Balancing on the tightrope of business development
Kimberlee Pierce
The JD White Co.
Staying in charge of a consulting firm’s business direction means keeping an ear to the street, as each day represents an opportunity to review fresh requests for proposals or qualifications, or RFP/RFQ. This process means scouring announcements from a multitude of print and online sources. Most solicitations will not fit within the scope of the services your company provides, but some will, and therein lies the challenge: deciding which potential projects to pursue.
The person responsible for finding and pursuing new work for a business in the architectural/engineering and construction industry can risk overextending the reach of the firm’s skill set and capacity, and the risk becomes greater when multiple firms team to work on the same project.
The role of a business development professional is to know the exact capabilities of the firm and which firms would combine for the best team for a given project in a particular jurisdiction. It is also to develop and maintain networks with the staff at other firms who are responsible for bringing in new projects.
Chasing RFPs costs money, as well as that other finite resource—time. Choosing the right RFPs most often hinges on the project’s budget, the client, the schedule and the tasks required to complete the work. Business development professionals must consult with potential project managers to determine whether the firm can honestly sell a client on their services. Then comes preparing what are called the quals, documents that illustrate the firm’s and/or the team’s qualifications.
Often, the response requires a project approach, scope of work, schedule and cost estimate, in addition to detailing the consultant’s experience with similar projects and the qualifications of the people who would do the work. Preparing these responses requires time and effort by the business development staff and cooperation by the technical staff, who, if the firm is selected, will take the project on to completion.
Obviously, the criteria for picking the right RFP to pursue can differ depending on the business focus of the company, but there are a few universal principles. First, recognize the nature of the firm’s past experience, but don’t forget to look for challenging work that can widen the firm’s expertise and lead to recognition.
Second, avoid chasing projects just for the sake of their large budgets; instead, go after the ones that fit your strategic plan and build relationships with like-minded firms so that you can pursue work with an increased probability of winning.
Third, it’s important to meet frequently with technical staff to identify project leads before they are published so you have a jumpstart on the proposal process.
Recognizing the RFPs that are best suited to your firm’s capabilities and producing a high-quality winning proposal are essential to maintaining a consistent stream of work. Sidestepping projects that could damage your firm’s reputation is also important, as is keeping your clients happy by being responsive and choosing projects you can deliver on time and on budget.
Business development in the private sector is a lot like a tightrope act—hard work that secures just the right amount of just the right work at just the right time.
Kimberlee Pierce is the marketing manager for The JD White Co., a division of BERGER/ABAM Engineers.
