FIRM-WIDE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONFIDENCE

by Emily Hall, Partner, CVG

Imagine: a project manager at your firm meets an ideal client at a networking event. It’s just the two of them at the cheese board…

Ideal client: “So (looking at nametag), what do you do? I’m unfamiliar with your firm.”

Project manager: “We’re architects based in (insert city). We do commercial, residential, institutional… pretty much everything.”

Ideal client: “Interesting. Well it sure looks like it’s going to be a beautiful weekend…”

[End scene]

If this sounds cringingly familiar—perhaps you’ve been in this situation, or can imagine it happening with team members —your firm would benefit from some soul searching. Exploring your mission, vision, and values will lead you to a better understanding of your firm’s differentiators, value proposition, and elevator pitch.

Think about this in non-marketing speak: it’s the clearly expressed passion that exudes from your team members when asked about where they work. It’s not a script, it’s a conversation starter…and every new relationship begins with one good conversation.

Can you see how a firm that has clearly defined their why, what, and how would have an advantage at the cheese board?

GREAT FIRMS START WITH “WHY.”

Leadership expert Simon Sinek said it best in Start With Why, and later in a 2014 TED Talk, “The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe… People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it, and what you do simply serves as the proof of what you believe.”

Great architecture firms hire (and retain) people who share their beliefs, work with clients who reflect their values, and design projects that manifest their world view. Though this might sound lofty and out of reach to a small firm struggling to maintain its pipeline, think of it as an aspirational goal achieved through incremental steps. The first step is understanding why your firm exists.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES

Your mission statement is an outwardly-facing description of what your firm does, and why and how it does it. Your vision statement is more aspirational and is used internally as a rallying cry; it defines where you’re going and what you want to achieve. Your values describe the qualities your firm collectively embodies in its culture, relationships, and projects. Each is equally important when crafting the profile of why your firm exists, and the value you aspire to bring to your clients, community, employees, and ultimately the imprint your firm leaves on the world.

Developing Your Mission Statement

The best mission statements are short, succinct, and memorable. Think of it as a message that is boldly featured on your website, and supported by a descriptive paragraph. To prompt this exploration, ask yourself and your leadership team:

1. What was your main goal/intention when founding your firm?

2. What do we do? What is unique about it?

3. How do we do it?

4. For whom do we do it?

5. What value are we bringing? How do we benefit our clients?

6. What are the basic beliefs, values and philosophies that guide us?

ESTABLISHING YOUR FIRM’S VISION

Visualizing the evolution of your firm sets a common goal to work toward. Can you imagine a firm where the principals each had a different vision? Or the staff didn’t know the owner’s vision? Even more so today, people want to feel that they are working toward a bigger goal. A clear vision statement aligns everyone and makes a firm stronger. Use this fill-in-the-blank exercise to craft your vision statement:

In 5 years (MY FIRM) will be __________. When I walk into the office I will see _______________. We will be working on _________and telling our ________ how we ________. Our office will be unique because ___________. This will help us achieve _________.

DEFINING YOUR FIRM’S CORE VALUES

Establishing values aligns intentions with actions. Your values should be at the core of everything your firm says and does, including interactions with colleagues and clients. Values help you decide what projects to take, who to hire, and even when to break up with a client. They can take any shape you like, as long as they are authentic to your company.

Use the following list of values to guide your thinking. Start by crossing out the values that do not resonate with you. Write in any values you would like to consider that aren’t already on the list. Circle the top five values that resonate with you, and adjust until they accurately represent your firm’s culture.

MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES AS A FOUNDATION FOR BETTER MESSAGING

After your spirited mission, vision, and values exploration, you’ll be ready to tackle your differentiators and value proposition. Differentiators describe exactly how your firm stands out from your competitors. Your value proposition specifically communicates the unique value your firm brings to your clients —it’s why you’re not competing based on fee.

Avoid the words “collaborative, award-winning, client-focused, and creative.” Almost every architect claims to have these qualities. You’ll be well-served by digging deeper.

If you’re struggling to identify your differentiators or value proposition, one technique is to involve your clients. This works best if you can find a neutral third party to conduct four or five short interviews. Have them ask questions about the experience of working with your firm, such as:

1. What did you appreciate most about (FIRM)?

2. How was (FIRM) different from a) other architects you’ve worked with, and/or b) your expectation of working with an architect? (Question depends on client type)

3. Did (FIRM) add any unexpected value to the process and project?

4. Was there anything that (FIRM) could do differently to improve your experience?

Note: If your clients use the terms “collaborative, client-focused, or creative” to describe you, ask “how so?” Being able to elaborate on these descriptors might yield more tangible information to work with.

EXAMPLES OF STRONG VALUE PROPOSITIONS:

“Founded by an Air Force veteran, IDG approaches each project with military precision: listening, strategizing, and executing, while faithfully meeting every deadline.” (Interactive Design Group)

“RoehrSchmitt Architecture was founded on the belief that at its core, good design requires taking a fundamentally optimistic view of the world...We come to work each day jazzed to find that sweet spot where the interplay of quality and value is balanced and optimized, where work and play are virtually indistinguishable.” (RoehrSchmitt Architecture)

“Our clients appreciate that ThoughtCraft’s design approach is both structured and spirited, yielding wildly unique outcomes. The results are specific to time and place, anchored in concept, layered with meaning, and built with precise details that are communicated through a solid, thorough set of drawings.”

(ThoughtCraft Architects)

Can you see how each of the above value propositions paints a clear picture of each firm? Can you feel how they are different from each other?

BACK TO THE CHEESE BOARD…

You’ve put time into defining your firm’s mission, vision, values, differentiators, and value proposition. Since you understand your firm better, you’ll have stronger messaging to include on your website, social media, and proposals. But how does this translate to an elevator pitch? Great conversations don’t start with a memorized script.

Consider this formula to get comfortable with your elevator pitch:

1. Who you are and what you do at (FIRM).

2. What (FIRM) does.

3. How (FIRM) is different.

Using the insights gained from exercises in this article, craft a general response to numbers two and three in this section.

Share it with your team and include it as a regular part of onboarding new employees. Talk to your staff about how you use firm mission, vision, and values as part of business decisions and your hiring process. If these concepts are ingrained in your firm culture, then no one will be at a loss when asked about your firm. They’ll be thrilled to share why they work at the best firm in town. l

As a member of the leadership team at CVG, Emily helps guide the firm in its mission to help small and midsized architecture firms be better businesses. She brings over 20 years of architectural marketing experience to CVG, with a focus on discovering a firm’s authentic personality and using it to drive strategy. Her in-house experience includes over six years at Union Studio Architecture & Community Design and nine years at DBVW Architects, both architectural firms in Providence, Rhode Island that have experienced significant growth. She received an MBA from the University of Rhode Island, a Master of Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design, and a BA from Colorado College. Emily is based in Detroit, Michigan. To schedule a free business consultation with CVG, email Emily at emily@ charrettevg.com

Emily Hall, Partner, CVG emily@charrettevg.com charrettevg.com