AEC Marketing for Principals

In this episode, Katie and Judy welcome construction industry veteran Billy McElroy. As Co-Founder of Shell McElroy Construction Company, Billy has amassed 33 years of experience ranging from high-rise towers to mixed-use developments. He shares his experience and insights on the changing construction industry and the importance of focusing on the field, communication skills, relationships, honesty, and hard work. Billy also discusses the key to Shell McElroy’s success, emphasizing the firm's focus on quality, thoughtful decision-making, and the importance of taking clients' business very personally. If you want to hear from a seasoned construction professional about the industry, ownership, and leadership, this is a must-listen! Connect with Billy McElroy:Website: https://shellmcelroy.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-mcelroy-a6804312/ Connect with Judy and Katie:Website: https://smartegies.com/Katie Cash LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacash/Judy Sparks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judysparks/

Join us for a very special episode as we celebrate hitting two milestone numbers -- our 50th episode and Judy Sparks' 50th birthday! In this episode,  Katie and Judy reflect on how far the industry has come, and thank you, the amazing listener, who has supported the podcast along the way. As a veteran marketer and CEO of Smartegies, Judy shares her biggest lesson learned, which involves accepting the AEC industry's resistance to marketing and finding ways to help engineers and architects understand its value. Katie and Judy also discuss the intentional decisions they've made at Smartegies to better serve their clients and bring purpose to their work every day.Join them as they share their insights and offer advice for others navigating their own challenges and finding purpose in their prime. And be sure to stay for the inspirational words of wisdom in celebration of Judy’s birthday.

When a company has a strong and authentic character, it can create a sense of trust and loyalty among consumers. In this episode, host Katie Cash is joined by guests Dr. Crawford Lorrits and Smartegies CEO Judy Sparks to discuss the importance of company culture, effective leadership, policies, Diversity, Empowerment, and Inclusion (DEI), and the workforce of the future.Dr. Loritts is a nationally renowned pastor, motivational speaker, and author. He has served on the Chick-fil-A board and now leads Beyond Our Generation. His message helps encourage people to show up consistently and be true to their faith and values while leading in a secular world. Highlights:1.36 Trust in the business4.58 Judy's chance encounter with Dr. Crawford  11.15 All you have is what you say13.23 Staying true to your values15.04 Organizational culture16.20 Brand Living18.50 Pivoting business models21.45 Workforce of the future Connect with Dr. Crawford LorittsDr. Loritts’ ministry work has given him the opportunity to travel throughout the United States and much of the world, speaking in churches, evangelistic outreaches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries. He has been the featured speaker at Super Bowls, NCAA Final Four Chapel, and the Pentagon with senior military officers. Beyond Our Generation: https://beyondourgeneration.com/

Episode 48 marks the start of season 5 of the AEC Marketing for Principals Podcast. This season is themed “Shifting Gears”. We will be interviewing exciting and impactful new guests on various topics related to the A/E/C industry as well as other industries. In this episode, Katie Cash and Judy Sparks discuss the new season in more detail and talk about various topics including how to go to market in a new era, diversification in the industry, and six scalable strategies that can be used in marketing your A/E/C business. Judy Sparks shares her insights into the biggest transformation in B2B marketing, which includes brand positioning, digital strategy, DEI and community investments, data-informed sales enablement, and account-based marketing and account-based sales.Listen in to learn how to differentiate your brand by understanding customer needs, how to make an emotional connection with buyers, and how sales and marketing can work together to generate marketing-qualified leads. A few highlights of today’s show: ·       6.04 Evolution of the A/E/C Marketing Industry·       7.58 Humanizing your brand for the Market·       9.26 Understanding what your buyer really needs·       11.07 Relationships with selection committees·       12.59 How firms are winning cold RFPs·       16.40 How technology is enabling more billable hours·       18.40 Changing the narrative·       21.05 Competing on the terms of resume·       22.38 Scalable Mindsets·       23.42 Diversity and Inclusion·       26.32 What to expect in this season·       27.30 Scalable Six·       30.16 Aligning Sales and Marketing·       34.01 Proposal Automation

In this episode, Katie Cash talks to Mark Wainwright and brings up the dreaded “S” word. SALES in design and construction. Mark is a marketing and sales professional with 25 years of experience, the majority spent building and growing professional services firms. He coaches individuals, develops sales processes, manages pipelines, and when appropriate, implements CRM systems.  The discussion covers what you need to know from a sales perspective in firms and why it is important to focus on getting the right people for the job for sales planning and developing sales functions. Mark tells us how to manage sales pipelines and the importance of having appropriate sales measures in place.What role do compassion and social media play in today’s business landscape and what to focus on when building and maintaining sales pipelines? Mark and Katie answer all these questions and more.Highlights: 06.10.98 Prospecting08.46.90 Sales Competencies for Professional Services Firms10.32.00 Changes in the Approach to Professional Service Sales12.07.21 Marketing and Sales Alignment16.13.78 Qualifying Your Prospects21.58.48 The Importance of a Sales Pipeline25.40.60 Sales Planning and Preparation27.21.75 Discovery in the Sales Process34.10.61 On-Call Consulting36.42.48 Fractional Sales Management Six Sales Competencies for Professionals: https://www.wainwrightinsight.com/six-sales-competencies-for-professionals/ 

