Calling all technical professionals: Join us for this one-day workshop to expand your business development skills.

You're an expert at designing, managing and executing your projects, but have you ever wanted to know more about how these projects get in the door? Do you wish you could practice your communications and interview skills before you're face-to-face with a client? Do you want to learn how to keep your clients coming back for more work?

In this workshop you'll get:

1.   An overview of business development and the marketing life cycle of a project from finding a client to winning work to creating client loyalty.

2. A presentation workshop to help you hone your interview and client communication skills.

3. A crash course in client maintenance to create loyal customers and foster repeat projects.

You'll also hear from experts in the business development field, including: Kristin Kautz, Alejandro Colom, Matt Connor and Susan Murphy.

Session 1: Business Development Overview (Kristin Kautz)

If you need a concrete, real-life, honest-to-goodness formula to follow for writing a Business Development structure, you have come to the right place! We will walk you through the different parts of a plan, show you how to implement it (even without fancy equipment or a CRM system!), and discuss how to evaluate it. We like to call this PIE. Who doesn't like PIE?!?! A successful BD process is complex and takes a significant amount of time, effort, and resources...not to mention creativity, persistence, patience, resilience, and a personal touch. But it's not complicated, and we'll show you the ingredients and instructions to this powerful recipe. Get ready to become a master BD baker!

Learning Outcomes/Actual Takeaways:

1. Marketing VS Business Development VS Sales
2. Business Development Structure
3. Client Capture Plan
4. BD Metrics

Kristin Kautz is a CPSM and received the 40-Under-40 Award from Building Design and Construction in their inaugural year. She received her degree in Art and Political Science from Trinity University (SanAntonio) and has spent the past 25 years in marketing and business development for non-profit, corporate, business-to-business, and customer service firms. 

She was most recently the Director of Corporate Marketing at LJA Engineering, overseeing marketing, BD, and events for 1300 personnel across 45 offices with a marketing budget of $18 Million. Her career included Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum; Director of Corporate Marketing at Jones|Carter; Partner and Director of Marketing with PhiloWilke Partnership; Senior Associate and Director of Marketing for Bermello, Ajamil and Partners; and, Marketing Professional at Hellmuth Obata + Kassabaum (HOK).

She has been active in SMPS for the past 20 years including: 2016 Marketing Excellence Award from SMPS Houston; Earned CPSM; Houston Chapter Board as Membership Director 2014-2016; Mentor; Programs Committee; Business Development Roundtable; Presenter at multiple past conferences (national, regional, and chapter education events); Design awards winner; and Chapter Diamond Sponsor.

Session 2: Client Maintenance (Alejandro Colom)

Business development is more than getting that first job or contact. Time and a structured set of processes will lead to earning a client and your first assignment; now for the next level of difficulty, keeping them!  Client Maintenance is the next layer of building blocks.  It involves cultivating and maintaining a relationship with the client/organization/person.

This training will cover Client Maintenance and Growth though:

• Continuous Knowledge of Person and Organization
• Ongoing Communication and Follow Through
• Engage, Leverage and Elevate
• How to utilize your PM’s for success

Outcomes:

This training will provide a systematic approach to the development and execution for a client maintenance strategy.  Time is in constant motion and maintaining pace with the ever-changing pace of our clients requires a continuous recalibration of the pendulum.

Alejandro Colom enjoys participating and serving his community, through various engagement opportunities and board positions that have allow learning about our city while giving back to others. Providing service to others maintains connectivity within our city and the root of what Alejandro does each day.

Sharing his passion of Architecture with the knowledge that the built environment drives public engagement interwoven with operational, political, and financial fortitude creates opportunity for strategic partnerships and innovative solutions. 

Session 3: Interview & Presentation Skills (Susan Murphy & Matt Connor)

This session will cover the fundamentals of effective communication/presentation skills including techniques to build confidence, engage with the audience, and command the room. There will be opportunities for all participants to practice giving a mini-presentation to establish a baseline on various criteria of effective communication and presentation skills.

Training will cover the following areas:

• Overcoming Anxiety & Controlling Nervous Energy
• Connecting with the Audience
• Positioning & Stance
• Volume & Tone
• Pace
• Movement
• Eye Contact
• Content Strategies & Guidelines
• Using Visual Aids (Power Point, Charts, etc.)
• And more!

NOTE: Due to unforeseen scheduling issues Susan Murphy will discuss presentation best practices virtually, and Matt Conor will conduct the onsite workshop session in person.

Susan Murphy has in-depth knowledge and experience in the AEC industry. She has spent the last twenty-nine years helping architects, engineers and construction firms hone their presentation and interview skills.

Murphy, as most know her, has had a mapquest worthy career path. In high school and college, she worked in retail and as a fashion coordinator, went on to teach high school English, moved to the travel industry, where she began as an international tour director and ended as Director of Travel Industry Marketing for Club Med.

A career change found Susan at Communispond, the world’s leading communication skills consultant at the time, and fate led her to a SMPS National Conference, where she filled in for a cancelled speaker and was smitten by the industry. She credits SMPS for her career.

Susan founded Murphy Motivation and Training to focus on the AEC world and thinks she is the luckiest woman on the planet to have found her niche.

When Covid forced us online, Murphy told her clients that she did not think it would be worth their while to hire her, since she would have to charge the same fee, but the results could not possibly be as impressive as in-person coaching. She stands by that thought.

Susan divides her time between Beaufort, SC and Bozouls, France. When she isn’t teaching, coaching or writing, she hikes with her rescue friends, Puppy Boy Frankie, and Lulu, the Diva dog.

Matt Connor comes with almost 30 years of relationship-driven, executive-level marketing and business development experience. Matt’s talent lies in creating authentic and effective connections and networks, inspiring teams, and guiding individuals to achieve both personal growth and professional success.

As a Speaker and Coach, Matt forges sincere connections with his audience and adds meaningful value regardless of subject, setting or size. Speaking nationally on a variety of topics, he delves into universal challenges such as: Burnout, Work Life Balance, Leadership, Employee Engagement, and more.

His personality and presentation style are engaging, thought-provoking, and as he describes it “Full Contact.” Matt is a Certified Gallup CliftonStrengths Coach, Professional Services Marketer, and Infinite Possibilities Trainer, and his passion shines when he is helping others prosper. Matt is Head Coach of Coach Connor Consulting and lives in Houston, Texas with his wife, Shelly, and their children, Trent and Peyton.

RSVP by Tuesday, Aug 16 at 5 pm. No fault cancellation 48 hours in advance in writing to [email protected]. Walk-ins accepted depending on availability of space at a $20 upcharge, however, food is not guaranteed for walk-ins or late registrations.