Getting the Job: Presentation and Organization Tips for Architects
The architecture business is just as competitive as any other service-oriented business. With design and construction opportunities happening all over the country, somewhere there is an architect working on blueprints and digital design files to make those towering buildings, homes and commercial locations come to life.
Before an architect can get to the drawing board though, they have to get the job, i.e. win the business.
The following are some tips to help architects stay organized, present their capabilities and ultimately close new contracts for their services.
Knowing the “Who” is Important
Regardless to whom you will communicate your pitch to, as an architect it’s important to know and understand your audience. In order to deliver your message you need to present it in a way that your target audience will understand. Are they a design firm, private homeowner or large architecture firm where you will be retained for contract work? Does your audience care about the latest sustainable building materials or energy efficient designs? Do they need to understand the tools you use–Autodesk, etc.? Asking yourself questions, such as these, about your audience and what they care about will help you tailor your proposal. Terms, tools, topics and the latest industry news that is common knowledge to you, may be another language or irrelevant information to those you are presenting to. Always strive to keep your presentation simple, understandable and digestible for the recipients.
Be Prepared and Portable
There are always times that you will be on the go and need to have files readily available to you during a presentation or impromptu meeting. With all the different technology set-ups possible across offices it’s inevitable that you’ll want back up to accomplish the goals of meeting. We’ve all been in the position of trusting that our computer is going to boot up or we’ll be able to connect to the Internet and all will be well. It’s best to have a back up, not get caught off guard and deliver a professional impression. Keep those precious design files, presentations and schematics on an external hard drive so you can plug in to another computer if necessary. Check out the USB 3.0 Western Digital My Passport 2TB hard drive. It’s compact and packs a ton of space for all those large and high-resolution design files, blueprints and construction animations for roughly $300.
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