels of association involvement, such as BILDCOttawa. Leadership in these endeavors ultimately puts you in the right place, at the right time, among potential clients.

Consider the power of your niche, namely your specific skill or service, and how it applies in the marketplace.

We sell advertising; you might install drywall or build office towers, but you have something of value to offer. Meld this within the association and community framework, and you hit a marketing home run.

Look at the associations named in this article: Yes, they are local, Ottawa chapters, but most are part of associations with chapters in most major cities. In other words, the synergies and inter-relationships here could truly also apply in your own market areas.

From a near-perfect perspective, I don't think the suppliers who paid for exhibit space at this event feel they lost out on the deal. They had direct and immediate access to people who could truly specify their services, and they could overtly promote their services in a meaningful environment.

Regarding my spammy market research test, yesterday's blog entry resulted in some useful emails from readers with practical suggestions and ideas to overcome the marketing challenges exposed by that experiment. This blog's openness may represent one of its most powerful marketing advantages. Bob Kruhm pointed me to this Raintoday.com posting: Using Social Media to Build Trust and a Brand, which explains how blogging and showing your business as it is, warts and all, can be really helpful in your marketing process.

Metrics and Networking

The Society for Marketing Professional Service (SMPS) provides many really effective networking opportunities. In the online community, you can also consider the Design and Construction Network.

Mel Lester's latest E-Quip Blog provides some basic, but important, reminders about why and how to network effectively in business. Among other points, he reminds us that service and relationships rather than "selling" are at the core of successful networking.

Serve those in your network. Helping others is a great way to build relationships and, of course, to build service businesses like yours. Networking often fails to yield satisfying results when it is approached from a self-serving perspective. When you interact with others for the primary purpose of uncovering sales leads, it's common to find your network become increasingly unproductive. But when you are motivated to help others, most people are inclined to reciprocate. Serving your network includes:

• Providing timely information
• Making introductions and referrals
• Sharing ideas and advice
• Helping others succeed!

Then can you or (maybe worse) your organization be systematic and measure your networking success?

Here, in my opinion, things become as complex as the wildest and most obscure mathematical equation. Great networks after all are multi-dimensional. Your relationship quality and depth will vary, the person within your network will have varying levels of influence, and your influence with that person (and his or her own network) will vary depending on expertise, chance, personality, and how generous you are in sharing rather than taking.

And you can add another variable to the mix: The velocity of network development has accelerated with online resources, at the extreme measured in minutes with your number of Twitter followers.

I suppose you can measure the number of people you do something good for, the number of calls you return, the number of referrals you share, and the like. These measurements might encourage you to do more of the right thing. And it you are mathematically inclined, you might want to work out some Game Theory equations or the like to connect the dots and explain why and how you should network more effectively.

But that belies the point. Networking, to be successful, must be indirect and selfless. However it never hurts to be selfless in an environment where you can ultimately receive some returns for your efforts. That's why I advocate, especially for business-to-business marketers, that you participate in relevant associations and groups where your clients and potential clients congregate.

Cold calling or networking: Which is better?

Doyle Slayton, in a provocative posting on Salesbroadcast.com, Networking for Results, observes:

As was the case with The Great Debate: Quality vs. Volume, once again, I’m in the minority (see Pump Up the Volume). I don't find networking to be an effective way for "sales" professionals to exceed their goals. For that reason, I almost never attend networking events. On the rare occasion when I do, I’m normally there to support the person or the friend of the person who is hosting the event.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met a lot of nice people and built some good friendships at networking events, but when I’m looking for results… when I’m looking to exceed quota… I get on the phone! Cold calling and pipeline management… that’s the key to sales success!

If I’m going to meet new people at a networking event, I’m looking for people who are big thinkers. Maybe I’ll meet someone who I can collaborate with at some point in the future… But let’s be clear… At this point, I don’t want to sell them anything, and I’m not in the buying mood. Lastly, I’m not looking for an opportunity to get together for coffee. No offense, but I don’t have time for that. The truth is… I don’t drink coffee (smile).

There is another very important fact that has shaped my disbelief in networking. Almost every team I have worked with has members who are attracted to the networking scene. None of those individuals were ever outstanding producers. Most of them struggled to even meet expectations.
Is there a step-by-step formula for those who love networking to produce “superstar” results?

So, since I believe real networking (not the plastic stuff at 'networking events') is the best way to go, I'll do my best to answer Doyle:

Step 1
Know your primary market and Interest group. You can discern this often from your best current clients (who may provide introductions to Step 2).

Step 2
Join relevant associations and groups where your current clients and their peers hang out.

Step 3
Actively engage and contribute to the group and support the individual members without worrying about return. This is not a quick hit game (though results can occur surprisingly rapidly when you let go of the urgency). Follow the principals sharing, respect, and contribution.

