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THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR MARKETING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES VOLUME 34, ISSUE 5, OCTOBER 2015

AWARDS ISSUE14 UNLEASH THE POWER OF COMBUSTIBLE CONTENT

18 WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO EXPAND INTERNATIONALLY?

26 2015 SMPS AWARDS

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SMPS in partnership with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER: smps.org/smps_universityQUESTIONS? Contact SMPS at 800.292.7677, x223, or [email protected]

“SMPS U is an entirely new level of professional development for our field. University of Maryland instructors gave us a deeper understanding of business finance, research, and strategy specific to the A/E/C industry. I would highly recommend this program for those who are serious about expanding their business knowledge to grow their careers and firms.”

—SMPS U GRADUATE

Tuition includes course materials, sample worksheets and models, supplemental reading, four continental breakfasts, four lunches, and two dinners.REGISTER ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 23, 2015 SMPS MEMBER: $2,995 NONMEMBER: $3,250REGISTER AFTER AUGUST 23, 2015: SMPS MEMBER: $3,250 NONMEMBER: $3,500If your employer offers a tuition reimbursement program, SMPS U may be eligible. Please check with your firm’s benefits administrator.

Students who complete the program will receive a certificate

documenting mastery of the information and skills covered in

the curriculum. Certificates will be presented at a group dinner

during the second session.

LEADERSHIP ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM

Realize your leadership potential in the design and building industry

THE 2015 CLASS MEETS FOR TWO SESSIONS:

October 15–16, College Park, MDNovember 12–13, Washington, DC

EARN CPSM CEUs Look for the feature article with the SMPS CPSM logo.

To earn one CEU toward Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) recertification, go to the CPSM group library

on MySMPS and access the “Recertification Materials” folder. Questions about the article will be available in the “Marketer CEU Articles and Questions” folder. Questions? Contact SMPS at 800.292.7677, x232.

VOLUME 34, ISSUE 5, OCTOBER 2015

THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR MARKETING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

AWARDS ISSUEGoodyear World Headquarters, Akron, OH. Gensler, Vocon Design, Welty Building Company. Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.

FEATURES

14

Unleash the Power of Combustible Content

18

When Is the Best Time to Expand Internationally?

26

2015 SMPS Awards

IN EVERY ISSUE

3 President’s Message

5 Editor’s Desk

6 Contributors

54 Marketplace

56 Calendar

DOMAINS

9 Client & Business Development

22 Promotional Activity

40 Proposals

45 Marketing Planning

COLUMNS

25 CEO Q&A

49 SMPS Member Spotlight

50 My Turn

MARKETER OCTOBER 2015 1

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HOW A GROWING NATIONAL FIRM PRESENTS a powerful BRAND PROMISE

BRAND BUILDING STORIES: ISSUE FOUR

DEDICATIONTHE OF POWER

We salute honoree Leon Rodguez and the

Honorary Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro.

Berwyn

BostonDetroit

Harrisburg

Los Angeles

New York

Orange County

Philadelphia

Pittsburgh

Princeton

Silicon Valley

Washington

Wilmington

www.pepperlaw.com

PROUD SUPPORTERS OF THE HISPANIC

BAR ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIA

LEGAL EDUCATION FUND

CARINGCARING

THEOF POWER

BerwynBostonDetroitHarrisburgLos AngelesNew YorkOrange CountyPhiladelphiaPittsburghPrincetonSilicon ValleyWashingtonWilmington

www.pepperlaw.com

PLEASED TO SUPPORT AFSP’S MISSION TO PREVENT SUICIDE AND SALUTE THE LIFESAVERS AWARD HONOREES

DetroitHarrisburgLos AngelesNew YorkOrange CountyPhiladelphiaPittsburghPrincetonPrincetonSilicon ValleyWashingtonWilmington

www.pepperlaw.com

The power or Pepper is the central theme and delivers many key messages. New elements include a homepage that features strategic focus areas mixed with messages about the fi rm’s service style and culture.

They’ve also added substantive information delivered graphically with visual communications on key internal landing pages

designed for scanning readers. Their bio page features all new photography that makes the bios similar to microsites.

Pepper Hamilton launched a new website with complementary new digital and offl ine marketing tools. The old site was, well, old. Not only was the technology outdated and hard to use, but the look, feel and effectiveness of the site’s communications was considered dark, bland, word-based and unrefl ective of the quality of the expanding national fi rm.

The new site was developed by Nylon Technology in a great partnership between Pepper marketers, Nylon and the strategy/design team at Greenfi eld/Belser.

ABOUT THE SOCIETY PRESIDENT

Paula M. Ryan, FSMPS, CPSM, with over 30 years of industry experience, is passionate about the career of professional services marketing and helping others find success. She has worked for national, regional, and local A/E/C firms, where she was often the firm’s first marketing director, blazing the trail to develop marketing and business development strategy. She has the ability to focus on big-picture goals while also creating the tactical strategies to achieve them.

Paula is the director of marketing for Jezerinac Geers & Associates, Inc., in Dublin, OH, and is a past chapter and SMPS Foundation president. She has also served as fellows delegate and at-large delegate on the Society board of directors.

Paula can be reached at 614.766.0077 or [email protected].

Are you back from Build Business and motivated to implement new ideas for success at your firm, or armed with inspiration to take you further down the path of professional growth? Or, maybe both? I know I am! As always, Build Business provides that light that helps keep me centered both professionally and personally, and I hope its afterglow shines brightly for you, too.

One of the highlights of Build Business was the introduction of our new CEO, Michael V. Geary, CAE, to our membership. Mike comes to SMPS with more than 20 years of association management experience, most recently as president/CEO of AmericanHort, the horticulture industry’s trade association. His background gives him familiarity with the A/E/C industry, also having served as executive director of the independent American Institute of Architecture Students, and senior director for the National Association of Home Builders. Learn a little about Mike in the CEO Q&A on page 25, and look for a full feature in the December 2015 issue.

We’re thrilled and lucky to have him on board! A big thank you goes to our search firm, Vetted Solutions, and the search committee for finding the right fit of experience and character to move SMPS forward. As chair of the search committee, I owe a great debt of gratitude to the members who volunteered their time and wisdom to make the process thorough, thoughtful, and transparent: Tom Smith, AICP, FSMPS, CPSM, principal strategy advisor, Tescor, Inc.; Holly Bolton, FSMPS, CPSM, director of marketing, CE Solutions, Inc.; Beth Harris, CPSM, vice president, United Consulting; and Mike Reilly, FSMPS, principal, Reilly Communications.

But for me, the biggest highlight at Build Business came during the business meeting when I accepted the gavel to become your president and shared a little about my background in SMPS. Like many of you, when I first joined, I didn’t get involved right away. My first step into leadership happened when I joined a committee, and then was nudged to serve on the chapter board. After that, I served regionally on the Heartland conference committee. With my feet wet at the regional level, I was asked to serve on the SMPS Foundation board of directors, and subsequently ran for the Society board of directors, serving two terms.

I share this history because it’s relevant to why I continue to serve our Society—YOU are the reason. Because I’m just like you. I have the same responsibilities to my firm and I’m held accountable on a daily basis for the same things as you. Like many of you, I’ve leveraged SMPS to advance my career in professional services marketing. SMPS has made me a better leader, a better marketer, and a better person. So it’s my hope that you’ll seize all that SMPS has to offer to help you grow in the same ways that I have.

Moving forward this year, my promise is that every conversation we have and every decision we make will be with the intent of raising the credibility of our profession so that marketing and business development are validated as essential to the success of our firms. I’m thrilled to be leading your Society and hope you’ll join me in grasping the conduit of success that SMPS has to offer! n

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

SMPS—The Conduit to Success


Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM)

10|12|15 through

10|16|15

Standoutfrom thecrowd.

smps.org/Certification

Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM)

10|12|15 through

10|16|15

Standoutfrom thecrowd.

smps.org/Certification

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Ed Hannan is principal of HannComm, a firm dedicated to improving the quality of A/E/C marketing communications. He’s spent the past decade covering the industry as publishing director with two leading management consulting firms, The Zweig Group (formerly ZweigWhite) and PSMJ Resources, Inc.

Ed can be reached at: 508.308.9544 or [email protected].

I will confess to having enjoyed Spam as a child. We’d put it on sandwiches, either grilled or just out of the can, with some mustard and we were off and running. Sometimes, we’d fry it up with eggs and have it for breakfast.

As an adult, I think I’ve only eaten Spam on one occasion … Yet, I still “consume” massive quantities every single day. I get email … a lot of email that I don’t really want.

And, before I go off on an Andy Rooney rant here, I will tell you that I’m not talking about junk mail such as “performance” enhancers or trips around the world for pennies. No, this is marketing-related spam that shows up every single day in my inbox ([email protected]), often multiple times per day.

It’s not from A/E/C firms, but from professional marketers who want to pitch me—as editor of Marketer—on their latest product, subject-matter expert, personnel announcement, survey results, and so on.

Why am I receiving these emails when I’m editor of a magazine devoted to helping A/E/C marketing professionals promote their firms?

The easy answer would be that the magazine title—Marketer—allows for confusion in the marketplace, but there’s more to it than that, and there’s a takeaway that every single person reading this piece should remember.

It’s because the marketers aren’t doing a good enough job vetting their press lists to find out if the publication editors cover the subjects they are responsible for promoting It’s laziness of the highest order … send the press release out to as many people as possible and hope that someone picks it up. Some folks call it scatter-shot marketing.

My question to you, the Marketer reader, is this: Are you practicing scatter-shot marketing, without ever bothering to update your list or follow up with the recipients?

Or, are you practicing rifle-shot marketing, where you have edited your list before sending out the release then following up with an email or phone call to make sure they got the release and if there’s anything else you can help with?

This issue of Marketer is devoted to the awards presented during this year’s SMPS annual conference, Build Business: go beyond, held in August in Los Angeles. These winners are examples of marketers whose targeted efforts got results. Matter of fact, the winner of the Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award is a public relations professional who knows exactly what I am talking about. And this year’s Honorary Fellow is editor-in-chief of one of the most well-respected industry publications. Learn about all of this year’s honorees starting on page 26.

Let’s learn from their example and keep spam where it belongs, in the supermarket or your cupboard. n

Spam Is Tasty…Except When It Shows Up in Your Inbox

EDITOR’S DESK


CONTRIBUTORS

9 Positioning as a Cost-Control ActivityBERNIE SIBEN, CPSM, is the owner and principal consultant at The Siben Consult, LLC, an Austin-based independent strategic and marketing consultant to A/E/C environmental firms. Siben can be reached at 559.901.9596 or [email protected].

10 From the Bench to Starting Lineup: Getting Your Firm Back in the Game

MEGAN R. MILLER is senior product marketing specialist with Deltek in Dayton, OH. She has expertise in implementing and managing client relationship management (CRM) systems to help A&E firms win more. Reach her at 571.612.6663 or [email protected].

14 Unleash the Power of Combustible Content JOSH MILES is principal of Indianapolis-based national branding agency, MilesHerndon. One of ENR Midwest’s 2015 Top 20 Under 40, he is author of Bold Brand: The New Rules for Differentiating, Branding, and Marketing Your Professional Services Firm. Reach him at [email protected] or @joshmiles.

18 When Is the Best Time to Expand Internationally?RICHARD NELSON is managing director and owner of Abyss Global Ltd., a U.K.-based management consultancy. Nelson was in the inaugural SMPS certification class, passing the first-ever exam in 1994, and won two MCAs. Reach him at [email protected].

22 The Clarity of the Literary NarrativeNASIR SAKANDAR is senior marketing coordinator at LHB, Inc., an architecture, engineering, and planning firm in Minneapolis, MN. His work has been published in MPR, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Midway Journal, and more. Reach him at 612.766.2830 or [email protected].

23 A Digital Sales Force: Build It and They Will Come JOE WALSH is partner/principal with Greenfield/Belser, Ltd., in Washington, D.C. Reach him at 207.553.9030 or [email protected].

40 Four Steps to Maintaining Award-Winning Résumés

REAGAN BRANHAM is senior marketing coordinator at Hastings+Chivetta Architects in St. Louis, MO. She can be reached at [email protected].

42 The One Question That Can Dramatically Increase Your Proposal Wins

MATT HANDAL, a contributing editor of Marketer, is business development manager at Trauner Consulting Services, Inc., in Philadelphia, PA. Reach him at [email protected] or @MattHandal on Twitter.

44 The Situational Interview: A Chance to Show Your Stuff

SUSAN MURPHY is principal of Murphy Motivation and Training based in Union Dale, PA. Murphy teaches presentation, relationship-building, and communication skills. Reach her at 717.200.2299 or [email protected].

45 Solving the Data Dilemma: Three Things Consultants Are Discovering

LAUREN NGUYEN is marketing & events manager at mySidewalk by MindMixer. She helps clients do more with data and simplify community engagement processes to make more informed decisions. Reach her at 402.670.0037 or [email protected].

46 Getting Out of a Market: When to Say GoodbyeRICH FRIEDMAN is president of Friedman & Partners, a marketing and management consultancy that crafts and implements growth strategies for A/E/C firms. Reach him at [email protected] or 508.276.1101.

49 SMPS Member Spotlight JACK B. EVANS, P.E., is President/CEO of JEAcoustics in Austin, TX. JEAcoustics is a acoustical consulting and design firm. He can be reached at 512.371.0800 or [email protected].

50 Key Tips to Developing Millennials ALLYSON GREAZEL is a freelance public, press, and media relations professional living in Portland, OR. She can be reached at [email protected], at 858.442.2167, or @AllysonGreazel.

