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A/E Firms Increase Marketing to Combat Economy
A/E Firms Increase Marketing to Combat Economy
Firms in the architecture, engineering and environmental consulting space are sharpening their marketing and sales efforts in response to increased competition for work during the recession, executives told The Zweig Letter for an article in its Oct. 4, 2010, issue.
Fayetteville,
Arkansas,
United States of America
(prbd.net)
06/10/2010
"“In a good economy, certain firms simply rely on word of mouth or repeat clients but that doesn’t always carry them in a bad economy, so more firms are marketing,” said Keith Scoular, chief operating officer at Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd"
Firms in the architecture, engineering and environmental consulting space are sharpening their marketing and sales efforts in response to increased competition for work during the recession, executives told The Zweig Letter for an article in its Oct. 4, 2010, issue.
Several firm leaders interviewed said the recession has increased the pressure.
“In a good economy, certain firms simply rely on word of mouth or repeat clients but that doesn’t always carry them in a bad economy, so more firms are marketing,” said Keith Scoular, chief operating officer at Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. in Tempe, Arizona.
With the project supply drying up in recent years, more firms in the space are competing for a smaller chunk of money, Scoular said, which increases “peer pressure” to get out and market more.
For example, when faced with a declining backlog in late 2008, Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, L.L.C. in Orlando, Florida, created a “war room” and requested all studio managers and principals to meet once a week to plan their response.
“As the urgency wore down and the bickering of who owned which client contact eased, we found this tool to be a great way for all leaders in the firm to be aware of who is going after what project, why, and via what route,” said Chairman Lonnie Peterson.
In another example, the economy led to some soul-searching.
“Our strategic planning effort in 2008 totally shifted to identifying five markets we felt we could develop the most business in with the least resources,” said Leila Jammal-Nodarse, president and CEO of Nodarse Associates, Inc. in Winter Park, Florida. “A champion was assigned to each and we have stayed focused on growing those five markets.”
About ZweigWhite: ZweigWhite is the nation’s leader in enhancing business performance for architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms. The ZweigWhite team consists of experts in strategy, mergers and acquisitions, business valuation, ownership transition, human resources management, finance, marketing, market research, project management and project delivery methods who collectively produce a comprehensive suite of products and services, including advisory, consulting, newsletters, industry reports, executive training, business conferences, and more covering virtually every aspect of firm management. The firm is headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with additional offices in, Chicago, IL, Durham, NC, and Natick, MA. The ownership of ZweigWhite are investors Eli Global and BIA Digital Partners, with management including Mark Zweig and Ed Friedrichs. For more information contact Sonya Stout at 479.582.5700, or sstout@zweigwhite.com.
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ZweigWhite is the nation’s leader in enhancing business performance for architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms. The ZweigWhite team consists of experts in strategic business planning, business valuation, ownership transition, human resources management, finance and administration, mergers and acquisitions, market research, marketing, project management and project delivery methods who collectively produce a comprehensive suite of products and services, including newsletter
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