Social Media- Revolution or Fad?

Interesting video on social media- posted almost two years ago, but still relevant. It's interesting to see how the AEC world is handling social media- we're seeing some firms embrace it and others shirk from it like the plague.

How is your firm handling the social media revolution? Is there really any question anymore to whether it's just a fad?

Why Do Implementations Fail?

Many studies have been done on why implementations fail. Through our own success and failures, we’d like to share with you eight (8) key areas that impact implementations:

1. Executive Support – In order to get buy-in from employees on the importance of using any system or adopting any process you implement, you first MUST have executive support. Your firm is investing a lot of time and money into this decision. The message must come from the top. If the executives of your firm don’t see the importance then others will probably feel the same way. As with any new process or change, it’s important to demonstrate a ROI and the key areas that will be improved within your company.

 
2. Establish Goals/Objectives – Make a list of the items that need to be improved within your company. With that list, apply Pareto’s 80/20 rule to your business. Focus on the 20% that matters and the other 80% of issues will fall into place. What information do you need to grow your company? What processes do you need in place to make things better, faster, and easier? Be specific. These goals should drive the functionality of your solution. 

 
3. Invest in Training – A vital part, commonly overlooked in an implementation, is training. Training enables and empowers your users. Taking the “they’ll figure it out” approach is a quick way to discourage users from using the system. Learning from experts on how to do it quicker, more efficiently, and correctly from the beginning can keep you from feeling you’ve wasted money on a system. The system doesn’t run the process; people do! The system will only be as good as the information put into it so make sure to support the people within your firm that will help keep the process running smoothly. 

4. Choose a Champion – You’ve heard the saying about too many cooks in the kitchen, right? Designate a consensus-building champion for the implementation. We recommend identifying three main roles with distinct purposes: Project Coordinator (PC), Executive Sponsor (ES) and Application Administrator (AA). The PC is involved with every phase of your firm’s implementation. This role will be involved with making key decisions and consider the global impacts of those decisions. They are also responsible for the schedule, progress, and team communication. The AA is an individual that develops a thorough understanding of the application throughout the implementation process, later performing the ongoing day-to-day administration, and leads the internal training effort. The ES is responsible for securing commitment from executive management, department/office management, accounting, marketing and project management and should be an individual within senior management. They are to stay in contact with the PC and consultant to convey any expectations or concerns. 

5. Think About the Future – Make sure all areas of your company are talking to one another. Consider your growth plans, customer communications needs, and internal knowledge sharing. Integration and streamlining processes impact profitability and obtaining/maintaining clients. Most firms think about the finance side first; an essential part of any business since they handle the money. However, what about the side that brings in those customers or work with them on a day-to-day basis? Is finance sharing information with them? Integration can help breakdown the silos and build true customer interaction. Keep in mind you don’t have to do everything at once, but make sure you think about the next steps. 

6. Gain Consensus from End Users – Gaining consensus within the company requires work upfront during the planning process. Consider the needs of end users and how the process will impact all areas of the company. Check back with them periodically to demonstrate solution designs to confirm you aren’t missing anything. 

7. Demonstrate Key Wins – Identify quick wins that can demonstrate progress with the system and track your results. The goals established at the beginning should be checked periodically to ensure you are making progress.

8. Take a Phased Approach – By taking a phased approach, the Project Coordinator isn’t burdened thinking about everything all at once. Remember, this is a job upon a job. On top of doing their daily duties, the implementation team is taking on a project that requires significant time and dedication. In addition to spreading out the implementation, training should be incremental. This keeps employees from experiencing information overload.

Strive to constantly evolve and improve your company in order to ensure you are ready for tomorrow’s challenges. Adapting your processes and system is a never-ending journey so don’t look for a final destination. Empower your employees and establish a good relationship with your consultant. Keep the lines of communication open and express your concerns during the implementation. Your consultant is there to adjust the implementation to your needs, however, be open to new ideas and suggestions. The best solutions come from open dialogue. Successful implementations require a collaborative effort between your firm’s implementation team and your consultant. “Success is a journey, not a destination." -Ben Sweetland

The Possibilities are Endless – Want to know more about these key points or how to make the most of your system, contact Sarah Mackley Gonnella, Acumen Advisors via email at sgonnella@acumenadvisors.com 

How Social Media Helps Me Think Like a Client

For the record (in this era of full disclosure), I have participated actively in social media communications for the past three years. I post regularly in both the professional and personal worlds. And allow me to state clearly: Never the twain shall meet.

But in reviewing my postings and reading others’ posts, tweets, updates, musings, and diatribes, I have noticed that my eye is invariably drawn to content that hits my sweet spot: ideas, statistics/data, news, reports, happenings, and revelations that attract me either because of my continuing long-term interests or because of a timely, short-term event.

This makes me wonder, “How do clients read my copy?” Or maybe, “DO clients read my copy?”

If I had to summarize my idea or my firm’s compelling response to an RFP in 140 characters* or less, what would I say? What unique response would make my client say, “I want to read more”?

I am certain that 140 characters would not be enough for a client to make a decision, but people engage and read more based on something that catches their interests or hits their sweet spots. So I have to ask, “What is my client’s sweet spot? What will catch his or her interest above all of the other chatter [proposal responses] out there?“

A good part of what will turn heads is really knowing your client (another blog entirely…). And essential to turning their heads is crafting a well-rounded, lean, and distinctive statement about what you bring to the table at that particular point in time, something that will entice them to read more and stay with them in the retelling of your idea to others.

This “sweet spot” exercise helps me to get down to the minutiae of how to say what I need to say. I need to cut out the unnecessary adjectives and overused “industryspeak” and really give an honest response with a solid hunk of creative input. Clients rely on ideas and creativity, so why not craft your response with a character limit of wisdom, making sure you are stating something new, something workable, and something to make them want to read more.

So as I tweet and post, I give my statement the client once-over, asking “Who cares?” And after proofing again for accuracy, I think for a second about my clients and what they want. Where are their sweet spots? Have I boiled my clever idea down to its most critical component? And then I hit send, tweet, share, post, or print.

And in the back of my mind, I wonder to myself, “Will they ‘Like,’ re-tweet, comment, or reply?” If I phrased it correctly and succinctly, I think they will. And I’m hoping they “Like” it again and again and again.

-Bob Mullen,
Senior Marketing Communications Manager, Jacobs

Don't forget to follow SMPS Atlanta on Twitter @SMPSAtlanta or join the discussion on our LinkedIn Group SMPS: Atlanta.

*The maximum number of characters allowed in a Twitter "tweet"

Do You Speak Architect?

All professions have their own jargon, their own shorthand. When speaking with your peers, it’s often easier and quicker to use those verbal shortcuts to convey your message. But too many of us forget that we’re not in-house when we speak to the rest of the world.

Marketers, particularly, need to remember to speak English, not Architect, when we communicate with the rest of the world. The same goes for engineers, contractors, and anyone else in a profession with its own quick-speak.

Here’s a link to an excellent article from Slate, written by Witold Rybczynski, titled “A Discourse on Emerging Tectonic Visualization and the Effects of Materiality on Praxis Or an essay on the ridiculous way architects talk.” 

Thank goodness none of us work with anyone that talks like this…or do we?

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