Step 4
Reap the rewards. This occurs in two ways. One, people will invite you to do business with them or offer referrals as part of the principal of reciprocation. Or, in appropriate circumstances, you can openly ask your friends and colleagues for help. Because you've built the relationships to a high enough level, they will.

That's the formula. Now, if you need results immediately -- if you must get orders in the door yesterday and you have a manager breathing down your back, and you haven't bothered to build any relationships to start, you will probably have to go to the most intrusive and irritating forms of cold calling and canvassing, and hope something sticks. But if you've laid the groundwork with your networking and existing relationships, you will likely have much greater success in a crisis by calling on favours from people who respect and trust you.

Networking done right can leverage relationships. Oh, by the way, I found Doyle's blog through a linkedin.com reference that Ford Harding had joined his group. That's good enough for me. If you can utilize the multiplying effect of really strong relationships and media and social networking publicity, you can speed up the reputation building and relationship development far faster than either conventional cold calling or meet-and-greet networking. But that's marketing, not sales!

How to connect your marketing pieces for success

Robb Graham and Jessica Rowan at the first SMPS Ontario T3 (Third Thursday) networking event in Toronto. How can SMPS chapters attract more participation at events? Tim Klabunde in Washington, DC offers some ideas in his Cofebuz Blog.

Three interesting posts on the blogs I monitor closely demonstrate the challenges and opportunities in construction marketing.

In the first, Tim Klabunde answers a question from a fellow SMPS chapter co-ordinator trying to get more people out to local chapter meetings. He says the most effective approaches are building on word of mouth, and "viral marketing". The latter approach worked for the Design and Construction Network, an initiative founded on online sources such as linkedin.com. "I have not yet been able to make it happen for our SMPS lunch programs," he writes. More effective, in this case, is encouraging and enhancing word-of-mouth promotion.

Instead of just sending out blast e-mails about an event (which you should still do) build a group of people that are responsible to invite people during the course of regular conversations. So, if you send an e-mail to a friend that might benefit from attending ask if they are going to be at the program and let them know that you are going to be there.

Meanwhile, Michael Stone reported that while attendance overall at the Journal of Light Construction conference held up well despite the recession-induced stress in the housing market, he says he was surprised that few younger contractors attended the event.

JLC Shows have an interesting mix of attendees, with younger business owners (20’s and 30’s), as well as those in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and even beyond. This show had a serious lack of business owners in their 20’s and 30’s. I have been a speaker at JLC Live shows for many years now, and this was by far the oldest group of attendees that I have seen.

So the question begs to be asked, “Why?” Let me offer my theories, and I’d like to hear yours.

Many older business owners have been through one or more of the housing downturns that we are now experiencing. They even remember the last really tough market, the late 70’s and early 80’s, with mortgage rates in the teens and twenties. They know from experience that we always come out of these downturns and move on to better things, more business, a brighter future. When things are slow, they know that investing in their education will pay off in the long run.

For many young business owners, it is their first business setback or downturn. They have never experienced a lack of phone calls and business, especially when the market was so easy so recently. Many are pushing the panic button and giving their work away, and are working on the jobs themselves. They associate activity with accomplishment. They don’t have time to visit a trade show, they have too much to do.

Stone, of course, says this is unwise. When times get tough, you need to get out and learn how to run your business more effectively. He's right, to a degree. But when the wolf is at your door, and you don't have experience otherwise (and lack capital), you might find it strange to spend time away from clients and spend money on hotels and attendance fees for a conference.

Finally, look at Mel Lester's posting in his E-Quip blog:

As many of you know, I’ve long maintained that superior client service is the best differentiation strategy in our industry. Last week I stumbled across still more evidence to support my claim. The consulting firm Morrissey Goodale recently published the A/E Industry Customer Service Report Card which summarizes their survey of project owners.

Notable in the report is the paucity of high marks for several key service areas. Following are some highlights from the report:

Only 16% of clients gave their A/E service providers an A grade for overall satisfaction. A fourth of respondents gave firms they worked with a C. Sixty percent gave their firms a grade of B.

The lowest scores were largely related to the direct interaction with the client. Only 14% of firms got an A for communications. Project managers received the highest score only 12% of the time. Project management earned the lowest score of all--7%.

When you pull together the threads from these blogs, you can come up with some interesting observations and clues about how to be more successful with your construction industry marketing.

