Question about marketing / advertising

I have an interesting question for everyone. How does your firm market or advertise their services? My boss wants suggestions from our staff as to ways to do these.

Via the www.

You need to set up a web site, then advertise.

Probably need more info to get a real answer.

Do you have a sales person ?

Do you have a marketing dep't ?

Is it just your boss ?

What does your company do ?

Who do you sell to now, how many others in same industry ? Do you know about them ?

The list can be long, thats what marketing is about my personal best (ex Autocad dealer) just walked in the door of a company never been there before walked out with $60,000 order, it can be done targeted clients.

When I used to work for a consulting engineering firm we used brochures that were handed out at trade shows, some of the engineers did "cold calling" (I felt sorry for them), asked existing clients to recommend us to companies they knew, got our name on a list of "approved" consultants with the state Department of Environmental Engineering, advertised in Engineering News, had a web site...etc.

I think online marketing/ having a website is something that every firm should have....these days people dont open up the phone book as they would have 10 years ago, even 5 years ago...we go online and do a search and often we will contact the companies whose websites we found and never look at any other sources...this applies to more than the architecture/engineering industry. And in most cases in our fields, landing just one job because of your website pays for it.

Probably need more info to get a real answer.

 

Do you have a sales person ?

Do you have a marketing dep't ?

Is it just your boss ?

What does your company do ?

 

Who do you sell to now, how many others in same industry ? Do you know about them ?

 

The list can be long, thats what marketing is about my personal best (ex Autocad dealer) just walked in the door of a company never been there before walked out with $60,000 order, it can be done targeted clients.

It pretty much is our boss who handles all of the above. We are strictly a civil engineering firm, although my boss is certified for structural as well. We may have to branch out in that direction.

Networking helps too. It doesn't hurt to rub elbows with people in the industries your company provides services to. Professional organizations could be another good source of potential leads. Ads taken out in trade magazines is another option.

Networking helps too. It doesn't hurt to rub elbows with people in the industries your company provides services to. Professional organizations could be another good source of potential leads. Ads taken out in trade magazines is another option.

Networking is key, we get most of our work (structural & civil) from local (oxford) and more recently prestigious london architects. its very important to have someone in a firm who can form a rapport with these people. Our reputation and networking within the architectural discipline means we dont have to actively hunt for jobs. Bottom line is its not upto the engineers and technicians to worry about this side of the company, no matter how small

The best marketing tool before the internet was a thing called "a phone book".

We have whats known as yellow pages here its a commercial only phone book go to Builders architects etc and you have a list of potential clients instantly. Do the same on the internet.

Yellowpages was my bible as I was a state manager and a visit to a small town meant I knew already every eng, Arch, drafty, construction company before I arrived.

The $100 answer, ask your existing clients who are there competitors ! These are your new clients. You have to be subtle though.