Know-How Exchange : Strategy

If you are doing large bid work, then the work is very price sensitive. What is your niche? Are you going to be regional or? What type of construction is hot in your market?

In our area, health care and schools are constantly expanding. Call on large end users, architectural firms, and government entities to talk about future projects and how you can fit in. Talk to other engineering firms as they sometimes walk away from a job if they don't have the man hours available to complete it.

Hope that helps, Carol
Sell Well and Prosper tm

If you're not known, first focus on getting known. Team up with existing contracting firms (offering to act as a subcontractor) to learn the ropes in the various countries. Make sure you're present in the various sales meetings or at least privy to the contracts to learn the sales terms.

You may also simply connect with a recruiting agency, to learn how much they sell their talent's services (and/or let them sell your services as a consulting company to help get known).

Don't forget professional organizations (IEEE, etc.). Besides their publications, they provide online information/forums and access to sales/income information (to help you price your services).

Also, focus on your marketing materials consistency. As an engineering firm, make sure your website is top-notch in appearance, and full of examples of your work (or designs that you've created, etc.).

Dear Fiatuno

In the UK getting your company registered with the Local Regional Authorities for their e-tendering and e-procurement processes is vital. This is part of a UK wide e-government initiative and it has opened up the tendering process to new firms an a broad selection of disciplines. There are three local tiers – District Councils (About 600 of them) County Councils (About 45) and Metropolitan Authorities.

In addition, you should seek to list yourself with the agencies of central government and in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the regional parliaments. Scotland in particular is awash with cash (Mostly mine!) for big infrastructure projects.

Then there are the institutions of EEC which operate out of Brussels and Strasbourg and their regional agency offices. European governments are meant to be open to tenders from all sources, following a best value practice rather than lowest price, but in reality they are intensely nationalistic and you will, in practice need to partner with local national firms to get your foot in the door.

Good luck – a friend of mine took his engineering consultancy from India to Dusseldorf in Germany where he could offer top quality talent on the ground in Germany using first class engineers from home. He ended up building 33 powers stations, so it can be done!

Best wishes


Steve Alker
Unimax Solutions