SERC: SMPS Regional Conference, March 16-18

I love attending the annual SMPS Southeastern Regional Conference (SERC). A regional event with the Atlanta, Alabama, Nashville, Charlotte, and Research Triangle SMPS Chapters, this is much more of a personal, local conference than the National Conference. The crowd is always a great size to:

• Get to know great people in just two days
• Make real, concrete local and regional connections
• Allow for ample networking and socializing

The programming of this event tends to be very strong, and right on target, with what our firms need to know, and what marketing/BD professionals want to learn.  We also have strong national and regional marketing leaders heading up our sessions this year, and we expect a record crowd with our central location of Atlanta.  
 
Join us---GET LUCKY--March 16-18, 2011, Atlanta, GA.  

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @SMPS_SERegion and join our group on LinkedIn for updates and news regarding this event.  

Is It Possible To Find Fulfillment at Work?

Thank you to Ron Worth for his daily blog information. Below is one of his most recent postings.

We all have to do it. Work that is... if we expect t achieve any of the goals or dreams we have for tomorrow. I am one of those odd birds who actually enjoys work and have been very fortunate over the years to have jobs that were challenging, rewarding and very satisfying. Lucky also since we all spend more time at work than we do with family or in pur suite of self-interests. Your situation at work may not be so positive. If not, I want to share with your seven ideas from two authors, Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman, who provide guidance in their book "Yes You Can" that may move you toward a more fulfilling life at work, since this is critical for your happiness, health, and future career advancement.

1. Broaden your vision beyond the job you perform. Find out as much about your company as you can. Learn where you fit in the grand scheme, and look for ways to make your fit a more satisfying one.
2. Volunteer for new and more challenging assignments as soon as they become available. Ask before your boss thinks of someone else.
3. Ask your boss what the two of you can do to raise the level of responsibility and creativity in your present assignment. If you want a more enriched job, ask for it. Make specific suggestions.
4. Expand your capabilities; learn new skills. Enjoy the feeling that you can do your job as well as anyone has ever done it.
5. Take advantage of opportunities to help coworkers succeed. Take new comers and less experienced employees under your wing. Teach them everything you know. Your excitement will grow as they do.
6. Dream up ideas for doing your job better, faster, and differently. The resulting variety and cost savings will pump you up, as will the appreciation you receive from your superiors and customers.
7. If non of the ideas above do the trick for you, and you're determined to feel better about your vocation, start hunting for a new situation that meets your needs to grow while you work.

Ronald D. Worth, CAE, FSMPS, CPSM
Chief Executive Officer
Society for Marketing Professional Services

With Our Economy in the Red, Green is the New Black

Nearly every business seems to have turned “green.” and it’s easy to be skeptical of the altruistic claims that always follow. If a business is serious about green, however, not just claiming “green” as a marketing strategy, there is a quieter green strategy that can reduce our impact on the environment as well as assist in the recovery of a bottom-line issue for any business: management of utility costs.

Currently, there are more than 5 million professional buildings in the United States, consuming 40 percent of the total energy in the country. This amounts to $100 billion spent annually to power the U.S. office environment. This cost of doing business is not a fixed amount; there are both small and large actions that can be taken by any company to reclaim a percentage of this overhead expense. And even a small percentage of $100 billion could be a large fortune. Here are some ideas that can help your organization start reclaiming its share:

Gain awareness. Clear, accurate reporting is crucial to every successful business plan. Demand the same understanding of your overhead expenses as you would of any service area or marketing campaign.

- Collect historical data, and create baselines of your previous utility use.

- Track and trend the current data against previous patterns.

- Understand the utility bills so you can react to the inevitable inconsistencies in both costs and consumption amounts.

- Set benchmarks to solidify your energy goals.

Get the low-hanging fruit. Some energy solutions are complicated. These are not.

- Replace any old lighting with new compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs.

- Window treatments will help deflect solar heat in the warmer months, lessening the strain on the air conditioning system.

- Install occupancy sensors on the lighting system.

- Install low-flow plumbing fixtures.

Establish involvement from the users.

- Let the users know what is being done and what the benefits are.

- Encourage participation. Let them know what they can do to help, such as turning off computers and lights when they leave, unplugging chargers and other gadgets, and becoming vigilant and responsible energy users.

Seek an energy study.

- If you want to see changes on a larger scale, bring in an energy management team or engineering firm so you can identify greater tracking and response methods and optimize the performance of your building.

- If you are a client of Georgia Power, contact your account representative for more information on receiving a free energy audit.

