BuiltEnvironment

The Perfect CRM System

Today's posting is rather long -- it is in response to the "challenge" posed by Matt Handal of http://www.helpeverybodyevery.com.

In recent years, we have seen the development of a number of competing software packages that track, measure and facilitate a firm's client relationship management (CRM) activities. Frankly, it's nice to have an easy-to-access place online where anyone in the firm can see who has been visiting a specific client, where/when the visit took place, what was discussed, what was promised, if and when the item was delivered, and when someone needs to contact that client again. Some of these systems will even send you a first-of-the-month reminder of who needs to be contacted that month.

This is a great help for a firm and its marketers, right?

Unfortunately, we often get so focused on these software packages, how they work, what services they can provide the user, and which one we think is easier or better to use, that we forget about the need for a PERSON to actually DO the CRM activities that these software packages only track, measure and facilitate.

In other words, if a real person doesn't do anything to manage, maintain or strengthen the relationship with a client, there is nothing for the software to track, measure or facilitate!

You can buy any package you like, or every package on the market, and you still won't have great -- or even good -- CRM system, because tracking visits is not the same as making visits; recording the basics of a conversation is not the same has having a conversation.

The reason so many firms are frustrated with their CRM programs is that the programs are misnamed; they should have been called "CRM Tracking Programs." Because of this naming problem, we have let ourselves think that the computer program actually does the client relationship management activities. Just buy a program and your client relationships will automatically be managed.

Absolutely Incorrect!

The best CRM system requires three things:

First, staff members must have a mindset that makes them excited to go out and visit a client -- or as I often say, "to put their butt-print in a client's guest chair!" Nothing helps a client feel valued by its consultant like a personal visit from the project manager. And a visit from a Division Manager or the CEO is even better. If there are any problems, a high-ranking officer who is not on the project staff is more likely to find and fix them without getting defensive and, at the same time, demonstrate the firm's willingness to spend senior-level time on that client. In between visits, phone calls are great. However, email is only a way to exchange information; it does very little to extend the relationship.

Second, staff members must be willing to develop real relationships with their clients. This means paying attention when they say they like or dislike something, noting what magazines are on their side tables, attending some of the same organizational meetings they attend, knowing if their families or local politics command their off-time attention, finding out what teams they like, sending them articles or Internet links that might be of interest to them, and a host of other things. It might even include providing a home phone number and personal email address so that, if necessary, a client could get in touch with them outside the typical Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm work week.

Third, staff members must be willing to share information. One of the worst things you can hear your client ask is, "Don't you people ever talk to each other?" This generally happens when you take his or her time to discuss something that was already covered with another staff member in an earlier visit, but there was no record in your tracking system to tell you that before your time-wasting visit.

So a staff member must be willing to come back from the client visit, open the CRM tracking software and record the visit before he forgets any important details. At the very least, the record should include the meeting location; which person initiated it; what items were discussed in detail; what new subjects were touched upon; what, if anything, he or she promised to send the client and when; if there is any other action to be taken; and when the next contact should be. And the system should be able to alert others who are interested in that client regarding the new report.

Once these three items -- staff members who will make visits and phone calls, staff members who are willing to develop real relationships, and staff members willing to share information -- are in place, the best CRM tracking system is the one that allows you to track all the variables you think are important, that enables you to get all the reports you want to have, and that is easiest for your least "savvy" staff member to use in the way and to the degree you want it used.

Post Epilogue

The Perfect CRM is a series of essays by industry experts on the topic of client relationship management tools. Each expert draws upon years of experience to outline their vision of the perfect CRM system. This exercise provides you with new insights into what works, what doesn't work and what you should consider when implementing a CRM system.

The experts include:

• Ford Harding, Author of Rainmaking - 2nd Edition (http://www.hardingco.com/blog/)
• Tim Klabunde, Author of the CRM Chapter in the Marketing Handbook for the Design and Construction Professional (www.Cofebuz.com)
• Bernie Siben, Author of A Horse of a Different Color: Marketing in the Public Sector (http://builtenvironment.blogs.com/)
• Bobby Darnell, former Director of National Accounts at Reed Construction Data (http://buildingnewbusiness.com/)
• Mel Lester, Owner of the Business Edge (http://www.blog-bizedge.biz/)
• Matt Handal, Contributing Editor of SMPS Marketer (http://www.helpeverybodyeveryday.com)

Visit these sites to read each expert's take on the perfect CRM.

