a/e business development: velcroed relationships

Velcroed Relationships: How to

Position Your Firm for Future Work

Presented By William R. Long, PE, LEEDAP, CPSM

Impact of

Networking

Introduction Case Study Tomorrow‟s

To-do ListVelcroed

Relationships

Velcroed

RelationshipsImpact of

Networking


To-do List

Introduction

William R. Long, PE, LEEDAP, CPSM

President

TRINIUM Resources Group

Impact of

Networking


To-do ListVelcroed

Relationships

Name

Recognition

Establish

Credability

Establish

Trust

Buying

Advertising

Public Relations

Relationship Building

Velcroed Relationships

Buying Process

Eff

ecti

ven

ess


• Who builds these relationships for the company?

– Owners/Principals/Partners

– Marketing/Business Development Personnel

– Project Executives

– Project Managers

– Project Architects/Project Engineers

– Estimators

– Every employee


• Velcroed Relationships is based on the fact that a client

usually has more than one decision-maker for projects

• Each decision-maker has his/her own:

• Concerns/Issues/“Hot Buttons”

• Likes/Dislikes

• Constituents

• Past Experiences

• Personalities


• Zippered Relationships:

– Suggests one-on-one relationships

• Velcroed Relationships:

– Multiple employees need to have multiple relationships


• Multiple client/company interactions that:

– Are linked by:

