lmdarch - referrals are great until the people that refer work to you don't have anything to refer - as is the case with me right now.

You need to expand your network and focus on repeat clients - people and firms that actually hire the architects.

Personal connections are huge. Especially when you can connect to the same people in different contexts. Face to face contacts are important. It is harder for someone to tell you they aren't interested to your face - keeps you in the game so you can build on the relationship.

A web site is important as a tool to get people to contact you - you make the sales - not the web site.

Cold calling and competitions would be way down on my list.

Most importantly, don't wait to market until you are slow. If you do, you will be panicking like I am right now.

Good Luck.

i find its an ongoing thing best not to expect immediate results but if you are pitching to a developer or potential client who you know is always doing a project the best approach is an introduction and then build up with follow up emails etc to continue to show interest so that when the opportunity exists you can at least make the pitch to give them a proposal for you services. Keep in mind that even lost jobs are chances to make an impression maybe the fees weren't right or lack of experience is an issue or horsepower in the office, if you make a good impression they will remember you its tough in th eearly years but in time when you've done it a few times your name gets out there and it can be a great way to build a network.

quiz - does that book address marketing for small firms or sole proprietors? It says the author is marketing director for Gensler NYC. I'm guessing a large firm's marketing strategy might be a little different than a small (or very small) firm.

spark - I'm pretty much there with you. :) I did some referral bread-n-butter work earlier this year that I thought was going to turn into repeat business. But, the company got bids on store #2, and though my #'s were competitive, I lost it due to my time frame. I'd budgeted 5 weeks - start to finish - which I thought was efficient, but realistic. I can only guess that the other firm must have promised 2 week turnaround time to theoretically be able to meet their opening date. I don't see how it's possible, but hey, it's not my problem now...

Lots of other potentials have come by this year but nothing has panned out. And I've got another potentially big (for me) project that has lumbered along and I'm not sure if it will keep moving forward. Needless to say, it's been a weird year. That's why I'm thinking it's time to do a marketing push to start bringing some new work in - preferably projects with a good client (nice, respectful, appreciates what we do, pays quickly, etc.) who is interested in doing some good contemporary design. I had one of those recently and it was really, really nice. I think it spoiled me. :-)

Thanks for the recommendations. I need to start working the personal connections more and networking more. I'm also planning on contacting some of the developers/management companies out there with commercial buildings that I'd like to do tenant work in. But I'm trying to decide how to contact them - call, email, mail... I feel like I should have some slick brochure or pdf marketing material to send out to them. On my list to do...

Thanks for the encouragement blackcomb. :)

This website has loads of good tips on marketing yourself as an architect and your company as well. Some it is very funny but I think there are a lot of truth between the humor too.

Can we address follow up here? In my experience, we have often told clients a realistic budget and time frame, as we pride ourselves on not offering unrealistic expectations. This has cost us jobs, but in most cases we heard later through the grapevine that of course we were right. (Generally we have lost these jobs to builders who essentially talk the client out of hiring an architect at all by promising to do the work for whatever the client has budgeted. Then of course halfway through they have come up with all kinds of "unforeseen" reasons why they need more time and money. Sigh - this is SOP for many in our business, I'm afraid.)

I've often daydreamed of contacting these clients later and saying "Told you so!" but of course we wouldn't do that.

But - is there a way, lmdarch, that you can verify whether your competitor did indeed deliver in 2 weeks, or if it was a schedule disaster? Of course this would have to be done without coming across as accusatory or full of schadenfreude, so that you can show the client that you know what you are talking about and thus could deliver them a better experience next time they go down that road?

Liberty Bell:

I know what you are talking about.
This is the nasty side of architecture where it is more like politics than art.
At times I feel like I am in a political campaign race. If I am an honest person and tell the truth and promise only what I can deliver then you are looked at as naive. On the other hand if you play dirty politics, call the other guy dirty names and promise pipe dreams then you get elected.

It has even permeated the way we present drawings. We make our renderings so "optimistic" that it looks like the building was straight out of pleasantville. Hollywood type people just happy, having a jolly good time around this shiny sparkling building that have no basis in reality. These presentations win competitions everytime.

I know someone who got most of his work through a buddy of his that is a contractor. Get to know a lot of good contractors because often, someone with a project will approach a builder before an archintect.

^ For small scale work, I mean.

: the cover says "for small to large firms"

the TOC - from the John Wiley website:

Introduction: I Don’t Really Have to Do This, Do I?

Part I: Marketing Strategy: Start at the Start.
1. Strategic Planning: Getting to the Starting Line.
2. Branding: We Used to Call It Reputation.
3. Positioning: Finding Your Place in Your Markets.
4. Marketing Planning: Deciding How to Communicate to Your Markets.
5. Budgeting for Marketing: Knowing What You Can Spend.

Part II: The Business Development Cycle: Getting the Job.
6. Targets and Opportunities: Finding and Pursuing Leads.
7. Brochures and Qualifications Packages: Who Are You? What Have You Done?
8. Proposals: Making an Offer.
9. Presentations: The Chemistry Test.
10. Design Competitions: High Risk and High Impact.
11. Closing the Deal: Setting the Fee, Negotiating, and Signing the Contract.

Part III: Marketing Tools and Resources: Your Arsenal of Marketing Weapons.
12. Research: Obtaining Market Intelligence.
13. Knowledge Management: Systems for Tracking Information.
14. Internal Communications: Getting the Message to Your Staff.
15. Client Communications: Newsletters, Web Sites, Direct Mail, Advertising, and Events.
16. Media Relations and Awards: Communicating with the Press.
17. Photography: Creating the Right Image.
18. Marketing Staff and Consultants: Who Can Help You?
19. Evaluating Your Performance: Is Your Marketing Working?

Because of Wiley's relationship with the AIA, I think you'll find that all of these "Essentials" books focus on good practices and address issues that are germane to firms of any size.

LB - yes, I'll be able to verify whether they meet their schedule or not. The contractor who did the last few stores for them will be a bidder on this one too and he and I have become good friends (we've done several projects together) and I'm sure he'll give me updates. He was disappointed that I didn't get this new one as he was very pleased with my involvement on the last store which is finishing up construction now. They'd had problems on earlier stores where the architects messed up dimensions or didn't catch conflicts. I make a point to be very thorough with my drawing package and dimensions, and he said that during construction on this most recent store, my dimensions worked out pretty much spot-on. So, we'll see...

quiz - Cool, thanks for the extra info on the book! I'll have to check that out...

Medusa - yes, much of my work over the years has come through contractors - they can be a great resource. My current contractor and I get along really well. He appreciates my attention to detail, and I appreciate his thoroughness. Makes a very good working relationship. He recommends me whenever he gets a chance (as do I - recommending him), which is nice, as I know he does work with firms that are larger than me or who may have a more impressive portfolio - but he thinks I do a better job overall and put more care and attention into my work so that's nice. :)