 

 

Client Satisfaction Surveys

A recent professional post asked about the value of hard-copy or online client satisfaction surveys at the end of the project to see how the firm/team performed for the client.

I believe very strongly that sending a client satisfaction survey, whether in hard copy or online format - regardless of the timing - is a great way of saying to your client, "Hi there. We didn't want to waste our valuable time calling you to have a conversation, but please take YOUR valuable time to tell us how good our work was."

I really don't think that's the message you want to send your clients. Instead, I suggest the following:

1. Do the survey in the middle of the project. By this time, the client will have a good idea of how you are doing and you will still have time to fix problems before the project is over. This makes the survey more about the client and less about your need for a "grade" or reference.

2. Survey in a personal visit or (at the very least) a phone call. Demonstrate how you value a client's time by contributing some of your own.

3. Have a high-ranking firm officer (president, vice president, chairman, marketing director, division manager) make the visit/call. This demonstrates your real commitment to understanding the CLIENT's needs, determining if they have been fulfilled (or why they haven't been fulfilled), and where the problem was. For example, if the problem was the project manager, the client might tell the president or the marketing director, but is unlikely to tell the project manager himself. The conversation with a high-ranking officer also tells the client that if changes are necessary to fix a specific problem or an ongoing attitude, the person across the desk has the authority to make those changes.

4. Have that officer be someone who is not involved in that project. The "uninvolved" person is more likely to just listen to the client and not get defensive on behalf of his team if the feedback is negative.

5. If any action is taken to fix a problem, make sure the client is told what actions have been taken so that he knows you were really listening and not just "blowing smoke" to make him feel valued.

Most important, a visit is much more likely to get honest answers, extended answers, and extraneous comments that might focus you on additional problems. With hard-copy and online surveys, it is too easy for the client to just say "everything is fine" and never call you again, or just not answer some of the questions. And you won't get the behavioral clues that tell you the client is really angry about something, or just leaving something important unsaid.

Remember, your firm's officers get paid well for doing the hard or unpleasant stuff. Don't be afraid to make them earn their big bucks!

MY BOOK HAS BEEN PUBLISHED ! ! !

 

"A Horse of a Different Color: Marketing in the Public Sector" has finally been published, and is available at www.psmj.com.

The book describes how marketing architectural, engineering, planning, surveying, environmental and construction management services to public agencies is different from marketing the same services to private clients.

The approach to public sector clients is basically dictated by law, and involves public documents, transparent processes, written submittals, interviews and selection based on technical qualifications. Many of the primary strategies used in the private sector cannot be used in the public sector, so positioning can have undreamed-of perils. In addition, public sector proposal submittals are often long, complicated, repetitive, and full of seemingly unnecessary information.

The book explains the legal basis of the public procurement process (the Brooks Act, PL 92-582), highlights differences between public and private sector marketing strategies and activities, points out the dangers in these differences, and describes ways to navigate the dangers.

For those who are really savvy, the book also points out the need to obtain help (someone like ME!) to strategize your firm's entry into public sector pursuits, prepare your first few submittals and train your staff during those submittal preparation activities.

I am now working on developing an outline for a PSMJ course based on the book (a "public sector marketing bootcamp"), and hope to have that ready to travel very soon. Watch this blog and/or the PSMJ website for further information.

Write a book? How hard could it be? Right?

The editor watched my presentation. When it was over, he said, "I think there's a book here."

I asked a friend who saw the presentation, "What do you think?"

She said, "Sure!. I haven't seen anything else on the subject. Why not?"

The editor and I talked on and off for the next two years. I changed jobs. Then he changed jobs. Then I changed jobs and moved half-way across the country.

Finally I thought, I write all the time -- all kinds of documents. How hard could a book be, right? So I wrote a detailed outline and sent it to the editor.

And he said "yes," so I said "yes," and we signed a contract and set up a tentative schedule. And I started writing.

First, I had to get 25 people to agree to complete a short survey, so there was Internet research to identify the right 25 people. Then I had to convince them to answer the survey. Then I had to keep after them to actually do it.