1. Nothing beats interaction and communication with your clients and prospects. You can do this at conferences and events (Stone, as a consultant, is right to be at the JLC conference, but if you are building business within your markets, I would advocate you attend conferences where your clients are attending, more than your peers.) You can also connect by email, or supplement emails and phone conversations, depending on the nature of your relationship and situation. (Someone who had communicated with us on Internet forums sent an email to me yesterday, I responded with a phone call, and obtained some valuable business from that conversation.)
2. Your biggest marketing "hits" and "wow" success stories have an aspect of unpredictability about them. Tim Klabunde could not have known ahead of time how the Design and Construction Network would catch on, online. I certainly didn't expect that the postings on "Change order boat" would result in more Google searches to this blog other than the obvious Construction Marketing topic.
3. However, in assessing the unpredictability of really successful marketing events, you can learn from others' experience and of course ride the wave when it happens. Media publicity, like viral marketing, can achieve dramatic and surprising results, but there are ways to encourage and manage them. While you have to be careful about budgeting for a hit, you certainly can respond effectively and if appropriate stoke the fires.
4. Finally, you are most likely to be successful if you apply several complementary approaches at the same time. The Design and Construction Network Happy Hour marketing in part achieved viral status because rarely can online interactions lead to face-to-face communication in short order. Likewise, this blog and other online resources allow me to maintain relationships with current, former, and future clients in an unobtrusive environment -- the key is to make closer, more personal and immediate connections when appropriate. (And of course the blog and reference to other bloggers enhances lateral relationships -- the fellow bloggers have their own networks, influence, and connections, so the circle grows wider even as marketing depth and effectiveness increases.)

How can you tie these thought threads together? Most importantly, connect with your clients. Use a variety of complementary resources and marketing methods. You'll achieve success, both slowly and incrementally, and then, suddenly, you may find you have a marketing hit on your hands.

Can you emulate this Washington DC initiative in your own community?

This image is from the home page of the Washington D.C. Design and Construction Network's new website at http://www.dcdcn.com. Could you co-ordiante a similar network in your own community?

“Successful networking is all about relationships, not “links.” The goal of the Washington DC Design and Construction Network is to develop mutually beneficial relationships both online and in person.” (from the Washington D.C. Design and Construction Network website)

The Washington D.C. Design and Construction Network is an intriguing and exciting example of how online and offline resources can be combined to create a vibrant regional networking community. Yesterday, in launching the network's own website, Tim Klabunde, publisher of the CofeBuz blog and Director of Marketing at W.H. Gordon Associates Inc., an engineering practice in Chantilly, VA, wrote:

It has been an exciting past two weeks for the Washington DC Design and Construction Network as our membership has grown to over 550 members! With all that is going on, let me get straight to the three things you need to know:

1) FREE Procurement searches, MBE Directory, Construction News, and Networking Information - The Washington DC Design and Construction Network website is now up! Take a moment to stop by at www.dcdcn.com and you will find a wealth of information including: links to all of the regions procurement websites (aka: get work), today’s Washington Business Journal (updated every 5 minutes), and of course the official MBE Directory of the Network!

Please take a moment to thank Melissa Allen of WFT Engineering, Vicki White of ECS, and Carolyn Evans of Global Engineering solutions for all their work helping bring this together!

2) JOBS - LinkedIn was kind enough to add an additional Tab to our LinkedIn page called "Jobs.” If you are looking to hire someone or would like to post your resume, please stop by! I have already been told that several interviews have been set up as a direct result of our group, so go check it out!

3) HAPPY HOUR – The details of our next Happy Hour are almost finalized! During our last Happy Hour I promised many of you a larger venue, and I am excited to announce that we have arranged to shut down an entire restaurant and use it for our Happy Hour! Yes, you read that right, one lucky restaurant in Arlington will be closed down to the general public and open to the members of the Washington DC Design and Construction Network for our happy hour! So, if you know someone that might want to come that isn’t in the network, be certain to send them this link (http://www.linkedin.com/groupInvitation?gid=926787) and tell them to click “Join Group.” As all of you already know, it is completely free and all that is required is a LinkedIn account.

The network's new website is impressive, with an incredible collection of links and resources for anyone to use without requiring any sort of paid subscription -- and participation within the network is also free.

Notably, the network developed and found its potential in an incredibly short time; just a few months. Online resources such as linkedin.com combined with offline groups and associations can combine effectively to accelerate the process.

The network here succeeds because the leadership and membership appreciate the most important underlying principal of successful networking: You always put yourself second and focus on the interests and needs of your colleagues and others joining the network. While your own marketing and self-interest rewards are indirect, they happen, as your community grows and people want to do business with you.

Could you take the lead and co-ordinate a similar network in your own community?

Networking: The SMPS Washington Christmas Party

Tonight I drove from the hotel in Northern Virginia to downtown D.C. to attend the SMPS DC chapter's annual Christmas party. This is, for me, one of those surreal moments in life -- what is a Canadian doing in the U.S. capital city, and why am I at a networking social event, when these sort of things make me truly uncomfortable?