Featured Photographer JIM MAGUIRE is a graduate of the University of

Southern California and has been the team leader of Maguire Photographics for several decades. He is a proud member of and active in SMPS Northeast Ohio. Maguire Photographics works for the who’s who of the design and construction industry throughout the United States and Canada. His work has been published internationally and continues to win numerous AIA competitions. Reach him at 330.630.9050 or [email protected].

6 SOCIETY FOR MARKETING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

EDITOR Ed Hannan ([email protected])

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Mark Buckshon, CPSM ([email protected])

Nancy Egan, FSMPS ([email protected])

Matt Handal ([email protected])

Linda Mastaglio ([email protected])

Craig Park, FSMPS, Assoc. AIA ([email protected])

Marjanne Pearson ([email protected])

Michael J. Reilly, FSMPS ([email protected])

SMPS PRESIDENT Paula M. Ryan, FSMPS, CPSM ([email protected])

CEO Michael V. Geary, CAE ([email protected])

PUBLISHER Christine Chirichella ([email protected])

SMPS MARCOMM Jaime Flores, Vice President of Marketing and Communications ([email protected])

Molly Dall’Erta, Project Manager ([email protected])

Michele Santiago, MS, Director of Marketing ([email protected])

Linda Smolkin, Content Specialist ([email protected])

DESIGN TGD Communications (tgdcom.com)

ADVERTISING SALES Christine Chirichella ([email protected])

123 N. Pitt Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314 TF: 800.292.7677 • smps.org

The Society for Marketing Professional Services represents a dynamic network of 6,000+ marketing and business development professionals from architectural, engineering, planning, interior design, construction, and related specialty consulting firms located throughout the United States and Canada. The Society and its 50+ chapters benefit from the support of 3,250 design and building firms. SMPS’s mission is to advocate for, educate, and connect leaders in the building industry.

Marketer (ISSN 0 199-3690) is published bimonthly (February, April, June, August, October, and December).

©2015 Entire contents copyright by SMPS with all rights reserved. Partial quotation with attribution is encouraged, but reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited. All material submitted for possible publication becomes the property of SMPS. The views expressed in this publication are the opinions of the authors and not necessarily of SMPS. Letters should be addressed to the editor or publisher; please include your name, address, and phone number. Marketer reserves the right to edit all submitted material.

Postmaster: Send changes to Marketer, SMPS, 123 N. Pitt Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-1588.

Member annual dues are $390, of which $27.50 is allocated for Marketer subscription; nonmember subscription rate is $115.50.


A/E/CMARKETINGFUNDAMENTALS

paperback and epub available on Oct. 5, 2015 at:

Whether you are new to the A/E/C community and working on your very first job or you are a more seasoned professional who is taking on marketing responsibilities for the first time, you will find A/E/C Marketing Fundamentals: Your Keys to Succcess a useful introduction to marketing basics.

August 10—12, 2016Philadelphia, PA

www.buildbusiness.org


In my 37 years in the A/E/C industry, I have been an in-house employee at four firms, each with multiple offices in multiple states. At one firm, an engineer in a branch office in another state asked me to obtain an RFP from his local state Department of Transportation (DOT) office. He said he wanted to make the DOT a strategic client.

I asked if he had ever met and spoken with anyone from that DOT office. He had not. I asked how far away the DOT office was. It was a 15- or 20-minute drive. I suggested that if he drove over to pick up the RFP in person, he might get to meet and speak with the DOT project manager and begin establishing a relationship.

He wouldn’t invest the hour it would take to do that.

I suggested he call the DOT project manager and ask him to fax or email the RFP. That would give him a first contact on the phone. He said he would think about it.

Twenty minutes later, the branch office manager called—he was very angry. “Getting the RFP is the marketing department’s job,” he told me. I asked if he really believed he could make the DOT a strategic client if nobody on his staff was willing to visit them in person. He

said that if my marketing staff wrote a winning proposal, his staff would take care of starting and building the relationship. I wished him luck.

The DOT wouldn’t fax the RFP, so I asked that they mail it to me, 350 miles away. I didn’t want them to know that nobody in our local office wanted to make the 20-minute drive. I waited three days for the RFP to arrive, faxed it to the branch office, and had my marketing staff begin to draft the proposal.

Unfortunately, nobody in the branch office had a clue as to what the DOT did or didn’t like, or what the hot buttons were. So our proposal was very generic.

We finished and shipped it to the branch office, where they used a local courier service instead of making the short drive to deliver it in person.

Needless to say, we weren’t selected—we weren’t even short-listed. The effort ended up costing the firm about $3,500 for marketing/technical staff time and shipping, and resulted in revenues of $0!

In fact, the firm was qualified to do the job, and could have demonstrated that with proper participation by the branch office’s technical staff. With time spent on

positioning—a few visits to the client and a few phone calls—this could have been the first short-listing for a new and potentially strategic client.

When the branch manager tried to blame the marketing group for the loss, the corporate engineering manager cautioned him not to assume that competence as an engineer conferred some automatic competence in marketing. He advised the branch manager to take the advice of marketing staff on the next pursuit. I was surprised and very grateful for the support.

Proper positioning of your firm can help you control your marketing costs. It helps you decide when to—and when not to—pursue a project. If you don’t want to undertake positioning activities, the pursuit should be a “no-go.” If proper positioning indicates “no-go,” don’t pursue. In either case, you won’t spend thousands of dollars on what will be a losing submittal—and you won’t be taking time and money away from another, possibly winnable, pursuit.

More important, proper positioning can even predispose a client with whom you already have a strong relationship to anticipate that your proposal will be the best. In effect, this can be equivalent to being informally pre-selected for the project. n

Positioning as a Cost-Control ActivityBy Bernie Siben, CPSM

Positioning as a Cost-Control Activity 9

From the Bench to Starting Line-Up: Getting Your Firm Back in the Game 10

CLIENT & BUSINESSDEVELOPMENT


Deltek’s Clarity Architecture & Engineering Industry Study provides critical benchmarks.

Bench players don’t become part of the starting lineup overnight. Often, they must first decide that being good just isn’t good enough, assess competition, and work to change.

A&E is no different. There are great firms that have been recognized within the indus-try as best places to work, top design firms or even top emerging firms—often a result of a deliberate choice to pursue greatness.

How does a firm transition from good to great? First, its leadership must understand how it compares to critical industry benchmarks. Then, it must set concrete goals and develop plans to achieve them.

Where Can A&E Firms Improve?

Today’s firms face a heated talent war, limited time to nurture client relationships, and immature project management programs.

The Deltek Clarity Architecture & Engineering Industry Study offers critical

benchmarks to help firms see how they measure up. Now in its 36th year, Clarity is the longest-running industry study, with 10-year financial trends and, for the first time, a deeper dive into business develop-ment (BD) and project management best practices.

This year’s study is based on data provided by nearly 400 A&E firms of all sizes and disciplines throughout the United States and Canada, creating a diverse representation of the industry.

While A&E firms have much to celebrate, this year’s study shows that there is still room for improvement, including:

Most financial indicators improved again in 2014, but not all are back to pre-recession strength

Firms continue to face increased competition and have limited time for BD

Project managers face challenges that directly impact their bottom line

Business Development

With average net revenue growth projection at 6.2 percent, business developers have

their work cut out for them. Increased competition and lack of time/resources top the list of challenges, making it harder to find the right projects. And, only 60 percent of firms have a go/no-go process, meaning significant time and effort is wasted on opportunities that can’t be won.

So what can you do? Start by looking inward. Assess what challenges your team members are facing. What are your strategic marketing and business development plans?

Finance

How are firms performing financially? Here are some of the study’s highlights:

Utilization rate hovers around 60 percent for the third year

Overhead rate remains steady at around 160 percent

Average collection period is 75 days—still room for improvement

Project Management

Perhaps the quickest path to improved financial performance is project management. According to Clarity,

MARKETING PLANNING[ ]CLIENT & BUSINESSDEVELOPMENT

From the Bench to Starting Lineup: Getting Your Firm Back in the Game

By Megan R. Miller


inexperienced project managers, inaccurate forecasts, and ineffective communication are among firms’ greatest challenges. With 25 percent of projects over budget, there are opportunities for training, collaboration, and increased visibility.

Moving From Good to Great

So, how does your firm measure up? How are you performing compared to industry benchmarks and other firms your size? Beyond tracking these metrics, what creative steps can your firm take to move the numbers?

Discover how this information can give you an advantage on your next project pursuit. Download Deltek’s Clarity Architecture & Engineering Industry Study at http://bit.ly/ClarityAEDeltek. n

Bridgestone Technical Center, Akron, OH. Sol Harris Day Architects, The Ruhlin Company. Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.

Figure 2

Forecasting, collaborating, and communication are standing in the way of great project management.

Figure 1

Increased competition, lack of time and resources top list of BD challenges.

Accurate project cost forecasting

Collaboration and communication

Inexperienced project managers

Insufficient project management procedures

Accurate project timeline forecasting

Poorly defined scope

0%

Rank 1 2 3

10% 30%20% 50%40% 60%

Increased Competition

Finding time to nurture client relationships

Limited business development resources/time

Lack of intel for opportunities to position for win

Identifying new prospects

More restrictive spending environment

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%


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What content should we produce, and who is going to create it? When it comes to developing great content within professional services firms, those are the two most common challenges.

These simple problems are at the heart of many content marketing programs—maybe your firm

has experienced them. The marketing department wants to create more, and the technical experts within your company don’t have time to direct them. But what if these problems have already been solved, without even trying? What if a stockpile of great content has already been created by some of your best subject matter experts?

You may find this hard to believe, but I can nearly guarantee this stockpile of content exists in almost every organization. This stockpile is something we call Combustible Content, and it has been hiding in plain sight, right under your nose this whole time.

How can I be so sure? Go with me on this one. Let’s pretend it exists. What if you could help your subject matter experts not only find this content, but share it with your company’s audience?

How might a stockpile of Combustible Content impact or improve your marketing efforts?

But What Is Combustible Content?

If you think about the word “combustible,” it may become clear.

If something is combustible, has it already exploded? Is it something that has already made a huge impact? No. If it’s

combustible, it merely has the potential to combust. It has every quality of something that could ignite, but it’s sitting quietly in a container or warehouse—just like the great content your subject matter experts are creating day after day. Combustible Content isn’t always 100% ready for prime time, but with a little effort, you’ll be ready to unleash its power throughout your future content marketing efforts.

Your company’s Combustible Content probably lives in several places. It’s hidden within your sent folder in your email program. It’s in long-form email messages that answer the most common questions your prospects, clients, and vendors ask you all the time. You know, the emails that you agonized over writing … the ones with all of the details? The act of writing these replies is much like writing an article, blog post, or other content marketing piece. These “posts” are almost ready to share with a larger audience online.

Let’s walk through exactly how to go about this. First, search your sent email for a topic that you’d like to create a blog post for. Think about the types of situations that often require a lengthy, descriptive expla-nation. Which topics or keywords would be a part of such emails? Take that word or phrase, and search your sent email for the best results. Now, sift through those sent messages and identify the Combus-tible Content that you’ve already created. Scan through the best messages to find the ones that tell the best story, then copy and paste the email body into a brand new text document. If you’re really lucky, you may have one email that’s nearly ready to go, or you may have to cobble two or three similar emails together.

At this point (in case you haven’t already noticed) the hardest parts of creating content are already done! There’s no longer a need to recruit an author. Your topic has already been decided and you have a draft article ready to be edited.

In this example, I’m talking about your inbox, but this same approach will work for all of your subject matter experts, too! Your subject matter experts may not be willing to spend an hour writing and editing a unique article for marketing, but you can convince one of them to perform a topic search in their sent mailbox.

And it only takes one—to begin, that is. But someone has to go first. Your goal should be to find that one subject matter expert within your firm who will be willing to help you. If you can show simple, easy wins by enlisting their support, you’re on your way to finding other subject matter experts who want to see their name in print, too.

Making Combustible Content Publishable

Regardless of where your sent content comes from, now it’s time to edit. The first check should be for personal details. Is there anything in the post that mentions specific clients or factors that you wouldn’t want the world to read? Think about how you could rephrase this to sanitize the details yet keep the intent intact. Next, inspect your post for the story flow. Do you have a clear premise, support, and close? If not, add them to give the article structure. Finally, write a great headline and supporting subhead.

This may seem a little counterintuitive, but I have a very different idea of how a headline

Unleash the Power of Combustible ContentBy Josh Miles


Bridgestone Technical Center, Akron, OH. Sol Harris Day Architects, The Ruhlin Company.

Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.

should read after I’ve finished writing the post. If your post is intended for the Web and you want to get super-SEO-geeked out, here’s some advice. To optimize your article headline on the Web, your <H1> tag should include your most important keyword or key phrase. You only get one <H1> per article, so make it count. And your subhead <H2> should help support the headline with a related keyword or phrase. You can use a few <H2> tags, just don’t go overboard.

By simply finding these sent messages, cleaning them up a little, and sprinkling in a little SEO magic, you now have a post that’s nearly ready to combust. Congratulations!

Combustible Content isn’t just in your sent mail. It’s also hiding in your presentations, proposal documents, and slide decks. Imagine how many decks your firm has created that are sitting somewhere quietly, collecting dust. How little effort might it take to convert those files to a blog post, infographic, or simply a new submission on Slideshare?

Combustible Content may also be in your client deliverables. How many older client projects help demonstrate your approach and thought process? How many elements could you pull from those client deliverables to share an image, or even a phrase or two on Twitter?

