Engineering has always been fascinating to me. My father was a draftsman and it was so cool to see how lines on the drafting table (and later the lines on a screen from AutoCAD®) become real power plants or some other huge facility. Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering is an incredibly difficult discipline and a rigorous field of study. To be successful, it takes a mastery in blending the skills of science and art. Marketing for a civil engineering and structural engineering firm takes that same unique combination. Data drives decisions, but then creativity and art allow for new ideas to emerge.
Engineering firms have a unique challenge. Unlike companies that have a specific product to sell, civil and structural engineering companies are offering services, ideas and concepts that are often very expensive and require incredibly long sales cycles. While there is a final deliverable, the “thing” that is being sold is creativity and experience. The Intellectual Property of ideas and creativity, (underscored by best practices and processes), is intangible and therefore is harder to market. A second complexity is that because engineering is such a highly-technical profession, getting your message out in a way that resonates with your audience and explains difficult concepts in a simple manner requires an incredibly high level of skill.
You don’t lead companies, you lead people. Similarly, you don’t sell to companies, you sell to people. In today’s digital age, relationships and authenticity are as important as ever, one person at a time. In a crowded space, where everyone is jostling for attention, it can be difficult to rise above the noise. Rising above the noise and standing out from the crowd in your space are challenges that many engineering firms face.
This is what I do. I solve challenges.
Contact me below by clicking on the floating gray tab and connect with me however you are most comfortable. I look forward to speaking with you.
Dr. Robert Urban