Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Marketers Take Flight
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160: Performance Goal Examples for AEC Marketing Departments | 19 Nov 2024 | 00:26:08 | |
🎯 Setting SMART performance goals in AEC marketing? Dive into this replay episode where I unpack the art of creating Measurable Performance Goals. 📈 Discover why hit rates & proposals don't always reflect true success and explore alternative metrics that can. 💡 From organizing information to tracking website traffic, get ready for actionable examples of goals related to pursuits, marketing communication, graphic design, and more. 🖌️ Tune in for some bonus SMART goal examples to elevate your team's performance and prepare for a career boost with our upcoming episode on salary negotiation tips. 💼
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| 159: Prepare for a Great 2025 with This Simple 3-Question Reflection | 12 Nov 2024 | 00:12:57 | |
As we close out this year, I’m bringing back one of the episodes you need to revisit to set yourself up for a killer 2025. We’re digging into a simple, but oh-so-powerful exercise I shared back in 2022 to help you wrap up the year with clarity and intention. These three questions are perfect to help you reflect, learn, and (let’s be real) let go of anything that doesn’t serve you going forward.
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| 150: How to Design the Personal and Professional Life You Want | 10 Sep 2024 | 00:18:48 | |
I’m letting you in on a little secret: you have the power to design the life you want. Yes, even with all the deadlines, obligations, and responsibilities. 🙌 I’m sharing the Full Focus Double Win Formula that transformed how I approach my goals and life. ✨ What You’ll Learn:
Ready to stop drifting and start designing the life you truly want? Let’s do this! 💪 Resources Mentioned: If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a thing! And if you’re feeling generous, I’d love it if you could leave a review—your feedback means the world to me! 🌟
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| 065: Replay: The Different Career Paths of A/E/C Marketers, Part 1 | 01 Jun 2022 | 00:41:21 | |
Is there a career path in A/E/C marketing beyond the marketing coordinator role? If you have been in your role as a marketing coordinator for any length of time, usually around the 2-3 year mark, you begin to wonder what role is next. You can become a Senior Marketing Coordinator and then eventually a Proposal or Marketing Manager. Eventually, you may be managing other staff, larger pursuits, and/or multiple pursuits. Can you ever get beyond the proposals? Do you want to? What other career paths are there for A/E/C marketers? I asked my community of marketing professionals this exact question, and they didn't disappoint. In part 1 of this series, I share the career path stories of seven different marketing, communications, and business development professionals.
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| 064: How to Organize Your AEC Proposal Content Creation Process | 25 May 2022 | 00:16:30 | |
Imagine how it would feel when you are able to manage a proposal process from start to finish that is planned, organized, and follows a predictable schedule. You not only know the steps involved in any proposal response situation but take charge of the entire process and delegate with authority and confidence. You are confident your proposal is compliant, customized, and showcases your firm as the best. After you hit that submit button, you feel like a success. It makes your entire marketing department (which might only be you) proud. Firm leaders take notice of how smooth the proposal process was. Can you even imagine that? Now that’s #marketingboss After managing proposals for 17+ years in the architecture/engineering industry, I have compiled a list of the activities involved in proposal management from the moment that RFP hits your desk to its timestamped by the client. I’ve boiled all of it down to three phases—Coordinating, Content Development, and Review, Finalization, and Delivery (RFD). And in today’s episode, I am going to narrow on one of those phases – the Content Development phase. And more specifically some best practices on how to approach the order in which you develop your proposal content.
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| 063: Build Firm Credibility with Media Relations | 18 May 2022 | 00:31:04 | |
If you have ever opened a trade magazine, you might have thought, 'I can do that.' But you aren't sure where to start. And that's exactly what we're going to discuss today. Reputation Ink's Michelle Calcote King is here and we're talking about the content sweet spot, knowledge extraction, and editorial calendars. Consider taking notes on how to work through those steps if you have been thinking about getting published either for your own brand or for your firm. We have never discussed this topic before, so let's begin. Here are some highlights:
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| 062: Asking the Right Questions to Get the Best Pursuit Intelligence | 11 May 2022 | 00:10:14 | |
Capture Planning is an essential element in winning pursuits. It is a methodical process of understanding the client and decision-makers, the potential project, and the competitive landscape; and then turning that into a winning proposal. It often requires a full team of business development, marketing, and technical professionals. The goal is to have the right information to create compelling and compliant submissions that win! As you can imagine, much of the Capture Planning effort happens before the RFP is released. This important process assesses opportunities, and positions firms accordingly. And, part of the Capture Planning involves meeting with clients, stakeholders, and other decision-makers to gain intelligence about the project and its goals. To help you uncover the best information, you need to know what questions to ask and how to ask them. In this episode, I share a lesson from my Proposal Pro Course - Gap Finding. In this lesson, I explain what a gap is and why it's critical to help differentiate your firm. And then how to find gaps for your pursuits. (Hint: it involves asking great questions!)