Of course, the answer is 'business', though if you think I would even think of trying to sell anything at this kind of event, you haven't been reading much of this blog. I took my camera with me, however, and lots of pictures, and got lots of names for captions for a photo feature in the upcoming first return issue of Washington Construction News. (Alas, the cable to connect the camera to the computer has disappeared somewhere, so I can't post any images right now with this blog entry.)

The ground rule for any networking function is to focus on giving rather than taking, connecting rather than marketing, and learning rather than pontificating. I'm not sure how well I really did, but probably lived reasonably close to the values.

Real networking is real generosity

Recently, I've read several posts about networking including Ford Harding's useful post asking how big you think your network should be, and Mel Lester's observations about the value of lasting relationships in his most recent blog entry. You may also find some real value in reviewing Bob Littel's Netweaving site.

Since I am among the most socially awkward people in the world, networking, at least in the conventional sense, is not an easy thing for me. The way I solved the problem is to offer to contribute my talents and skills in the business communities most relevant to the business -- in this case, writing and advertising. Using the Netweaving concept, there is only one rule: The networking initiative is 100 per cent focused on the other person's interests -- not our own business needs and objectives. In other words, it is all about generosity, not taking.

In case you are wondering if this is an expensive and slow way to do business, especially in hard times, you are partly right. Great networking can be slow. But it shouldn't be expensive. Your 'give' is your insight, connections, time, and (sometimes) free services -- it isn't cash. If you want fast results, try canvassing, telemarketing or (perhaps less painfully) offering supplementary services to existing clients.

The last thing anyone (including you) want is to have some sales person pounce on you at a so-called networking event, making small talk, collecting and handing out business cards, and posing the blunt question about whether you need some product or service. The reverse also applies. Who really cares about you -- and how likely are potential clients to be interested in what you have to offer when you make perfunctory small talk, and just ditch people who can't help you?

With the reverse philosophy, networking become fun because your entire effort and exercise is focused on helping others achieve their objectives.

Almost inevitably, of course, the principal of reciprocation takes hold and the people you help offer to help you in return. Here the real 'win' occurs when you honestly don't need anything in return -- your polite decline (while doing still more good for the other person) really cements the relationship. Then, when a situation arises in the future where you have a valid reason to call on your contact, you'll be regarded with overwhelming courtesy and respect. Of course you don't abuse this -- but you enjoy the fruits of your labour, because the networking 'give' is so genuine that it doesn't feel like you are putting any effort into the process. The other people simply want to do business with you because you've demonstrated your competence and respect for their needs.

Where is the best place to network? I will answer it this way -- you should be in an environment where current and potential clients hang out, and your contribution to that group should be where you have strengths, talents, and ability to contribute wholeheartedly and with real commitment. In my case, some of my strongest networks are through the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association. In both cases, my contribution is writing and contributing to the association newsletter (in Ottawa, we have produced the internal association newsletter for 18 years). Since I'm a much better writer than socializer, this form of networking is relatively easy for me to do, and the research and writing of relevant articles allows me to call on association members at all levels, to give them useful and positive publicity. Not surprisingly, they almost always return my calls.

The really good thing about relevant associations is they have various committees suited to a diversity of interests. If you like social activities you can be on the social committee; if you are a political activist, you can participate on the action and policy groups. If a committee or activity doesn't exist, you can almost always suggest something. Don't just volunteer for 'anything' -- you don't want to be assigned to a 'warm body' task; you should do something you really like.

Networking isn't a fast way to wealth -- but if you focus on sharing and giving in areas you enjoy, in an environment of current and potential clients, you will ultimately reap great rewards. And since you enjoy the activities where you are making the contributions, you won't mind being patient -- you are not suffering an ordeal while you wait for results to materialize.

Online Networking is not real networking -- Tim Klabunde's solution

In the past year, I've had the fortune of meeting with Tim Klabunde in Washington through our mutual involvement in blogging and the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS). Tim and I share some fundamental values -- that effective business development occurs when you put your short term interests aside, and focus on sharing, giving, and developing relationships that go beyond your immediate focus and requirements.

Tim has shown these qualities at the highest degree with his imitative in coordinating on linkedin.com Washington DC Design and Construction Network. He writes about this process in his Cofebuz Blog posting: Online Networking is Not Real Networking.

Now that the network has grown to more than 200 participants, he is taking things to the next stage, creating off-line opportunities to connect, share, and communicate.

Can you make similar connections and build relationships within your own community?

