AEC Marketing Strategies by Marketers Take Flight

If you don’t know Julie Shaffer, CPSM, that ends today. She is THE guru when it comes to all things InDesign and using it to speed up your proposal production process. She absolutely brings it in this episode. Make sure you have pen and paper ready to take notes. 

She tells us about two tools to use to end the laborious cycle of the proposal drafts back and forth. Instead of sending out a proposal draft, getting different sets of comments, and collating those comments, and then incorporating them into an updated draft, she tells us how to streamline and speed up this process. Julie shows us how to use two tools you most likely already have today that will save you dozens of hours and unnecessary frustration on your next proposal. 

Here’s the knowledge she drops on us:

• We review the typical proposal review cycle and how inefficient it is. 
• How COVID and working in different places are making the traditional proposal review process even harder.
• Julie introduces two different methods to conduct virtual proposal reviews. These include Adobe’s Share for Review and Acrobat features.
• She shows us how to get all of the comments back into InDesign
• Julie provides a teaser into her upcoming InDesign training course

About Julie Shaffer, CPSM, Owner of Shaffer Creative
As an award-winning designer and respected leader of creative teams and marketing departments, Julie exhibits the perfect mix of tact, tenacity, and industry knowledge to design and orchestrate creative marketing solutions for each client. She is an Adobe Certified Expert in InDesign CC and is known for developing extensive style formatting for project efficiency and completion. Julie loves to share her knowledge through workshop-style trainings for clients and professional organizations across the US.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!

📣 NOW OPEN: Content Marketing Clarity 

Craft and execute a strategic content marketing campaign that supports your AEC firm’s growth goals in just four weeks, without overwhelm or wasting time. 🎯

Learn more about the course and join today:  https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/clarity

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

“I love Lindsay and Marketers Take Flight.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — fly through the proposal turbulence and have their careers take off. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. I add secret bonus episodes to the feed often, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now!

If you don’t know Julie Shaffer, CPSM, that ends today. She is THE guru when it comes to all things InDesign and using it to speed up your proposal production process. She absolutely brings it in this episode. Make sure you have pen and paper ready to take notes. 

She tells us about two tools to use to end the laborious cycle of the proposal drafts back and forth. Instead of sending out a proposal draft, getting different sets of comments, and collating those comments, and then incorporating them into an updated draft, she tells us how to streamline and speed up this process. Julie shows us how to use two tools you most likely already have today that will save you dozens of hours and unnecessary frustration on your next proposal. 

Here’s the knowledge she drops on us:

• We review the typical proposal review cycle and how inefficient it is. 
• How COVID and working in different places are making the traditional proposal review process even harder.
• Julie introduces two different methods to conduct virtual proposal reviews. These include Adobe’s Share for Review and Acrobat features.
• She shows us how to get all of the comments back into InDesign
• Julie provides a teaser into her upcoming InDesign training course

About Julie Shaffer, CPSM, Owner of Shaffer Creative
As an award-winning designer and respected leader of creative teams and marketing departments, Julie exhibits the perfect mix of tact, tenacity, and industry knowledge to design and orchestrate creative marketing solutions for each client. She is an Adobe Certified Expert in InDesign CC and is known for developing extensive style formatting for project efficiency and completion. Julie loves to share her knowledge through workshop-style trainings for clients and professional organizations across the US.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!

🚀 Time to Take Action: Download Your Content Marketing Starter Kit! 💼

Unlock the secrets to content marketing success with this FREE Starter Kit! Gain clarity on your growth goals, identify your ideal audience, and create captivating content that attracts dream clients.

Download it now and get started TODAY >> https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/starterkit

Is there a career path in A/E/C marketing beyond the marketing coordinator role?

If you have been in your role as a marketing coordinator for any length of time, usually around the 2-3 year mark, you begin to wonder what role is next. You can become a Senior Marketing Coordinator and then eventually a Proposal or Marketing Manager. Eventually, you may be managing other staff, larger pursuits, and/or multiple pursuits. 

