Connection….
Inspiration…
Fulfillment…
These are the words I felt on my heart as I left SMPS Southeastern Regional Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was a great couple of days reconnecting with some marketing colleagues whom I don’t see very often and making some new connections. The conference committee put together an engaging, well-organized conference which takes a lot of time and effort, as I know well from personal experience. The theme color was Destination Success and the color was PINK. Although not the only one in PINK, I was in my element.
Day one included a welcome reception followed by a speaker dinner, which was a nice touch for those not necessarily from the region. I connected with several other speakers and gained insights into their passions for the AEC industry. Getting to know what my fellow marketing colleagues are challenged with and what trends the industry is facing actually inspires me about what our industry can and will do over the next ten years. We have made so much progress in the past twenty years as it relates to marketing leadership. It was truly inspirational to hear many marketing success stories with firms that are embracing the power of marketing.
Kelly Merbler with Lindsay Young at SMPS SERC
Day two started with a dance party… Yes. I said a dance party. The DJ was jamming out during breakfast and then our keynote, Kelly Merbler, was introduced with a walk-up song.
Kelly shared inspirational stories about leadership and how we are all leaders, regardless of our titles. She shared how self-awareness and leading with empathy are two key characteristics of being a good leader. We must have confidence in doing the hard things and challenging ourselves to improve in our positions and in our firms. (Kelly’s keynote also happened to be a great segue into my Personal Branding presentation later in the afternoon.)
After the keynote, Kelly and I connected briefly as we both were sporting the PINK jacket, and we share the same values in leadership and business. (We even snapped a picture together.) We discussed how building one another up helps raise the tides for everyone. I look forward to furthering our shared love for leadership and mentorship.
Sitting through several other breakout sessions, I was able to take away several ideas for my own clients. Julie Huval talked about a marketing calendar, and how to stay organized as a team or even a one-woman or one-man show. Utilizing this calendar on a monthly basis and outlining projects and tasks helps visually see what the workload looks like for a marketing team or even a technical team that aids in marketing. Setting up various tasks throughout the year that you know need to be updated allows one to better manage a team and marketing tasks.
She also brought up the point that as marketing professionals, we are also business advisors. We know marketing and we must inspire our firm leaders to take strategic marketing approaches. Marketing touches every part of the business, and we must tie that into what our firm’s overall strategic goals are in order to implement the firm’s marketing strategy. Marketers don’t just do marketing; we must also think about how marketing shapes the entire business. Marketing is just one of the important pieces to remaining a nimble, successful business. (Read the blog about strategy marketing plans.)
Another session I attended was about social media which CAN take a large amount of time. By creating a content calendar and batching the content, however, the time invested in social media is greatly reduced. Often times, social media is a reactive marketing tactic vs. a proactive marketing tactic. Putting together a plan helps alleviate the stress of trying to figure what to post last-minute. Content pillars must be determined, which may include
- Employee Spotlights
- Featured Projects
- Highlighted Services
- Company Fun Facts
- Trade Shows/Conferences
- Holidays (encompassing the AEC industry)
Engaging the technical-minded people into the content (which I know is the biggest challenge) is key. They don’t necessarily need to write the content, but they will need to provide some direction and insights to the content. It’s also instrumental that the employees engage with the company’s platforms. When employees engage with the firm’s platforms, the reach and impressions for the company’s platforms dramatically improve. Social media can be a daunting task, but with proper planning and coordination it will elevate your overall marketing strategy. (There are several blog posts about social media posts… Social Media Strategy – A Road Map to Success, The Big Picture for Social Media.)
The last educational session of the day was my Personal Branding presentation, which played nicely into the opening keynote Kelly provided earlier that morning. Personal branding is having self-awareness, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and writing down your purpose, mission, values, and goals for yourself. Your personal brand is something you must continually develop, and it can evolve. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Are you happy with your average? If not, then you can change it. Consistently investing in yourself makes you a better leader, owner, principal, or marketer. Everyone attending the conference was doing just this. Investing in their professional and personal development through attending the conference. No one can take away your skill sets, knowledge, or experience. You are the only one who has the set of skills you have based on your life experiences. Everyone is their own, unique individual and should embrace who they are.
Personal branding can take years to build, similar to a company brand. By setting goals around your personal brand, you will be more likely to accomplish those goals. Ask yourself what you get lost in time (that’s one thing you are passionate about and good at). If you aren’t sure, then ask a close colleague, friend, or family member what makes you unique or what they think you are good at. Sometimes it’s hard to evaluate yourself, so enlist in some help in figuring it out. Your personal brand is the impression you leave on others and what others say when you aren’t around. (You can read more about personal branding HERE.)
The second evening was filled with connections and laughter. A happy hour on the patio with palm breezes and margaritas was sponsored by Open Asset. I was able to connect with some other speakers and attendees during this time. Meeting marketers who have different experiences than I have allows me to learn how I can better serve my clients. The happy hour was followed by a golf outing at Drive Shank (similar to Top Golf). I was able to connect with some new clients and get to know their team. I even got to hit a few golf balls and made a good impression with my game!
The trolly ride back to the hotel included a digital camera conversation. A woman in her mid 20’s had a small, digital camera and was taking pictures of everyone on the bus. She had attended my session on Personal Branding. We were talking about making impressions and building your personal brand. I told her she could build her personal brand around the digital camera and be “known” for that. It’s something unique in the age of smart phones that has an endless supply of “film.” Personal branding doesn’t necessarily have to be a camera or a color (PINK in my case) but these things can play a role in your personal brand.
Following the event, my new clients and I went out for dinner. Connection! It’s all about that connection. After I had spent several hours with them, I developed a better connection with them and know I’ll be able to really help their company and their team with their strategic marketing plan.
The following day we were checking out of the hotel, and my new “digital camera friend” happened to be behind me in line. We continued our conversation and were talking about the power of LinkedIn. She told me she didn’t use it much, so I was giving her some pointers on how to use it. We instantly connected on LinkedIn and will continue to foster the relationship we started in person.
Connections are a big reason why I do what I do. I am passionate about helping AEC firms and getting to know the teams that I help take their marketing to the next level. My heart is so fulfilled from this conference as I was able to really connect with others and deepen relationships that will continue to blossom for years to come. I look forward to the next conference where I can disconnect from the everyday workload and invest in myself, my business, and my clients. There is a saying I’ve been seeing a lot: “A client will become a friend quicker than a friend will become a client.” This resonates with me, because many of my clients I would consider a friend! The connections I have with my clients allow me to better understand their business and their strategies and tailor those solutions to THEM.
nu marketing helps small to medium sized construction, engineering, and architectural firms with their strategic marketing and business development plans and budgets. The tactics include brand perception surveys, event planning, interview preparation/training, marketing coaching/training, conference/trade show development, websites, rebranding, and social media. Reach out to [email protected] for more information on marketing planning or training for your AEC firm. Lindsay is also available for keynotes and breakout sessions.