Relations, trust and the golden rule

This image is from Bob Littel's NetWeavers International web site. Littel advocates focusing on giving rather than taking in your networking; an altruistic attitude and spirit to give rather than receive. The key to success here is to really put yourself second and focus on the interests of the people around you. Then good things start to happen.

In his most recent Cofebuz blog entry, Defining Success, Tim Klabunde writes:

"I believe that the best way to succeed in life, and business, is to help other people. A life built around helping others will yield not just the joys of relationships, but also the sweet success of achieving your own goals.”

Tim of course is capturing the essence of networking and business success -- you don't succeed (at least in the ethical world) by plotting, scheming, and taking -- you find enjoyment and success in life through trusting, long-range relationships.

There is an irony here, though, in that the best way to build these relationships is to do what you enjoy, and do it well. In other words, to contribute the very things you (apparently) selflessly enjoy the most.

The reason this type of 'selfish' selflessness works so well is that you can sustain it without feeling pressure or discomfort -- and because you do your thing so well, you truly provide a valuable contribution to the community.

Does this work? Yes -- but the irony is you can't succeed by worrying about making it work. When success happens through the relationships, it occurs naturally, and without artificial effort. You receive the call, the opportunity, and the success when it is meant to happen; not when you set it out to occur.

Some simple (and effective) networking ideas

This image is from istockphoto.com, a really good source of inexpensive and legally correct graphics.

Liz O'Rourke Kupcha, marketing director for Cameron Engineering in Woodbury, NJ, has contributed an enlightening article in The SMPS Marketer, describing Networking's "Dirty Dozen" mistakes. These include:

1. Staying with the people you arrived with or already know;
2. Immediately judging a person;
3. Monopolizing the time of one particular attendee;
4. Questioning the intentions of another attendee;
5. Being dismissive of an attendee;
6. Dropping names;
7. Passing out business cards like candy;
8. Refusing to offer a card;
9. Being unaware of one's ideal client/target audience;
10. Adapting your level of enthusiasm to the person;
11. Being long-winded/going off on tangents;
12. Being preoccupied with offering a pitch for a service or adding a particular person to your network.

She adds a 13th item, Baker's Dozen: Online Networking

A considerable number of our industry peers can be found on social networking sites such as Plaxo Pulse, LinkedIn, and FaceBook. On the one hand, online networking provides an avenue to reconnect with former coworkers and classmates as well as a means of connecting to someone perhaps you've had a tough time initiating contact with. On the other hand, a pet peeve of one social networker is seeing connection requests from individuals that seem to 'raid her contact list.' It is helpful to personalize an invitation to connect by reminding the individual where you met or indicating how you are connected. When you receive an invitation to connect, it's easy to click 'yes' or 'no' but take a few seconds to visit that person's profile to check out mutual connections. (Facebook has a feature that shows the number of friends you have in common: LinkedIn displays similar information.) It might be disconcerting for someone who sent you an invitation to receive your "I don't know you" rejection of the connection when that person in fact can outline a connection history to you."

Good points, indeed.

I am frankly less than comfortable at conventional networking events, but appreciate one approach that makes them endurable -- and useful. I simply put myself aside and think totally about the interests of the other people in the room. This of course, creates the healthy start of relationships and communication.

The North Carolina Roofer's solution

Bob Kruhm reports in his North Carolina Construction News blog a great story of how a Charlotte, NC roofer adapted and refocused his business to overcome the sudden recessionary downturn in his business. The solution for Edward “Ned” Arthur's H & S Roofing, is networking and effective publicity, including this story in the Charlotte Observer.

Participating in community and trade organizations, and reaching out for positive publicity, are highly effective marketing methodologies -- and they won't break your bank account. It helps, of course, if you have a healthy business to start with; one founded on solid service and great client relationships.

The power of sharing

Fellow SMPS member bloggers Mel Lester (left) and Tim Klabunde discuss the finer points of blogging at the SMPS conference in Denver.

We left the SMPS conference at noon today, for a day at a High Country Club condo in Keystone, CO, about 100 miles west of Denver. Through the relaxing day tomorrow (before we return home on Sunday), I'll have more time to reflect on the conference, and provide some observations.

The single most important lesson suggested by several speakers is that successful marketing in the AEC world is all about sharing, giving, returning the favour of our good fortune, and relationships. In that regard, I succeeded at the conference even though I cannot track a dollar of direct business from attending, despite paying about $1,000 in conference fees, plus airfare, hotels, rental car fees, meals and so on.

The reason for this positive perspective is that I appreciate that really meaningful business (on a longer term scale) is measured not in days, and immediate Return on Investment, but in the connections, knowledge, and understanding of what it takes to be successful in this business. This is especially noticeable because I haven't yet had the privilege of linking closely with the foundation of SMPS success -- the local chapter.

