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Recap of Principals Roundtable: Winning Strategies for Pursuits!

Posted by [email protected] on Sep. 7, 2019  /  Subscribe 0

Knowledge is power – especially for A/E/C firms that are determined to win their pursuits, said Shiloh Swanson, National Sales Manager for Stantec, in a presentation on Capture Planning to the SMPS San Diego Principals Roundtable last month.

You must know your firm and strategize to identify the best markets for you. Next, research to find the best clients and projects to pursue, she said, noting that it’s important for your firm to have a relationship with the potential client so you can understand their needs as well as how their organization operates.  You must also research your competition to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses compared to yours.

Finally, you must research the project you are pursuing. Don’t just rely on written information about an upcoming project.  Have your technical staff walk the site, ask questions, find out what is really important for the client.

Once you’ve gathered this information, your team can start building a strategy and action plan for capturing a win, she said to the firm principals attending the SMPS Roundtable, which was held at the offices of hosting firm, tk1sc.

When asked by Larry Buck of tk1sc how best to get all of top management on board for a particular pursuit, Shiloh said to show them the numbers.  Pursuits can be quite costly, she said, so it’s important to use your firm’s marketing / business development dollars wisely. By doing research and targeting a client and/or project that is a good fit for your firm, you have increased the chances of winning the job.  Starting the process early is also an important component for winning.

Noting that most of the attendees were from small to mid-sized firms compared with Stantec’s 25,000-member staff nationwide, Shiloh said the capture planning process is the same regardless of the firm or project size.

 All pursuit teams have three basic components:   

• Executive Leadership, or the “boss,” who okays the pursuit;
• Client Manager and/or Marketer, who are the experts about the client;
• Project Manager and staff, who are intimately familiar with the project.

In response to a question from Brian Dersch of Dersch Design & Engineering, Shiloh said the process is also the same whether your firm is a subconsultant or the prime.  As a subconsultant, it is vital that you know your firm’s strengths and how you can bring value to the prime. Having existing relationships with the targeted client can be extremely valuable for you to bring to the prime’s pursuit.

When asked how to form client relationships, Shiloh encouraged everyone to just get out and meet people face-to-face.  Attend brown bag seminars, write a white paper, teach a class, attend social activities, go to golf tournaments.  If you don’t play golf, drive the cart.  The important thing is to get out and circulate and to be known within your targeted groups

If you aren’t in touch with your clients, they will think you’re not interested.  They expect to hear from you.  Find something you have in common with them and let them know you are interested in them, not just a job.

If you aren’t in touch with your clients, they will think you’re not interested.  They expect to hear from you.  Find something you have in common with them and let them know you are interested in them, not just a job.

The sponsor firm selects a topic that is then researched by the Principals Roundtable Planning Group.  The findings are presented in a Power Point slide presentation of background information and talking points.  Following the meeting, the research and slides are available to the attendees.

And when it comes to client relationships, it’s important for the pursuit team to categorize the strength of those relationships with the targeted client.  For instance, how well do you know this person?  Is this someone you sat next to at a luncheon (which would be rated 1 on a scale of 1 to 5), or is this someone you would invite to a family barbeque, which would be rated 5 on the 1-5 scale.

Once you know these relationships, put together an organization chart for the targeted client so you can understand where your contacts fit into the operation and whether or not they are decision-makers.

Finally, once your firm has decided to follow a pursuit – go all in and chase it until you win!

The Principals Roundtable is a series of quarterly meetings sponsored by SMPS San Diego to provide principals of our member firms with a forum to discuss with their peers select marketing and other business issues of concern to leaders within the A/E/C industry. For each Roundtable, a member firm hosts the event and selects a topic, which is then researched and presented by the Principals Roundtable Planning Group.

Once a topic is selected, the planning group researches the topic and prepares a Power Point presentation of background information and talking points for the group.  in the case of the August Roundtable, tk1sc opted to have Shiloh Swanson, a nationally renowned expert on pursuit planning, share her expertise on winning strategies for pursuits.  The research and Power Point slides are then available to attendees after the roundtable.

The Principals Roundtable Planning Group consists of:

• • Sharon Singleton, Principal of KTUA, [email protected]
  • Terry Casey, Principal Owner of On Target Marketing & Communications, LLC, [email protected]
  • Beth Bateman, Owner of Bateman Communications, [email protected]
  • Kamala Kuresman, Corporate Marketing Director of NV5, [email protected]
  • Karen Tournaire, Marketing Director of Sillman Wright Architects, [email protected]

The August 2019 Roundtable was hosted by tk1sc principals Larry Buck and Joe Ross.  Casey Whittsett of Coffman Engineers has offered to host the next Roundtable to be held on November 5, 2019 at Coffman’s offices. Stay tuned for further information on the topic to be discussed.

By Beth Bateman, Bateman Communications

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