Can you ever get beyond the proposals? Do you want to? What other career paths are there for A/E/C marketers?

I asked my community of marketing professionals this exact question, and they didn't disappoint. In part 1 of this series, I share the career path stories of seven different marketing, communications, and business development professionals.

There's also a special guest who started as a marketing coordinator, turned to business development, and now is providing project management assistance on the very design-build projects she helped to win.

This is a fun and inspiring episode, so grab a coffee or put on those earbuds and sneakers and listen up.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!

📣 NOW OPEN: Content Marketing Clarity 

Craft and execute a strategic content marketing campaign that supports your AEC firm’s growth goals in just four weeks, without overwhelm or wasting time. 🎯

Learn more about the course and join today:  https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/clarity

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

“I love Lindsay and Marketers Take Flight.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — fly through the proposal turbulence and have their careers take off. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. I add secret bonus episodes to the feed often, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now!

Is there a career path in A/E/C marketing beyond the marketing coordinator role?

If you have been in your role as a marketing coordinator for any length of time, usually around the 2-3 year mark, you begin to wonder what role is next. You can become a Senior Marketing Coordinator and then eventually a Proposal or Marketing Manager. Eventually, you may be managing other staff, larger pursuits, and/or multiple pursuits. 

Can you ever get beyond the proposals? Do you want to? What other career paths are there for A/E/C marketers?

I asked my community of marketing professionals this exact question, and they didn't disappoint. In part 1 of this series, I share the career path stories of seven different marketing, communications, and business development professionals.

There's also a special guest who started as a marketing coordinator, turned to business development, and now is providing project management assistance on the very design-build projects she helped to win.

This is a fun and inspiring episode, so grab a coffee or put on those earbuds and sneakers and listen up.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!

🚀 Time to Take Action: Download Your Content Marketing Starter Kit! 💼

Unlock the secrets to content marketing success with this FREE Starter Kit! Gain clarity on your growth goals, identify your ideal audience, and create captivating content that attracts dream clients.

Download it now and get started TODAY >> https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/starterkit

We know that proposal quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) is essential to producing the best proposals possible and give our teams the best chance to win. However, QA/QC is too often sacrificed to the lack of time and pressing deadlines. This is a constant struggle we face with every proposal. 

That’s why when I wanted to cover the topic of proposal QA/QC, there was only one person that came to my mind. And, that person is Julie Trowbridge from Jacobs. I met Julie over a decade ago when we both worked at a firm called Carter & Burgess, which later was acquired by Jacobs. She moved to Atlanta and we had a chance to work together in the Southeastern marketing team. 

Having a career of nearly 30 years in the industry producing proposals, she brought with her a reputation of producing high profile aviation proposals and a keen eye for detail and processes. Today she manages still manages proposals for Jacobs. Through this, she not only is managing her own proposals, but helps with ensuring the proposal process is followed, including QA/QC, for the Atlanta office.

Because of this experience and what she does on a daily basis, I knew she was the perfect person to bring on the show to talk about QA/QC, specifically as it relates to proposals. And, even though she works for a mega engineering firm with well-established processes for sales and proposals, the best practices we talk about can apply to small and mid-sized firms with marketing departments of one. I would say this is a must-listen for anyone responsible for producing proposals for their firms.

The proposal quality best practices we talked about include: 

• Why your proposal quality is too important to ignore
• Proposal QA/QC plan components
• How to fit the QA/QC process into the overall proposal production timeframe
• Strategies to incorporate quality review throughout the entire process
• Coaching your proposal reviewers to provide you with the best feedback to improve the proposal content
• Best practices around version control of proposal documents

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!

📣 NOW OPEN: Content Marketing Clarity 

Craft and execute a strategic content marketing campaign that supports your AEC firm’s growth goals in just four weeks, without overwhelm or wasting time. 🎯

Learn more about the course and join today:  https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/clarity

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

“I love Lindsay and Marketers Take Flight.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — fly through the proposal turbulence and have their careers take off. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. I add secret bonus episodes to the feed often, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now!