Then I started my own writing. Every time I finished drafting a section, I thought of something else I wanted to include. Finally, there was so much new stuff, I did a new outline and submitted it. The editor still liked where I was going.

Then I realized I wasn't making any money on the book until the final version was submitted, and I still had to pay the bills. So I took on a project, which meant that precious little got done on the book for two whole weeks! But I got the bills paid. And the deadline slipped a little.

I took on a second project but this time I managed at least one hour on the book every day, so the deadline only slipped a tad. I finished the draft and sent it off.

A week later I got comments back -- nothing drastic, but some rewrites were necessary, and some additions. And, of course, as I made the recommended additions, I thought of other things I wanted to add. So things took a little longer, but I finally finished and, on Saturday, June 6, 2009, I finally sent in a hard copy and an electronic copy via FedEx.

The book is called "A Horse of a Different Color: Marketing in the Public Sector." If you go to http://www.psmj.com, you will find a link that will tell you more about the contents, price and availability. And you can even purchase it there if you like.

The Siben Consult, LLC moves back to Texas

As of the  middle of October, The Siben Consult, LLC, has moved back to Texas -- more specifically, to Austin. The firm's new address is:

    1701 Nelms Drive #1133

    Austin, TX 78744

The phone number will remain 559-901-9596.

The Siben Consult, LLC, is an independent marketing consultant providing strategic, production and training assistance for the marketing efforts of planning, architectural, engineering, surveying, environmental and construction management firms nationwide. More information on our services may be found at www.sibenconsult.com, or by contacting me at bernie@sibenconsult.com.

A solicited but honest review

Software Advice (www.softwareadvice.com) is an organization that helps firms and individuals select the appropriate software for tasks they need to accomplish. They appear to be a cost-free service that is not aligned with any specific software developer(s). Their services cover the construction, medical and retail industries.

Software Advice recently asked me to view a video on their website about the latest developments in software for construction managers, and to review the video in this blog. The footage was captured at the 2008 Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) conference.

When I watched the video, I was very impressed with the contents but somewhat disappointed with the fact that the screen-within-the-monitor was so small that you couldn't read the slides in the three demonstrations. I let the folks at Software Advice know that, and they have since addressed and fixed the problem. So here is my review of their video.

I just watched your video and found it very interesting. I think the three products that offer demonstrations in the video -- EADOC's relationship diagram, Prolog's reporting module and Synchro's integration with Google SketchUp -- have great applicability to the CM world. I also think the three speakers did great jobs of providing relatively detailed but very clear overviews of their products in a very short period of time. The screen size issue has been resolved, and it is now possible to actually read the slides in the three demonstrations captured in the video. I would recommend that every reader in the construction management industry  (http://www.softwareadvice.com/articles/construction/cmaa-2008-innovations-in-construction-management-software/), and anyone else in the A/E industry interested in relevant new software, take a look at this video.

By the way, it is REALLY NEAT to have someone recognize your expertise and solicit your opinion on a product.

Selling more than you can deliver?

I have probably told this to every client I've ever had, and every seminar and workshop I've ever delivered: never commit more than you can actually deliver!

Selling more work than you can do is nothing but a recipe for disaster -- a guarantee that you will walk smack into a very hard stone wall and break an essential body part.

I was very lucky in the last 30 days. I thought I had sold more than I could deliver, but discovered that I had actually, somehow, sold only exactly as much as I could deliver. In essence, I had walked up to that wall and barely grazed it with the tip of my nose -- no blood, no bruises, no broken cartilage!

One project was delayed a month by the owner; one project couldn't start for another week because the client's project manager had other commitments; one project moves by fits and starts because the client is always slow to respond to draft designs and text. Another project got dropped into the mix to fill the week left by the client with project manager commitments.

Every project I had taken on, I had agreed to with (I deemed) thoughtful consideration of time and my own capabilities, but without any hint of the delays that would occur. So I had no way of knowing, when I said "yes," what the ultimate schedule would actually look like.

My mother used to say, "God watches over blind men and idiots!" I don't know which of the two I was during this period, but He was certainly looking out for me.

Three of my five projects are now out the door; the fourth is moving along smoothly and is due next Friday; the fifth is due on July 3 and one major section is already complete.

In the future, I must always remember to leave "wiggle room" in the schedule!