Multiply these sent mailboxes, presenta-tion files, and client deliverables by the number of subject matter experts within your company. Consider yourself the discoverer of a giant stockpile of fantastic content. Now, go put that stockpile of content to use! n


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Now that many of the world’s economies are growing again following the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, many firms in the A/E/C industry are considering—or reconsidering—whether the time is right to expand internationally. The short answer is that any time can be the right time. One could put forward a business case for expansion in any market climate, but it all depends on your expectations, level of confidence, available resources, preparation, and dedication.

International expansion can be highly rewarding for A/E/C firms. It can diversify your revenue stream, provide rewarding

design and innovation opportunities, support staff growth and development, take the firm in new directions, and help satisfy the financial expectations of the firm’s shareholders.

However, if you haven’t pursued international growth before, or if your international initiatives haven’t borne the fruit you had hoped, you can improve your chances of success by following a few key steps:

1. Temet Nosce: ‘Know Thyself.’

For those who have never taken Latin or seen the film ‘The Matrix,’ this means having an innate sense of your practice’s purpose, its mission, its reason for being, and its capabilities and limitations. You need to understand what kind of ambitions your leadership has and what you are actually capable of offering to clients overseas. You’ll also need to identify that key person or people who will own the effort—to the point of being ready to relocate overseas if necessary.

Many firms dream up fantastic plans of international expansion, but when it comes to that first trip, and catching a flight on a Friday night or Saturday morning to attend meetings at the start of the workweek in the Middle East (Sunday), and being gone for one or two weeks each month, suddenly all the family gathering and school-play excuses start coming out, not to mention the lump in the CFO’s throat when he/she sees the costs. Then the trip gets abandoned.

We all have our priorities, but make sure you know why you want to pursue international business, who can really commit their time, and how much time and money the firm is ready to put on the table before you elevate everyone’s expectations.

2. Do your homework.

If you want something badly enough, you can create a business plan to justify any initiative—but be ready for the board to poke so many holes in it that it will look like Swiss cheese. You can argue that in any market, whether growing, stagnating, or declining, there is always some level of demand for design and construction services, and there are firms out there who will take on whatever work is available. Since A/E/C firms provide a service, you can tailor it to suit just about any client or market condition in the world.

The questions you need to answer are: Which markets make the most sense for you to invest in? How well do you know the markets? What is a realistic business plan? What levels of existence are you prepared to accept year after year—and what is your walkaway position if it all goes wrong?

When Is the Best Time to Expand Internationally?By Richard Nelson

Jones Day, Cleveland, OH. Vocon Design. Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.


If you are excellent at what you do and have the references to prove it, and if you can clearly match your differentiated offer to what your international clients need, you should be in a better position to succeed. If you don’t really have the product excellence or differentiating factors (great design, unique delivery capabilities, technological processes, etc.) to offer, you may be wasting your time, as having a good relationship with someone only goes so far.

Firms also fail when they cannot clearly articulate their offerings in a way that demonstrates advantages and gives clients confidence in them. I’ve done it myself: I started my firm in the middle of an abyss (that ‘worst financial crisis since the Great Depression’ I referred to earlier), but it has been successful (so far) because I’ve been able to demonstrate specific, unique value to my clients.

3. Develop a plan.

No war, chess match, or football game (English or American) has ever been won without a plan. And business is war between competing firms; it’s a zero-sum game in which someone wins and someone loses, as there is only one contract up for grabs. Creating an international business development and marketing plan can be a fairly straightforward process, but the details are far from easy, and you will need qualified professional help.

Here’s a simplified outline for a typical BD and marketing plan:

• Internal business audit—actual vs. goal for sales, profitability, ROI, other key performance indicators as appropriate

• External market audit—PESTLE analysis, market research, competitor research

• SWOT analysis

• Mission, vision, values, philosophy

• Goals and objectives

• Strategies

• Tactics, tools, and resources

• Implementation

• Budget

• Monitoring and measurement

You’d better be prepared with a solid plan, especially if you need to convince your board, and either your bank or external investors, to make the investment.

The sections on strategies, tactics, and implementation are critical because that’s what will determine your success or failure. All the rest is important for research and planning purposes, and it must be done. But, without the proper actions being implemented, it’s just an academic exercise that will gather dust on the virtual shelf.

4. Commit the resources.

It all comes down to time and money. You have to put in the effort to achieve the rewards; it’s that simple. One visit to a foreign country organized by your overseas trade agency to meet a few business contacts is highly unlikely to result in any contracts. After all, this is a people business, and it takes a while to win people over—“three cups of tea” as they say in India—unless you are fortunate enough to operate in that rarified atmosphere in which your firm is in demand on a global scale, but this accounts for only a privileged few.

Clients hiring an international firm understand they are taking some added risk over hiring a local firm, but they are doing so for the promise of better results or competitive advantage or any number of high-level strategic factors. Therefore, you’d better be able to communicate your ability to deliver the goods—and then do it!

There are myriad activities that take place before the introduction meetings, and between the first meetings and closing deals. In fact, the introduction and deal-closing meetings might account for as little as five percent of the overall effort. Many firm principals, particularly those with fee-earning responsibilities, do not have enough time, or necessarily the right skills, for the other 95 percent of activities, which have become increasingly complex over the years.

This is where your business development team comes in. They can research and target appropriate clients, help build relationships with them and their trusted advisers, and raise their awareness of your firm and its capabilities. The team should also follow up on and track the progress of potential opportunities to position your practice to eventually secure the work.

Staying Out of the Abyss

Success will ultimately depend on the demand for your services internationally from your existing and target clients. Articulating your unique offer to clients and implementing strategies and tactics to win your share are equally as important. But you will also need to follow steps similar to those above to ensure you understand the potential demand and how you can meet it profitably. n

Global Center for Health Innovation, Cleveland Convention Center, Cleveland, OH. LMN Architects/URS. Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.


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The Clarity of the Literary Narrative 22

A Digital Sales Force: Build It and They Will Come 23

PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY

The importance of narrative never falls from a marketer’s ears. Great narrative provides clarity. Surely, Captain Ahab knew this when he endured hours on the small deck of his ship, or the way Madame Bovary opens in a classroom and finds its way to a night of blinded stars.

In order to captivate our clients, both internal and external, narrative must be more than simple transparency or practicality; it must be affective, reaching out to us the way novels and poetry do. Technical projects are vast and expansive, and require a complexity that is often discovered as the work is being performed—the solution aspect of our profession. Therefore, it is imperative to fully deliver what we know to be true: Our firm is the right choice for this project. And that’s where literary narrative arrives on our spreadsheet.

Literary narrative gives you more than affective language; it gives you the boundary of language. To be able to conduct an array of pathos and ethos into technical-driven content will yield a result that makes marketing material and proposals

beautiful, personal, and original. By using literary narrative, you will be directly infusing your being into the text, or—if you manage content—you will be able to safely navigate all those multitudes of voices from contributors into a welcoming harbor. Literary narrative has a beginning, middle, and end; there is exposition, tension, and climax. With the form, a reader is no longer thinking of him- or herself, what he/she ate for lunch, or who else submitted a proposal. Rather, the reader is absorbed in your submittal, in your team, and in your ability to be clear.

The form is also about crafting the perfect sentence. Literary narrative allows you to design the sentence piece by piece, thereby creating a whole document that is profoundly secure. You’re not lost in an array of certifications, lists, or a jungle of words—you’re in control of the quality of the outcome. Internal questions of, “How does this sentence sound?” and “Do the syllables flow with one another?” will substantially illuminate the content.

In our industry, we often discuss the “message” of the marketing plan, the “qualifications” of the team, or the

“strategy” of the presentation—all essential words to our daily professional lives. If we marry literary narrative with these terms, the message will captivate, the qualifications will be apparent, and the strategy will astonish. Make your narrative clear. One way to continue on that journey is to read more novels, and to (maybe) find out what happened to Captain Ahab or study how that transition happened from the classroom to the central narrative in Madame Bovary. It would be hard to forget once you’ve read it. n

The Clarity of the Literary Narrative

By Nasir Sakandar

In order to captivate our clients, both internal and external, narrative must be more than simple transparency or practicality; it must be affective, reaching out to us the way novels and poetry do.


CMOs, CBDOs, and CSOs of professional services firms and their teams are under increasing pressure to deliver measurable, impactful results. In this evolving era of marketing and sales, marketing royalty is called ROI. Old media or new, your boss wants help delivering an uptick in leads and new business. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Recognizing the Internet of Everything, we’ve imagined a new framework for marketing and sales to replace the classic marketing to sales funnel. We call it the “Digital Sales Force.”SM Managed and executed well, Digital Sales Force allows marketers to go directly to prospects and create interest and leads without as much hands-on effort from your busy or otherwise business development-challenged professionals. It’s the Holy Grail, right?

The Promise of the Digital Sales Force Begins with Getting Clear

Without a clear and compelling value proposition, why would anyone pay attention to your firm’s brand? Remember,

a brand is an identity based on a promise of value different than others. Professional services are largely viewed as commodities and, therefore, tough to differentiate. If the difference is only one of a few degrees, be prepared to express it, well … differently. For that to happen, you need to be bold, creative, and disciplined in staying on message.

Digital Sales Force, Step Two: Getting Noticed with Compelling Content

Without compelling branded content, your website will remain, for all intents, a static brochure, your emails will sit unopened or otherwise be ignored, and your social media will be the equivalent of white noise. If a Digital Sales Force is a new business engine, effective content marketing is the jet fuel. Smart marketers understand this and have plans to increase investment in content—creating a bit of an arms race for content that sells.

Your digital activity needs to break through the high volume of content marketing initiatives and all the clutter it causes. Information overload is a fact of life today.

To break through the noise, first understand the difference between chatter content and anchor content.

Generally, chatter content is contained in professional newsletters, alerts, podcasts, or webinars. There is nothing wrong with these, but inboxes are cluttered with such tactics and topics. Anchor content is more programmatic. An example is our client Steptoe & Johnson’s Below the Surface branded content initiative in the shale gas production vertical. The program includes an annual poll of executives in the field, a well-designed and well-written annual research report, a companion microsite that houses the findings and related content, a symposium to cover the issues of the day, and then, of course, emails, SEO efforts, social outreach, webinars, in-person meet-ings, article placements in business jour-nals, and more. Anchor content tells buyers yours is an important voice in the business conversation, not just another voice.

Step Three in the Digital Sales Force Is Getting Chosen

Ultimately, success is measured by the sale. Being second has no value. If you

A Digital Sales Force: Build It and They Will ComeBy Joe Walsh

Cleveland Growth Association, Cleveland, OH. Vocon Design. Photo by Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.


[ ]PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY

Aultman Hospital, Canton OH. Hasenstab Architects, The Belden Brick Company. Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.

have neglected improving your proposal process or pitch materials, all your prior efforts—online or offline—will be for naught. At this stage, remember that getting on the list was an exercise in logic—you’ve proven your skills, offered your testimonials, and shared your case studies—but getting chosen is about comfort. Leads get converted to new business when the chemistry is right. Don’t forget this in your closing efforts. Remember to focus less on what you do and more on how you do it and why that matters to your prospect. Again, this comes back full circle to being different. Don’t forget to extend the creative risks you take to the point of sale.

With a compelling brand and content, you can kick your Digital Sales Force into gear to build loyalty, attract talent, launch a new service area or office, or penetrate or build strength in an industry. It seems like we’re all being asked to do all of these things. But, in truth, all we are being asked to do—reducing everything to its essence—is to deliver leads. That’s what

great marketing has always strived to do—surface prospective clients.

Today, some of the traditional tools have been replaced with digital tools. But “digital,” while increasingly significant, is

only part of the solution. Mastering the concept and implementation of your Digital Sales Force, with all its component parts, will make your marketing invaluable. n

Fresh brands lead to a Digital Sales ForceSM


ABOUT THE CEO

Michael V. Geary, CAE, joined SMPS on October 8 as chief executive officer (CEO), bringing more than 20 years of relevant association management experience to the Society. He joins us from AmericanHort, the horticulture industry’s trade association, where he served as president & CEO. Before that, he was the executive director of the independent American Institute of Architecture Students and senior director for the National Association of Home Builders.

Mike would love to hear from you. He can be reached at [email protected].

For success, you need the right combination of leadership, inspiration, and passion. Add some Brambleberry Crisp ice cream to the mix, and you’ve got SMPS CEO Michael V. Geary, CAE. In mid-September, SMPS sat down with Mike to learn more about what makes him tick.

1. What made you interested in joining SMPS?

SMPS is a respected and valued component of the greater A/E/C professions, and our members play an important role in advancing the success and profitability of their firms. As an association professional, I want to align myself with organizations—and their people—that have a meaningful impact on their members and their profession or industry. Also, I’ve always been interested in design and construction, and have spent most of my career working with related associations and the built environment.

2. What did you observe about our culture when you attended Build Business in August?

I witnessed the enthusiastic interaction among a group of passionate professionals. The culture is clearly one of collaboration, even among competing firms, and ongoing learning to enhance professional skills. Also, being there gave me a chance to have an early look at how our staff and planning committees work, and how events are produced. Our staff and volunteers are a great group of people and I think they did a great job with Build Business.

3. How will your background help us grow?

Most of my career has been spent working with A/E/C organizations, their members, and with emerging professionals. Therefore, I have a deep understanding of what needs to be accomplished and how SMPS can have an impact. Furthermore, my recent tenure with the horticulture industry may be helpful as design and construction is expected to become more green in the coming years. Additionally, I have been an association professional for 25 years and bring the necessary knowledge and abilities to drive our strategic plan, grow membership, and accomplish our other goals. Like our members, I’m passionate about what I do, and by combining that with our talented staff and enthusiastic leaders, we will accomplish great things.

