#219: FUEL FOR FIRE | CLIENTS AND PROJECTS

Within the many facets of the architectural profession, four distinct aspects stand out.

1) The most obvious aspect is design. No doubt, architecture is a creative endeavor.

2) As a business, next is management. The organization of projects, schedules, and staff is critical to business objectives like stability, growth, and profit.

3) PR is third. Marketing provides exposure and recognition.

4) The most important, arguably, is business development, as in obtaining clients and projects.

Without projects, there is nothing to design. This is the critical thing: projects. Without fees from projects, there is nothing to manage and no profits. And without projects, there is nothing to show the world.

An architect can be the most talented designer in the industry, but without a project to design and client to serve, such skills are squandered. Sure, one can submit ideas to architectural competitions, or design speculatively hoping to be published or win an award, or maybe just for fun. But such activities make up a small percentage of work within architecture firms.

I have worked with a few business consultants over the years, as well as implemented various management software, such as Harper & Shuman, BQE, and Procore. Such resources assist in the oversight of projects, as in architect A worked X number of hours this month. Does that fit the allocated fee? Are we on schedule? Did we make a buck? But without a project, such powerful assets have little purpose. Such tools do not generate projects or bring in clients.

To see one’s accomplishments in the media, it always excites. PR gets one’s name out there, shows off the work, maybe gets a speaking engagement, but in and of itself, PR is abstract, rarely landing a client in a one-to-one fashion. Most architects see PR as an end in itself—bragging rights as the reward.

So the sustenance of a firm, the food that fuels all activities from design to management to PR, is having clients (who pay on time) and projects (with good fees). The rest then falls into place.

Think of it this way. A company can always hire an office manager or CFO-type. For PR, an employee strong in marketing and social media might be able fill this role. Also, that company can hire one of the many PR firms out there. And companies are always shopping for design talent, whether the fresh young voice or the senior visionary. But it is rare to hire an employee that brings in projects, and the number of business development consultants are rare. And those in this space have limited success.

Meaning, the act of obtaining clients and projects should be the foundational purpose for business owners, entrepreneurial principals, and seasoned executives. Their success is critical to the company’s survival.

Without clients and projects, it’s like trying to drive an automobile without gas. You may have the coolest car, you may know where you want to go for the three-day weekend, and you may have invited your friends to join But without gas, you are going nowhere.