Ontario will soon have Canada's first SMPS Chapter, and we have a modest business in North Carolina, where the association indeed has vibrant local chapters in the Research Triangle and Charlotte. But while North Carolina publisher Bob Kruhm can connect with the North Carolina Chapters, at present my place within the organization is just one of 13 Canadian members at large.

Fortunately, I decided to take some action and apply the first basic principal of marketing success -- engage in activities which you enjoy, are passionate about, and relate to your marketing objectives. I am a writer and journalist. So I started this blog. Then I proposed and wrote an article about blogging for The SMPS Marketer, the association's national magazine/journal. A few months later, I proposed a story about social networking. Then SMPS Editor Randy Pollock (who has been doing this work for the past decade), invited me to work on the Marketer's editorial committee, and this year, I've been assigned or initiated a collection of stories. (I am writing a piece about Public Private Partnerships for the next issue, with a deadline in just a few weeks.)

Yesterday, after the first working session where Randy Pollock hosted a panel discussion Navigating Uncertain Times: An Executive Briefing on What to Do Now, fellow blogger Tim Klabunde greeted me. We decided to have lunch, and on the way (talk about co-incidence), we met the third known SMPS blogger, Mel Lester (who gave his own presentation later in the day, Marketing the Experience.) Finding a spot in the exhibit area, as we ate our box lunches, we explored the whys and wherefores of blogging. Our mutual conclusion: This is very much a worthwhile activity, but we are doing it because we really enjoy it, and not because we are expecting any immediate business from it. (Though we can track business advantages and utility in the exercise.)

Yesterday evening, Randy Pollock invited Marketer contributions to sit at a special table at the SMPS Awards Gala, as several SMPS leaders received recognition -- including the founders, who created the organization from scratch just 35 years ago. (Today there are about 7,000 members). Other members received recognition for service to the association, their chapters, or their marketing communications materials. My rewards were, of course, less tangible, but no less meaningful.

At dinner, I asked Tim Klabunde what motivated him to start his excellent CofeBuz blog. He said, without hesitation, it was my blog. Seems I recognized one of his solid Marketer articles in a blog entry some months ago, and he decided to start his own blog. Tim certainly gets the message and shares it wherever he can -- networking is not about plastic phoniness, it is about real, lasting relationships, and the ability to give rather than worry about the take. The rewards arrive in due course.

These observations, I realize, do not help someone struggling to get by; especially some smaller-scale contractors in the residential sector, hammered hard by the spin-offs of the current crisis. I'm reading the stress of one contractor I know about in a closed forum; and it is disturbing in a way -- this contractor certainly cannot afford to fly to Denver, pay conference fees, and be told that you must patiently give and contribute, with the hope that you will find longer term relationships and business satisfaction.

Then again, however, I review this blog's history -- and its start a little less than two years ago when the business seemed to be hitting bottom, and (but for some fortunate chance occurrences) turned around; almost miraculously. I realize the start of this blog also coincided with a complete values shift in the way we relate to our clients. The troubled contractor is asking for help, and indeed is receiving support from his peers on the closed forum. This is right. Because giving and generosity do not preclude our right -- in fact our obligation -- to ask for help when we really need it. I will also work with him to help him overcome his crisis.

I sense next year I'll be giving a presentation at the conference; we will network with colleagues and businesses where we indeed have a direct business relationship, and that the excitement of contagious success will lead to mentoring, relationships, and even more business. For now, I'm happy that I can be part of an exciting, intelligent, and success-focused community; one which shares common values of mutual respect, sharing, generosity, and career satisfaction.

Jeffery Gitomer and puke

This is probably the least flattering picture I will ever have the opportunity to post in this blog. But Jeffrey Gitomer is using the plastic puke intentionally to remind us that most of what we consider 'normal' in business and sales practice is, well, puke. We need to think with imagination, creativity, and distinction -- and have fun while we are doing our work.

Sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer visited Ottawa today with his plastic puke. His message: Most of the standard stuff salespeople do in their work -- and businesses practice in day-to-day life, is, well, puke. Boring, irritating, garbage. Brochures, 'marketing department trash', thoughtless cold calls, "customer satisfaction" and all that standard jargon of business -- including the typical dry recital voice mail messages most of us (including myself) leave is . . puke.

So how does Gitomer do things differently? He markets himself effectively, practically, with visibility and imagination -- and that causes people to call him, and people to pay him for his services.


He came to Ottawa at the behest of a headhunting business seeking to develop its niche within the technology sales sector. Smart move. Set up a not-for-profit organization (The Sales Leadership Initiative) to create networking and business development opportunities, bring in the big name speaker, and ride on the coattails of his publicly recognized name reputation and identification.