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| 061: AEC Firms: Add These LinkedIn Strategies to Your Marketing Plan | 04 May 2022 | 00:38:59 | |
You most likely have a LinkedIn page for your firm. And, you're most likely posting employee get-togethers and industry events you're attending. Am I right? Additionally, Mindi discusses our profile, the importance of an up-to-date profile picture, and what a good headline should include. We discuss how our firms can help us with that headline and how it can be used to acquire new prospects or clients. This episode is packed with actionable strategies. Here are some highlights:
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| 060: Onboarding Process to Make New Marketing Coordinators Fall in Love [and Stay] with Your Firm | 27 Apr 2022 | 00:21:46 | |
We all know how difficult it’s been to find and hire experienced marketing coordinators for our AEC firms. We are all usually underwater with deadlines and need help. Once we get that approval to hire, we need to not only find someone quickly but get that person up to speed and fully functionally ASAP. If you are one of the lucky ones to find this AEC marketing coordinator unicorn, you will want to make sure you set a great first impression, so he/she stays with your company for a long time. This is where a great onboarding experience can come into play. And that’s what today’s episode is about. I’m going to break down the different phases of onboarding and give you some ideas to make this experience better for the new hire and you so everyone feels good about the decision and even better, the new hire can feel like they are making meaningful contributions right away. Here are some episode highlights:
I provide you with two download freebies to help you start enhancing your marketing onboarding experience – the Resource Guidebook and Help Source Card questionnaires. You can download those for free over on the show notes page – marketerstakeflight.com/60. I hope you enjoyed this episode. I hope this gives you some ideas to enhance your new hire onboarding experience for your marketing department. I know we have a lot of creative people in the audience. So tell us, friends, what are some creative ways or experiences you provide to your new marketers? Share them with us in the comments on the show notes page.
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| 059: Using CRM Data for Better Proposals | 20 Apr 2022 | 00:38:38 | |
It’s all in the data. Data is being used more than ever before. It's being used to make decisions, create products and services, to find solutions to problems; it's not just about managing the data, it's about using the data for something. Are you using that data to its fullest potential? Stacey Ho, CPSM loves all things data. She's here on the show today to talk to us about the four pillars of data collection and auditing: training, collection, auditing, and reporting. She’ll share with us examples of this data being used effectively to make intelligent decisions and prepare effective proposals. Here are some highlights:
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| 058: 3 Ways to Prepare for an Unexpected RFP | 13 Apr 2022 | 00:10:44 | |
Today we are talking about three ways you can start preparing for an unexpected RFP. Because let’s be honest, even though we want to have months and months to do our capture planning and prepositioning, a lot of times, a project manager or principal brings you an RFP that wasn’t on your radar. So, what do you do when you hear about an RFP that is going to be advertised next week? What can you start doing now to make the proposal production go smooth and still put out a customized, persuasive proposal to give your firm the best shot at winning? Especially, since you’re already working on 2 or 3 other pursuits at the same time. Well, I’ve been there my friends. A project that we were either tracking or a client we have been meeting with, lets us know that RFP is coming out next week or in a few weeks. We are way behind on the capture planning efforts and have a few other must-win proposal deadlines already on our calendar. But, we know we have to submit this RFP coming out next week. So, we must start preparing, even if we can’t go through the full capture planning process. Having been through this many times in my past, I have found that there are three items or pieces of information you, as the proposal manager, can start working on the moment you hear about that RFP. And, in this episode, I am going to share those items with you. Here are some episode highlights:
If you loved any of these or have any of your own items you start working on the moment you hear that RFP is coming out that you want to share with me, jump on Instagram, send me a DM, or post about it. Tag me. I’d love to know some of the proposals tasks you start working on the moment you hear that an unexpected RFP is coming. I genuinely would love to hear from you. And also, if you know someone who would enjoy this podcast episode, please grab the link and share it with them. I’d be so grateful.
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| 057: How to Write a Persuasive AEC Proposal Cover Letter | 06 Apr 2022 | 00:33:08 | |
The most important part of your proposal is your cover letter. This first impression could grab the attention of your reader and set the stage for your proposal to be shortlisted. If you start your cover letter with “We are excited to submit?” then you are going to want to stop and listen to this episode. Peter Kienle is here to offer advice on what you should and should not include in your cover letter. If you find yourself seeing some similarities, we have some support for you as well. A few ideas on what you should be including the length of the cover letter, how to summarize it, and even who should be signing. Stop creating your cover letter all wrong and start getting those proposals read and shortlisted. Here are some highlights:
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| 056: 5 Key Skills AEC Marketing Coordinators Need to Advance Their Career | 30 Mar 2022 | 00:18:40 | |
If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you’re either in marketing or business development for an AEC firm. And, as such, most of your work revolves around proposals. You are most likely coordinating multiple proposals any given week. I know this because I was you. Since 2005 when I began as a marketing coordinator at an engineering firm – learning how to coordinate a proposal submission was task #1 of my onboarding. Since then, I have trained dozens of AEC marketing coordinators at three different firms, specifically on how to produce winning proposals. And through this experience, I have realized that there are a few key areas to really master to grow your career in the marketing or pursuit management departments at AEC firms. Those topics or areas of mastery include:
In this episode, I give you a brief overview of each. Then I share how you can get to mastery level for each topic that will give you more career options—even if you don’t want to stay with proposals.
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| Season 4 Trailer: The AEC Marketer's Journey – Personal Growth and Professional Excellence | 27 Aug 2024 | 00:05:12 | |
Welcome to Season 4 of Marketers Take Flight, where I shift my focus to you—the marketing professional. This season is dedicated to your personal development, growth, and achieving the double win: excelling in your career while thriving in your personal life.
Join me as we embark on this journey to enhance not just your marketing skills, but your overall quality of life. Together, we’ll explore actionable strategies and insights that will help you achieve success and fulfillment in every aspect of your life.