We know that proposal quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) is essential to producing the best proposals possible and give our teams the best chance to win. However, QA/QC is too often sacrificed to the lack of time and pressing deadlines. This is a constant struggle we face with every proposal. 

That’s why when I wanted to cover the topic of proposal QA/QC, there was only one person that came to my mind. And, that person is Julie Trowbridge from Jacobs. I met Julie over a decade ago when we both worked at a firm called Carter & Burgess, which later was acquired by Jacobs. She moved to Atlanta and we had a chance to work together in the Southeastern marketing team. 

Having a career of nearly 30 years in the industry producing proposals, she brought with her a reputation of producing high profile aviation proposals and a keen eye for detail and processes. Today she manages still manages proposals for Jacobs. Through this, she not only is managing her own proposals, but helps with ensuring the proposal process is followed, including QA/QC, for the Atlanta office.

Because of this experience and what she does on a daily basis, I knew she was the perfect person to bring on the show to talk about QA/QC, specifically as it relates to proposals. And, even though she works for a mega engineering firm with well-established processes for sales and proposals, the best practices we talk about can apply to small and mid-sized firms with marketing departments of one. I would say this is a must-listen for anyone responsible for producing proposals for their firms.

The proposal quality best practices we talked about include: 

• Why your proposal quality is too important to ignore
• Proposal QA/QC plan components
• How to fit the QA/QC process into the overall proposal production timeframe
• Strategies to incorporate quality review throughout the entire process
• Coaching your proposal reviewers to provide you with the best feedback to improve the proposal content
• Best practices around version control of proposal documents

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!

🚀 Time to Take Action: Download Your Content Marketing Starter Kit! 💼

Unlock the secrets to content marketing success with this FREE Starter Kit! Gain clarity on your growth goals, identify your ideal audience, and create captivating content that attracts dream clients.

Download it now and get started TODAY >> https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/starterkit

2020 is already halfway done. We are well into the second half of 2020. It’s crazy right?!? But what a perfect time to do a mid-year check-in on your goals. 

In this episode, I am talking about your personal performance goals. Remember, those goals you probably set with your supervisor last fall, which probably feels like years ago now!

These goals you set late last year or the beginning of 2020, can’t be ignored. They may have been small goals or really big stretch goals to get you to another place in your career. Either way now is precisely the right time to review where you are with your goals to make sure you’re on track, make sure they’re realistic but still exciting and challenging, and then make any of the necessary adjustments to that specific goal. 

So, in today’s episode, I have four steps to help you reach your goals in the final months of 2020. When I say it like that – again, doesn’t it sound crazy? – the final six months of 2020!

Here’s what this process looks like:

• Identify your goals. Get super clear on what they are and refresh your memory. 
• Examine where you are at with each goal. List out the actions you have taken to make progress.
• Pinpoint what’s working and what’s not working. Identify mini-milestones to help get you to the end goal. 
• Create a plan to move you forward and knock your goals out of the ballpark. 

I want you to walk away from this episode with a renewed sense of motivation and a step-by-step process to help ensure that you achieve those goals.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!

🚀 Time to Take Action: Download Your Content Marketing Starter Kit! 💼

Unlock the secrets to content marketing success with this FREE Starter Kit! Gain clarity on your growth goals, identify your ideal audience, and create captivating content that attracts dream clients.

Download it now and get started TODAY >> https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/starterkit

2020 is already halfway done. We are well into the second half of 2020. It’s crazy right?!? But what a perfect time to do a mid-year check-in on your goals. 

In this episode, I am talking about your personal performance goals. Remember, those goals you probably set with your supervisor last fall, which probably feels like years ago now!

These goals you set late last year or the beginning of 2020, can’t be ignored. They may have been small goals or really big stretch goals to get you to another place in your career. Either way now is precisely the right time to review where you are with your goals to make sure you’re on track, make sure they’re realistic but still exciting and challenging, and then make any of the necessary adjustments to that specific goal. 