4. What can you tell us about yourself that we wouldn’t find in your résumé or LinkedIn profile (vacation hotspots, favorite ice cream, or last book you read)?

Does LinkedIn have a field for favorite ice cream? If it did, I would enter Brambleberry Crisp, which is produced by Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus, OH. Other than consuming delicious ice cream, I enjoy spending time on Tilghman Island, MD. It’s a great place to disconnect from the urban grind, ride my bike, eat fresh oysters, and relax with my family and friends.

5. What are you most looking forward to now that you’ve started at SMPS?

I’m looking forward to working with our staff, partnering with our leaders and other volunteers, and exploring the possibilities with them. I’m excited to meet our members and listen to their ideas, then help to make a difference with their careers and the marketing/business development profession. n

Five Questions with SMPS CEO Michael V. Geary, CAE

CEO Q&A

Photo by Sohm Photografx, www.sohmphoto.com.

Look for a full-length feature on Mike in the December 2015 issue.


Build Business Goes Beyond

Fuessler Honored with Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award 27

Sawa Named 2015 Chapter President of the Year 29

2015 Striving for Excellence Winners 30

2014–15 Class of CPSMs 32

2015 Honorary Fellows Award 34

2015 Class of Fellows 35

2015 Marketing Communications Awards Winners 36

2015 SMPS AWARDS



2015 SMPS AWARDS

Fuessler Honored with Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement AwardBy Ed Hannan

His public relations work has earned Rolf A. Fuessler, APR, FSMPS, 50-plus awards from SMPS over the years at the local, regional, and national levels, not to mention awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), International Association of Business Communicators, and Construction Writers Association.

Yet, it’s the most recent one—the 2015 Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award (MAA)—that has humbled Fuessler. “It’s an honor to be part of an august group of marketers who have been recognized for careers that have pushed the boundaries of marketing innovation, research, and leadership. What is gratifying for me personally is this award acknowledges that public relations and media relations are integral tools and tactics in firm marketing programs and storytelling.”

Fuessler was honored during the SMPS Awards Gala on August 20 during Build Business, the SMPS annual conference. He

is the 24th recipient of the award, named in memory of marketing pioneer, SMPS founder, and

past honoree Weld Coxe. The MAA is the highest individual recognition given by the Society.

Fuessler has been around long enough to know the history—and significance—of the Weld Coxe Award. “I looked at the list of the winners and the very first one was Diane Creel. When I was at CDM, she was my counterpart at CH2M Hill and a major competitor. All the winners have contributed much to our industry.”

Fuessler says his 45-year career doesn’t feel that long because there have been three phases to it. The first was his five-and-a-half-year stint at Engineering News–Record as a journalist. He recalls his desire to move on. “I had this flash of falling asleep like Ichabod Crane and waking up 10 years later and doing the exact same thing. At that point, I said, ‘I have to leave.’ A week later, I went to a conference in New York and ran into someone I knew from Boston. He asked, ‘How’s it going, Rolf?’ I said, ‘I’m looking.’ That was Camp, Dresser and McKee (CDM). They had just fired their PR guy and hired me.”

“After nine and a half years at CDM, I realized one day in the office that I

didn’t really like what I had turned into. I wasn’t writing much. I was figuring out how to weave through the minefield of a corporation and also realized that I had pissed off just about everybody in the world a second time. They respected me because I had been there nine years and was the first non-engineering vice president, but I said I have to leave.”

“I gave my notice and went to Europe for six weeks. You can only go on vacation for six weeks if you don’t work six weeks. I didn’t know what I would do. One of the people I worked with at CDM said I should be a consultant so I became a consultant.”

In 1984, he started The Fuessler Group, and it’s still going strong today. “As a consultant, clients continually challenge me with unusual marketing and communications problems. My journalist training has served me well. A client brings me in, and I listen and think about what it is they are really trying to accomplish, and how I can help them do that. I figure out how to tell their stories to achieve marketing goals, whether through an article, a brochure, advertising, blog, or an online campaign.”

Fuessler has told many stories in his career, which actually predates SMPS by three years (he started at ENR in 1970; SMPS came into existence in 1973), and has accomplished even more:


• He published the Publicity Directory for the A/E/C Industry from 1997 to 2011, which many marketing professionals will tell you was the must-have resource to getting your thought leaders the recognition they deserve.

• He authored numerous articles in industry publications, including many in SMPS Marketer, presented more than 30 seminars and workshops, wrote the seminal handbook Public Relations Survival Guide on public relations tools and tactics, and authored chapters in each edition of SMPS’s Handbook for Marketing Professional Services.

• As an active member of SMPS for more than 30 years, Fuessler spent two stints as chairman of the Marketing Communications Award program, the first for three years in the mid-1980s. He served on national committees, including publications, public relations, and fellows. He helped reshape the CPSM program in its infancy, served as co-chair of the 2010 SMPS Build Business conference in Boston and as chair of the Fellows Committee.

Fuessler’s Peers Are Effusive in their Praise

“It is hard to overstate the influence Rolf Fuessler has had in shaping the careers of so many marketing professionals, colleagues, and his clients,” said Michael J. Reilly, FSMPS, principal with Reilly Communications in Boston, MA. “I first met Rolf in 1985 when I entered the

industry. From him, I learned how the vital role of the communications and public relations expert can transform a company and build a solid reputation that leads to business success. I also learned that it was possible to specialize in this field and become a consultant and entrepreneur. When I was ready to make the leap, Rolf generously provided advice and coaching, even though I was a fledgling competitor.”

Jean R. Valence, FSMPS, Hon. AIA, who retired a few years ago as principal, vice president, and director of strategic development at Symmes Maini & McKee Associates in Cambridge, MA, said, “At the highest level, he influences firm leaders, as well as marketers, by dramatically raising their awareness of, and appreciation for, communications as a powerful marketing enterprise…Rolf leads through service, support, and example. He is a model for our profession.”

Edward Sullivan, editor of Building Operating Management magazine, said, “I can honestly say that I never worked with a better media contact in the more than 30 years that I have been in publishing. The articles his clients have written for Building Operating Management have consistently met a very high standard of quality. The information value is always high. And the articles are not only clear and readable, but also vigorous and engaging.”

Ronald D. Worth, FSMPS, CPSM, CAE, former CEO of SMPS, adds, “Rolf

Fuessler has done more than anyone else in branding SMPS and building respect for the marketing profession in the A/E/C industry…Rolf has been forever hard working, willing to help anyone, and dedicated to the profession. He has accomplished so very much due to his creative leadership and significant grasp and understanding of the profession.”

For his part, Fuessler said that it is impossible to put a price on the value you get from having an article placed in a trade publication. “One of the biggest advantages of being published in trade magazines, particularly one your clients read, is you get credibility and it doesn’t feel like propaganda.”

Always willing to give advice, Fuessler has some insights to help marketing professionals just starting out their careers. “I have been a member of SMPS since the 1970s because it’s the only group that has raised awareness for the value and impact of marketing in the A/E/C industry. It’s not being a journalist or being a marketer or being a storyteller. It’s this fascinating industry that has energized me all these years. I’ve gotten calls from shoe companies, widget companies, and computer firms over the years and I’ve said, ‘No, I’m not interested.’ Who cares about what shoes you’re wearing? I can walk down the street, point to a building, hospital, or a concert hall and tell people who designed it, who built it. The products of our industry are life-changing and lasting.” n

2015 SMPS AWARDS

Fuessler with SMPS CEO Michael V. Geary, CAE.


2015 SMPS AWARDS

Sawa Named 2015 Chapter President of the Year

Being a true leader requires a wide range of attributes: Passion. Commitment. Knowledge. Strength of character. Purpose. Mentorship. The 2015 Chapter President of the Year, Benjamin Sawa, embodies all of these and more.

Whether inviting his board to an overnight planning retreat on his family’s farm in New Hampshire or working out a sponsorship deal with a consultant who specialized in the Strength Deployment Inventory, which recognizes what motivates individuals, Sawa recognized that helping his board work as one cohesive unit would be the cornerstone of a strong year. One of his nominators says, “To know Ben is to know and appreciate what leadership really means. Ben embodies what it means to be an effective leader with a combination of enthusiasm, strategy, and purpose.” Another adds, “The biggest success I’ve witnessed is watching the people that have worked with Ben this past year grow and flourish. Success nurtures success and this

is Ben’s greatest gift to our chapter.”

When he was elected president, Sawa held three planning sessions with his board, then synthesized the conversations, ideas, and goals down to one central theme— it was time to move

SMPS Boston forward by investing in its members, its programming, and the chapter as a whole. Sawa came up with a simple word—Aspire—to reflect this charge.

Under his leadership and guidance, SMPS Boston:

• Invested significantly in its members by offering subsidized memberships, providing unlimited CPSM scholarships for those in need, making substantial donations to local charities, and investing in a new website and content portal

• Worked with the Legal Marketing Association and Association of Proposal Management Professionals to provide a cross-industry look at professional services marketing

• Participated in a conference with more than 10,000 A/E/C insiders hosted by the local AIA Chapter

• Hosted its first-ever new member orientation and ensured retention through the chapter’s Ambassador Program, resulting in an 84.7 percent retention rate to go along with its 6.8 percent growth

• Developed a new board position to champion community outreach and work with area colleges and universities to educate students about professional services marketing

Sawa was honored for his achievements during the SMPS Awards Gala on August 20, during Build Business in Los Angeles.

The Chapter President of the Year Committee was chaired by Andrea Story, CPSM, 2014 Chapter President of the Year and vice president: marketing and business development, R&M Consultants, Inc., in Anchorage, AK. Others serving on the committee included:

• Past chair, Kathryn Mullaney, CPSM, business development director, HDR Architecture, Chicago, IL

• Juror, Jamie Draper, marketing/communications manager, CMTA, Inc., Lexington, KY

• Juror, Amy Hopkins, CPSM, manager – inside sales, Jacobs Engineering, Denver, CO

• SMPS board liaison, Melissa Lutz, FSMPS, CPSM, principal/marketing director, Champlin Architecture, Cincinnati, OH

• SMPS staff liaison, Mary Cruz, vice president of membership and chapter services, SMPS Headquarters, Alexandria, VA

• SMPS staff liaison, Natalie Gozzard, chapter services manager, SMPS Headquarters, Alexandria, VA n

LOW-RES


2015 Striving for Excellence Winners

SMPS Maryland is the grand prize-winning chapter in the annual Striving for Excellence (SFE) program. The SFE program recognizes chapters for excellence in management and service to members through quality programs, increased membership, effective communications, and financial health. During the SMPS Awards Gala on August 20 in Los Angeles, the following chapters were recognized for their activities, accomplishments, and achievements in management and service for the 2014–15 programming year.

GRAND PRIZE: SMPS MARYLANDPresident: Katelin Etoh, CPSM, associate/marketing director, Ziger/Snead, Baltimore, MDService Accomplishments• Increased membership by nine percent from

May 2014–April 2015 • Produced a New Member Welcome Guide

to ensure new members were aware of all member benefits and resources

• Developed a Membership Ambassador Program to track member engagement

• Completed a member compensation survey with 30 percent chapter participation

• Provided 57 percent more CEUs than the previous year

• Added programming content to special events, supporting an 80 percent increase in attendance from 2013

• Formed a senior advisory council to provide oversight and council to the board

• Engaged members through social media with more than 33 percent average increase in connections

• Offered 35 events (including free programs) with topics covering all six Domains of Practices

• Raised over $8,800 in charitable contributions

1ST PLACE, EXTRA LARGE CHAPTER: SMPS SEATTLEPresident: Jessica Biel, business development director, Pinnacle Architecture, Bend, ORService Accomplishments• Offered 36.5 CEUs with an additional 10

CEUs for roundtable participation• Offered 35 hours of networking opportunities • Offered an accelerated CPSM Study Group• Provided $4,450 worth of scholarships, a 10

percent increase from last year• Established a partnership with the University

of Washington, Business School• Experienced a 20 percent overall increase in

digital communications activity• Increased membership 13 percent • Gave back more than $7,000 to members, the

SMPS Foundation, and the community

OUTSTANDING, EXTRA LARGE CHAPTER: SMPS NEW YORKPresident: Julie Pampuch, managing director, WB Engineers+Consultants, New York, NYService Accomplishments• Reported 25 percent of scheduled program

time as structured networking time• Reported 44 percent of chapter members

serving on chapter committees• Increased membership by two percent• Conducted six Coordinators Club events

and 11 Leadership Lunches (free for members only)

• Increased number of board members to include three local affiliate chapters

• Refreshed all chapter marketing materials• Garnered $36,000 in annual corporate

sponsorship• Raised charitable contributions totaling

over $9,000

OUTSTANDING, LARGE CHAPTER: SMPS ARIZONAPresident: Grenee Martacho-Celuch, CPSM, director of marketing and business development, Concord General Contracting, Inc., Mesa, AZService Accomplishments• Offered 61 CEUs • Presented diverse programming to include six

networking events, 18 educational events, and six BD-focused programs

• Increased membership by 13 percent with an 82 percent retention rate

• Created a new chapter website and app• Experienced a 122 percent increase in cash

and in-kind sponsorships• Provided $3,280 in scholarships to members• Increased participation in chapter mentoring

program by 27 percent• Donated $1,500 to local charities

1ST PLACE, MEDIUM CHAPTER: SMPS ST. LOUISPresident: Amanda Payne, marketing specialist and business development, Farnsworth Group, St. Louis, MOService Accomplishments• Exceeded sponsorship goals by 35 percent• Offered 20 CEUs and increased program

registrations by 29 percent• Provided over $24,500 in charitable

contributions• Hit the 100-member mark and sponsored six

student members• Grew regular chapter membership by five

members and student membership by six• Increased participation in regional

conference• Launched a chapter blog and new website• Garnered an 11 percent increase in stipends

and scholarships to attend Build Business

2015 SMPS AWARDS


OUTSTANDING, MEDIUM CHAPTER: SMPS NORTHEAST OHIOPresident: Stephanie Cieszkowski, marketing manager, K2M Design, Inc., Cleveland, OHService Accomplishments• Increased membership by 10 members• Offered 19 CEUs• Conducted long-term strategic planning• Provided one Build Business scholarship• Doubled chapter assets from previous year• Increased sponsorship• Offered a free mentorship program

and introduced Mentorship web page• Collaborated with other professional

organizations to offer monthly networking events

• Planned two successful Executive Forum events

CHAPTER COMMUNICATION AWARDSWebsite, 1st Place: SMPS Research TrianglePresident: Kim Fowler, CPSM, senior marketing professional, Falcon Engineering, Raleigh, NCWebsite, Outstanding: SMPS St. LouisPresident: Amanda Payne, senior marketing specialist, Farnsworth Group, St. Louis, MO

Newsletter, Outstanding: SMPS Los AngelesPresident: Joseph Fong, business development manager, Glumac, Los Angeles, CA

CHAPTER PROGRAM AWARDSEducational Program, 1st Place: SMPS AlaskaPresident: Jessica Taft, marketing director, Enterprise Engineering, Inc., Anchorage, AKSpecial Event Program, 1st Place: SMPS HoustonPresident: Matt Connor, CPSM, business development manager, JQ, Houston, TX

2014–15 Striving for Excellence Awards Committee Chaired by Bill Reader, corporate marketing director for NTH Consultants, Ltd. in Northville, MI.

