Scott Butcher, vice president and director of business de- velopment of JDB Engineering, Inc. with offices in Pennsyl- vania and Maryland, says the original seller-doer model – rainmakers – reflected the business norm for AEC profes- sional services before the 1970s marketing revolution, when professional practices were allowed to advertise and work with non-doer business developers for the first time. In the old days, principals/partners often were their most effective business developers. Rising stars with business de- velopment ability could quickly achieve prominence and suc- cess as they had the strategic ability to attract new business, while maintaining professional credentials. Most of these rainmakers seemed to have natural ability, though there were some guides, such as Ford Harding’s solid books on rainmak- ing, that sought to codify the business development processes. Construction businesses, meanwhile, either generally competed in “low bid wins the job” competitions or relied on existing networks and relationships to uncover new business, when concepts such as design-build, integrated project de- livery or public-private-partnerships were rarely if ever applied. When marketing and business development rules were re- laxed by professional associations in the 1970s and 1980s, firms sought out and began hiring non-technical business de- velopers or salespeople. Butcher says these sales representatives have personality traits often the opposite of the technical professionals. “Engineers are trained culturally to be 100 per cent correct in everything they do,” he said. (This is reasonable, of course, because you don’t want to be guessing about the reliability or safety in engineering specifications.) However, “with sales, there is no such thing as 100 per cent perfection. Every prospect is different. In sales, you are constantly experiencing objections. People say no.” In practice, this means that without guidance, when proj- ect managers enter the business development world, they may initially be enthusiastic, working on a proposal, develop- ing interviews, and seeking business. “But when you start ex- periencing rejection, it is very disheartening and demotivating,” Butcher says. The solution, says Butcher and SMPS president Paula Ryan, director of marketing for Jezerinac Geers & Associates, Inc., structural engineers in Columbus, OH, lies in the fact that in many cases the doers “don’t know how to build deliberate relationships or ask the right questions of clients – it’s a ques- tion of they don’t know what they don’t know.” The doers can then throw their hands up, say “that’s enough business development for me,” and retreat back to their technical or professional work,” Butcher says. “Many doers have little interest in selling. And even those who have an interest don’t necessarily have the right skillset or mind- set.” The solution, say Butcher and Ryan, is to provide training and support for technical professionals and project man- agers, while recognizing there will be some who will want to spend more of their time on business development than oth- ers. The ones with business development aptitude and ability should be encouraged to develop their skills and given greater responsibilities. Continued on page 14 Some key points about the seller-doer model Here are some key points and resources for practitioners interested in the seller-doer model: All hands on deck Virtually everyone in the organization, from the front office receptionist and mid-level project man- agers, to the CEO, has a role in business develop- ment. Providing exceptional client service and maintaining relationships with existing clients are es- sential to business development. Technical profes- sionals who don’t have the aptitude or interest in business development can still sharpen their soft skills. Asking questions about opportunities, and par- ticipating in client organizations are contributions anyone can make. Seniority equals business development (but juniors can get a head start) New research indicates that close to half of tech- nical professionals with the title of principal, owner, or partner have business development goals. One way junior staff can secure career advancement is by learning and taking an interest in business devel- opment. Traditional business developers need to develop pedagogical (teaching) and co-ordinating skills Business developers will spend more time coach- ing seller-doers in the art of client capture and main- tenance. They should focus on advancing their training skills and developing a solid understanding of the technical aspects of the industry, as well as their own credentials. The Canadian Design and Construction Report — July - August 2016 – 13