So, in today’s episode, I have four steps to help you reach your goals in the final months of 2020. When I say it like that – again, doesn’t it sound crazy? – the final six months of 2020!

Here’s what this process looks like:

• Identify your goals. Get super clear on what they are and refresh your memory. 
• Examine where you are at with each goal. List out the actions you have taken to make progress.
• Pinpoint what’s working and what’s not working. Identify mini-milestones to help get you to the end goal. 
• Create a plan to move you forward and knock your goals out of the ballpark. 

I want you to walk away from this episode with a renewed sense of motivation and a step-by-step process to help ensure that you achieve those goals.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!

📣 NOW OPEN: Content Marketing Clarity 

Craft and execute a strategic content marketing campaign that supports your AEC firm’s growth goals in just four weeks, without overwhelm or wasting time. 🎯

Learn more about the course and join today:  https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/clarity

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

“I love Lindsay and Marketers Take Flight.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — fly through the proposal turbulence and have their careers take off. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. I add secret bonus episodes to the feed often, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now!

This is the second half of my conversation with Frank Lippert, FSMPS, CPSM of GO Strategies. In this part, we talk about turning around your go/no go form and use it to guide your repositioning and capture planning. 

More specifically we talk about:

• How do to determine what your preproposal activities should be to increase your chances of winning
• What exactly to do to position your firm to win
• How to coach technical staff to make meaningful connections with clients
• How to find the best information about the project you are pursuing

Frank was also gracious enough to provide us with the go/no go sample templates as well as his famous coffee mug with the key five go/no go questions. Both can be found on the GO Strategies website. 

 Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

•  About Frank Lippert, FSMPS, CPSM and GO Strategies
• Go/No Go Form Templates
• GO Strategies Coffee Mug
• Develop a Go/No Go Process Self-Starter Kit
• How to Develop a Go/No Go Evaluation Process
• How a No-Go Decision Can Actually Increase Your Sales
• A Hidden Cost of Low Hit Rates

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!

🚀 Time to Take Action: Download Your Content Marketing Starter Kit! 💼 

Unlock the secrets to content marketing success with this FREE Starter Kit! Gain clarity on your growth goals, identify your ideal audience, and create captivating content that attracts dream clients. 

Download it now and get started TODAY >> https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/starterkit

This is the second half of my conversation with Frank Lippert, FSMPS, CPSM of GO Strategies. In this part, we talk about turning around your go/no go form and use it to guide your repositioning and capture planning. 

More specifically we talk about:

• How do to determine what your preproposal activities should be to increase your chances of winning
• What exactly to do to position your firm to win
• How to coach technical staff to make meaningful connections with clients
• How to find the best information about the project you are pursuing

Frank was also gracious enough to provide us with the go/no go sample templates as well as his famous coffee mug with the key five go/no go questions. Both can be found on the GO Strategies website. 

 Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

•  About Frank Lippert, FSMPS, CPSM and GO Strategies
• Go/No Go Form Templates
• GO Strategies Coffee Mug
• Develop a Go/No Go Process Self-Starter Kit
• How to Develop a Go/No Go Evaluation Process
• How a No-Go Decision Can Actually Increase Your Sales
• A Hidden Cost of Low Hit Rates

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And, don't forget to download the app on iTunes or the Podcast app. Leave a review if you found value listening to this show. Your review will help our show grow and help us connect with more amazing marketers like you. Thank you for being awesome!

📣 NOW OPEN: Content Marketing Clarity 

Craft and execute a strategic content marketing campaign that supports your AEC firm’s growth goals in just four weeks, without overwhelm or wasting time. 🎯

Learn more about the course and join today:  https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/clarity

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

“I love Lindsay and Marketers Take Flight.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — fly through the proposal turbulence and have their careers take off. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. I add secret bonus episodes to the feed often, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now!