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________________________________________________________________________________________
American Council of
Engineering Companies
(formerly the American
Consulting Engineers
Council)
Volume XXII, Number 13
June 22,
2001
1015 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-347-7474
Fax
202-898-0068
www.acec.org
E-mail acec@acec.org
Francis George, Editor
___________________
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GA Report |
Business
Using the All-Consultant's Meeting
Most clients hold an All-Consultants Meeting in which they discuss the project and answer any questions the engineering firm might have. The typical approach involves everyone sitting quietly, listening to the client talk about the project, and asking very few, if any questions.
Everyone’s afraid to say anything in case they give away their closely guarded secrets and their competitive edge. But the net result is that every consultant leaves the meeting having exactly the same information as everyone else. Valuable questions are left unasked and unanswered, and the client is left wondering if any of the consultants even have a pulse.
At your next all-consultants meeting, take a different approach. Instead of sitting quietly, go in with a long list of questions. Dominate the meeting with your questions and don’t worry about giving away any "inside information." Ask all the questions you want. Make them insightful and challenging. Of course, don’t challenge the client’s integrity or intelligence. Just show that you want to know everything there is to know about this project.
At the end of the meeting everyone will still walk out, all having the same information. (If they’ve been paying attention.) But what will the client know about you? He will know that you represent an aggressive firm that is determined to be thorough, persistent, and accurate. He’ll know you’re different from everyone else because you took a deep and genuine interest in the project. He’ll be looking forward to receiving your proposal.
Excerpted from Wired: How to Crawl Inside Your Client’s Mind for success in business development by David Stone. Wired is available for sale through the ACEC Bookshop #LW-332, $49 members, $69 non-members, $4 s/h. Orders should be sent to ACEC, FAX (202) 789-7220, or e-mail, publications@acec.org. Please include your Mastercard, Visa, or American Express number with the expiration date, contact name, firm name, street address, phone number, and e-mail address.
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Testifies Before Congress Kenneth McLaughlin, a Small Firm Council (SFC) member and principal of IMC Consulting Engineers, Inc., represented ACEC’s SFC before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Small Business, on June 20, 2001. The hearing was one in a series of hearings the Committee has held to address the issue of increasing small business contracting opportunities with the U. S. federal government. This is the second time a SFC member has been invited to address how contract bundling directly impacts small professional service firms. Cathy Ritter, principal of the Constellation Design Group, was a hearing witness before Congress in 1999 to provide professional testimony on the effects contract bundling has on small firms in the A/E field. As Congress deliberates how best to resolve the effects contract bundling has on small firm participation in federal contracting opportunities, ACEC and SFC will continue to be actively involved in the process, providing advice and positive solutions to increase small firm contracting opportunities. More Business News You Can Use New ACEC Publications Web Site ACEC members can now shop, browse, and buy publications, as well as download EJCDC and CASE contract documents, from the convenience of their personal computer. The newly developed publications area is equipped with all the handy features of secure e-commerce, making the online shopping experience as pleasant and simple as possible. And, as always, publication orders can still be placed by FAX or mail. Feel free to add this link to your Website for future reference: http://www.acec.org/publications. Senior Executive Institute Is Sold Out Seminar: The Consulting Engineer’s Role in Multiple Delivery Systems Seminar speakers will address the role of the design professional as the trusted adviser to the owner in the selection of the appropriate strategy to best meet the owner’s needs (quality, schedule, cost, and other factors). The seminar takes place November 9-10, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. Speakers will represent both the public and private sectors. https://www.acec.org/secure/forms/multiple.htm Want to Get Involved in the National Energy Issue? Did you know? ACEC is a member of the Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth, and we support much of the President’s National Energy Plan, which is very similar to the ACEC energy position statement. If implemented, it could mean many increased opportunities for engineering firms. Over 500 associations have joined already. Membership is free. Contact Ed Bajer (ebajer@acec.org) to add you Member Organization to the list. CEC-IA is already a member. Orlando Fall Conference, September 19-22, 2001 ACEC’s fall meeting will feature a Private Sector Market Conference and a Human Resources track. The meeting will include roundtables on HR and IT; CEO roundtables; opening session presentation by Kevin Olmstead, the top-money-winner on ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire; luncheon keynote speech by Donna Shirley, former head of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program; closing luncheon speech by Roger Herman; behind-the-scenes tours at Disney; and much, much more. Come to Orlando - meet Kevin, Donna, and Roger and renew friendships with your colleagues from around the country. https://www.acec.org/secure/forms/orlandoinfo.htm New Partner in the Hall of $avings Additional technology services have been added to the ACEC Hall of $avings! Share the new program information with your members and use them as a tool for recruiting. The newly added programs include Citizens Conferencing for Audio, Video, and Web conferencing; UUNET Internet Access Program for fast and reliable, business- grade access to the Internet; MediaLinq for fax/e-mail broadcast services; and CommPartners for web/application hosting. Visit these new additions to the Hall of $avings through ACEC’s website, http://www.acec.org/members/savings.cfm, then type acecmember for username and design for password or contact Carole DeLong (cdelong@acec.org) at ACEC.
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