If you receive a request for proposal that includes a long list of requirements, it may be an indication that you're not the prospect's vendor of choice. Other red flags include a limited response window and lack of access to the prospect company's decision-makers, writes John Boyens.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) is conducting a new survey to gain an understanding of how the U.S. building industry has changed its use of off-site construction methods in the past three years.

Christopher Halapy, Shook ConstructionClients’ needs and expectations relative to the services provided by their design and construction partners are evolving. Savvy clients have increased their demand for turnkey services and a higher level of detailed information far earlier in the project planning process. Beyond programming, owners are looking to understand milestone dates, disruption of ongoing operations, and a firm cost for the project, all earlier than this information is typically provided.

Jenny Grounds, BOUDREAUXThe idea of performing market research can often feel like a burden for small marketing groups. The everyday tasks already on your to-do list can easily fill up a 40-hour work week. Where do you find the time to research, compile, and analyze piles of data on top of everything else? Market research doesn’t have to be complex or require robust, expensive studies to be effective. By breaking it into small, manageable pieces, you can gather information that will directly benefit your A/E/C firm without overtasking your teams.

Ida Cheinman, Substance151It’s time that professional services firms faced a couple of hard truths: First, no one wants to subscribe to an e-newsletter, and second, a single email is not going to make the phones ring.

Anne Liberto, General Building Contractors AssociationEveryone wants and values their business relationships, but how do you establish effective business relationships? Is it just about meeting people? You meet someone, talk, and you have a relationship. Seems easy, yet effective business relationships take dedication and commitment. The following are key to building effective business relationships.

Anne Liberto, General Building Contractors Association A brand is NOT a logo. Or a tagline. Or an identity system. A brand is an expectation of experience and a promise delivered. It’s the perception others have about your company – its people, culture, products, and services. Your company builds its brand, or rather the percepton of its brand, with every customer contact, planned or unplanned. Every interacton, no matter how insignificant, shapes your brand’s perception and drives your customers’ behavior. Rebranding is about taking control of what your audiences think – and say – about your brand. It’s a tool for changing existing perceptions and for defining and differentatng a brand, turning it into the most powerful competitive advantage and a weapon against becoming a commodity. A rebrand implies fundamental changes in thinking about your brand before you get involved in tactical details of execution.

Lindsay Andrews, Kokosing, Inc. For many construction companies, marketing supports the Business Development department in winning new work. This includes responding to project opportunities through the creation of statements of qualifications, proposals and presentations. Depending on company size, perations staff or team members working in different departments such as HR or Accounting may have marketing responsibilities. In some cases, companies haven’t needed a marketing department until now. If you’re just setting up your marketing department, planning it to support Business Development is priority No. 1. Here are some tips to help you lay the foundation and set your company up for long-term success.

Danielle Feroleto, Small Giants I’m going to go out on a limb and confess and unpopular view…I hate selfie sticks. I actually will alienate myself from almost every reader and tell you I also hate selfies. Now, before you stop reading and throw this offensive article in the trash, let me tell you why. I love networking! Every single little thing about it….from the first uncomfortable conversation to the rewards you reap in relationships built throughout your career, it is, in my opinion, The most important business skill you can acquire. It’s not for everyone and it’s not as easy as most think to do it well. I will give you some of the best tips I have learned in networking all through the reasons I believe your selfie stick is ruining your networking life!

Kathy Nanowski, Fuss & O'Neill Along with many of you, I receive many marketing journals and articles about the newest trends in managing marketing and business development processes. I bring most of these articles home and highlight what might be relevant to me and my firm. Of course, if I did half the things I highlighted, I would run around frantically, driving senior leadership crazy. Unfortunately, what many people do instead of selectively committing to some of the work is do none of it. What is the best process or metric or program that will give you the biggest return on your investment? Because let’s face it, any new program will require an investment of time and money, both of which are very precious. There are numerous marketing and business development metrics out there. Some of the most popular include: total sales, sales dollars spent versus winning rates, hit rates, and the list goes on. I measure more than seven different sales metrics on a monthly and YTD basis.