Having What It Takes, Part 1

Back in 2020, I wrote a column called "The Strategist" for Madame Architect. As I started writing new pieces recently, I went back to the archives and thought, "hey, these still hold true!"

This two-part piece is important to me, as I often come back to this theme of who gets to do business development and why. Any business--whether it's a professional services firm or a company selling widgets--would benefit from developing the mindset that everyone contributes to business development and client satisfaction.

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When you think about someone who is “good at business development,” who comes to mind? Taking an unscientific poll, this is what I heard back:

• Charismatic
• Extroverted
• Bold
• Full of stories
• Quick to whip out the business card
• Aggressive
• Slick
• A glad-hander

I frequently have conversations with architects where they tell me that they can’t do business development because they’re too quiet, too nervous, or it just doesn’t “suit” them. I think there are a lot of reasons people say that. First off, it doesn’t help that the traits listed above start out positive, but quickly veer into less admirable territory. Then there is the fact that some firms (generally bigger ones) often have designated rainmakers doubles down on this idea that only a select few are capable of selling. On top of that, it is additionally problematic that many of these traits are seen as more “masculine,” thereby sending a message to female architects that rainmaking is best left to the men in the office.?

I believe that this narrow personality profile really holds back firms, designers, and many capable women from reaching their full potential. Looking across the people I know to be good at business development, I do see four common traits. But here’s the twist: none of them are what were listed above.?

In Part 1 of this series, I will introduce the first two traits, followed by Part 2 with the last two. My goal here is to unpack what it means to “have what it takes.”

Trait #1: Self-Awareness

If you’re new to representing your firm or yourself, then starting to do business development can feel like you’re putting on an act. But I truly think that the most effective BD is done when you’re genuinely connecting with people—not when you’re “trying to sell.” Take a second to think about this from the client’s perspective: architecture projects are slow, they’re going to be working with you very closely for a long time. If you’re approaching BD like a charity mugger—big forced smile, strange prolonged eye contact, jumping right into the sales pitch—do you think they’re going to get excited about this new relationship with you??

The first step to finding your business development style is actually to know yourself and what makes you comfortable. A few years ago, I had a client who is a brilliant architect, and whose work is thoughtful, beautiful, and layered. He is also soft-spoken and understated in person, and it was clear that being put in the spotlight made him uncomfortable. With some clients, I might recommend that they put themselves out there more, seek more press about their work, do more lectures. But I could tell from our conversations that that would make him deeply uncomfortable, and that his discomfort could detract from the high quality of the work. So instead we came up with a different strategy of inviting people to his studio, then carefully choreographing the visit so that he had a clear plan for what stories he would share and what projects he would show—all in the comfort of his “own home.” Not only did this allow the visitor to get a taste of the personal attention they would get from him and his team, it meant that he felt comfortable and confident doing business development in a way that was authentic to him.?

Knowing yourself—your strengths and your weaknesses—also allows you to approach BD as a team effort. When I was at Gehl, I ran the leadership group through an exercise where we divided the sales process into four different stages: Lead Generation; Pitching; Proposal Writing & Closing; and Relationship Maintenance. I asked the firm leaders to identify where they felt they were the strongest, then had them answer a series of questions about how they would handle complicated scenarios within that stage. For example:

• How do you follow up on slow-burning leads? (Lead Generation)
• How do you structure the first meeting with a potential client? (Pitching)
• How do you co-create the project’s scope with the client? (Proposal Writing & Closing)?
• How do you stay close to past clients? (Relationship Maintenance)

Each group then brainstormed responses which they later shared back to the full leadership team. Not only did this allow a large group to become more confident in their strengths, but we co-created a list of tips that everyone could use. Knowing yourself will not only allow you to shine but will help you create a team that shines brighter together.?

Trait #2: Preparedness

We’ve all heard the expression “Success is 90% preparation, 10% perspiration.” I’m here to tell you: it’s true. (Or maybe if I’m holding myself to my four traits, then it’s 25% preparation, but you know what I mean…)

This might surprise people, but I am not naturally comfortable with public speaking. The first time I really had to do it was as a senior in college, when I was a teaching assistant for a lecture course on contemporary architecture. I was a nervous wreck for the first third of the sections that I taught, until I realized something. The students in my group were for the most part freshmen. I had taken this class before, and I was re-reading the materials with a renewed focus since I knew I had to be answering questions the next day. So, chances were, I knew this material far better than they did. This is something I come back to time and time again—not from a position of arrogance, but of confidence.?

When I would take potential clients around BIG’s offices, I didn’t get too anxious, because I knew more about the projects than they did, because I talked about them, wrote about them, and thought about them all the time. In addition, we made sure that the models for key projects sat near the project teams. If I got a question I didn’t know the answer to, I would turn to the project leader or team member, and engage them in the conversation. This accomplished a few things at once: 1) the potential client got their answer, 2) the architect had a chance to engage with a potential client and see how that worked, and 3) I learned something new!

So, be prepared. Practice talking about your work, write down what you want to say. Do it in front of a small, friendly audience (your best friend! Your cat! Your mom!) so that you can muck it up a few times without that being a big deal. Think about what questions the potential client would ask—especially the tough ones, like “How can you deliver this project when you’ve never done something this big before?”, “How can a small firm like yours handle this type of project?”, or “Why are your fees higher than this other firm’s?”. Test your responses on trusted people; do your answers sound legitimate? Believe me, it will be far less scary to answer these sorts of questions if you’ve thought about them before. This type of preparation takes time, of course, but it is definitely time well-spent.?

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By now, I hope you’re starting to see what I mean about broadening the profile for success. Stay tuned for Part 2!