Minimizing energy use is as good for the earth as it is for business. By redirecting green initiatives inward, businesses can move beyond marketing trends and truly start minimizing their impact on the environment. Green initiatives that make business sense—without the need for a public campaign—can succeed in any economic climate and truly act in the best interest of the business and our environment.

Michael Rouse,
Draper and Associates

SMPS Atlanta Sponsoship Opportunities

As we enter into a new SMPS Year, 2010-2011, it’s time for our annual Sponsorship Campaign for 2011. Our Sponsorship team has worked hard to revamp our sponsorship packages to include exceptional values for vendor and industry firms alike. We’re excited to roll out these new packages and hope you will consider supporting SMPS Atlanta in 2011!

This year our Chapter Partner and Platinum Sponsor levels are only open to non-competing firms, which adds a tremendous value to your firm’s participation! Also, not only will your firm benefit from brand recognition through SMPS Atlanta communications, but various levels of sponsorship also include benefits such as:

• One free year of SMPS membership or renewal
• Additional members from firm register at the Member Rate for all events
• Free job postings on our chapter website
• Time with program speakers prior to the start of event
  
  

In addition, we are offering a 15% discount to all SMPS Atlanta annual sponsors from the past five years! Click HERE to see the available sponsorship packages. Each sponsorship level’s benefits are explained with an approximate value for key items that are included. We hope you’ll agree there is tremendous value to the sponsorships for the coming year.

The package also includes lower priced sponsorship options for various events, luncheons and our exceptional Boot Camp Series, which has been a tremendous success.

Please contact Ashley Dale, SMPS Atlanta Treasurer, should you have any questions about the sponsorship packages or send your sponsorship forms in to SMPS Atlanta today!

Ashley Dale,

Parrish Construction
770.880.0521 cell
678.566.3770 office
sponsorship@smpsatl.org

AEC Mega Meeting: Show Me the Money

The 2010 Mega Meeting was focused on a most fitting topic for the current economy: MONEY! The panelists came from a variety of backgrounds to give an overview of the private and public market sectors to discuss about where project opportunities are coming in the short and long term.

Moderator
Gena Evans, Executive Director, Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority

Panelists

• Linda M. Daniels, Vice Chancellor for Facilities, University System of Georgia
• Ryan Gravel, Design Manager, Perkins + Will
• Becca Hardin, Executive Vice President of Economic Development, Greater Columbus, Georgia Chamber of Commerce
• Andrew Scholtens, Dir. of Strategic Marketing and Segmentation, Equifax, Inc.

The last couple of years have proven to be a challenging time for the A/E/C industry, but we all hope the tides are changing. The panelists discussed the lack of public & private funding, opportunities with public-private-partnerships (P3), and future economic growth.

I enjoyed listening to panelists, especially since they all didn't come from the AEC world. They gave some interesting insight (and a little hope!) that a slow recovery has begun.

Here are a few of the main points I took away from the event. Please feel free to comment with your own!

• Andrew (Equifax) discussed that we should be following consumer spending as an idea of how the economy is doing. Rates like unemployment and GDP may not always be the best measuring tools
• Ryan (Perkins+Will) discussed the impact the Beltline project will have on our local economy. Eight miles of the Beltline are currently open as biking and walking trails, and the community has started to get excited about the potential for development around this transit project. Three parks are already under construction with countless more public and private developments planned.
• Linda (Board of Regents) discussed the higher education market sector and how the BOR is looking for qualified design/construction firms that are stable, experienced, and qualified. The BOR wants to create lasting partnerships with the AEC community
• Becca (Columbus Economic Development) discussed the positive impact that the Ft. Benning re-development has had on the Columbus and surrounding area. Columbus has created a "joint-venture" with other local cities and counties to help spur and promote development. Learn more about the Valley Region and its initiatives here.

I enjoyed the Mega Meeting again this year, and I'm looking forward to a positive and successful 2011!

Malory Hunter, Business Development Manager
Foresite Group, Inc.
SMPS Atlanta, Communications Committee Director

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Marketing Your Firm’s Green Initiatives

“Sustainable” and “green” are the big new buzzwords, and many AEC firms are looking at their own marketing to see how they can better promote their own green or sustainable efforts.

Maybe you’re already pretty green and work with LEED^® consultants on building certification, whether it’s new construction or LEED-EBOM (LEED-Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance). Perhaps you are a contracting company that works under a LEED AP project manager. Or possibly you are really just getting started in the world of green. No matter where your firm is on the continuum, your marketing efforts need to reflect your firm’s reality.