In the future, I must always remember to leave "wiggle room" in the schedule!

In the future . . .

Counting my blessings

I found out today that my good friend, Jo West, had passed away in Dallas. Jo had been fighting cancer for about a year or so. I saw her in mid-April and she looked and sounded pretty good, she just ran out of steam in the middle of the afternoon.

I spoke with Terry (the friend who called to let me know), a little about Jo herself and the grace with which she waged her battle, and a little about how Terry himself was getting by, especially since he was one of the people making the phone calls to let other friends know.

When I hung up the phone, I thought for a while about the blessing Jo had been in my life. She was a wonderful woman with a heart big enough to encompass all of the "strays" who somehow found their way to her table. She genuinely cared about her friends -- cared a lot. And she had lots of friends to care about.

For me, she was a true friend -- she was there when I needed her, providing unconditional love, and support and encouragement for everything I tried. Sometimes, she made me feel like a success even before I did something, when we were still just talking about it. When she fell in love with my music, she offered to produce my next (4th) CD, but a cross-country move happened instead.

After a while, I started thinking about some of my other blessings -- a brother whom I love, and his family, whom I also love; cousins in Texas, California and New York, with whom I am very close; friends in Dallas and Austin who are as close to me as some of my blood family; and two careers of 30+ years each, both of which give me great satisfaction, and each of which makes me luckier than much of the adult population slaving away at jobs they hate.

I look at the friends I went to school with -- many of them, for one reason or another, wound up in jobs they hate. How amazing is it that I found not one, but two things to do with my life that I wouldn't trade for anything.

What a joy to discover that my life's work is something I love. And how astounding to find that I have stumbled across two different life's works, both of which I love, and which can be done concurrently.

I am blessed. Now I just have to make sure I stay busy!

The hardest part of self-employment

Ever since The Siben Consult, LLC opened its doors in January 2004, people have asked me, "What's the hardest thing about being self-employed?"

Some asked because they were contemplating going out on their own; others asked because they were curious. I've told everyone who asked the same thing:

                                                                                Self-discipline!

A/E/C industry marketers are used to having their lives dictated by deadlines. Everything revolves around when the next proposal is due. But what do you do when you don't have an assignment with a deadline?

I have one client assignment that has more than 25 components and no deadline. I can use the pieces as "fill" when I'm between time-sensitive assignments. I also have a typical amount of paper filing, cleaning of electronic files and emails from recent projects, expenses to track, expense reports to write up and file, bookkeeping to do, etc.

None of these chores are terribly onerous. Individually, they don't take long (other than the ongoing client assignment), once I get started.

The hardest part of what I do in The Siben Consult is getting started on these items.

I know from experience that it's always easier to start a new time-sensitive project when my desk is relatively clean. It's certainly easier to work two concurrent projects if I start with a clean desk. But doing the administrative chores and getting the desk clean...

The hardest part of what I do is getting started.

So I shower and dress -- sometimes I even shave. I have to do that in order to have the "work mindset" when I sit down at the computer. I can't overcome the mental inertia until I deal with the physical inertia. And I can't approach the work seriously in my pajamas!

The right person for the job

A marketer recently asked, "My firm wants a new website; should I design it myself"?

In the A/E industry, we're all about experts. When you need something done, you get an expert, and you get the right one. You don't call a GIS specialist to design a bridge just because you think he is a quick study with new software packages. You don't call a biologist because you know she understands the interactions of complex natural systems.

The same goes for websites. You may know what looks good on-screen, but that doesn't mean you know how to write code. And while you did design your personal website seven years ago, that doesn't mean you can learn today's website design software packages quickly and completely enough to develop a site that stands out from the thousands of other A/E firm websites. Even if you have the time.

If you're thinking of designing it yourself to save some money, please think again! The money you save will be quickly surpassed by missed revenues when potential clients go elsewhere because your site is not as strong a "positioner" as the other A/E websites out there.

Finally, if you design the website yourself, you will probably have to maintain it yourself. Regardless of your other time commitments, many of which will have been made for you by people who didn't speak to you first, or even look at your calendar. Do you really have time for that?

Bottom line? Get the right expert for the job. Just as you call a structural engineer to design a bridge, call a website designer to design your new website.