HOW TO DESIGN YOUR STRATEGY TO GET CUSTOMERS AS AN ARCHITECT
Getting clients as an architect is the million dollar question in recent years.
If you follow this blog, you will have read a lot about it, and you will know that I usually talk about having a value proposition , strategy and positioning , or designing a business model.
To get clients as an architect in an environment as hypercompetitive as today, thinking about all these things is essential. And the best part is that it can be done using simple tools.
Let’s see how, and you can also download a summary guide of all this so that you can apply the process easily and without getting lost. It is a request from many people, so you have it at the end of the post.
There was a time when getting clients as an architect was easy
Trust me, a few years ago getting clients as an architect was easy. There was so much work that they came alone .
That changed radically. The most optimistic expectations say that, with more than 113,554 registered architects in US (not counting those who are not), we will go out this year to about 2 homes per architect.
It is an indicator that the profession will continue to suffer, and that it will be necessary to compete fiercely. It is necessary to adapt to this situation, because there will be lines to work on, but it is necessary to identify them and get on that train.
The problem is that, as for many years we have not done it (and the School has not taught us either), now we are not prepared .
Those who worked the hardest did so because they had a studio opened by their father, because they had spent years making relationships, because they belonged to certain social circles, because they won contests when many contests were still held …
What are we missing now?
Right now, to get clients as an architect we need a lot of strategy and have clear business models.
We all want to do the same , or sometimes we don’t even know what we want to do.
We do not know our clients, partly because we want our clients to be the entire universe , and that is impossible. A couple who want a house, a large developer, an Administration or a bank are not served the same way.
And also, a little specialization would not hurt either.
We are a very little differentiated profession, and right now to compete and get clients as an architect you need that: differentiate yourself.
In the network there is a lot of information about these things, but almost always focused on the communication phase. That phase is important, but it is only one of the final parts of the process. No matter how well you communicate, if you don’t have a good proposal for a certain client, you won’t sell.
You need a clear strategy . Having a website is not a strategy. Filling social media with ads is not a strategy. Networking is not a strategy.
These are all actions that you can take (if you want you can call them tactics), but first you must start at the beginning : decide what to sell, to whom, and how you are going to carry it out.
That way you will find how to differentiate yourself, a positioning in the market that makes customers choose you, and not necessarily because you are the cheapest.
How to design your strategy to get clients as an architect
There are simple and visual tools to do it, using pencil, paper, the occasional post-it and especially your creativity and strategic thinking skills. In reality, the process is quite similar to designing a building.
You should start by doing an external analysis of the market where you are going to move. This would be more or less the equivalent of studying the place to implant your building.
Also an internal analysis of your abilities and motivations. When you project you have them, and also a clear idea of the architecture you do.
After this analysis phase, you should think about who your ideal client is and what needs and problems you have. If it were a building, you would analyze the needs program, what the client wants, regulatory requirements …
Simultaneously with the study of your ideal client, you must design your value proposition , what you can offer to satisfy the needs of your client and that is different from what others offer. Continuing with the simile of the building, here would be your original conception of the project.
This will lead you to a certain position in the market, which is nothing more than the mental image that your potential client has of you. It is the same with a building, with everything you want me to suggest.
And with all this clear, you must design your business model , a representation of the way in which you are going to add value to your customers in the different areas of your business. It is the equivalent of thinking about structure, circulation, distribution, construction, etc., in your building project.
Guide to develop the strategic plan of your study to get more and better assignments
This entire process is summarized, explained and outlined in this Guide that I have prepared and that you can download for free.
In it I explain how to reflect on all this, reach the right conclusions and design a strategy and business model that give you a competitive advantage . From there, everything will be easier.
Then the communication with your client will come, the closing of sales, and everything that this implies. But remember, if you do not work the strategic phase well, then it will be very difficult for you to get clients as an architect.
Use the guide. The process is not complex, and you have it very schematized. You will have very visual tools , the kind that architects like, widely used in the business world and tremendously effective. Oh, and adaptable to the peculiarities of our profession.
I think you will even like to design your strategy just like you project a building.
Putting the strategy into practice
Remember also that to get clients as an architect you will not only have to design your strategy, but you will have to know how to put it into practice , bring it down to earth.
These tools also allow you to check if you are working according to that strategy, if you are implementing it well. And they are also simple and flexible, so you can review and modify what is necessary over time, learning from the market and even from your mistakes.
I hope you find it useful.
And you also have a very complete guide and various resources to get clients for your study in the MARKETING FOR ARCHITECTS
Thanks for reading me. You have a good day!
