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54 csengineermag.com august 2019 gest challenges are so that your content and messaging is on point. 5. Create a Single Client Journey. The client journey does not separate the experiences from marketing, business development, or even operations and project delivery. Work together with everyone that touches a client to develop a Client Experience Journey Map starting from the awareness to decision to delivery and feedback to brand loyalty – everything should be tied together as an experience. 6. Gather & Use Client Feedback. One of the most powerful things that you can do together is to develop a client feedback program that allows you to gather, review, and act upon feedback from your clients. Client feedback should not just take place at the end of the project. Utilize your Client Experi- ence Journey Map to identify feedback points along the way. 7. Join Forces on Client Growth and Retention. Attracting new clients is up to 6 to 7 times more expensive than retaining them. By only focusing on new clients, you could be missing out on profits you should be making from existing clients. Marketing and business development should be working closely together to increase the lifetime value of your clients. For example, once you've acquired a new client, content and communication should shift from attracting to growing and influencing a client to stay. 8. Lean Heavily on Your Brand. As marketing and business development alignment gains steam, brand makes even more of a difference. It gives both sides a common understanding and shared language as they essentially co- create their brand experience. The most successful business development and marketing partnerships align in their commitment from top to bottom – from their brand's highest-level vision to its most tactical tools. 9. Keep Marketing Messages Consistent. You've experienced it before – the marketing team explains the organizational differentiators in one way, and the business development team does it completely different. With mis- matched messaging, you run the risk of a confusing, uncomfortable, and inconsistent journey for your clients leading to a poor first impression of your company. Therefore, a client is less likely to trust you. Alignment leads to messages that are consistent and true to your brand. 10. Coordinate Content Creation and Campaigns Between Teams. When marketing and business development teams are aligned, content is used far more strategically – rather than being shared sporadically and without rea- son. Business development knows the client's needs, and marketing knows what gets people excited. Coordinating will ensure content is relevant and utilized. 11. Prioritize Open Communication. Create an internal communication strategy to make sure everyone is on the same page. Regular meetings with- in and between teams create the foundation. Examples of this are team and client onboarding, business development, and client capture plan meetings. 12. Track Joint KPI's. Shared KPI's does not mean the same KPI's. It means that you should strive to devise KPI's that depend on each other to achieve the goals of each separate team. Collaborate and agree on shared metrics and review frequently. Incentivize collaboration – reward the achievement of shared targets. For example, both business development and marketing teams could have a "conversion rate" KPI. For each of the teams, this will mean something different, although related to the other team's KPI. 13. Analyze Departmental Data. Work together to understand what content and campaigns have been performing best. Dig in and analyze them, and then integrate that information into business development efforts. 14. Those Who Learn Together, Produce Together. Training together will empower both teams and create an understanding of their shared goals, help them build on their core competencies, and have the added benefit of bringing teams closer and circulating information and know-how. 15. Walk in Their Shoes. It takes mutual respect flowing both ways to lever- age the strengths of both marketing and business development fully – so everyone can reap the benefits of these opportunities. Co-Authored by Jen Newman, CPSM, Managing Director, and Doug Parker, FSMPS, CPSM, Managing Principal & CMO, Zweig Group. Zweig Group is proud to offer marketing and business development services. Contact Jen Newman, CPSM for more information jnewman@zweiggroup.com. As Managing Director at ZWEIG GROUP, JEN NEWMAN, CPSM utilizes her 20+ years of AEC specific experience to help firms grow their people and profits while ELEVATING THE INDUSTRY. DOUG PARKER, FSMPS, CPSM brings a unique combination of operations and marketing experience specializing in professional services firm management to his role as Managing Principal and CMO at ZWEIG GROUP. He has developed award-winning brand strategies to position firms and key stakeholders to gain market share and increase revenue.

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