• Skill set

• Knowledge

• Experiences

• Interests

• Style

– „Stick‟, i.e. difficult to pull apart

– Built for the long-term

Impact of

Networking


To-do ListVelcroed

Relationships

E

D

B

D

BB

Decem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#4

B

B

E

E

E

President

B

B

D

D

B

D

D

B

C

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#3

A

A

A

C

C

C

BB

BB

C

C

C

BBBB

A

Year 1 Year 3 Year 4Year 2EmployeeRegional

Manager

BD

Associate

Project

Executive

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#1

Feb

ruary

-

Aw

ard

ed

Pro

ject

#4

No

vem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#2

Case Study

Director of Construction - D

Business Development

Associate

Vice President - A

Vice President - B

Vice President - C

President - E

Client Company

Regional Manager

Project Executive

President

Superintendent

Project Manager - F

Project Manager - G

Project Manager

Case Study

Case Study Facts

• Multiple client contacts

• Multiple company contacts

• Business Development process took over three years

before ultimate buying decision was made

• …In following three years, over $100-million worth of

work awarded from this client

Case Study

Case Study

E

D

B

D

BB

Decem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#4

B

B

E

E

E

President

B

B

D

D

B

D

D

B

C

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#3

A

A

A

C

C

C

BB

BB

C

C

C

BBBB

A


Manager

BD

Associate

Project

Executive

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#1

Feb

ruary

-

Aw

ard

ed

Pro

ject

#4

No

vem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#2

Case Study

E

D

B

D

BB

Decem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#4

B

B

E

E

E

Principal

B

B

D

D

B

D

D

B

C

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#3

A

A

A

C

C

C

BB

BB

C

C

C

BBBB

A

Year 1 Year 3 Year 4Year 2EmployeeProject Manager

Mechanical

Engineer

Electrical

Engineer

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#1

Feb

ruary

-

Aw

ard

ed

Pro

ject

#4

No

vem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#2

Case Study

E

D

B

D

BB

Decem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#4

B

B

E

E

E

Partner

B

B

D

D

B

D

D

B

C

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#3

A

A

A

C

C

C

BB

BB

C

C

C

BBBB

A

Year 1 Year 3 Year 4Year 2EmployeeAssociate

Project Architect

Project Manager

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#1

Feb

ruary

-

Aw

ard

ed

Pro

ject

#4

No

vem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#2

Case Study

E

D

B

D

BB

Decem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#4

B

B

E

E

E

Project

Executive

B

B

D

D

B

D

D

B

C

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#3

A

A

A

C

C

C

BB

BB

C

C

C

BBBB

A

Year 1 Year 3 Year 4Year 2EmployeeBusiness

Developer

Estimator

Project Manager

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#1

Feb

ruary

-

Aw

ard

ed

Pro

ject

#4

No

vem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#2


Business Development

Associate

Vice President - A

Vice President - B

Vice President - C

President - E

Client Company

Regional Manager

Project Executive

President

Superintendent

Project Manager - F

Project Manager - G

Project Manager

Case Study


Mechanical Engineer

Vice President - A

Vice President - B

Vice President - C

President - E

Client Company

Project Manager

Electrical Engineer

Principal

Mechanical Engineer

Project Manager - F

Project Manager - G

Project Manager

Case Study


Project Architect

Vice President - A

Vice President - B

Vice President - C

President - E

Client Company

Associate

Project Manager

Partner

Project Architect

Project Manager - F

Project Manager - G

Project Manager

Case Study


Estimator

Vice President - A

Vice President - B

Vice President - C

President - E

Client Company

Business Developer

Project Manager

Project Executive

Project Manager

Project Manager - F

Project Manager - G

Estimator

Case Study

Impact of

Networking


To-do ListVelcroed

Relationships

Networking

• Professional Networks

– Industry Organizations

E

D

B

D

BB

Decem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#4

B

B

E

E

E

President

B

B

D

D

B

D

D

B

C

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#3

A

A

A

C

C

C

BB

BB

C

C

C

BBBB

A


Manager

BD

Associate

Project

Executive

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#1

Feb

ruary

-

Aw

ard

ed

Pro

ject

#4

No

vem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#2

Networking

Industry Organization

Industry Organization

Networking



– Client Organizations

– Consultants/Subcontractors

– Complementary Firms

E

D

B

D

BB

Decem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#4

B

B

E

E

E

President

B

B

D

D

B

D

D

B

C

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#3

A

A

A

C

C

C

BB

BB

C

C

C

BBBB

A


Manager

BD

Associate

Project

Executive

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#1

Feb

ruary

-

Aw

ard

ed

Pro

ject

#4

No

vem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#2

Networking

Complementary Firm

Networking






– Former Co-workers

E

D

B

D

BB

Decem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#4

B

B

E

E

E

President

B

B

D

D

B

D

D

B

C

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#3

A

A

A

C

C

C

BB

BB

C

C

C

BBBB

A


Manager

BD

Associate

Project

Executive

Jan

uary

-

RF

P P

roje

ct

#1

Feb

ruary

-

Aw

ard

ed

Pro

ject

#4

No

vem

ber

-R

FP

Pro

ject

#2

Networking

Former Co-worker

Networking

• Professional Networks– Industry Organizations




– Former Co-workers

– Chambers of Commerce

– Economic Development Organizations

– Networking Clubs

Networking

• Personal Networks

– Hometown

Networking

Networking

• Personal Networks

– Hometown

– High School

– College

– Neighborhood

– Children

– Religious Community

– Electronic

Networking

Impact of

Networking


To-do ListVelcroed

Relationships

Tomorrow’s To-do List

Action #1

Relay Concept of Velcroed

Relationships to Entire Staff


Action #2

Help Fellow Employees Expand

Their Professional Networks


Action #3

Expand Your Own Personal Network


Action #4

Join/Become Active In a Social

Networking Community


Action #5

Take Someone From a Complementary

Firm to Lunch


Action #6

Track Down a Former Co-Worker

Impact of

Networking


To-do ListVelcroed

Relationships

William R. Long, PE, LEEDAP, CPSM

TRINIUM Resources Group

[email protected]

610-688-1450

www.triniumresources.com/blog

AxiumAxium helps architecture and engineering firms streamline difficult

processes and increase profitability with easy to use accounting,

project management and business development software.

www.axium.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.triniumresources.com/blog

http://www.axium.com/

a/e business development: velcroed relationships

Documents

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ultimate buying decision

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