Here are a few common mistakes I’ve seen marketers make when promoting their firms’ green efforts, trying to be “more green” in order to jump on that sustainable bandwagon.

Exaggerating your claims of being green
One small project or a single effort (recycling in the break room, anyone?) does not make you green. Don’t get me wrong: You should definitely promote your real, concerted green efforts. But don’t magnify them out of proportion or you will face the

Under-promoting your green efforts
Yes, this also happens a lot. A company that has been quietly “doing the right thing” in many areas all along just doesn’t showcase that on its Web site, in its materials, or even in conversations with prospects and clients. If your firm has a track record in being green, either in its day-to-day operations or with its client projects – or better yet, both – this needs to be promoted across all forms of media you use. It should be easy to find on your firm’s Web site and should be highlighted whenever possible in all materials.

Overlooking the obvious
So you have good green projects to shout about, and they are properly showcased in your materials and on your site. What about your internal operations? DO you have recycling in the break room? Is staff encouraged to ride-share or work from home? Do you reuse, reduce, and recycle everything possible in your office (paper, cardboard, toner cartridges, and so forth)? Do you unplug non-critical equipment when it’s not in use to save energy? (Did you know you can have your Web site hosted with a solar- or wind-powered ISP?) I have worked with many companies selling a green product or service, but not thinking about their daily operations or their own supply chain. Being green is about walking the walk.

Failing to differentiate
With all the other businesses out there clamoring about how green they are, it’s easy for your firm to get lost in the noise. Unless you are strategic in promoting your green efforts, you will come across as just another business trying – or worse, pretending – to be green. Really analyze what you’ve done better or differently, and use that in your marketing efforts. If you are consistent about that, it will pay off.

Copyright 2010, Linda McCulloch, Design That Works Communications Inc
Reproduction permitted with copyright line, author credit and author contact information.
linda@greatdesignthatworks.com http://greatdesignthatworks.com/

About Linda McCulloch and Design That Works Communications Inc.:
With many awards for her work and more than 20 years of experience, Ms. McCulloch helps small and large businesses with their branding and marketing efforts by focusing on their strengths to improve their position in the marketplace. McCulloch, whose green initiative is called Design That’s Green, is an active member of several green organizations, including the U.S. Green Building Council–Atlanta Chapter. She volunteers with these groups, providing marketing and communications advice as well as graphic design services. In addition, she composts and recycles just about everything, maintains her gardens organically, is a Legacy member of the Nature Conservancy, and her yard has been certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

Key Business Strategies for Design Firms

The following major points come from the seminar “Maximize Profits/Minimize Risks” given by Ames & Gough:

• The art of design can coexist with the business of design.
• Conducting a survey of project managers reveals which tasks and responsibilities are viewed as being more important than others. The strengths and weaknesses identified through the survey become the starting point for in-house training and process improvements.
• Identifying the specific causes behind every account receivable write-off provides the project team with the necessary information to avoid those actions or inactions on future projects.
• Succession planning is an integral component of any business plan in that it creates the opportunity for senior firm leaders to redefine responsibilities and roles to evolve the firm. Thoughtful succession structures retain top talent at all levels and actively promote talented individuals into key positions, thus creating a future generation of leaders to support those seeking redefined roles in the firm or retirement.
• Operational processes may include strategies such as aggressively awarding stock bonuses to identified key future leaders to facilitate the accumulation of stock in their hands.
• Succession parameters can be incorporated into bylaws to provide a defined process and, thereby, a sense of continuity in the firm and its future.
• Externally led confidential 360 reviews allow a firm to identify misalignments and to reorganize when necessary to play to individual strengths, rather than focus on weaknesses.
• Consider dividing your firm into project teams that function as mini-firms, each supported by corporate infrastructure.
• Evaluate employees based on what the organization needs and how employee abilities meet those needs.
• Balance technical abilities with client-relationship abilities.
• Use Web-based training to replace more costly seminars.
• Keep up with industry software, such as building information modeling (BIM).
• Stay visible to clients and potential clients. One method is to offer “Lunch-‘n’-Learn” programs.
• Tune up your business-development strategy by trying to identify hot markets.
• Establish budgets, and stick to them.

Moderator: Gregg Bundschuh, JD, Ames & Gough
Presenters: Susan Baker, AIA, LEED AP, LS3P
Greer J. (“Pete”) Pruitt, P.E., S.E., Pruitt Eberly Stone Inc.