Justin G. Roy

Pretty good question, and one I think we all have an immediate answer to.  BUT, do we have the correct answer?

My guess.  No.

My hypothesis: the definition of “niche market” is changing in the business world.  Once it was known as the market, or market sector, serviced.  With the change in business practices, client relationship and rapport, I think the majority of folks here would rather have their niche be….type of client.

NOT – I work with commercial, office, residential, information technology, etc. market niches.

YES – I work with clients who are actively involved with causes, live in the City, and who are active in sports.

Has there been a change from type to lifestyle?

Think about your favorite clients.  What do you talk about with them?  Why do you like working with them, besides the fact they pay you, or are easy to work with.  But wait a minute, are they easy to work with because you like their style and their personality?

Now think of the clients you work with who you would rather put a dagger in your face with because they are such a PITA.

Food for thought.

Another great and informative post by Mel Lester on his site, E-Quip Blog on how a firm could and should be using their CRM system.  he is right on target with the comment that most systems fail due to lack of staff participation. 

However, as somebody who has designed a CRM System, I believe a lot of problems also lay in the lack of ability(on the designers part) to customize a pre-made and delivered product.  Purchases of software are based on the amount of functions the company can use; but with the ease of changing many functions, I always wonder why we cannot make simple changes.  Call most developers, and it seems like a chore to change some wording, text, etc. 

Aside from some systems inability to see the larger picture and be open to customizing a software for a client (my opinion), Lester talks about how a firm can break their system of failed programs and offers the following tips:

• Choose a system based on what you want to do with it, not what you could do with it
• Master CRM with some key accounts before rolling it out firm wide
• Sell people on the personal advantages of using CRM, not just the corporate benefits
• Develop some respected internal champions to promote greater use of CRM
• Make it as easy as possible to use
• Delegate responsibility for keeping CRM up to date where necessary
• Tie performance metrics to CRM.

Make sure to check out the entire article, where Lester goes more in depth on how to use these strategies to successfully use your new CRM system. 

Click here to view the full article.

Jon Bishop, from JohnBishop.com, had a great post in early July (yes, I am finally catching up with my Google Reader).  Bishop talks about the importance of monitoring and measuring your social media influence along with providing links to free tools that can/will help you.

If you’re thinking about social media, a beginner, or even experienced, I recommend checking these out.  Additionally, for those in the architecture, consulting engineering, and construction and real estate industry, this is a must; especially checking out your brand name, vanity URL, etc.  As social media and online marketing picks up, it’s important to make sure somebody else has not “squatted” your name!!

Click here to access the post, AND links to free measurement tools!

A good friend of mine, Bruce Lynch, from PSMJ Resources had a terrific post the other day, What does Walter Cronkite’s career have to do with winning design work?

Lynch speaks about how Walter Cronkite was able to gain our trust; America listened to him, Politicians listened (and commented), and the world knew who he was.  We knew Cronkite was telling us the truth.

Think about this as you evaluate your relationships with your clients. Are you worthy of this level of trust? How do you demonstrate it? Do your clients recognize it? You’ll know you have achieved it when your client explains a problem to you and values your opinion more highly than people who have been dealing with this problem for much longer and at a much more intimate level.

Just food for thought today…..

Click here to read the full post.

Jason Snell from Macworld.com had a very interesting and informative article on tips for using twitter, as a business.  The tips he discusses, include:

1. Don’t automate it
2. Be conversational
3. Follow people who are relevant
4. Make sure your people are on Twitter, and refer to them
5. Answer your mentions
6. Search for your name
7. Consider creating sub-accounts for sections of your business or customer base
8. Use Twitter to ask your customers questions…and get good answers
9. Be a good Twitter citizen

Click here to read the full article and descriptions!

Recently, I made a visit to Massachusetts to visit my friends and family; it had certainly been a while since I had been back to the area.  When I was sitting in my parent’s kitchen, catching up, I heard the all-too-familiar beep on my blackberry.  A new email!

Somebody once told me their opinion of technology, more specifically the importance and convenience of cellular telephones, blackberry, etc.  They encourage work-life balance!?

I, too, was confused by this statement; however, a few years ago, I would have probably agreed.  After refusing to switch my simple cell phone for years, I was finally “convinced” to try a blackberry.  Like every new technology-toy, it was love at first site and I was hooked.  Honeymoon period lasted about 24 months.

Luckily, with Verizon “new Every Two, I was up for a change.  I walked out with the same phone, newer model.  Why?  The convenience it offers, and the ability to answer emails, keep up to date on projects, and react in a timely fashion to emergencies (business-related) when I was out of the office.  No, I am not just talking about traveling or commuting between meetings, but when you are at a baseball game, grocery shopping, before bed, during breakfast, on vacation, sick in bed.  I know I am not the only guilty party here. 

What cost does this convenience have on work-life balance, family and friends, or down time?

Here are some tips and strategies I have implemented:

1.  Set times in the evening to check your email and blackberry.  Going cold turkey is hard enough, and sometimes it’s necessary to check. 

2.  Turn the phone off, or leave it in a different room when sitting down with friends or family.  Whether at the dinner table, sports (professional or children’s) games and practices, or any time you intend to spend one-on-one time with somebody special.  Get your family involved and lay out consequences if you break the rules.  A quarter or dollar jar goes a long way; when the jar is full, shut your phone off and take everybody out for ice cream. 

3.  Set up an out of office in the evening that let’s people know you are not checking messages after a certain period of time. 

4.  Set your voice-mail to a different message when you are “finished” or “off-line” for the day, letting the caller know you will return the call tomorrow.

5.  Rotate “on call” responsibilities within your office.  If emergencies do occur, your voice-mail and email should direct the other side to the correct individual to contact who can make decisions and expedite appropriately.

Yes, this technology has helped many become more efficient when not in front of a computer; the ability to respond and react while out of the office has been a benefit for many.  But has efficiency leaked into our personal life?  Has it changed our lifestyle into living to work?  I certainly hope not.

How do you handle the availability of instant communication versus work-life balance?

Tim Sanders had a great post the other day on his blog, Sanders Says, in regards to how people can waste their networking time, along with a suggestion on howyou can fully utilize your network.

I suggest that we dedicate 10% of our network building time to giving it away. You can blog or Tweet to help worthy causes raise money. You can use your email data base, combined with your profile, to help great people find new jobs. You can use your network reach to distribute good influences that improve the world we live in.

As the A/E/C industry looks at their marketing, sales, and business development strategic plan, I think this article comes at a good time.  Invest in helping others in your network will come back 100 fold!

Click here to view the entire article.