Time to Invest in Green Building Marketing?
I’m hearing from so many clients, prospects and friends in the design and construction business that they’re cutting back on marketing and training costs, because of reduced business and an uncertain market outlook. I think a contrarian viewpoint is in order. This is the BEST time to invest in marketing and training, to position yourself for the coming growth in the commercial, institutional, governmental and industrial design and construction business.
I’m wondering why principals of design firms especially, who’ve feasted off of a five-year growth in business from 2002 to 2007, aren’t willing to dig into their pockets and come up with $10,000 or $15,000 each to invest in targeted marketing and training programs, to gain market share, hire better employees and make their current workforce more skilled. While many firms have laid off 20% or 25% of staff, there’s still business out there to be had. More importantly, clients want to hear something new from you, something that will save them money. A firm with 10 principals should put together a “war chest” of $100,000 to $150,000 for carefully targeted marketing, training and skill building programs. These funds should be targeted at the markets that are still growing: health care, K12 education, federal government buildings, energy-efficient upgrades of commercial buildings, and the like. There’s quite a bit of stimulus money out there that’s going to be spent on design and construction, to soften the blow of the current recession. As as business confidence returns in the second half of this year, you can be sure that clients will remember those firms that were in front of them with new ideas, well financed cost-saving investments, and expanded technical capabilities.
Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 05/10/2009 at 06:36 AM
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