Converting Doers to Sellers (BD for Technical Staff)

Before professional marketers and business developers became the norm for professional service firms, practitioners built their practice on their own. The architect who built his business or engineer who started the firm was an early seller doer. Today, the term “seller doer” has become a new buzzword in our industry as firms are looking for ways to leverage their technical staff relationships and increase their effectiveness of their BD staff.

In most cases, your technical staff have not received any education or training on the selling part of that equation. In some cases, words like BD, selling and sales may have negative connotations in your firm’s technical ranks. What does it really take to turn your technical staff “doer” into business developer “seller” that can build relationships, extend market awareness and get new work for your organization.

This interactive program will address business development culture and process with a focus on the seller-doers and their interface between Business Development. This practical, solutions-oriented program will leave you with a full plate of ideas and proven steps that can you help you and your technical staff get focused and get work.

The program will help you:

• Gain an understanding of the differences and overlap between marketing, business development and selling and understand what a successful sales process looks like.
• Learn how firms develop a business development culture and what practical steps your firm can take to build a BD culture.
• Understand the role of the Project Manager in developing business for the firm and how to balance that effort with project duties
• Discover how to uncover client expectations to define and understand them.

11:00 am – Registration/Networking
11:30 am – Lunch/Program will begin promptly (boxed lunch will be served). This is a 90-minute presentation.

Speaker

Gilbert S. Brindley, P.E., CPSM
Director, UHPC Solutions

Gil Brindley is a Director with UHPC Solutions, a specialty concrete contractor focused on Ultra High Performance Concrete for bridge rehabilitation projects.  In his role, he works as seller-doer – developing new business and managing operations.  As both a certified professional services marketer and a licensed engineer, he has a unique perspective on business development, marketing and operations.

Throughout his 33-year career in the AEC industry, Mr. Brindley has worn hats of the owner, engineer and contractor. His journey from operations into marketing and business development began as a project director working for national contractor in Pittsburgh.  That journey included acquisitions, strategic planning, communications, and new office start-ups.

With a B.S. from the United States Military Academy and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Gil brings 16 years of SMPS experience at the chapter, regional and national level.  Mr. Brindley has been an SMPS member since 2002, belonging to four different chapters, serving as President, Membership Chair and National Business Development Institute Chair. A long-time member of the BDI faculty, he has been teaching the Basics of Business Development and Managing a Business Development Team classes since 2009.

This program is approved for 1.5 AIA LU/CEU hours.