Mastering Business Development and Marketing Skills
The Leadership Institute Class of 2024 met October 24th and 25th for its second session – Business Development & Marketing: What it Takes to Win Work. Veteran A/E marketing expert Barbara Shuck provided a roadmap for business development and marketing. Barbara presented business development strategies, tips for writing winning proposals, and how to deliver successful presentations – virtually and in-person.
A key piece to winning work is the ability to write and present clearly and effectively in proposals and interviews. Proposal writing best practices, tips, and tricks were shared. Live presentation coaching helped each participant hone presentation skills through practice.
To put their business development skills to the test, the Class participated in a mock sales call exercise. Teams strategized their approach then participated in a simulated meeting. To lend reality to the meetings, volunteers played the roles of clients with varying personalities and interests. The candid debrief comments were open, honest, and offered fantastic insights.
Many thanks to our volunteer clients:
- Matt Bednarski, PE, ENV SP; CDM Smith
- Kris Cotharn, PE, LEED AP, IMEG Corp.
- Dan Grasser, PE; Benesch
- Chris Stamborski, PE; raSmith
- Uriah Wolfe, PE, SE; GRAEF
Business Development & Marketing Key Takeaways:
- Making a personal connection is key to building client relationships.
- Use open-ended questions in client meetings to gather more information. Be curious. Be authentic.
- Good writing is good editing. Simplify!
Next up for the Class of 2024, we’ll get out our calculators and focus on Running the Business.