I paid for my $179 seat with my Amex card. A query to Gitomer's office for a media interview resulted in his standard truly effective put-off response. He is available, but you will need to pay him $500. Sorry, I don't pay anyone to be interviewed.

So how can you escape from the puke? Build your personal brand with imagination, creativity, publicity, and a great website. Start an e-letter, affiliate yourself with big names (presumably like Gitomer), and fix your voice message to make it distinctive and interesting. Trash your conventional 'mission statement' and make it something you remember and identify with (something I need to think about, now). Create genuine value and give this away -- you'll get it in return multi-fold. Most importantly, have fun doing what you love doing -- you must not be in the work for the money, but the money will arrive if you enjoy your work.

So, with this blog, I have the opportunity to show Gitomer at his best -- with his plastic puke. Do you get the message?

Rain Making and Networking -- some perspectives

Two of my favourite blogs are written by Ford Harding and Tim Klabunde. Ford focuses on Rain Making -- the specialized skills and abilities for professional practitioners who are also selling/marketing their practice's services. Tim has a wealth of material on networking the right way -- focusing on sharing, generosity and relationship building.

They've posted two recent blog entries worthy of consideration.
In More News from Down Under: How Shawn Callaghan Blogs for Fun and Profit, Harding reports on a successful Australian blogger who addresses the challenges that Ford has not yet resolved himself -- converting blog energy into actual business -- especially for high value professional services. Shawn Callaghan has developed methods to generate a significant lead volume, and then converts these leads to business with an intermediate easy-to-enter and purchase service.

Tim Klabunde, meanwhile, blogs about Ford Harding's latest book: Rain Making: Attract New Clients No Matter What Your Field-- 2nd edition (I also reviewed the Harding's book for The SMPS Marketer. (Note the link off Amazon.ca may take you to the first edition -- you may have to order the second edition directly from Ford or try Amazon.com)

Now if you are wondering if we are in a mutual admiration society, I have given that some thought as well -- blogging, by its nature, involves an interconnected network of communities and readers -- unlike conventional journalism where there may be one organization with 100 journalists and 100,000 readers, with blogging, you may have 100 individual bloggers representing 85 organizations (some organizations will have more than one blogger!) and perhaps 10,000 readers. The difference hopefully is focus and specialization: I doubt I could express an independent perspective about Construction Marketing in the way I am doing before the blogging era arrived -- I would instead need to exclusively work through gatekeeper publications either in the general business press or perhaps (as I am also doing) through the SMPS Marketer.

But does this stuff bring in business? If you are a contractor or trades person who prefers to work with your hands rather than the keypad, I'd definitely leave blogging off the priority list -- the payback in time and return on effort is hardly worthwhile. But as Harding, Tim and Shawn Callaghan show, blogging indeed has a place in your marketing strategy if you enjoy writing, can maintain the discipline, and realize the payback in actual client business may be very much delayed gratification.

Networking the right way

Take a look at this posting by Tim Klabunde (William H. Gordon Associates, Inc., Chantilly, VA) in his CofeBuz.com blog. He quotes Ellen Talley in an article in Building Long Island and concludes with this observation:

What I like about Ellen’s story is her focus on the development of a new relationship. Notice that Ellen didn’t start by giving an elevator pitch or trading business cards with the principal, rather she focused on making a connection. Good networkers know that when you start by making a connection, rather than a sales pitch, the rest will follow.

Exactly.

Today, I received a gracious thank you note from Tim. This is the form of marketing I advocate -- not the horrendous stuff of spam, cold calls, and artificial, plastic "networking" where the objective is to try (usually unsuccessfully) to grab business rather than build relationships.

Networking -- some expert thought

You will gain a lot by reading Tim Klabunde's latest blog entry: "The Experts on Networking". Tim and I share many values about how to go about marketing professional services: It is not about "take", it is about "give".

More and more, I find there are two schools about selling and marketing and if I can find the common denominator defining the difference, (as I have discussed on occasion before) it is the attitude of Push or Pull. Push marketers want to get in your face, whether you want them there or not --they believe telemarketing, canvassing, and intrusive surveys are okay and effective. Pull marketers want you to gravitate to them by creating an environment were you sense trust, respect, and competence. Yes, you can combine both and I suppose I do with my own business -- I'm sure my sales team wouldn't get too far if they were sitting back and waiting for the phone to ring because of the Pull of our publications, this blog and so on.

But I sense that Pull works best in the long run, especially for professional services with long-term relationships. The reason is that the actual process of completing the project or commission is all about a combination of technical competence and personal relationship skills -- you are partners with your suppliers and clients on the work that can last years from concept to completion -- and these clients are more likely to want to work with you if they sense you are respectful of them and their interests. (If you are installing vinyl siding or patching residential driveways, of course, good old-fashioned Push may indeed be the way to go.)