Also serving on the committee were:

• Past chair Susan Merrigan, FSMPS, CPSM, marketing director, Perkins+Will, Washington, D.C.

• Incoming Chair Aimee Lala, revitalization manager, Cornerstone West CDC, Garnet Valley, PA

• SMPS board liaison Melissa Lutz, FSMPS, CPSM, principal/marketing director, Champlin Architecture, Cincinnati, OH

• George Bourgeois, vice president of marketing, Coffman Engineers, Anchorage, AK

• Suzanne Cody, CPSM, marketing manager, M+A Architects, Columbus, OH

• Hildegard Dodd, business development/marketing, Wilson Ihrig, Emeryville, CA

• Tonya Dooley, CPSM, regional marketing & business development manager, NAC Architecture, Los Angeles, CA

• Anne Farrell, FSMPS, CPSM, director of marketing, Wold Architects & Engineers, Saint Paul, MN

• Deirdre Gilmore, CPSM, president, TankGirl Marketing, Phoenix, AZ

• Tracey Gould, director of marketing and business development, Noelker and Hull, Greensboro, NC

• Cathy Handen Sewell, MBA, national business development manager, Rider Levett Bucknall, Phoenix, AZ

• Cindy Hausler, CPSM, marketing director, Mackey Mitchell Architects, St. Louis, MO

• Kathleen Held, CPSM, vice president of marketing & business development, Cini-Little International, Inc., Germantown, MD

• Maria Loitz, CPSM, director of marketing, BVH Integrated Services, PC, Bloomfield, CT

• Michelle Martin, associate, marketing manager, SmithGroupJJR, San Francisco, CA

• Jennifer Mathers, CPSM, marketing manager, Turner Construction, Greenwood Village, CO

• Alethea O’Dell, CPSM, director of global marketing communications, Northland Control Systems, Fremont, CA

• Melinda Robinson, CPSM, communications director, Fugro Consultants Inc., Houston, TX

• Misty Turley, CPSM, director of corporate marketing, Flintco LLC, Tulsa, OK

• SMPS staff liaison Mary Cruz, vice president of membership and chapter Services, SMPS Headquarters, Alexandria, VA

• SMPS staff liaison Natalie Gozzard, chapter services manager, SMPS Headquarters, Alexandria, VA n



2014–15 Class of CPSMs

Caroline D. Banach, CPSMMarketing Coordination ManagerGreeley and HansenChicago, IL

Shawn M. Barron, CPSMDirector of Marketing & CommunicationRETTEW Associates Inc.Lancaster, PA

Barbara Baskin, CPSMProposal ManagerNexantSan Francisco, CA

Irina N. Belova, CPSMMarketing ManagerMurray, Smith & Associates, Inc.Portland, OR

Janie A. Berg, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorMurray, Smith & Associates, Inc.Portland, OR

Heidi J. Bergh Riggs, CPSMSenior Marketing CoordinatorParametrixPortland, OR

Christina L. Bisbikis, CPSMMarketing ManagerKSV GroupCharlotte, NC

Leah R. Boltz, CPSMDirector of Marketing & Business DevelopmentBettisworth North Architects & PlannersAnchorage, AK

Katie Brancheau, CPSMSenior Marketing CoordinatorDRMP, Inc.Orlando, FL

Emily Cannon, CPSMRegional Marketing ManagerBrasfield & GorrieKennesaw, GA

Christopher W. Capullo, CPSMSr. Marketing Coordinator/Client ManagerNobis Engineering Inc. Lowell, MA

Susan Collins, CPSMChief Operating OfficerWhole Building SystemsCharleston, SC

Sarah E. Collins, CPSMTechnical Writer-Construction Management PracticeRS&HOrlando, FL

Ashley Cullen, CPSMSenior Marketing CoordinatorSyska Hennessy GroupFairfax, VA

Kathryn Curtis, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorTerracon ConsultantsWheat Ridge, CO

Kimberly J. D’Amato, CPSMMarketing ManagerApplied Technologies, Inc.Brookfield, WI

Lisa M. Demmel-Bourne, CPSMMarketing DirectorMoseley ArchitectsRichmond, VA

Paul Dickow, CPSMSenior Marketing CoordinatorWalker MacyPortland, OR

Thomas E. Donley, CPSMBusiness Development ManagerButz Family of CompaniesAllentown, PA

Sandra Drain, CPSMProposal ManagerBalfour Beatty InvestmentsMalvern, PA

Karen Dyer, CPSMMarketing ManagerWSPCharlton, MA

Michelle R. Erste, CPSMMarketing ManagerWolverton & Associates, Inc.Duluth, GA

Bonnie M. Faircloth, CPSMMarketing Coordinator Batson-Cook CompanyJacksonville, FL

Madelene Finch, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorMcAdamsDurham, NC

Rachel Fisher, CPSMPursuit LeaderKleinfelder, Inc.Portland, OR

Ellen E. Fohl, CPSMMarketing Coordinator Johnson, Mirmiran & ThompsonVirginia Beach, VA

Larisa J. Forester, CPSMDirector of Columbus OperationsMSA ArchitectsColumbus, OH

Brian P. Gallagher, CPSMDirector of MarketingO’Neal Inc.Greenville, SC

Christine A. Gibbs, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorR&M Consultants, Inc.Anchorage, AK

Michael Glen, CPSMDirector of Business DevelopmentMiller-Valentine GroupCincinnati, OH

Lacey N. Gossett, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorBolton & Menk, Inc.Mankato, MN

Josh Grenzsund, CPSMBD/Marketing ManagerOBEC Consulting EngineersEugene, OR

Lisa C. Heath, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorShannon & Wilson, Inc.Anchorage, AK

Barbara A. Hicks, CPSMAtlanta, GA

Allie Horne, CPSMHouston, TX

Cathy Hutchison, LEED AP BD+C, CPSMDirector of Marketing, Vice PresidentIdibriAddison, TX

Michael M. Jones, CPSMPublic Relations ManagerWHR Architects Inc.Houston, TX

Greg Kanz, APR, CPSMMarketing DirectorShive-Hattery Architecture-EngineeringCedar Rapids, IA

Trissa Kelley, CPSMSenior Marketing CoordinatorOBEC Consulting EngineersLake Oswego, OR

Suzanne King, CPSMBusiness Development CoordinatorMass Electric Construction Co.Waltham, MA

Michael T. Kirmse, CPSMMarketing & Business Development ManagerOBGSyracuse, NY

Tim Klabunde, CPSMDirector of MarketingTimmons GroupRichmond, VA

Ryan Konst, P.E., CPSMManaging DirectorSchaeferColumbus, OH

Sharon K. Landau, CPSMMarketing DirectorLandau Building CompanyWexford, PA

Stephanie W. Landis, CPSMBusiness Development ManagerProfessional Service Industries (PSI)Orlando, FL

Jennifer M. Long, CPSMCollateral Project ManagerARCADISAtlanta, GA

Christine M. Maloney, MBA, CPSMProposal ManagerNIKA Architects + EngineersRockville, MD

Michael S. McCarthy, LEED GA, CPSMMarketing SupervisorRMF Engineering Inc.Charleston, SC

Jennifer K. McGovern, CPSMMarketing Coordinator Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.Reston, VA

Nicole D. McGrath-Patti, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorLarson Engineering Inc.Naperville, IL

Chrissy McNamara, CPSMMarketing Communications ManagerKarges-Faulconbridge Inc.St. Paul, MN

Kimberly Metzinger, CPSMSenior Marketing CoordinatorEYPWashington, D.C.

The following individuals met the requirements for certification, successfully completed the exam, and earned the professional designation CPSM (Certified Professional Services Marketer) between May 2014 and May 2015. CPSMs who were present at Build Business were recognized for their achievement during the SMPS Awards Gala on August 20 in Los Angeles.

2015 SMPS AWARDS


Jennifer M. Miranowicz, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorTimmons GroupRichmond, VA

Clelia Morris, CPSMSenior Marketing CoordinatorMead & Hunt Inc.Middleton, WI

Della Mullan, CPSMBusiness Development ManagerMMI EngineeringHouston, TX

Scott J. Nichols, CPSMVisual Brand ManagerBrasfield & Gorrie, LLCWinter Park, FL

Heidi Nielsen, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorFFKR ArchitectsSalt Lake City, UT

Don Obermeier, LEED AP, CPSMBusiness Development ManagerProfessional Service Industries, Inc. (PSI) Cleveland, OH

Cynthia Oistad, MBA, CPSMAlaska Business Development/Project CommunicationsARCADISAnchorage, AK

Amy M. Paul, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorFortis Construction Inc.Portland, OR

Vanessa F. Pelletier, CPSMDirector of MarketingCSDA Design GroupMartinez, CA

Angie R. Przybylo, CPSMSenior Marketing CoordinatorOlsson AssociatesOverland Park, KS

Crista S. Reed, CPSMMarketing DirectorCleary Zimmermann EngineersSan Antonio, TX

Liz Rhoads, CPSMSenior Marketing CoordinatorO’Neal, Inc.Greenville, SC

Christy Rhone, CPSMDirector of Business Development and MarketingCram RoofingSan Antonio, TX

Crystal L. Sackman, CPSMSenior Marketing CoordinatorKennedy/Jenks ConsultantsSeattle, WA

Kaitlin M. Shrier, CPSMBusiness Development CoordinatorMacKay SpositoVancouver, WA

Suzanne K. Small, CPSMMarketing SpecialistOlsson AssociatesOverland Park, KS

Jennifer M. Smyers, CPSMManager - Business DevelopmentNTM EngineeringDillsburg, PA

Heather M. Soucy, CPSMMarketing Coordinator/Graphic DesignerBRPH Architects & EngineersOrlando, FL

Katie Spear, CPSMMarketing Directori+iconUSAPittsburgh, PA

Jennifer Stuart, CPSMSenior Coordinator, Business DevelopmentHolder Construction CompanyCharlotte, NC

Lisa M. Thoele, APR, LEED AP, CPSMBusiness DevelopmentRS&HJacksonville, FL

Karyn B. Tirabassi, CPSMSenior Marketing ManagerCapaccio Environmental Engineering Inc.Marlborough, MA

Elizabeth C. Tracy, CPSMMarketing SpecialistLockwood Andrews & Newnam Inc.Houston, TX

Susan Vaughan, CPSMTexas/Gulf Coast Marketing & Business DevelopmentSWCA Environmental ConsultantsHouston, TX

Nathaniel M. Welsh, CPSMManager, Corporate CommunicationsCTL GroupSkokie, IL

Valerie Y. West, CPSMMarketing CoordinatorWaller, Todd & Sadler ArchitectsVirginia Beach, VA

Brittany L. Williams, CPSMClient Liaison - Marketing & CommunicationsMead & Hunt, Inc.Lexington, SC n

A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES MARKETER (CPSM)must meet rigorous standards of experience and knowledge in professional services marketing, pass a certification exam, and embrace the CPSM Code of Ethics. The certification exam, the key element in the program, is based on a practice analysis study of professional services marketing and business development, commissioned by SMPS. The exam tests knowledge in six core competency areas called the Domains of Practice that address marketing research, marketing planning, client and business development, proposals, promotional activity, and management.

Once candidates have earned the CPSM designation, they must maintain their certification status through continuing education. A minimum of 50 continuing education units from approved SMPS providers is required every three years for recertification.