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| 055: Have We Mislabeled the AEC Marketing Coordinator Role? | 23 Mar 2022 | 00:41:58 | |
Today we may have something controversial to discuss. What is the difference between business development, sales, and marketing? Are you one of the many people in your firm that has marketing in your title but perhaps the bulk of your daily tasks isn’t actually marketing? Tim Asimos is here to discuss with me the evolution of the AEC industry and the sales and marketing titles, job descriptions, and workloads. And perhaps the industry is getting it wrong. We discuss the differences between the titles and where they should be. He also explains why a mislabeled marketing coordinator title could be affecting the recruitment and retention of ideal candidates. Tim will tell us who has a handle on these roles and how firms can realign to attract the best marketing professional. Here are some highlights:
Learn more about Tim Asimos and how he works with AEC firms over on the show notes page - https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/55.
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| 054: A Better Approach to Go/No Go Decision-Making | 16 Mar 2022 | 00:17:36 | |
Deciding whether an AEC firm should pursue a project or not, can turn into heated debates and result in hurt feelings. Some AEC firms have a pretty stringent go/no go process, that quite frankly can be manipulated. Other firms have some sort of evaluation. Many don’t have any go/no go consideration at all. They just go after all RFPs. That’s probably why you want to listen to this episode. Maybe your firm doesn’t have a go/no-go decision-making process but wants to start one. OR you do have one, sort of, but everyone just ignores it. Either way, you want to help your firm make better decisions when it comes to what projects to pursue so you will have time to properly position, time to create beautiful and compelling proposals, and frankly, just have a life outside of work. Even if you’re not the person making the ultimate decision, I want you to know that you can lead and facilitate this go/no go decision-making process for your firm. In this episode, I share why I think it’s so hard for AEC Firms to make these decisions or stick to a process, what the REAL purpose of a go/no go decision should be, and walk you through an example of go/no go evaluation process you can implement at your firm. Stay to the end to learn how to get example go/no go evaluation questions. Here are a few episode highlights:
And if you need even more inspiration to help you develop your go/no go decision-making, I have put together a list of 32 questions. I have personally used most of these in the past. Others I have gathered through research and collected from other marketers. Get your copy over on the show notes page at marketerstakeflight.com/54. Feel free to use and adapt for your firm as needed. In the end, I think everyone wants what is best for the firm and its success. Making better go/no go decisions, especially those that are a result of a consensus, allows you and your firm more time to focus on proposals that have the greatest chance of winning and more time to produce higher quality proposals.
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| 053: Tips to Advocate for Yourself and Advance Your Career | 09 Mar 2022 | 00:29:48 | |
Have you thought about creating your own personal brand? How about creating your own elevator pitch to help open the conversation? We have all been on those Zoom calls, waiting for the meeting to get started and making small talk. This is the perfect time to introduce yourself and make an impression. In today’s episode, I’m talking to Maisha Hagan who gives us a few pointers about turning that small talk into a little question with a big answer. You may feel uncomfortable talking about yourself at meetings, conferences, or on Zoom calls but there is no better person to advocate for you and your skills. Maisha has some tips on how to achieve that self-advocacy whether you are an introvert or extrovert. You may want to listen in before you step on that plane for the next conference. Here are some highlights:
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| 052: How to Find Projects for Your AEC Firm | 02 Mar 2022 | 00:15:17 | |
One of the common questions I get from AEC marketing professionals is how to find RFPs (or potential projects) before the RFP is advertised. We hear repeatedly that we must do our capture planning and firm positioning before the project is advertised. What is not discussed enough is how to find out about the projects before they get advertised. And, since I have recently presented on this topic twice to different organizations, I thought it would resonate with you, my podcast listeners. So, in this podcast episode, I share a high-level introduction to market research for AEC firms. I cover how to develop a market research strategy, what type of intelligence to gather when conducting your research, who to talk to, what to ask, and places to look for project information. I share my follow-the-money (and demand) strategy, along with a real-life example from my previous firm. And, stay with me until the end of the episode to get a research template freebie. Here are some episode highlights:
Don’t forget to turn that insight into action. Comment over on the show notes page at marketerstakeflight.com/52 if you found out about a project other than one of the ways I listed above. I would love to hear other ideas. And you would be helping others by sharing your knowledge. Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss the next episode. And, if you liked what you heard today, please share it with your marketing friends. I am a firm believer that as our individual skills improve, the entire AEC industry grows.
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| 051: 5 Lies We Tell Ourselves That Poison Our Productivity | 23 Feb 2022 | 00:19:54 | |
Have you been working harder, or pusher harder to achieve your goals? And is that taking a toll on your energy, relationships, and maybe even your health? Do you think that the only way to get it all done is to put in more hours, or work after the kids go to bed? Or, if only that project manager would meet his proposal deadlines, your work would be better? I talk to marketers nearly every day and what I hear is that their biggest struggles are too many proposal deadlines, not enough resources, and the technical staff being too busy to get their proposal materials to them. And, while these things are actually happening, the way you process and talk to yourself about these things are really poisoning your productivity. Dear, I say they are excuses? And, they are the same excuses I have been hearing for 15+ years, even before COVID. And they are based on five areas or five basic excuses. Learn what these five lies are in this episode.
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| 050: Already Ditched Your New Year's Resolutions? Try This Instead | 09 Feb 2022 | 00:22:50 | |
Did you know that a quarter of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions after just one week? And after one month it increases again to 36%. So, by the time you are listening to this podcast over 1/3 of us have already abandoned our new year’s resolutions. So why do we keep setting New Year’s Resolutions? And, what can we do instead? In this episode, I share another system to achieve your goals – the SMARTER goal framework. The SMARTER goal framework is built on a simple premise: how goals are written matters. To be most effective, every goal must meet seven criteria. The SMART framework originally developed by GE in the 1980s has been transformed into the SMARTER system by Michael Hyatt. I’ll walk you through this framework, share examples, and provide you with a template to get started. If you’re creating new goals or already have some in mind – using the SMARTER system to write them down is the first step to achieving them! I am cheering for you to achieve your goals and I know that writing them down using the SMARTER system will give you a great head start. For more information about the SMARTER system and SMARTER System Goal Template head over to the show notes page – marketerstakeflight.com/50.