Asking works

This book, Breaking the No Barrier, by the late Walt Hailey, is one of the cornerstones of our selling and marketing strategies. Hailey advocated integrating selling and marketing within the business-to-business supply chain.

In this blog entry, Networking Up, Part 2: How Rainmakers Move Up in the Client Organization, Ford Harding addresses the question of how you can connect with the key person/people in the organization when you aren't at the 'right' level. His recommendation: Ask -- and it makes a lot of sense.

Really, when it comes to selling, if you have a valid proposition and service that is of real value to the client business, you can gain access. The challenge is the words "real value". I can't see how you can possibly know if you have anything of value just by calling cold, running down a list, or barging into the office door with a canvassing call. (I suppose in the residential sector, and you are selling vinyl siding, and the house on the street's exterior is a mess, you can tell they might need new vinyl siding.)

So, then, the question is how do you find if the business has real need for your service when your manager gives you a raw list and says "go get em!"

Clues can be found by reading and learning about the business; by talking to lower level personnel in an informal setting, or if you are lucky (or plan it right) having informal discussions with more senior people in neutral settings.

Another approach is to look at your existing network of clients and see if you an work with them upstream -- that is, obtain referrals to THEIR suppliers. This is the cornerstone of our own marketing approach -- we assess the supply chain and then follow the money. If your clients are really happy with your services, they'll probably be happy to refer you to their suppliers, and their suppliers will likely be happy to take your call, because, after all, you are referred by these suppliers' customers.

I'm a firm advocate of spending more time on research and analysis, and putting more effort into the prospecting phase, rather than 'closing' the sale. The 'close' almost should come naturally without force or effort, because by the time that arrives, the client will be naturally ready to do business with you.

Yes, you might say, spending all this time on research and not getting face time with clients invites analysis freeze. This is why I really like this four point program that creates excellent self-discipline and management, and reminds you that all the research in the world doesn't substitute for face-time with real prospects and clients.

Getting the good seat

I really like this posting by Ford Harding, where he addresses the question: How can you be sure to sit next to the person/people you really want to be with at networking/dinner events? He shares three effective ideas in this Salesopedia article.

BNI has chapters around the world. Will this networking service work for you? It may be worth checking it out if you wish to expand the scope of leads available. You may wish to participate in other groups or create your own lead sharing group.

Is business drying up? Do you need a quick fix to bring cash in and live for another day? If you are answering 'yes' to either of these questions, you are like many people caught by the sudden downdraft in the economy. You need of course to quickly 'right the balance' but the problem is, can you do it without destroying the foundation of your existing business?

Quick fix solutions are dangerous because they are ill-planned and often mask the real circumstances you are facing. But let us be realistic; doing nothing is worse. If business is declining, you either need to find more business, quickly, or reduce costs sufficiently to restore balance. You may have to do both.

One thing you must be exceptionally careful about is lowering prices to below break-even to secure business. Sometimes this is tempting, I realize. You have fixed costs and equipment expenses, and anything that will generate some cash can buy you some time. But the consequences are costly long term.

Other, perhaps less than ideal, but more rational economically, ideas include:

Canvassing
Door-knocking is distasteful for most of us; and won't help very much if you are doing industrial or commercial work, but if your market is residential and you can sell smaller services, a good canvassing campaign may save your day and bring in much needed cash. See this thread on Contractortalk.com and this site from a canvassing consultant for ideas.

Revisiting old clients
Call them -- perhaps offer a maintenance service package. Depending on your level of trust and relationship, you may come clean and say the work is vital for your survival; some owners have deep pockets, and will help out if you are in a bind (and did good work for them in the past).

Free publicity and innovative (inexpensive) advertising
This is the stuff of marketing creativity -- if you can come up with a compelling story that the local press (or specialty press within your market area) loves, you could reap a windfall. Or maybe you can see an opportunity for signage, creative fliers, or other ideas. NOTE: I am not advocating expensive advertising campaigns as a quick fix -- first, effective paid advertising requires planning and thought; and second, it generally works only if you are consistent and patient -- and this blog entry, after all, is about the quick fix.

Leads sharing groups
You may get some great results by creating your own lead sharing group; bringing together a small group of compatible business owners or sales specialists with complementary interests. For example, you may know a commercial realtor, a banker, a complementary special trades person, or the like, and you can get together for a coffee, breakfast or lunch once a week. (There are also formal, existing lead sharing groups such as BNI you may wish to explore).

Some or all of these solutions may become a permanent part of your business. As you work through the crisis, you'll be stronger and leaner. Remember, even if the economy declines by 50 per cent, there still is 50 per cent of the work out there. You just need to get it.