For more information on the Certified Professional Services Marketer Program, call Certification Manager Kevin Doyle at 800.292.7677, x232, or visit the Certification section of the SMPS website at www.smps.org/certification.

ask meaboutbecoming a cpsm.Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM)

2015 SMPS AWARDS


2015 Honorary Fellow A newly created award for extraordinary service, the Honorary Fellow appoints an SMPS non-member of esteemed character and achievements who supports the practice of marketing and business development within the A/E/C community. In its first year, the Honorary Fellows award was bestowed upon Janice L. Tuchman at the SMPS Awards Gala during Build Business on August 20.

JANICE L. TUCHMANEditor-in-Chief, Engineering News–Record

Jan Tuchman has played an influential role within her organization and the A/E/C community. The areas of her accomplishments include:

• Promoting the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the marketing and business development professions

• Advancing the science and art of marketing and business development by advancing the standards of education, training, and delivery

• Ensuring the advancement of marketing and business development within the A/E/C industry

The A/E/C industry has always been a part of Tuchman’s life. Growing up in Akron, Ohio, she often went on construction site visits with her father who was an architect. Architectural Record and Engineering News–Record were the only magazines in the house, and they made their mark at an early age. When randomly picked for her junior high school newspaper, Tuchman decided on a career in journalism.

After receiving her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Colorado, she joined Engineering News–Record (ENR) as assistant editor, later becoming their managing editor, and ultimately taking the helm as editor-in-chief in 2001. Just months into the job, she faced coverage of the tragic destruction of the World Trade Center, with just 16 hours to remake the magazine. Over the years, she has led ENR’s amazing team covering other stories, such as combat engineers supporting troops in Iraq, the destruction wrought by Katrina, and the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima.

Tuchman has led other landmark projects at ENR, helping to manage ENR’s conversion to desktop publishing; guiding the launch

of its website, ENR.com; leading the publication’s two redesigns; and launching 10 regional editions.

She also managed the content side of a magazine for high school students called “In Demand,” about careers in industries like construction. Funded by the Department of Labor, In Demand published one million copies of each issue and distributed them to career and guidance counselors in every high school in the United States.

Outside of ENR, Tuchman has contributed greatly to the Society. From 2010 to 2014, she served on the SMPS Foundation’s Board of Trustees, and in 2012 participated in the Foundation’s Think Tank. In the same year, she dedicated her time and experience on the Society’s conference committee.

With an illustrious career spanning close to 40 years, Tuchman embodies the vision SMPS has for its Honorary Fellows program. She has helped raise the credibility of the profession, the SMPS Foundation, and the Society. n

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2015 Class of Fellows Three honorees earned the 2015 SMPS Fellows designation and represent the highest level of experience and leadership in SMPS. They have been active in the Society for at least 10 years, have 15 years’ experience as a marketer and/or business developer in the A/E/C industry, and have held a current CPSM designation for a minimum of five years. The 2015 Class of Fellows was named in May and recognized during the Awards Gala held during Build Business in Los Angeles on August 20.

DAVID A. EASTERBROOKS, FSMPS, CPSMVice President of Marketing and Business Development, Pare Corporation, Lincoln, RI

• David A. Easterbrooks has worked in the A/E/C industry for more than 35 years. He has been a member of SMPS for 30 of those years in four different chapters.

• He has held many chapter committee chair and board positions with SMPS Boston, including president, treasurer, education director, and CPSM director. He has presented at chapter and regional programs, and he was SMPS Boston’s 2012 Marketing Professional of the Year.

• Though he lives in Rhode Island, he drove 180 miles roundtrip to attend SMPS Boston board meetings and events three to six times a month during his six years on the board.

• He has participated at the Society and regional levels in conjunction with the Northeast Regional Conference, serving as chair in 2009, as well as Build Business. He also served on the Society’s Technology Committee, and has been a contributor to Marketer.

• He is active AIA RI; Boston Society of Architects; NAIOP; Massachusetts Building Congress and more.

JOY D. GUINN, FSMPS, CPSMDirector of Marketing, NCE, Reno, NV

• Joy D. Guinn has more than 20 years of experience in the A/E/C industry, and joined SMPS more than 10 years ago.

• She has served in nearly every board position with SMPS Las Vegas and was instrumental in forming a mentor-protégé program. She generated new streams of revenue through online website sponsorship and a job bank, and conducted the chapter’s first strategic planning session.

• At the Society and regional levels, she has participated in or served on the Northeast Regional Conference, Southwest Regional Conference Committee, Marketing Communications Awards jury, and Build Business.

• Throughout her career, she has presented on numerous topics, including Networking 101 and the Importance of Marketing and BD for Engineers.

• Guinn is actively involved in the American Public Works Association, where she spearheaded the creation of the Young Professionals group, and the Reno/Sparks Chamber of Commerce.

KERILYN WATSON HAMMOND, FSMPS, CPSMOwner, MARKETLINK, Bountiful, UT

• KeriLyn Watson Hammond began her career as a marketing coordinator for an engineering firm and has been a member of SMPS for 23 years.

• In 2003, she started MARKETLINK, which has grown from a small consulting firm with two partners to a firm with offices and employees across the country.

• As a founding member of SMPS Utah, Hammond has served as their president for three terms. The chapter has grown from 5 to 89 members since its inception.

• Hammond has worked on Society and regional events, including the first Southwest Regional Conference (she was an organizer), Pacific Regional Conference, and Build Business. A contributor to Marketer, she is currently on the SMPS Certification Committee.

• Hammond is active in the American Council of Engineering Companies, American Institute of Architects, the National Association of Women in Construction, Associated General Contractors, among others. n

2015 SMPS AWARDS


The recipients of the 2015 Marketing Communications Awards (MCA) were revealed during the SMPS Awards Gala on August 20 in Los Angeles during Build Business, the association’s annual conference. The following firms were recognized in these 24 categories. Best of Show was awarded to Harris and Associates, Concord, CA, for its 1st Place Internal Communications entry. People’s Choice was awarded to Orcutt | Winslow, Phoenix, AZ, for its 1st Place Holiday Piece entry. The MCA program is the longest-standing, most prestigious competition that recognizes excellence in marketing communications among professional services firms in the design and building industry.

2015 Marketing Communications Awards Winners

ADVERTISING CATEGORY 1st Place DES Architects + Engineers, Redwood City, CAA 2nd Place HITT Contracting Inc., Falls Church, VA

3rd Place Urban Engineers, Philadelphia, PA

ANNUAL REPORT CATEGORY 1st Place JE Dunn Construction, Kansas City, KSB 2nd Place Hoar Construction, LLC, Birmingham, AL

BOOK/MONOGRAPH CATEGORY 1st Place Lake|Flato Architects, San Antonio, TXC 2nd Place CBT Architects, Boston, MA

Hon. Mention HNTB Corporation, Kansas City, MO

BROCHURE CATEGORY 1st Place JE Dunn Construction, Kansas City, KSD 2nd Place Maser Consulting P.A., Red Bank, NJ

CORPORATE IDENTITY CATEGORY 1st Place Somerville Architects & Engineers, Green Bay, WI 2nd Place Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design Inc., New York, NY 3rd Place Westwood Professional Services, Eden Prairie, MNE Hon. Mention JP Cullen, Janesville, WI

DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN CATEGORYF 1st Place Harris & Associates, Concord, CA

FEATURE WRITING CATEGORY 1st Place DES Architects + Engineers, Redwood City, CAG 2nd Place Finley Engineering Group, Inc. / On Target Marketing &

Communications, Tallahassee, FL

HOLIDAY PIECE CATEGORYH 1st Place Orcutt | Winslow, Phoenix, AZ

2nd Place Cooper Carry, Atlanta, GA 3rd Place The Collaborative, Toledo, OH Hon. Mention XL Construction, Milpitas, CA

HOLIDAY PIECE CATEGORY—DIGITAL 1st Place Bain Medina Bain, Inc., San Antonio, TX 2nd Place WK Dickson & Co., Inc., Charlotte, NC 3rd Place DCI Engineers, Seattle, WAI Hon. Mention Urban Engineers, Philadelphia, PA

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS CATEGORYJ 1st Place Harris & Associates, Concord, CA

2nd Place Dewberry, Fairfax, VA 3rd Place HDR, Omaha, NE Hon. Mention Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, MO

MAGAZINE CATEGORYK 1st Place Skanska, Arlington, VA

MAGAZINE CATEGORY—DIGITALL 1st Place Urban Engineers, Philadelphia, PA

MEDIA RELATIONS CAMPAIGN CATEGORYM 1st Place Reilly Communications, Boston, MA 2nd Place Sasaki Associates, Watertown, MA 3rd Place GSA, The Beck Group, and Westlake Reed Leskosky with

Dianne Frank, FSMPS, Dallas, TX

2015 SMPS AWARDS

ENTER THE 2016 MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AWARDSDiscounted Entry Deadline: March 1, 2016

Final Entry Deadline: March 15, 2016

Developing details about the 2016 program will be posted on www.smps.org/mca.


2015 SMPS AWARDS

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360x80 banner ad; Colorado Real Estate Journal email newsletter;links to HITT website, hitt-gc.com

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NEWSLETTER—EXTERNAL CATEGORY 1st Place Sellen Construction, Seattle, WA 2nd Place Avison Young (formerly Remington Group, Inc.), Wayne, PAN 3rd Place Environmental Science Associates, San Francisco, CA

NEWSLETTER—INTERNAL CATEGORY 1st Place Psomas, Roseville, CAO 2nd Place JE Dunn Construction, Kansas City, KS

PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN CATEGORY 1st Place HNTB Corporation, Kansas City, MO 2nd Place Sasaki Associates, Watertown, MAP 3rd Place Hickok Cole Architects, Washington, D.C.

Hon. Mention EYP, Inc., Washington, D.C.

RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION COMMUNICATIONS CATEGORYQ 1st Place Garver, North Little Rock, AR 2nd Place T.Y. Lin International, San Francisco, CA 3rd Place MMC Corp, Overland Park, KS

SOCIAL MEDIA CATEGORY 1st Place Stellar and Reputation Ink, Jacksonville, FLR 2nd Place Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, New York, NY

3rd Place T.Y. Lin International, San Francisco, CA

SPECIAL EVENT CATEGORY 1st Place Hickok Cole Architects, Washington, D.C. S 2nd Place McCarthy Holdings, Inc., St. Louis, MO

3rd Place JKR Partners, LLC, Philadelphia, PA Hon. Mention T. Baker Smith, Houma, LA

SPECIAL EVENT CATEGORY—DIGITALT 1st Place Perkins+Will, New York, NY

2nd Place McCarthy Holdings, Inc., St. Louis, MO

SPECIFIC PROJECT MARKETING CATEGORYU 1st Place Perkins+Will, Dallas, TX 2nd Place WSA Studio, Columbus, OH 3rd Place RATIO, Indianapolis, IN

TRADESHOW MARKETING CATEGORYV 1st Place Hnedak Bobo Group, Memphis, TN

VIDEO CATEGORY 1st Place Perkins+Will, New York, NYW 2nd Place MWH Global, Broomfield, CO 3rd Place McCarthy Holdings, Inc., St. Louis, MO Hon. Mention KSQ Architects, Tulsa, OK

WEBSITE CATEGORY 1st Place DesignGroup, Columbus, OHX 2nd Place TEECOM, Oakland, CA

3rd Place TOKY Branding + Design, St. Louis, MO Hon. Mention TOKY Branding + Design, St. Louis, MO

AWARDS & RECOGNITION | DESIGN & MANUFACTURING

cristaux.com866.343.9511

2015 SMPS AWARDS


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MARKETING PLANNING

Four Steps to Maintaining Award-Winning Résumés By Reagan Branham

Although we are marketers for firms of varying sizes and disciplines, one of the constants among us is maintaining employee résumés. While not the sexiest part of our job, keeping these documents in good shape is critical to putting together a winning proposal. Below are four easy steps to maintaining top-notch company résumés.

1. Keep them updated.

Sounds simple, right? But it’s also critically important to helping keep your sanity on a proposal deadline. I suggest a two-fold approach to what can be a huge task.

Daily updates – Make mental or real notes on résumé updates as you hear them. You don’t have to update the résumé immediately, but when you get a moment later in the week, all your accumulated notes will be waiting for you.

One big yearly update – Set aside time once a year—summer tends to be a good time—for a deep clean of all your résumés. Print out and distribute hard

copies or send an email with a PDF and let each individual make updates. The staff knows their work better than anyone, so let them be a part of the process.

2. Tailor them for each pursuit.

You’re probably already doing this to some degree, but there may be more you can do with minimal effort.

Introductory paragraph – Read through the RFP and customize each person’s bio. As with the rest of your proposal, use the client’s language to show you understand the project. Does anyone on your staff have a special relationship to the project or client? Be sure to include that information here.

Project descriptions – Wrap your head around the scope in the RFP, and adjust your project descriptions as much as possible. Call out scope details that overlap to highlight your similar experience. Don’t be shy about making custom edits to your standard text.

Rail information – The stuff off to the side,

such as education, certifications, and presentations can be customized. This information tends to get overlooked, but be sure to look for anything that may be interesting or impressive to the client.

3. Create a professional look.

The content is obviously the most important part of a résumé, but don’t forget about the design. A clear and consistent approach can make ordinary résumés look professional and polished. If you’re considering a complete redesign or even just a refresh, consider the following:

Add some color – A little goes a long way, but don’t be afraid to add a splash. This is a great place to reinforce your firm’s branding.

Include headshots – Headshots add personality and allow a potential client to put a face to a name before an interview. The photographs should be professional, well lit, and high resolution, with everyone wearing professional attire. You don’t necessarily need a professional photographer, but the images should be

[ ]PROPOSALSFour Steps to Maintaining Award-Winning Résumés 40

The One Question That Can Dramatically Increase Your Proposal Wins 42

The Situational Interview: A Chance to Show Your Stuff 44


a significant step up from your typical Facebook profile photo.

