HOW TO INSTANTLY INCREASE YOUR BACKLOG

Do you have enough projects on the books for the next 12 to 18 months?

Are you confident that you will keep your guys and gals busy, “feed the beast,” and continue to grow your company??To build a backlog, remember one thing:

You cannot control productivity, but you can control activity. Focus on quality activity and productivity will follow.

You don’t control the number of projects you land, but you own the quality of your business development activity, targeting suitable projects with the right clients in appropriate locations. High-quality business development activity will lead to you landing more projects and building a healthy backlog.

Here are three elements of quality activity.

1. Research
2. Safe space
3. Time blocking

Make a list of your target clients.

Go to their website, pull up the leadership in the organization, and?research?the people you think are the decision-makers for the types of projects you’re bidding on.?Then, go to LinkedIn (the most boring but effective social media site out there), connect with them, and establish a relationship.

When connecting, use the message I’ve used to build a network of over 7000 potential clients:

“(First Name): I notice that we share connections in common and a commitment to the Construction Industry. Thanks in advance for connecting. Eric”

It’s straight to the point, not pitchy (never pitch on the first message), and effective.

Focus without distraction.

Suppose you’re stuck in your office all the time, getting interrupted by people who want your time and attention. It’s doubtful that you’ll be able to focus on picking up the phone and calling the people you’ve targeted to contact. To progress your business development efforts and build your backlog, you need a?safe space?where you’ll be uninterrupted. It could be a conference room with a “do not disturb” sign on the door, or a coffee shop, or your home office (when the kids are at school). But a safe space is not enough. You also must set aside significant chunks of your week to work on building your backlog: Time Blocks.

Get started using the time blocking technique.

You might say, “Man, I need to fill up my backlog. I’m going to dedicate six hours every week to business development.” Big mistake!

You are not going to go from zero to six hours overnight. Cut it in half and commit to three hours a week of concerted business development.

Go to your calendar, and block out three 60-minute chunks to build your backlog by doing quality business development activities. Spend one hour on Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning on the phone. And then one hour on Friday, having lunch or breakfast with a target client. Don’t rely solely on email, phone, or text. People purchase from folks they know, trust, and like. The best way to make this happen is to get belly to belly and build relationships.

Sustaining your activity over a long period is difficult.

It’s easy to get fired up and do business development for a week or two. Building a backlog requires persistent effort over a long period, and that’s why you have to hold yourself and your direct reports accountable.

Hold yourself accountable for your activity, and check in at least two or three times a week with your people responsible for business development activities. Ensure that they are doing what they said they’re going to do, contacting people, and generating more leads for your business.

Target good projects, with the right clients, in the locations you can efficiently serve.

Contact and get to know the decision-makers. Focus your time undistracted in a safe space—research LinkedIn and websites.?Remember, you cannot control productivity, but you can control activity. Focus on quality activity and productivity will follow.?Consistent, high-quality activity will lead to a healthy, robust backlog.

If you found this post useful, check out this Construction Genius Podcast episode:

ONE SIMPLE TRUTH OF CONSTRUCTION SALES SUCCESS- PEOPLE DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY KNOW, TRUST, AND LIKE