How an Architectural or Any Services Firm Can Find Business in a Downturn Market
Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the popular Guerrilla Marketing series, says that once a firm stops marketing it costs those firms three dollars for every dollar formerly spent to reach the same level of consumer recognition and share of mind they previously enjoyed. Yet, many companies have scrubbed or reduced their marketing budgets to combat tough times.
But if you were a firm that stopped marketing, you can still be lucky. You can start up again and grow your revenues in a big way during recovery. It is startlingly simple. Here's how.
For example, say you are an architectural services firm (although a similar technique of identifying client need will work for any services firm.) Your target client is a land developer in Florida. Let's feel their pain, because we all know that moving away from pain can be a quick way to a sale. If you think like the developer, you will uncover the services they want.
A traditional developer is involved in handling large tracts of never before developed land. That land no longer exists. With the recent building boom, there is a scarcity of undeveloped parcel, raw tract land that has all but eliminated the traditional developer.
Developers who are still active in Florida are a different breed than those who previously simply bought and built on raw undeveloped land. Developers in the current market cobble together parcels, utilize infill, or adaptive reuse, and capture problem properties, that formerly would have caused them to walk away. Brownfields, industrial/urban or irregularly shaped parcels with narrow access and rigid setback requirements are the norm.
The Developers that are still active have new problems.
But if you were a firm that stopped marketing, you can still be lucky. You can start up again and grow your revenues in a big way during recovery. It is startlingly simple. Here's how.
For example, say you are an architectural services firm (although a similar technique of identifying client need will work for any services firm.) Your target client is a land developer in Florida. Let's feel their pain, because we all know that moving away from pain can be a quick way to a sale. If you think like the developer, you will uncover the services they want.
A traditional developer is involved in handling large tracts of never before developed land. That land no longer exists. With the recent building boom, there is a scarcity of undeveloped parcel, raw tract land that has all but eliminated the traditional developer.
Developers who are still active in Florida are a different breed than those who previously simply bought and built on raw undeveloped land. Developers in the current market cobble together parcels, utilize infill, or adaptive reuse, and capture problem properties, that formerly would have caused them to walk away. Brownfields, industrial/urban or irregularly shaped parcels with narrow access and rigid setback requirements are the norm.
The Developers that are still active have new problems.