ABC’s Young Professionals

You might not be aware of one of ABC’s (Associated Builders & Contractors) newer initiatives, the Young Professionals. The program’s mission “aims to shape the future of our industry by supporting the growth of the young professionals that are employed by ABC member companies. The program will create opportunities for young leaders to build relationships, expand their skills and advance their careers while continuing to promote open competition and the merit shop philosophy.”

I am proud to be part of the Young Professionals group and to share my construction marketing expertise by being a regular contributor to their blog. Here are a few of my posts:

An Inconsistent Brand Costs Money – Many people in construction think their brand should be managed by the lowest bid. They send out RFPs for the company’s logo, website, newsletter, tradeshow, and all of their printing to ensure they’re spending the least amount possible. It might be counter-intuitive, but doing this means you’re shooting yourself in the foot.
Who Knows Your Differentiation? – You’ve probably heard that your company needs some type of differentiation to compete in today’s construction market. By differentiation, I mean some characteristic or reasoning for a prospective customer to hire your company over another besides price – a competitive edge. Differentiation can be speed, expertise, location, attitude, or any number of things.
Content Marketing in Construction – Content marketing is the new buzzword in the marketing industry and it is important for the younger generations to understand because you can grow your career by becoming an expert. You commonly see content marketing as a way for companies that work business-to-business (B2B), especially professional service firms including in the build industry, but it is still uncommon in construction.
You Didn’t Lose That Proposal Because of Price – Even if the prospective client TOLD you it was because of price, that isn’t the reason. You lost the work because you did not explain your value. Most likely, all the potential bids looked and sounded the same, leaving price as the only differentiator. By blending in with all of your competitors, you gave them no choice but to pick the cheapest option.
The First Thing You Need to Know about Branding – Branding is a term many people throw around loosely, so it is commonly misunderstood. First off, your company’s logo is not your brand. Your company’s brand is the experience that comes to people’s mind when they hear or see your company name. Your logo is the visual representation of that experience, but your brand is so much more than your logo.

The Brand Constructors is proud to support ABC and their Young Professionals program. For info about ABC’s Young Professionals, check out the website or contact Donna Puglisi (puglisi@abc.org).

If you have a topic that you’d like me to discuss with the Young Professionals’ blog, please add it to the comments below.