4. Maintain consistency.

Speak with one voice – All the writing on your résumé—and throughout your proposal, for that matter—should feel like it’s coming from one person. Verb tenses and tone should be consistent.

Look at the details in formatting – You have a lot of decisions to make on

résumé formatting. Are you spelling out Iowa, or using IA? Are you using any bold or italics? Do you include St. Louis, MO, when listing a degree from Washington University? There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but make a conscious decision and implement it evenly.

Remain consistent between résumés – Just as important as remaining consistent within a single résumé is

remaining consistent companywide. Be sure project names, project locations, formatting, headshot placement, etc., is the same for all résumés.

Being proactive and keeping your company résumés up to date will save you time and energy when you need it the most—responding to time-sensitive RFPs. Use the steps above to make sure your firm is prepared to win the next big project. n

Hyland Software, GCHI, Cleveland, OH. Vocon Design. Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.


The One Question That Can Dramatically Increase Your Proposal Wins By Matt Handal

In a fiercely competitive environment, as we’ve been experiencing over the past few years, small differences can play a major role in whether you win or lose a proposal competition.

Let’s be honest with ourselves. We all pro-vide the exact same services our competi-tors do. And for the most part, our qualifica-tions and experiences are the same.

Just imagine how hard it is for proposal evaluators to pick one winner between many extremely similar options. In some cases, their choice could have a major impact on their career. Think about how challenging and scary that has to be for them.

The Safe Bet

If you had to decide right now which peanut butter to use for the rest of your life, which would you pick? Would you pick Jif®, Peter Pan®, Skippy®, or Smuckers®? It’s probably an easy question. You’ll likely pick the one you have in your cabinet right now.

Ironically, the answer is so easy because the question is so difficult. All these prod-

ucts are essentially the same. So, the safe bet is the one you’ve gone with in the past.

Let me give you an example of what lengths people in our industry will go to make the safe bet. Just the other day, I was talking to an ex-chief engineer of a state department of transportation (DOT). We were talking about the selection process used at his DOT. He told me one of his most frustrating moments was when a project manager tried to select a firm she had used in the past even though the selection committee deemed another firm to be the most qualified. She took action to select her safe bet over a firm that was clearly more qualified to do the work.

That’s what we are up against. Unless the client has used you before, you’re not the safe bet. So, how can you compete? You compete by asking one simple question.

The Question in Question

This single question can dramatically increase your proposal wins. But it may fly in the face of almost everything you’ve been taught about proposals. To help you

understand the power behind this question, I need to tell you a little story about home insulation.

A few years back, there was an academic research study conducted on homeowners. The researchers went into people’s houses and performed a free energy audit. They checked all of the weather stripping and insulation in each house. The homeowners were told these people were doing research on home energy use. But their research had nothing to do about energy. It was a social psychology experiment.

At the conclusion of the energy audit, half of the homeowners were told, “If you will insulate your home fully, you will be able to gain 50 cents a day, every day.” The other half were told, “If you fail to insulate your home fully, you will lose 50 cents a day.”

The researchers let some time pass and went back to see which homeowners insulated their houses. As they probably suspected, many more of the homeowners that chose to insulate their homes were the ones told they would lose 50 cents a day. Why is this?

[ ]PROPOSALS


It’s because of a psychological principle known as loss aversion. We are more influenced by what we stand to lose than by what we stand to gain.

What Will this Client Miss Out on if They Choose Someone Else?

Conventional wisdom has taught us to always tell clients what they will gain by choosing us. Ironically, that’s not how our brains work. We are more influenced by what we stand to lose. So, a more powerful tactic is to tell the client what they stand to lose. What won’t they get if they choose another firm? What is it that nobody else can provide them?

So the one question that can dramatically increase your proposal wins is:

“What will this client miss out on if they choose someone else?”

Yes, this question is difficult to answer. But it’s the type of question marketers were made for.

The Question’s Application

Decisionmakers often cling on to one attribute when deciding which firm to

choose. Unless you’ve done superior research and have real insight into what your competitors will say in their proposal, you can’t really predict what that attribute will be. And the decisionmakers’ reasoning won’t always be logical.

Here’s another quick story. Once upon a time, there was a city government agency that chose an A/E firm to design a new facility. After the design was complete, the city council nixed the project, citing lack of funds.

So, this agency put out an RFP for firms to redesign their current facility. The safe bet would have been to choose the firm who designed the new facility for them. They had a great relationship with this designer and enjoyed working with them. But they didn’t.

They could have chosen the team they felt knew the most about designing this type of facility. But they didn’t.

Instead, they choose a firm that resided within the city limits. The committee believed giving the work to a business in the city would help sway the city council to give them the funds they needed for the renovation.

That was the one thing the other firms could not provide: the idea that using this local firm might help sway the city council’s decision. If the agency chose one of the other firms, they would “lose out” on the slight possibility, this extra leverage, to change the council’s thinking.

Asking, “What will this client miss out on if they choose someone else,” forces you to identify the benefits that only your firm could provide. It’s the single question that can dramatically increase your proposal wins. n

HIMSS, Global Center for Health Innovation, Cleveland, OH. Vocon Design. Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.


The Situational Interview: A Chance to Show Your Stuff By Susan Murphy

More and more frequently, clients in the A/E/C world are asking competing firms to take a previously undisclosed project issue and work through it in real time while the client observes the process. This is called a Situational Interview and can stand alone or be one part of a classic interview.

Talk about pressure. Talk about opportunity.

The Situational Interview gives your team the chance to show—rather than say—how they work together. It allows you to high-light the expertise of each team member, show the inner workings of your dynamic, and give decisionmakers a real sense of who you are as people. Clients long for this kind of first-hand information.

A smart client focuses on the people who will do the work. The firm with a fancy reputation is only as good as the superintendent and project manager. You can talk about the qualities of these two people ad infinitum, but it all gets to sound like “pitch.” The Situational Interview allows you to move beyond the blah-blah very quickly.

Let’s take a look at an approach that will help you dive into what seems to be an unpredictable and frightening interview technique.

First, be absolutely certain each team member reads the overview of the “challenge.” Since people read at different speeds and comprehension levels, they should be encouraged to take notes. You

can also have one person read out loud as the team takes notes. I like that approach because it takes the pressure off slow readers, who may be tempted to scan to keep up.

Post-it® notes, a tool commonly used for planning sessions, can be valuable here. Have each team member focus on what they individually bring to the solution and jot down thoughts and actions as they go along. Stick the notes to the wall and you—and your client—can envision the flow of your approach to the client’s situation, and see a preliminary outline of your final report.

Once the Post-its are up, use that display to outline the team solutions, assignments, and ideas on a flip chart.

Who Should Lead the Effort?

That is the key question. Of course, like so much else, it depends on your team and your client, but you shouldn’t automatically make the project manager the default per-son. In many cases, having the super take charge is unexpected and impressive.

If you really want to show flexibility and teamwork, and show the client that a num-ber of people can take charge, hand off the role of facilitator for various parts of your approach.

One of the most vital aspects of the exercise is listening and probing team members to get specifics and answers to the “So what?”questions. Everyone must have a voice.

The temptation in this somewhat unpredict-able and nerve-wracking approach is to focus on the expertise of the team without tying that expertise to the needs of the client.

Just as with a classic interview, you must tie every recommendation or solution back to something the client has made clear is important. You have the opportunity here to take it beyond the realm of the situation at hand, and pull in information you gleaned earlier through the RFP or conversations. The clearer and more specific the picture, the better.

Practice is an important factor in preparing. You may not be able to predict what the client will ask you to demonstrate or solve, but you should develop possible scenarios and practice pulling the team together and coming up with a plan. Be sure to video the process so you can debrief yourselves.

Situational Interviews are the wave of the future, and now is the time to prepare. You will find this vehicle to be a shortcut for the client as well as a beneficial approach that you and your team can use in other circumstances. The Situational Interview is a lot like dancing or tennis or golf. Once you get your moves in place, you can relax and have fun. There is nothing a client likes to see more. n

[ ]PROPOSALS


Open data and big data are phrases trending wildly across the A/E/C industry. But, in the push to capitalize on their big promise, there hides a problem: Turning all that great information into actionable insights takes time and resources your firm may not always have.

Below, you’ll find three discoveries that industry professionals have uncovered as they tackle this data dilemma and using data to win more work.

The Struggle to Acquire and Make Sense of Data is Real (for Everyone)

Over the past four and a half years helping cities build better communities, we have learned that the majority of city leaders and local experts struggle with many of the same things, including:

Knowing where to start

Acquiring and accessing data (inside and outside of their departments)

Understanding data they have

Allotting time and resources to work with data

Working against what’s been done historically (i.e., changing organizational behaviors)

Using dashboards or metrics to evaluate and communicate performance

Measuring improved outcomes

In a recent mySidewalk by MindMixer survey, 71 percent of civic and consulting professionals reported that competing priorities take precedence over making the most of their organization’s data, and 56 percent of them said, even if they had the time, they don’t have the tools they need to do so.

We All Want to Make Better Decisions and Data Can Help Us Do That

Making better decisions means shifting organizational behavior and approach — and eliminating any and all biases that exist. To uncover bias on a project or in your organization, make two lists that address the following: What are the things you assume and what are the things you are interested in finding out?

This is a quick, effective exercise organizations can use to uncover bias hindering them from understanding a project they are working on. Bias carries through on the way a firm develops and plans. Integrating a fresh approach will shift

the focus from “what we know” to “what we have discovered”. Breaking away from the legacy of how processes have worked historically can lead to more metrics-driven decisions vs. assumptions.

Consultants Who See Things Differently Are Building Better Communities

Through the right kind of data analysis (and setting aside all bias), industry experts are now leaning on data to make better decisions that will impact communities five, 10, and 20+ years from now. The tough part, admitted by most, is getting started. The first step? Change the way the data is visualized and thought about. By adjusting the lens, relationships, trends, and outliers become easier to notice. Firms can build a better haystack using civic data if they begin to see things differently — meaning, they can turn all of their information into actionable insight when they look beyond a set of harried points on a map. n

Solving the Data DilemmaThree Things Consultants Are Discovering

By Lauren Nguyen

MARKETING PLANNING

Solving the Data Dilemma: Three Things Consultants Are Discovering 45

Getting Out of a Market: When to Say Goodbye 46


In an ideal world, the marriage between a firm and its favored markets would last forever. However, in the real business world, sometimes large-scale changes are needed.

It might be that the phone has stopped ringing due to an economic downturn in that sector. It might be a new development that changes the competitive landscape. It might be that the market is the same, but your firm is changing.

Jettisoning an entire market sector is not a light decision. It’s one that should be made only after a clear analysis, including external data gathering from clients and prospects. That said, sometimes the soul searching required to change course is necessary.

When transportation planning firm Nelson/Nygaard (San Francisco, CA) was getting started in the early 1990s, the rural public transit market provided a large percentage of its work. But as the firm grew, there were tough calls to make about whether this was a business they could stay in.

The firm, which now numbers 120 staff and offers transit, paratransit, and multimodal planning, was still doing great work for those

clients, says president and COO Paul Jewel. Yet, the company found itself competing with rural 10- to 15-person firms that could deliver projects more cost effectively.

After a few years of pressing on, the retirement of a senior staffer who had championed this sector triggered an important conversation at the firm’s annual business development strategy meeting. It soon became clear that not only was the firm challenged to make money in that market, but also, internally, the enthusiasm wasn’t there anymore. “We found that our staff wasn’t interested in chasing that market,” says Jewel. Younger staff members were more geared towards urban planning and they wanted to work in urban environments.

Choosing Your Focus

At the start of John Cowdery’s 10-year run as the CEO of 400-person environmental consulting firm Jones & Stokes Associates (Sacramento, CA, now a part of ICF International), the 2001 economic downturn challenged everyone. Cowdery and his leadership team made the tough call to refocus the firm, starting with a hard look at which markets they did and did not want

to work in. “We employed a ‘follow the money’ strategy along with geographic expansion,” says Cowdery, who is now senior vice president and environmental services director at 3,200-person engineering and construction management firm TRC Companies, Inc. (Lowell, MA).

That meant moving away from commoditized work to partnering with higher-end clients. They walked away from work such as underground storage tanks, Phase 1 assessments, and asbestos and mold abatement, as well as clients such as schools and residential developers. The firm began to focus on energy, clean water supply, power, and utilities. “We started with internal navel gazing, and that wasn’t very helpful,” says Cowdery. “Then we went to talk to clients in a way that we hadn’t before.”

To solidify its direction, the firm talked to more than 100 clients and conducted supplemental research from environmental business journals and competing firms. Jones & Stokes grew substantially as a result, and with dogged focus, they maintained that growth right through the next economic downturn. “It’s easy to look back and say our strategy worked, but it

University of Southern California School of

Cinematic Arts, Los Angeles, CA. Maguire Photographics,

www.maguirephoto.com.

[ ]MARKETING PLANNING

Getting Out of a MarketWhen to Say Goodbye

By Rich Friedman


was very hard at the time to say no,” says Cowdery. “It was counterintuitive to how we as consultants had been trained, and it came down to being grounded in what the firm does and what it doesn’t do. You have to decide that this is not a business you are going to be in anymore.”

It’s Time to Tell the Clients

For both firms, backing away from a client sector didn’t mean abandoning good clients. They maintained a handful of strong relationships, but focused their marketing resources elsewhere.

