Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Keep in mind the issues surrounding what may be perceived as "gifts". Your job is to differentiate yourself through your marketing. If you're not getting a good response you may not be do a good job of selling what makes you unique.

The midwest is a tough market and eventhough you're licenced elsewhere it's to YOUR advantage to grow concentrically.

We're currently working with a company that does work FOR Arch & Eng firms and I know you guys are tough to crack!

AFter 20 years you're likely very good at what you do, but not so good at communicating. Might be time to look for some outside help.

Michael

Hi Don,

I spent 7 years as the Director of Business Development for a well-known interior architecture firm here and took us to an international level, so my advice is from successful industry experience:

The most important thing is to network with everybody in your vertical marketing: engineers, general contractors, commercial brokers, flooring reps, furniture reps, kitchen designers, network installers, moving companies etc.

You need to be involved in a leads group - not big Chamber of Commerce types, although these are good, but instead develop or find a small one - 6-8 people is good - with one person from the above industries and meet a couple of times a month and everybody has to bring qualified leads.

These are the people that find out leads early, and that is when you need them.

You are wasting your time and money with the things you have already tried and some of the other suggestions, you just don't get new business in the building design industry with those methods, I know, I tried them too and what it always came back to was networking produced the best most qualified leads.

I hope that helps.