When Talking about Connected Relationships in AEC Software, It Really is About Who You Know

Architecture, engineering, and construction firms must focus on two distinct areas: gaining new business while retaining existing customers and keeping them happy and loyal. Technology can play a significant role, however,  you must also appreciate how the application of  that technology must happen in order for it to do its job in helping you build a Connected Firm.  As part of our series on the Connected Firm, we will, in this blog article, discuss the role of Connected Relationships. It’s not what you know, but who you know. We’ve all heard that before. Those working for a professional services firm know this is the absolute truth. And if you work for an AEC firm, these are words to live by! Ultimately, your AEC ERP software should assist with  Connected Relationships.

Strong Relationships Drive Sales, Especially for AEC Firms

The majority of your clients in this industry provide the opportunity for repeat business  that could very well be your next project. But you must know the prospective client to win the work: commercial clients have preferred designers; local government engineering departments have their favorite consultants.

Without an existing relationship with the prospect, how do you obtain one of these opportunities? What’s the best way to make yourself known to get things started?

Enterprise Relationship Management (ERM): That’s where it Begins

Odds are, even if you don’t know the prospect directly, you probably know someone who does. You might have connections! Internal relationships with co-workers exist. There is a possibility that they know the prospect. External relationships exist with your business contacts. Might they know the prospect? Each of these groups can be ideal sources for you to get that warm introduction you desire. If your AEC ERP software has Enterprise Relationship Management, it will help you connect with those existing relationships to develop new ones.

Uncover your best internal connections. An Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) system will let you know who in your organization presently has the most ideal relationship with any given contact. An ERM system will accumulate data about your co-workers regarding their recent contacts and what type of contact it was.

Utilize Your Best External Connections

A well devised and user directed ERM system will go even  further and afford direct access to your external network, usually LinkedIn.

If someone were to click “Sales Navigator” on the menu option. The aec360 ERM application directly takes them to LinkedIn’s page for Mark Becker. Mutual connections are shown under the Get Introduced tab.  Icebreakers and Related Leads are other tabs to choose from. It is from this screen that the user can deliver a message to any of their contacts requesting an introduction.

Learn Who You Need to Know With Enterprise Relationship Management

To sum it up, relationships drive sales. Making the most of your current relationships is the most ideal way for you to acquire a relationship with a new prospect. If your AEC ERP software has a clever Enterprise Relationship Management system, like aec360, it will assist you in understanding which internal relationships and external connections will help you procure a warm introduction to the prospect. With that introduction, you are off to the races with a potential relationship…along with all the opportunities that will help you gain more business!

A connected firm is what you can have with aec360. Find out how in our on-demand webinar, How to Achieve a Connected AEC Firm with Dynamics 365 and aec360.  

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