Purpose and Background

The essence of successful marketing is focusing on client/stakeholder wants and needs. It's all about them. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said "We’re in the people business serving coffee, not in the coffee business serving people." Let’s paraphrase that for purpose of this marketing webinar: "We are in the people business serving engineering, not in the engineering business serving people."

That said, the word "marketing" often engenders negative reactions or connotations. The project engineer or project manager sees images of brash, high-pressure car salespeople. He or she may be repulsed by the thought of "wasting" professional education and experience doing "sales." Some may view marketing as a sleazy activity rather than, as presented in this webinar, a mutually beneficial process. Hopefully you will be at least receptive to this webinar’s positive, win-win-win marketing model.

Marketing is a major expense for an E/A/C organization - it consumes dollars and non-billable hours. Other entities such as government units, universities, and volunteer organizations should apply the marketing principles offered in this webinar. Any organization's marketing effort must be carefully planned and executed; disciplined management and enlightened leadership are required. Organizations should undertake a continuous, proactive, positive marketing process; not a series of sporadic reactions "when they need work."

As author Harry Beckwith noted, "Marketing is not a department, it is your business." The need for everyone to be helpful to the marketing effort is heightened during difficult economic times. Is everyone in your organization carrying their fair share? Maybe they want to but do not know how.

Presented in this one-hour webinar is a positive, proactive, win-win-win approach to marketing, a model that all personnel can apply with tangible results. Participants receive a handout summarizing the webinar and including, as back up for this thoroughly researched presentation, over 70 references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites, and other self-study materials.

Learning Outcomes

• Distinguish between marketing and sales
• Describe the 3-part marketing model
• Apply up to 12 marketing tips
• Discuss the use of 30 questions to ask those you want to serve
• Explain 26 pairs of what works and what doesn’t work

Webinar Benefits

• Increase individual awareness of marketing responsibilities and opportunities
• View marketing in a positive manner
• Distinguish between marketing and selling
• Enhance marketing knowledge and skill
• Prepare more doer-sellers
• Develop a personal marketing plan
• Build relationships instead of just winning projects
• Increase marketing return on investment

Intended audience

This webinar is intended primarily for younger and middle level E/A/C personnel who may lack basic marketing knowledge and skill and/or may not be aware of marketing responsibilities and opportunities. These individuals typically serve on project teams where they are in frequent and close contact with clients and are in a position to positively participate in marketing – but may not do so. Given that all of us are involved in marketing, in a broader sense, government, academic, and volunteer organization personnel will also value this webinar.

Webinar Outline

• Your attitude toward marketing: Carrying baggage?
• Financial: How much do we spend relative to what we get?
• Selling and marketing: Like catching and fishing
• Marketing is not a department
• 3-part marketing model
• You cannot not market: Learn marketing terminology
• Results of marketing studies
• Using social media
• Elevator speeches
• Earn trust: Relationships over projects
• Farmer versus hunter marketing
• Making cold calls warm
• Benefits over features
• 26 what works and what doesn’t: Some are counter-intuitive
• Resources for additional

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