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| 049: My System for Getting it All Done | 26 Jan 2022 | 00:10:22 | |
Are you working harder than ever before, but feel like you’re not making progress? Do you start each day stressed and end the day stressed and exhausted? Worried about forgetting about an assignment or dropping a task? As marketing professionals, and many of us as working moms, we have a lot on our minds all the time. And, these past two years haven’t helped anyone relieve this burden, in fact, it’s made it the worst any of us has experienced. What if there was a way, a system per se, that provides one central tracking location for everything – work projects to personal events. A way to make measurable progress toward the goals that matter to you, instead of what’s put on your desk? If you could shift from trying to get everything done to get the right things done? That’s impossible, right? Wrong. It’s not impossible. It’s not easy, but it’s possible. I know because I have been using a system like this for years.
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| 048: Set Yourself Up for a Great 2022 with These 3 Questions | 12 Jan 2022 | 00:11:41 | |
Are you feeling 22? (Signing in my best Taylor Swift voice). If not, maybe you haven’t officially said goodbye to 2021. Or maybe haven’t come out yet of the holiday busyness or jumped right into work deadlines. Wouldn’t you like to clear your head? Allow yourself to begin the new year with a fresh slate? Do you want to set yourself up for a powerful, productive, and “ready to tackle anything that 2022 can throw at you” mindset? If you answered yes to any of the above, then this is the episode for you. I’ve got a quick exercise that you can do by yourself. What I am talking about is just three simple questions to review what you did or accomplished, take note of what you learned, and let go of all the crap that is holding you back. So, grab a piece of paper, and let’s go!
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| [BONUS] Goodbye and Good Riddance to 2021. Hello 2022. | 04 Jan 2022 | 00:17:42 | |
I wanted to pop in with this bonus episode to formally say goodbye and good riddance to 2021. Part of this is to look back on one of the most challenging years of my life to reflect. And to tell you how that year has shaped me and this podcast moving into 2022. And I’m not claiming 2022 as “my year” or the year to be all years, I am just hoping it isn’t the emotional rollercoaster 2021 was. I also know I am not alone when I say that last year was a mess. We all have challenges, struggles, good times, and bad times. I hope that by sharing some of my life events and experiences with you, you’ll realize you’re not alone. I’m not alone. And even though we aren’t going through the exact same experiences at the same time, we can find comfort in knowing others have their own crap going on. Let’s start with summarizing my 2021 in one phrase: Emotional Roller Coaster. When I decided to create this episode, I started thinking about everything that I’ve been through in 2021. It wasn’t all bad. In fact, there were some really great things that happened. What kept popping in my head as I was reflected, was a roller coaster – with its slow-building hills, and fast drops and twists and turns. That image or feeling of being on a roller coaster is the perfect way for me to describe my life last year. Can you relate? I’ll give a quick recap of these highs and lows not to bore you with my personal life, but so you can understand some of the changes I’m making with my company Marketers Take Flight, and this podcast.
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| 047: The Most Popular Podcast Episode of 2021 | 29 Dec 2021 | 00:38:51 | |
Well, 2021 is nearly over (or might even be over by the time you listen to this episode). I don’t know about you, but for me I am really looking forward to saying goodbye to 2021. For me personally, it was a very hard year. I’ll go into more detail of those events and stories in a future episode as they are going to shape the future of this podcast. I am very excited about that! Now, I wouldn’t be a good podcast host if I didn’t end the year with a “Best of” or a “Most popular episode” replay! So here it goes. The most popular podcast episode of 2021 was……. …Client Research: Proposal Pet Peeves and Common Winning Elements. In this episode, I talk with Sreoshy Banerjea about her research. Her research looks at what the client is looking for within your firm, your proposals, and more. From the basic factors like spelling errors to more sophisticated considerations such as diversity in age. We will discuss the biggest pet peeve of the client, as well as what makes a winning proposal. So, this isn’t a surprise that this was the most listened to episode of 2021! It’s not just about proposals, but what our clients think of our proposals. I also want to let you know that I’ll be taking a little bit of a break from the podcast. I find that when I take a few months off, that gives me time talk with listeners like you about what’s challenging you, meet interesting guests, and outline/plan the next season. Over the next few episodes, I will be releasing replays of some of the other most popular episodes. I know some of you have just discovered this podcast so it will help get you caught up. For those that have been here for a while, just think of the replay episodes as a refresh. And I think we can all use a refresh to start a new year. I want to thank all of you for allowing me to be part of your day and for supporting me! I want to wish all of you, your family, your friends, and your colleagues a safe and happy New Year!
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| The Road Ahead for AEC Marketing Strategies | 27 Dec 2023 | 00:03:24 | |
In this special episode of AEC Marketing Strategies, I share an important and heartfelt announcement with you.