In this episode, Judy Sparks and Katie Cash chat with Ennis Parker. Ennis Parker is a  Professor of Practice at Georgia Tech and a Principal at Parker|Bailey Advisors. He brings more than 52 years of experience managing large complex projects and has directed the design and construction efforts for more than $2 billion in public sector capital projects, nearly half of which have been completed for colleges and universities. In addition, he is extensively knowledgeable in all forms of project delivery, including design/build, bridging, and construction management at risk.  The discussion is about what professional practice looks like and the shortage of appropriate knowledge in the field. Ennis gives examples of what his course at Georgia Tech covers and tells us a bit more about his journey and where his knowledge and experience come from. He also highlights the importance of reputation and the tools available today that were not around in earlier years. Judy speaks about winning business and the important role marketing plays. The discussion covers points of interest about social media, how data influences business today, winning business, and the role of branding. The episode finishes off with a discussion about money in architecture and the skills you need to grow. They discuss the tools available today and how the generational gap influences business. Highlights:04.47.00 The Professional Practice Course and Georgia Tech06.46.80 The Flourishing Communities Project08.14.31 Changes in the industry12.15.24 Leadership and Growth15.19.70 Winning business and the role of marketing20.11.91 The importance of branding23.56.55 The importance of reputation27.52.44 Social Media and Data33.03.21 Money in architecture34.59.74 The tools available today and differences in generations

 An out-of-the-box thinker, Matt’s passion is doing what others assume can’t be done. He is an aggressive marketer who has helped construction, engineering, architectural, and real estate consulting firms realize tens of millions in fees from projects ranging from $500K to $2B. He has been quoted in Engineering News-Record, written about in Zweig White’s Marketing NOW, is an award-winning speaker, and hosts HelpEverybodyEveryday.com, a blog authored by some of the brightest minds in the marketing field. Matt wrote the book, Proposal Development Secrets: Win More, Work Smarter, and Get Home on Time. He is also a co-author of the Marketing Handbook for the Design & Construction Professional and author of the Society for Marketing Professional Services’ research white paper on “Marketing to the Mind.” His interest in reaching audiences stems from a lifelong obsession with music. His work in podcasting, social media, and website development was born from a love of exploring new technologies. And his competitive edge and drive to always improve the firms he works with can be traced to his past as a competitive runner. In this show we will discuss the following: 02:20 How have times changed for submitting proposals 08:24 Being a modern-day project manager 10:15 New hiring trends in the industry 14:53 Working smarter 16:48 Tips for helping marketing principals function around sales and marketing activities 21:25 The buyer’s journey and cold proposals 25:21 The million-dollar question when submitting proposals 28:12 Never talk about the due date 30:10 What to take into account when publishing a production schedule 32:45 Resources for learning proposal writing 

Bill Johnson, Senior Vice President and Design Principal for HOK Sports and Recreation and Entertainment Practice, discusses the design of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. He describes how his team found out about the project and how they won the design competition.  He talks about the challenges of designing such a large and complex facility, and how the stadium has become an icon in Atlanta. His creative and innovative approach ultimately won them the project. The architect leading the design of the new retractable roof stadium for the Atlanta Falcons describes the process of creating the stadium and the competitive landscape leading up to the final pitch.  Bill answers questions from Steam students who created a replica of the stadium and shared with him their struggles with the design.   Topics of discussion: [2:43] - When did HOK first find out about the lead to design the Mercedes-Benz Stadium?[4:58] - What led HOK to accept the project?[7:11] - Who were you up against for the project and what was your approach?[10:33] - What happened leading up to the interview and what approach did HOK take?Steam students Q&A:[14:04] - Building the roof of the stadium.[16:30] – How the roof of the stadium opens.[17:57] – Inspiration behind the Halo board[20:18] – What were the roadblocks in the project and how it was overcome?[21:40] – What was the hardest part of transforming the idea into the design?[24:00] – How long did the design process take?[24:59] – How long did you have to pitch?[27:00] – How was the scoreboard designed

On this episode of AEC Marketing for Principals, our host Katie Cash is joined by Executive Vice President of Smartegies, Donya Edler, to discuss why Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is a growth strategy, not a policy.In this discussion, Edler breaks down how the AEC industry is using DEI to drive growth and strategic initiatives across their firms.You will learn how DEI drives growth through:Improved innovationIncreased teamwork & productivityGreater access to talent & improved retentionBetter access to clients/buyersEnhanced reputation

On this episode of AEC Marketing for Principals, our host Katie Cash is joined by Senior Vice President of HITT Contracting, Ashley Campbell, and Smartegies CEO, Judy Sparks, to discuss the importance of bridging the gap between the employee and client experience. Campbell, a 16-year AEC veteran, breaks down the key factors to implementing a strong employee experience strategy that defines your brands and culture and sets firms apart from the rest.What you will learn: How to navigate the shift in what the employee experience means todayHow to connect employees to your firm’s purposeHow to ensure the client experience is consistent across your entire firmThe importance of approaching each employee relationship as a business partnership