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Winning Contracts with Successful Proposals and

Presentations

MSPS78th Annual Meeting

February 20, 2019John Matonich, PS

Grand Traverse Resort

MARKETING 101

Winning Clients

“ I have seen a lot of very smart people lose money at things they

did not understand.”

- Tiger Wood’s Father

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Branding

What is Branding?

“A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service or company.

It’s a person’s gut feeling, because in the end the brand is defined by individuals, NOT by companies, markets, or the so-called general public.

When enough individuals arrive at the same gut feeling, a company can be said to have a brand.”

-The Brand Gap by Martin Neumeier

“Know what you’re good at, widen your competitive

advantage everyday, and know how to describe it in a compelling manner.”

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“You may only get one chance to tell the story…. So be ready with

your best shot.”

Why is Branding So Important?

Shorthand for Customers

Management Focus

Employee Understanding/Retention Tool

Branding Myths

5 Branding Myths

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Myth #1: Only for Big Companies

WRONG…Branding is for Everybody!

Myth #2: It’s About the Symbol

No-Symbols are NOT Brands

A Logo A Monogram

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Myth #3: Only Works for Consumers

B-2-B can successfully brand

BE UNIQUE!!

Myth #4: Great Service is My Brand

WRONG – Not Unique

Myth #5: Is A New Idea

No

“Let’s Brand It!”

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5 Branding Myths-Recapped

1. Just for the big guys

2. Is about the “symbol”

3. Only applicable to consumer companies

4. Great Service can form the basis for a brand strategy

5. A relatively new phenomenon created by Madison Avenue

What Makes You Different than Competition?

Existing ClientsExisting Services

Existing ClientsNew Services

New ClientsExisting Services

New ClientsNew Services

Where Does Work Come From?

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Fortifying Existing Client Relationships

Value your clients

Know what they want

Why they use you

What else can you bring to their table

New Business Development

Mining New Business

Know your services

Know how to explain your offering in a simple sentence (know your brand)

Know your prospect/client and the problems they may be facing

Know your competition

Know how to dress for success.

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You have opened the mail and someone is asking for your services (along with some others)……..Now what?

So You Are Looking for Business….And…..

Respond or Not?

Implement a Go/No Go procedure May be quite simple

Pre-Qualify Clients

Understand the potential relationship “I fired my last surveyor”

Proposal Types

RFQ-Request for Qualifications

RFP-Request for Price

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Preparation

Gather examples of similar proposals

Establish background Site visit

File review

Prior projects

Communication Prospective Client

In house staff

Good differentiation requires good research

RFQ Basics

Tailor Package to Specific Proposal Can use “canned” material for filler

Guard Against Negative Impression Typos

Misspellings

Awkward Design

Sub-Par Aesthetics

Make Sure Message is Clear

Owner Expectations(Prospective Clients are Getting Much Smarter)

Basic Contact Information

Quality Photography Review Examples for Issues

Safety

Conflict of Interest

Organizational Highlights

Answer the Question: “ Why This Firm?”

Be Brief and To The Point

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Format

Cover letter Address “Why be hired?”

Include hook

Hit hot button

Representative Projects

References

General Firm info

Resumes

Costs Not only state WHAT is included in cost, but also what is NOT

included.

Tailor as much information to fit specific proposal, as possible.

Cover Letter Example

Cover Letter Example (Cont’d)

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Potential Marketing Materials:Include Your Brand

Project Sheets One Page (color)

Brief Description

PICTURES

Potential Marketing Materials:Include Your Brand (Cont’d)

Resumes One page with picture (color)

Potential Marketing Materials:Include Your Brand (Cont’d)

General Firm

Background/Brochure

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Potential Marketing Materials:Include Your Brand (Cont’d)

Mailers General Service

Postcards or

Tri-Folds

Potential Marketing Materials:Include Your Brand (Cont’d)

Exhibit Pieces Project Pictures

Large Scale

Potential Marketing Materials:Include Your Brand (Cont’d)