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| 046: How to Figure Out What You Want and Go For It | 15 Dec 2021 | 00:48:41 | |
Are you feeling like you are ready for the next step in your marketing career? Or maybe you are ready to shift and take on a different role but you just aren’t sure how to do that. You see others have made these shifts and you want to work with them, figure out how they did it. Maybe it’s time you needed a champion on your side. In this episode, I am interviewing Erika Booker who talks about how to identify what you want, find a champion and make the mentor/mentee relationship work for both of you. It’s not just about the next steps in your career but about the inner discovery of yourself. Taking care of yourself means you have the time and energy to put the best creativity into your work. There are lots of great tips here on how to achieve your next personal and professional goals. Here are a few highlights:
Learn more about Erika and get all the links mentioned over on the show notes page. Get Yourself a Mentor
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| 045: Get Found Online: Creating Content for Your Ideal Future Clients | 01 Dec 2021 | 00:40:14 | |
We are back for the second episode with Bryon McCartney. If you remember from Episode 44, Bryon dove deep into your website SEO best practices. In this episode, we continue our conversation about websites and how to create content for them to make the biggest impact on your future clients. While ‘news’ and updates are good for your website, Bryon talks about the importance of creating content that will draw your next client in. Think about your ideal client and write your content to them. Consistency is key and we discuss a few strategic ways even small firms can reach their audiences with high-quality content. Don’t forget to harvest that content and repurpose it. Today’s episode will explain all this and more. Here are a few highlights:
Visit the show notes webpage to learn more about Bryon and get the links to the resources mentioned in the show.
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| 044: Get Found Online: Website and SEO Best Practices | 17 Nov 2021 | 00:41:13 | |
Can A/E/C firms really expect to get leads based on their website? This interview was so informational, we have split it in two. In this one, we talk about four key best practices for every website, the three critical questions people want to know when they visit your website, and why you should have different paths for different types of visitors on your website. Here are a few highlights:
Visit the show notes webpage to learn more about Bryon and get the links to the resources mentioned in the show.
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| 043: Recruiting, Managing, and Growing a Remote Marketing Team | 03 Nov 2021 | 00:27:33 | |
In this episode, we are talking about how to recruit, grow and manage your remote team. I'm talking with Kari Nemiro, who manages a 20-person team with members across the US. She has cultivated a remote marketing team that supports a larger organization. Even if you have a one- or two-person remote team, managing a team on its own is difficult but then managing a team that isn’t in the same office as you have its own unique challenges. Kari’s approach believes in a solid foundation of trust, honest communication, and respect. She’s got some great tips to keep you and your team on track. Here are a few highlights:
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Get Yourself a Mentor
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| 042: Selecting the Best A/E/C CRM, Part 2 | 20 Oct 2021 | 00:45:34 | |
Is your firm thinking about a new CRM system? Does your firm even need a CRM system? In this episode, I’m back interviewing Jan Flesher and Courtney Kearney on where firms go wrong when selecting a new CRM system. From deciding if your firm even needs one to streamline those people involved in the selection process, today’s episode covers all the important aspects of CRMs. We talk about what you’ll need to gather first to analyze what type of CRM system you need. What is its purpose? Who will use it? What data will you collect? What data needs to be collected. We answer these and lots more in this episode, “Selecting the best AEC CRM.”
Learn more about Jan and Courtney and get the resources mentioned in the episode here: https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/42
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| 041: Selecting the Best CRM for A/E/C Firms, Part 1 | 06 Oct 2021 | 00:34:05 | |
How do you know if you need a CRM for your architecture, engineering, or construction (A/E/C) firm? How do you select the right CRM for your firm? How can you make sure you are getting the most out of your CRM? This interview continues into the next episode but you don’t want to miss this one. Jan and Courtney have great advice and loads of knowledge to share.
Get Yourself a Mentor
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| 040: How to Get the Proposal Information You Need, When You Need It | 22 Sep 2021 | 00:34:33 | |
Have you ever felt like your internal proposal process was taking too long? Your team is spread out, working from home or maybe they just aren’t meeting deadlines. Well, marketers, today’s episode will bring you some insight on how to better prepare and execute your next proposal process. Our guest, Kate Robinette, CPSM will give you some steps to help your team juggle multiple proposals, stay on task with proposals and maybe even help you streamline your process. Kate dives into how she’s been able to handle her team’s proposal process. She shepherds them to the finish line by keeping them on task. We talk about her 'No Meeting, Meetings' as well as her proposal outline and how she helps new members integrate into the team. You don’t want to miss this episode, lots of great advice in here. Here are some highlights:
About Our Guest Kate Robinette, CPSM Partner, Go! Strategies, LLC Kate is a theater nerd who learned about AEC marketing when a board member of the arts council where she worked suggested she talk to his marketing director. She quickly realized her linear thinking, strategic analysis, writing, and logistics management were a killer combination for helping to win work. She spent 20 years honing her craft. Now she helps companies strengthen their marketing and BD teams, culture, and employee engagement with the same combination of talents and a (slightly less) deadline-driven rigor. Links Mentioned in this Episode: Get Yourself a Mentor
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| 039: Answering the Questions, You Were Afraid to Ask as a Newbie, Part 2 | 08 Sep 2021 | 00:27:12 | |
In this episode, I continue our professional skills-building conversation with Keelin and Matt. If you are a newbie to marketing and the proposal process, you do not want to miss this. We are answering questions that you may be afraid to ask, or maybe you just don’t know where to go and get these answers. If you missed episode 38, we started our conversation on identifying roadblocks, follow-up, and knowing when you are speaking up too little or too much. This week, we’ll dive into what task you should be working on and what you need to complete that action. We’ll also talk about making mistakes. Everyone makes them, even us. Lastly, Matt and Keelin both answer their rapid file questions. You don’t want to miss their answers to the #1 piece of advice for new AEC Marketers. They both offer valuable insight.
