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Creating a Service-Driven Culture

January 25, 2023 by Jim Rogers

Steve Osborn, P.E. Founding Principal, CE Solutions

One of the 44 executives I interviewed for the book, Steve Osborn, Founding Principal at CE Solutions, Inc., discussed how he has created and continued to sustain a service-driven culture within his company. This post is an excerpt from my interview with Steve. 

 

Jim: What do you do within your firm to instill your values within your employees? 

Steve Osborn: I’ve been lucky because I started the firm from scratch by myself and have been able to grow it organically. The hiring process is probably the most important thing we do since we’re a service provider. It’s important to have that culture — that foundational philosophy and those principles instilled in people when they come on board here. Our recruiting process is very intentional.

During the interview process, we talk a lot about what our firm is like, what’s important to us, what our foundational principles are, what our brand attributes are, and how we deliver service. We can tell by listening to people if they align with us. We look for the character values and attributes that we want. We’ve had really good success with that.

We create a lot of opportunities for those individuals to grow quickly. We involve them in client contact and give them all the responsibilities of project management upfront. The only thing that they don’t have is experience — but they have all of the other qualities that we’re looking for in a strong project manager. So we allow them to manage their own projects under the supervision of an experienced senior professional.

They can then be responsible for their work. We develop and prepare them. By the time they’re ready to take their PE exam, they’re very comfortable, prepared, and have a high success rate of passage. Then they get their own projects and fly solo after that.

Our clients have complimented us on that approach. They think it’s pretty unique that we give young individuals that many opportunities at an early age. They enjoy working with them as well. The young professionals are the point of contact, but they know they’ve got the senior guy next to them. Our young people get excited about that opportunity.

Filed Under: Architecture, Business Development, Engineering, Keep Clients, Leadership, Seller-Doer

The Importance of Exceptional Client Service

January 11, 2023 by Jim Rogers

One of the 44 executives I interviewed for the book, Steve Osborn, Founding Principal at CE Solutions, Inc., spent the most time talking about what it means to deliver exceptional service to clients — and how that helps you build your business. This post is an excerpt from my interview with Steve. 

 

Jim: Steve, you’ve been very methodical and intentional about what you do to ensure your folks deliver great client service. Could you tell me about that?

Steve Osborn: Absolutely. Happy to do that. The idea behind starting my firm 19 years ago was based on four foundational principles: strong relationships, mutual respect, integrity, and ethical practice. It’s how we operate and make decisions daily. It’s how we have grown the business and determines everything we do, from the hiring process to who we do business with – I’m very much a relationship person. I’m very interested in the business of the business, as well as the profession of structural engineering that we serve. 

As a result of being a relationship person, I’m also a very caring person, and I want to be able to take good care of the people that entrust us with their projects. I can’t over-emphasize how important real effective communication is in our business. It involves keeping our clients informed of the progress that we’re making on their projects regularly. I don’t like when our clients have to contact us and ask about the status of something. I like being proactive in keeping them informed. It’s important to me that we hire people with similar characteristics because I feel those are the kind of things that are difficult to teach someone. It’s also about doing business with people we know and trust — people who care about and respect us as well.

Jim: Can you give me an example?

Steve Osborn: Sure. We’re proactive in terms of providing regular updates on the projects. Before they ask, we give it to them. We get nice feedback and are complimented all the time about that. Clients say, “We always ask that of somebody, but we don’t always get it.”

Another good example is the level of completeness of our documents. We produce and deliver them in the timeframe that we promise. We get complimented all the time about coming to progress meetings which are intended to discuss 50% completion, and we bring documents that are 75% complete. The clients notice that. 

Another thing we’ve done is deliver projects ahead of schedule. We’ve delivered projects two to four weeks ahead of schedule — and sometimes when we’re prime, it allows them to put it on an earlier bid letting. In one case with one of our institutional clients, our project was scheduled for a bid letting towards the end of the year, so it was jammed. They had a lot of projects going on in that bid letting, so they were worried about getting good competitive pricing. We were able to deliver the project several weeks ahead of time, which put it on an earlier letting — which had less competition for projects going out. As a result of that, they felt they got better pricing.

Jim: That’s a great example of an outcome a client gets from that kind of service.

Steve Osborn: In a follow-up, even the client commented when we did that. They said that this is unheard of. They had never experienced that before with somebody, so I felt like it set us apart. It was kind of surprising that nobody has done or offered that. I remember them specifically saying, “Nobody does this. This is incredible.” It was a nice thing to hear.

I tell my staff all the time — “You never know where your opportunities will come from. Just go out there and be sincere. Be yourself. Don’t be shallow. Don’t be artificial. Don’t just go through the motions. You have to be real. You have to be who you are.” That’s why we consider those characteristics during the hiring process. We try to hire people who truly care.

Filed Under: Architecture, Business Development, Engineering, Keep Clients, Leadership, Seller-Doer

How to Market Your Firm During the Coronavirus Crisis . . . Without Shame

March 22, 2020 by Jim Rogers

Hundred Dollar Bill with Benjamin Franklin in Coronavirus Protective Mask

Right now, as you try to find your footing in the time of the Covid19 pandemic, you may consider marketing and sales to be insensitive or distasteful—but it doesn’t have to be.

It’s vital that you shore up your business—now—before your competitors do a better job of it. This is a justifiable time to protect your client relationships and to position yourself in the market without feeling guilt or shame. To actively do so isn’t opportunistic—it’s simply good client service and good business.

On the other hand, hoarding 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and trying to gouge consumers is shameful and criminal.

Marketing during a crisis is about maintaining and deepening relationships with clients. Yet that effort requires a delicate touch.

The key to delicate touch is just to:

  1. Show that you care
  2. Share knowledge that helps clients work better, faster, and cheaper during the crisis.

To read specific suggestions for how to market your firm, confidently and without shame, click here for the PDF.

Then click here to send me an email and tell me what you thought of it.

Be well and be safe. Jim

Report cover How to Market Your Firm During Coronavirus Crisis without Shame

Marketing Professional Services Without Shame During a Crisis (by Jim Rogers) revised

Filed Under: Accounting, Business Development, Communication, Construction, Generate Leads, Keep Clients, Professional Services Marketing, Sales, Seller-Doer

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Testimonials

“Well done. I never realized how many ways I could improve upon when preparing for a networking event.” – Tom H.
“The seminar was a good overview of several key factors that will aid anyone in building and maintaining client relationships.” — Michael K.
“Using a real proposal was an effective means to summarize the items Jim has been teaching over the last several months.” – Donald S.
“Jim had great pointers on how to name drop when cold or warm calling a potential client.” — Don S.
“Great reminders of why it is crucial to understand how to listen to be an effective communicator.” – Michael K.
“I felt the program was terrific. I like that it was interactive.” – Javier R.
“I liked the section regarding different types of clients and how to handle them. I had noticed that before with clients, but it was good to hear a different take.” — Richard B.
“I needed this webinar. I have been attending events lately and I have no idea what I am doing. I plan on being a PM soon and I can use all of these little tricks to make myself stand out among the competition.” – Brian B.
I want to thank you and let you know how valuable the on-site workshop was to reinforce the skills that you presented via webinar over the last year.  I got nothing but positive comments for the in-person training and client interview and presentation simulation.  You have shown us an easy to execute a system that I will use moving forward for pursuing new clients and projects.  William T.
“The examples of opening a presentation were beneficial and I also agree rehearsal or practice is important, overall I thought it was a good overview and good pointers when preparing to present.” — John S.

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