Business Development:Black Art or True Science?

Depending on whom you ask, the answer to that question may vary. If we were in a product-based environment selling shoes or beverages, manufacturers would argue that sales is science. Based on the company’s sole ability to define the target, identify and address needs, convince and communicate the benefit (inferred or implied) of the product, at price point everyone is willing to pay, sales would either increase or decrease.

So, why is this equation so difficult to define in our world of design and construction?
The truth is, it’s really not.

One of my colleagues drew the parallel this way, “Selling requires...1. Understanding the client’s most important problems, 2. Figuring out the best solutions for those problems,
3. Communicating that solution to the client and 4. Convincing [them] that the proposed solution will really solve their problem.”

Assuming that we, as architects, engineers and other design professionals, have a deep and thorough understanding of the client (their demography) and that we are able to understand our client’s most pressing issues and define a solution for them, then we are in sync with the product manufacturing analogy. It is in the next step where the wheels fall off of the bus.

It is not sufficient to define problems and proposed solutions, if one is unable to communicate and compel a client to the point of decision. However, schools and colleges have failed to train our rising professionals in the art and science of sales, relegating the word “sell” to the category of four letter words to be banished from our profession. But without the ability to sell, our firms perish. PSMJ consultant Charles Nelson said it best, “Our main role is to teach our staff everything they need to know to run this business in the future.” That includes sales.

The ability of project managers and technical professionals to clearly and effectively articulate thoughts or ideas based on an understanding of one’s problem is not an art. It is a skill that must be practiced on colleagues within firms and mastered on clients. Moreover, convincing someone that they need (not just want) your firm’s design or engineering solution must be met with equal conviction. So, where do we begin?

Project managers and other technical staff charged with the responsibility of business development should understand that their goal is not to do direct sales. Rather, it is to tell stories that illustrate their ability to identify problems and demonstrate solutions to their demographic. But, by all means, provide them with a safe environment in which to practice their skill development—in-house case study presentations, in-house lunch and learns, and charrettes all offer supportive environments for staff to practice the science of sales.

Karen Compton, CPSM. Published in the July 2012 issue of A/E Marketing Journal. Karen Compton is principal of A3K Consulting (Glendale, CA), a business development and strategic planning firm specializing in the architecture, engineering and construction industries. Ms. Compton is also the founder of Industry Speaks™, a web-based business-to-business portal that connects AEC firms with experienced consultants, provides peer reviews of consultants, reports on key industry trends, and publishes expert reviews of professional courses and books. Contact her at kcompton@a3kconsulting.com.