Nelson/Nygaard took a direct approach, contacting clients to inform them of the change in focus. They let them know in advance that they would not be responding to every RFP, and in some cases, when an

RFP came in, they called to explain why they would not be submitting. “You never like to give up on a market because it feels like you’re letting people down,” says Jewel. “But you can’t do everything. You have to choose your battles and wisely determine your investments.”

As your firm evolves, a well-thought-out decision to leave a market may be a necessary growing pain that paves the way for future opportunity. Yet one of the biggest mistakes is not being decisive. It’s easy to rationalize hanging on to poor-performing client sectors, or let decisions drag on. But the costs are high: a fuzzy company vision, low morale, ill-conceived opportunity pursuits, and a lack of energy and money directed towards markets with potentially more satisfying returns.

“Decisiveness requires leadership commitment, strong data analysis, and a clear go/no-go process,” says Cowdery. But it’s a philosophy his company now aims for. “We want to differentiate ourselves by tackling tough problems, not ones we have to low bid or can’t be profitable with,” he says. “If your company is competing with 10 to 15 other firms, that’s when you start lowballing and that is the area to get away from.”

“Giving up on that market was a sign that we were growing up as a firm,” agrees Jewel. “That means taking on new challenges, markets, and opportunities. It’s good for the firm in the long term, but it’s tough in the short term.” n

As your firm evolves, a well-thought-out decision to leave a market may be a necessary growing pain that paves the way for future opportunity.


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SMPS MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Jack B. Evans, P.E.

POSITION: Founder, President, JEAcoustics

YEARS IN THE A/E/C INDUSTRY: 46 (first job as tracer/blueprinter for architects while in high school!)

YEARS IN SMPS: Continuous dues-paying member since 1984 (31 years)

How did you decide to have a career in the A/E/C industry?

Born with engineer genes, I decided by junior high at the latest to be a designer/builder. Growing up in ‘50s and ‘60s, I was influenced by great economic and social progress.

How would you describe your role/job?

As principal engineer, I analyze conditions and designs by others and offer practical and economical solutions or design alternatives. I help others make informed decisions.

As primary marketer and business developer, I set direction: which types of clients we wish to consult and collaborate with and which types of facilities or projects we wish to be involved in. Everybody in this firm has client relationships and writes proposals for new efforts. I assist and support them.

What is your favorite part of the job?

I really enjoy meeting and being with other professionals in public, such as SMPS luncheons and technical/scientific conferences. I am also proud to see visible landmarks in several cities in which our firm played beneficial parts … the satisfaction of creating.

What have been the challenges and rewards of your career?

Challenges: As consultants we must be team players, and as firm leader, I must keep my employees happy and satisfied. Dealing with personal problems can be so difficult.

Rewards: Travel related to conferences, both technical and business is very educational and stimulating, plus the successful completion of so many projects and collaborations.

What has been your most meaningful project?

For the past couple of years, our firm has consulted on a new hospital, a new research building, and a new medical office building that are essential components of a completely new medical school for The University of Texas. As a

group, those buildings represent more than just structures and facilities.

How has membership in SMPS helped you to advance your firm and your career?

I can honestly say, and have told many others over the years, that I would not have started my business in 1986 without the knowledge and confidence gained about business development from SMPS. As a professional engineer, I had competence to get a job or have a career, but, the things I learned and the other professionals I met through SMPS gave me the conviction that a purely technical background could not.

What has contributed to your success?

Thomas Edison’s famous statement, “Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.” Persistence has brought job security and success.

What advice would you give to someone who is about to enter the marketing or business development field?

1. Keep a relaxed mental attitude.

2. Read directions and follow them (RFQs, RFPs).

3. Respect other professionals you work with, whether as collaborators or competitors.

4. Maintain confidences.

5. Do not call people names.

6. Restrain vulgar language.

7. Be worthy of your colleagues.

8. Read broadly. Seek and recognize linkages between events, things, and personalities.

9. Seek and maintain relationships that return continuing rewards and satisfaction.

10. Avoid devaluing your firm with cheap fees.

What is the best advice you’ve received regarding your career or working in the A/E/C industry?

Develop professional relationships—do not focus on individual project opportunities. n

Jack B. Evans, P.E.


Millennials, or adults aged 18 to 34, are defined by contradictions. On one hand, they are perceived as self-centered and self-obsessed know-it-alls raised by Gen X and Baby Boomer helicopter parents who gave them a trophy just for showing up. On the other hand, millennials have an amazing tendency for “groupthink” and are heavily invested in controlling the narrative of their lives. They value experiences over things, and pursue careers where they can grow, develop, and find purpose in their work.

Research, testimonials, and blogs have clarified that millennials’ dynamic personalities can be difficult for managers and senior staff to work with. As more millennials enter the workforce—a 2014 Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census data estimates that adults aged 18 to 34 now make up more than one-third of the American workforce—it is time to develop new strategies that will both develop millennials into strong contributing members of the workforce and allow them to flourish.

As millennials—myself included—graduate college and enter the workforce, they

bring new expectations and viewpoints. For one, millennials view work as a part of life, not something to be balanced. They place a strong emphasis on work that’s fulfilling versus work that pays the bills. They are socially conscious and seek a sense of purpose online, in the office, or in their communities. They want to be taken seriously, and demand respect for their world views.

These expectations and viewpoints may seem daunting to managers charged with mentoring, teaching, and leading these young workers. However, there are tools—specifically modern professional development plans, or PDPs—which may help manage the expectations.

What Is a (Modern) PDP?

When I entered the workforce in 2009, my professional development was off to a rocky start. Name a common millennial myth, and I can find a situation where I propagated it. But for all my junior professional foibles (and there were many), I had the extreme good fortune of finding two mentors who led me—sometimes unwillingly—through my first five years.

The first project? Writing a professional development plan, or PDP.

A PDP is not just a manager-sponsored document, it is a living, breathing piece of art, with the artistry heavily dependent on the ability of the young professional to:

Reflect on learning, performance, and achievements—What do you bring to the table? What is your perspective?

Career planning—What is your end goal? Where do you see yourself in six months, one year, three years, or five years?

Recording achievements—What goals have you achieved?

PDPs provide a road map to success, which many millennials expect the company to provide. They can also help focus millennials’ puppy-like enthusiasm for learning new skills and quell any real or perceived neediness. PDPs also give millennials the ability to take responsibility for their own development, and exert more control for their future.

So what makes a great PDP? Here are my four tips for managers, mentors, and peers to teach, mentor, and train millennials.

Key Tips to Developing Millennials

MY TURNBy Allyson Greazel

...it is time to develop new strategies that will both develop millennials into strong contributing members of the workforce and allow them to flourish.


1. Set the Right Goals

Goal setting can be difficult, as the millennial is asking him- or herself some rather large questions: What do you want from your career? What do you want your personal brand to be? What are your chances of becoming the CEO of the company?

Perhaps the most important word to remember when developing a PDP is realism. Millennials must be realistic about where they are, what they want to achieve, and what they can achieve. Therefore, it is imperative that millennials rely on SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goals, and identify what they want to do (“In five years, I will be the liaison to the company’s second-largest client”) and what they need to do to get there (“I will make weekly, hour-long calls to the current liaison to gain more insight into the client”).

Goals also must be realistic in terms of time. Is it realistic to become the CEO in two years? Probably not. But is it reasonable to be a project manager or team leader in five? Perhaps, depending on the millennial’s ability to work hard and stay focused.

Georgia International Convention Center, Atlanta, GA. PHA Lighting

Design. Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.


To get there, it is the manager or mentor’s responsibility to guide the junior professional in the right direction. Make sure that goals are written in absolutes: replace “may” with “will.” Also reiterate this plan is for them—you as a manager are not responsible for holding their hands or solving their problems. Instead, you are a facilitator of their development.

Ideally, PDPs should include both short-term (two-, four-, or six-month) and long-term (one-, two-, or five-year) goals. It is important for millennials to realize that changes and growth won’t happen overnight. When I think back to my first year, I was impatience personified. I wanted to go to every class, every seminar, every client meeting. I wanted to do, learn, and progress at a break-neck pace. But after some uncomfortable conversations with my mentor about the importance of patience, I realized that I needed to slow down. And once I did, my career improved, and I learned a valuable lesson: the vast majority of positive changes didn’t come from large steps, but from several small steps.

2. Start an “Upside Down” Career

In some cases, the protégé may not set SMART goals because they inherently require an advanced, 10,000-foot view of the organization.

To see 10,000 feet above my head, my mentor and I developed what we affectionately called the “upside-down career.” Under this model, I was given the opportunity to learn and shadow my “goal” roles, and then choose the goal based on my real-world experience.

For example: Instead of being assigned to a single project and “learning” from one data point, I was given an administrative role in program management. In this role, I supported every manager and project and could learn about many projects at once.

That experience provided a perspective on the business that many do not get for years, although I had to prepare many meeting minutes and file many documents for this privilege.

As a junior professional, I enjoyed learning about the other roles in my organization, and the strategic direction of the company because it made me feel like part of a team working toward a common goal. Because of this, it’s important to include goals or mentorship opportunities outside of your department. Let the protégé shadow an administrative assistant or regional manager for a day. If you can’t spare the overhead, take time to update millennial supervisors on all parts of the company.

If the protégé can’t choose between two goals, a plan can be amended to outline various roles throughout the organization. Include objectives for each role for several years. This will help millennials understand how their plan can tie into the bigger picture of the company.

The “upside-down” model also helps the organization because it flies in the face of common career-development techniques. By teaching management-level skills early in the career, the company ultimately saves time and money down the road. It also helps shorten the learning curve as the junior professional advances through the ranks.

3. Include Opportunities for Reverse Mentoring

Reverse mentoring (as coined by the Harvard Business Review), is an approach that shifts the paradigm: A millennial is matched to an executive and assigned to teach them about something in their area of expertise (like social media).

While it may sound disingenuous to some, my experience has made me a firm proponent of this idea. In 2012, I was a

member of Kleinfelder’s first RightStart class, an exclusive and intensive mentoring program designed to identify and develop the next generation of leadership (those with less than five years of experience), preparing them to accelerate their career and carry on the firm’s exceptional legacy.

As part of the program, junior professionals were linked with members of the senior leadership team (including our CEO) to learn about the company from their viewpoints. After two meetings with my leader, an interesting pattern evolved: The mentoring moved in both directions. While I learned about finance, I could also teach my mentor about online media.

The benefits were outstanding. While I received a behind-the-scenes education about the company, I believe my mentor gained insights and understandings of a segment of the workforce they may not touch on a day-to-day basis.

4. Re-evaluate, Re-train, and Re-do

My favorite joke is “How do you make G-d laugh? Tell him your plans.” The old axiom holds true with PDPs. They are not intended to be course syllabi, but living documents that change with the author. The plan should be revised regularly, as people, businesses, goals, and opportunities change.

Before you scoff, remember that millennials bring a new set of values, habits, and expectations to the organization. We were the first generation to have amazing access to technology or the ability and willingness to collaborate and share ideas. We can bridge the technological gap between even younger generations and older generations—we can act as a translator between these two sometimes very different worlds. And millennials need to remember that in the real world, you really have to work hard to earn that trophy, promotion, or mentor. n

Washington Nationals, Nationals Park, Washington D.C. Populous Architects. Maguire Photographics, www.maguirephoto.com.


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DECEMBER 2015 15 SMPS Monthly WebinarLearn more: smps.org/education

JANUARY 2016 19 SMPS Monthly WebinarLearn more: smps.org/education

FEBRUARY 2016 3–5 2016 SMPS Southern Regional Conference, Austin, TX Learn more: smps-src.org

10–12 2016 SMPS Pacific Regional Conference, Palm Springs, CALearn more: smps-prc.org

16 SMPS Monthly Webinar Learn more: smps.org/education


AD RIGHT

THE SMPS BODY of KNOWLEDGE

for more info: smps.org/Education/The-SMPS-Body-of-Knowledge

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

— Aristotle

coming spring 2016

The SMPS Body of Knowledge (BOK) is a written, comprehensive resource guide for the business development and marketing profession within the A/E/C industry. The BOK will contain written descriptions and content related to the skills for each of the six Domains of Practice for the profession. It will serve as the vetted and concise compendium for all marketing and business development in the A/E/C industry.

OCTOBER 2015 12–16 Celebrate CPSM Week 2015: Sky’s the LimitLearn more: smps.org/certification

14–16 Session 1 of SMPS University: Leadership Advancement Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD Learn more: smps.org/smps_university

20 SMPS Monthly Webinar: Marketing Automation Learn more: smps.org/education

NOVEMBER 2015 3 Lunchtime Learning Lab: Blogs (Members Only)Learn more: smps.org/freelearninglabs

12–13 Session 2 of SMPS University: Leadership Advancement Program, Ronald Reagan Center, Washington, D.C. Learn more: smps.org/smps_university

17 SMPS Monthly Webinar: Presentation Skills Learn more: smps.org/education

DECEMBER 2015 15 SMPS Monthly WebinarLearn more: smps.org/education

JANUARY 2016 19 SMPS Monthly WebinarLearn more: smps.org/education

FEBRUARY 2016 3–5 2016 SMPS Southern Regional Conference, Austin, TX Learn more: smps-src.org

10–12 2016 SMPS Pacific Regional Conference, Palm Springs, CALearn more: smps-prc.org

16 SMPS Monthly Webinar Learn more: smps.org/education

123 N. Pitt Street, Suite 400 Alexandria, VA 22314

smp marketer oct15-f - smps.org · earn cpsm ceus look for the feature article with the smps cpsm...

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