About Our Guests Keelin Cox, CPSM, ENV SP Senior Marketing Specialist Stantec Keelin Cox, CPSM, ENV SP is a creative thinker and problem solver with a focus on thoughtful interactions throughout the AEC industry. As a senior marketing specialist at Stantec, she is invested in supporting the water sector to build winning proposals, create smart strategies, and help her teams serve their communities. Keelin is the host of the AEC Marketeer podcast that explores AEC marketing and beyond. Matt Handal 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 a healthy disrespect for the status quo and loves to challenge conventional wisdom. Matt is a co-author of the Marketing Handbook for the Design & Construction Professional and author of the Society for Marketing Professional Services' research whitepaper on "Marketing and the Mind." Links Mentioned in this Episode:
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| 038: Answering the Questions, You Were Afraid to Ask as a Newbie, Part 1 | 25 Aug 2021 | 00:28:24 | |
Are you new to the industry or maybe recently graduated college new to the professional world? There’s so much information to unpack in this episode, we’ll release part two next time. But I’d love to know your thoughts on this format. It’s a new format for us and allows me to bring you different ideas, information, and guests. Let me know what you think.
About Our Guests Keelin Cox, CPSM, ENV SP Senior Marketing Specialist Stantec Keelin Cox, CPSM, ENV SP is a creative thinker and problem solver with a focus on thoughtful interactions throughout the AEC industry. As a senior marketing specialist at Stantec, she is invested in supporting the water sector to build winning proposals, create smart strategies, and help her teams serve their communities. Keelin is the host of the AEC Marketeer podcast that explores AEC marketing and beyond. Matt Handal 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 a healthy disrespect for the status quo and loves to challenge conventional wisdom. Matt is a co-author of the Marketing Handbook for the Design & Construction Professional and author of the Society for Marketing Professional Services' research whitepaper on "Marketing and the Mind." Links Mentioned in this Episode:
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| 037: Remove the Waste in Your Proposal Process Using Lean Principles | 11 Aug 2021 | 00:28:11 | |
Have you ever wanted to refine your proposal process? How do you ruthlessly eliminate waste from your proposals? In today’s episode, we are talking to Kathryn Bennett, CPSM about lean principles. We’ll be helping you reduce your non-value added activities in your proposals and help you measure your process effectively. You’ll understand how to ask “WHY” problems are occurring and start working on how you can fix them. A few highlights you may want to review:
About our Guests: Kathryn Bennett, CPSM Director of RFP Excellence, Loopio Kathryn Bennett, CPSM is the Director of RFP Excellence at Loopio. She has more than a dozen years of proposal management and technical communications experience. Kathryn believes that every proposal manager should be able to go home at the end of a 40-hour workweek, and she's made it her personal mandate to support better processes so proposal managers don't suffer from burnout. Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Rate, Review, and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or t
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| 149: The Most Popular Episode of 2023 | 20 Dec 2023 | 00:20:16 | |
Get ready to dive back into the most buzzworthy episode of the year! As we wrap up a fantastic 2023, I’m bringing back the show that set your marketing minds ablaze – our deep dive into ChatGPT’s transformative impact on content creation for AEC marketers. Inside this episode, you’ll discover:
Special Note: Your Takeaway Treasure:
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| 036: Organizing and Attending In-Person Events | 28 Jul 2021 | 00:25:32 | |
Most of us have been to an in-person conference or event before. During the last year that has changed. Today on the show, I’m talking to two organizers who took on the task of creating an in-person event for this year’s SMPS SERC. While there are always challenges to events, this year brought new challenges and new feedback which could change the way events are held in the future. Join us today to talk about organizing and attending an in-person conference or event. A few highlights you may want to review:
About our Guests: Emily Hawarah, Marketing Coordinator, KCI Technologies Emily started her career in AEC marketing in 2013 and attended her first SMPS Southeastern Regional Conference in Raleigh in 2014. The year and a half she spent as a conference co-chair (that just so happened to coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic) was life-changing and eye-opening!
Rachael Frohardt, Marketing Manager, PCL Construction Rachael Frohardt is the Marketing Manager for the Southeast Buildings division of PCL Construction, the nation’s 9th largest general contractor. Rachael leads a team of talented marketing, communications and creative professionals focused on achieving PCL’s strategic vision. Her passion, intellect, and industry experience allow her to challenge the status quo while catapulting the development of innovative marketing and communications strategies. Rachael is a past president for the SMPS Central Florida chapter and Chapter President of the Year winner. She is the mother of two young children who inspire her every day to work hard, dream big and make chicken nuggets. Links Mentioned in this Episode:
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| 035: Client Research: Proposal Pet Peeves and Common Winning Elements | 14 Jul 2021 | 00:35:38 | |
Welcome back, Marketers! We are back and kicking off season 2 with a new episode. Have you ever wondered why a client may choose another firm over yours? Interested in making the client’s experience a better one? Today, I’m interviewing Sreoshy Banerjea, an urban designer and architect who has taken her knowledge and dug deep to find out what our clients want in a proposal. Sreoshy’s research looks at what the client is looking for within your firm, your proposals, and more. From the basic factors like spelling errors to more sophisticated considerations such as diversity in age. We will discuss the biggest pet peeve of the client, as well as what makes a winning proposal. Sreoshy has created a course on writing a better proposal and winning that client each time. Her course, ATLAS Framework, is available here: https://atlas.newzenler.com/f/atlasroadmap What to review the highlights of today’s episode?