Copies of Technical Articles,

Publicity Pieces

or Press Releases

References

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Potential Marketing Materials:Include Your Brand (Cont’d)

Testimonials (Great Additions to Other Items)

Client Comments

“I love working with ROWE on projects. Leanne is always so helpful! Anytime we ever need anything she always gives above and beyond to make sure our questions are answered. Hope to do many more projects with her in the future.” 2008, Tina Sauve, Village of Metamora (Dryden Road Resurfacing)

“Doug’s creative design and welcoming attitude towards our project was exceptional. He listens intently and works through the concept challenge to exceed expectations. If you want to see an amazing, creative, and neighborhood friendly project that is best in class design, you have to see Doug’s work at the Midland Community Center.” 2008, Chris Tointon, Midland Community Center

Potential Marketing Materials:Include Your Brand (Cont’d)

All info together

called

“Statement of Qualifications”

(SOQ)

Direct Marketing

Focused Mailing

To a Target Audience

For a Specific Reason

Include a Reason

Schedule Issue

Price Break (Not a fan of this)

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Indirect Marketing

Organization Memberships Service Clubs

Church

Chamber of Commerce

Indirect Marketing

Community Supporter

Support Ads

Volunteerism

Sponsorships

Indirect Marketing (cont’d)

Pertinent Show Exhibitor

Education/Speaking Opportunities

Written Pieces Articles

Mailings

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Indirect Marketing (cont’d)

Existing Equipment

Survey Trucks

Office Building

Crew MembersHow does your

equipment, staff and

office work?

How Do You Know How You Are Doing?

Project Report Cards Sent out after project completion

Postage paid

Back to head of company

If bad, there is an obligation to contact client and fix

Periodic Anonymous Client Surveys Outside firm making contact

Have both existing and potential clients

Compare with prior results

How Do You Know How You Are Doing? (cont’d)

Client Focus Groups Top 10 clients

Meet 2 times per year +/-

MOST IMPORTANTLY REPEAT BUSINESS

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Re-Cap

Qualification Packages Do Not Win Projects Their Presentation of Relationships Do

Package Must Explain Why a Firm is Worthy of Performing the Project

Must Create a Positive First Impression Differentiate Your Firm From Your Competition

Written Specifically for this Request and Not Off the Shelf

Watch and Eliminate Extraneous Material that is Not Serving the Goal

Presentations

Know your audience Who is on selection committee

Use naming process

Find out who is the UDM (Ultimate Decision Maker) Visit the UDM prior to presentation The bigger the project, the more visits necessary

Shows aggressiveness Elevates importance of your firm Separates you from competition

Make sure to listen! Use people around UDM if UDM unavailable Start at the end What is the decision you want

Understand UDM

Use this model to identify clients and then assign right staff to handle

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Power of Three

Most people remember 3 things

Rules for using power of threeInvoke Power of Three“There are three reasons to hire us……”

Make them short

Use the most important as #1 or #3

Give them the finger

Organize Your Audience

Parts to your presentation Promise – Most important part It’s the “hook”

It should separate you from your competition

Prior points Use three of them and make sure they know

Conclusion Repeat promise

Grand Blanc Township Example

Now You Have a Project. How Do You Maintain the Client?

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Important Maintenance To-Do’s

Know Your Client

Background

Family

Business

Likes

Dislikes

Important Maintenance To-Do’s

Communicate-Communicate-Communicate In person

Via Technology Phone

Email

Snail Mail

Both project info and just to say hello

Be timely when client initiates communication

Important Maintenance To-Do’s (cont’d)

Do Your Best to Make a New Friend

Grow With Your Client When Possible

Take An Arrow When Possible

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

If Wrong, Raise Your Hand &/or Open Checkbook

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Maintenance Aids

Company Newsletter-Featuring Projects

Holiday Party

Sports Outing

Project Updates (Regularly)

Regular Visits

Regular Contact Must be on the same timing as client desires

Key Elements to Keeping Clients

Be a problem solver, not simply a surveyor or

engineer.

Questions/Discussion

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Thank you

jmatonich@gmail.com