Get Yourself a Mentor
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| Season 2 Trailer | 07 Jul 2021 | 00:04:53 | |
This podcast is for marketing and business development professionals who work in the architecture, engineering, construction industry. And, I’m officially kicking off season 2. In the first season, we dug deep into proposal management, writing, and communications. This season I am mixing it up. This season’s topics include:
If you are responsible for marketing and/or proposal management and work at architecture, engineering, construction, or related firm, this is the podcast for you. Regardless of your level, you will walk away with actionable tips and feeling inspired. So, make sure you hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss out on season 2.
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| Bonus: How to Evaluate Your Business Processes | 12 May 2021 | 00:20:49 | |
This is a special bonus episode of the Marketers Take Flight podcast.
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| 034: Permission to Do Less | 25 Jan 2021 | 00:11:53 | |
How are you? How did you make it out of 2020? This final episode of season one talks about making time to prioritize yourself and your time. It’s time to reflect on your goals and maybe even change them to be less than what you originally had wanted. While I’m going to sign off for the next few months, I’m inviting you to join my Monthly Resource Round-up newsletter. The first newsletter comes out on February 1st. Join online at https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/resource/ Want to see a breakdown of what I talked about?
About Lindsay Diven, CPSM and Host of Marketers Take Flight Podcast. My goal is to help you to acclimate quickly to the marketing environment at your engineering, architecture, or construction (A/E/C) firm. This way you can fully utilize your skills and talents. Links Mentioned in this Episode:
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| 033: How to Lead Change at your A/E/C Firm - Part 2 | 18 Jan 2021 | 00:23:39 | |
We are back with part two of my interview with Rana Blair. Rana has some great advice about how to act and help make changes in your AEC firm. In today’s episode, we talk about how change needs to come from within and be supported by management. Here are a few key points you may want to review:
Don’t miss part one of my interview with Rana at www.marketerstakeflight.com/29 About Rana Blair, Senior Consultant at Full Sail Partners. With more than 20 years of experience working with finance, operations, human resources, and administrative teams. As an accounting professional with broad operational experience, Rana’s background provides her a unique ability to provide project-based professional services firm guidance on how to best streamline and improve operations. Rana provides consulting services on the Deltek Vision finance and project management applications. Links Mentioned in this Episode: ➢ Rana Blair's Bio -https://www.fullsailpartners.com/staff/rana-blair ➢ Dr. William Bridges Transition Management -https://wmbridges.com/ ➢ Change Management Curve -https://frontlinemanagementexperts.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/bridges-model-situational-leadership-gary-tremolada.png ➢ Episode 29 - Part 1 How to Lead Change at your AEC firm Rate, Review, and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
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| 032: Using Thought Leadership to Drive Revenue and Build Personal Brand | 11 Jan 2021 | 00:31:30 | |
In today's episode, we are talking to GinaRenee Autrey. She is the Marketing and Communications leader for Kleinschmidt Associates.
She is responsible for leading all marketing and communication activities including but not limited to: strategic planning, development, and implementation of marketing campaigns for foundational clients and top pursuits, content marketing, collateral materials, lead generation, market research, event planning and participation, marketing communications including press releases, media relations, web content, social media, and internal communications. GinaRenee is an active member of SMPS (Society for Marketing Professional Services) and NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals). She has also served on committees for numerous charitable organizations including the Communications Chair on the Board of Directors for ACE Mentor Houston 2016-2018.
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| 031: Ideas to Improve Workplace Culture | 06 Jan 2021 | 00:40:59 | |
Let’s kick off 2021 on the right foot. This week, I’m interviewing Hilary Pritchett, owner and creator of Nine Little Boxes and Go Get Coaching and Consultants. Nine LIttle Boxes is a Workplace Wellness activity box. Each set of 54 cards describes activities designed to encourage healthy ways of taking breaks and connecting with your colleagues. Be sure to check out this episode, there’s a contest! Find out more about this contest below. A few highlights of my conversation with Hilary can be found here:
Resources Mentioned in this Show:
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| 030: Most Popular Episode of 2020: Career Paths of A/E/C Marketers | 04 Jan 2021 | 00:40:03 | |
In this episode, we replay the best episode of 2020. The most downloaded and listened to episode follows the stories of 7 people in the AEC field and how they go the positions they are in now. If you’ve been in your role as a marketing coordinator for about 2-3 years, you may be wondering what’s next. Let’s dive into the stories of these executives who have made different career paths to get to where they are now and learn what other career paths there are for A/E/C Marketers.
Finally, we interview Katie Brancheau, Design-Build Business Development Manager for DRPM. Her interview starts at 20:54.
Links Mentioned in this Episode: ➢ Lean In by Cheryl Sandberg ➢ Michael Knowles, regional business development director at McKim & Creed ➢ Emily (Crews) Hubbard, Principal ➢ Adam Kilbourne, President of Tech, Inc. Engineering and Design ➢ Rebecca Starer, Marketing Services Manager for Gilbane Building Company ➢ Jennifer Barker, Marketing Specialist ➢ Janki DePalma, Business Development
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| 029: How to Lead Change at your A/E/C Firm - Part 1 | 21 Dec 2020 | 00:31:58 | |
Have you been trying to make some system changes in your A/E/C firm and getting some push back from your employees? Or perhaps your firm has already started some changes and you are holding back from implementing them. Rana Blair is on the podcast today and talks to me about what changes need to be made and how to implement them. Rana has a natural talent for helping others with their changes. She understands that change can be hard and also has a firm grasp on the human mind and how one thinks about change. Using this knowledge, she implements the change curve; walking us through the changes that many employees make. From denial through acceptance, she likens these changes to the 7 stages for grief. This is part one of my interview with Rana. Part two will air in 2021. If you want to know more about what Rana and I discuss, here are a few highlights:
About Rana Blair, Senior Consultant at Full Sail Partners. Rana Blair is a Senior Consultant at Full Sail Partners with more than 20 years of experience working with finance, operations, human resources, and administrative teams. As an accounting professional with broad operational experience, Rana’s background provides her a unique ability to provide project-based professional services firm guidance on how to best streamline and improve operations. Rana provides consulting services on the Deltek Vision and Vantagepoint finance and project management applications. She is also an evangelist for the power of collaboration using Deltek Collaboration. Links Mentioned in this Episode: ➢ Rana Blair's Bio -https://www.fullsailpartners.com/staff/rana-blair ➢ Dr. William Bridges Transition Management -https://wmbridges.com/ ➢ Change Management Curve -https://frontlinemanagementexperts.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/bridges-model-situational-leadership-gary-tremolada.png Rate, Review, and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value in listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us co
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| 148: The Vital Role of Mentorship for AEC Marketers | 13 Dec 2023 | 00:32:36 | |
Do you remember the first time someone took you under their wing in the AEC world? Or maybe you're dreaming of being that guiding light for someone else? Well, you're in for a treat! Today, we're diving deep into the heart of mentorship in the AEC industry with the fabulous GinaRenee Autrey. She’s joining us again to spill the tea on all things mentorship – the ups, the downs, and everything in between.
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| 028: How to Ask for the Salary You Want and Deserve | 14 Dec 2020 | 00:38:01 | |
Struggling with your salary negotiations? Want to ask for more but just not sure how? In this episode of Marketers Take Flight, I’m talking to Jason Ybarra about all things salary. Negotiations, promotions, and increasing your salary. Both with a new opportunity or within the company you are already in. Jason shares with us some tips for negotiating during interviews, reviews, and when it’s time to request more. Jason has some great insight as to why it’s so difficult for us to ask for money. He talks about the taboo we have around it and why we feel it may be easier to find a new job rather than have the tough conversation with our employer about increasing our salary. He also explains why that may not always be the best decision. I even find out when the best time is to ask for that raise. Jason explains to us that we shouldn’t be preparing a resume to find a new job but to better our current situation. We dive into how keeping your resume current can actually help with negotiations for that raise you’ve been looking for. Keeping track of your accomplishments is important for all involved. I hope, after you’ve listened to this week’s episode, you are finding yourself running to something and not away from it. Here are a few highlights and where to find them:
Jason has tons of fabulous advice for all of us in this episode. If you want to know more about Jason, you can find him on LinkedIn here: Jason Ybarra, Account Executive at Mackenzie
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| 027: Produce Faster Proposals with these InDesign Scripts & Plug-Ins | 10 Dec 2020 | 00:32:02 | |
Have you downloaded the new 2021 release of InDesign? Julie Shaffer, CPSM is here with us again to discuss more features of InDesign as well as Scripts, Extensions, and Plugins. Let us help you work more efficiently and make your proposal production easier and faster. Julie attended the virtual Adobe MAX Conference and she’s here to share with us some great InDesign updates that came out in October of 2020. The Adobe MAX Conference sessions are available until October 2021. You can still attend some of our favorite sessions. As expected, Julie’s favorite sessions dive deep into InDesign. Here are a few of her favorites: InDesign Automation and Introduction to Scripts by Dave Clayton, a session on typography with Nigel French as well as one session about marrying Photoshop, illustrator, and InDesign by Art Vanderwiel. Want to know some of Julie’s favorite Scripts, Extensions, and Plugins? Here’s a list of her favorites and where to hear more:
A few other favorites you may want to learn about:
Don’t forget to check out Julie’s 30-second overview of Share for Review at 20:39. Or check out episode 12 for a deep dive into how it’s a game-changer for your proposal reviews. The new 2021 InDesign is a new install. Julie offers some tips to make your install easier (19:16). She also gives us a peek into what she thinks the #1 skill every marketer should learn and master (25:10). Want to know what my favorite InDesign feature is? Learn how I use Nested Styles (27:49). Julie offers InDesign training and has put together a list of all her favorite InDesign Scripts, Plugins, and Extensions. Find out by signing up for her newsletter at https://www.shaffercreative.com/. Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:
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| 026: Performance Goal Examples for A/E/C Marketing Departments | 30 Nov 2020 | 00:28:22 | |
It’s that time of year again – Performance Review time! And this time affects everyone- from the marketing manager’s who have to measure the performance of their teams to individuals that to do self-evaluations and attend performance review meetings. Part of this process includes reviewing your goals and accomplishments for the current year, but also includes goal setting for the next year. This may include identifying performance goals for yourself or your employees. We all know that our goals should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timebound. However, crafting SMART performance goals for A/E/C marketers isn’t always easy. Performance goals should push the individual’s professional development as well as align with the goals of the firm. This is why it can be difficult to write those goals for ourselves and our employees. Over the years, I have asked many marketing managers and researched other industries to try to craft measurable goals for my team while meeting the strategic goals for my firm. So, in this episode, I want to help make this process easier for you or your manager. It’s loaded with information about the different ways you can quantify your marketing activities and success. And, I give you exact examples of SMART performance goals that are pursuit related, marketing and communications related, and graphic design related. You’ll want to make sure you listen to the end to get those examples you can use for your own performance goals. Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value in listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!
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