Recently we were visited by Aquaterra’s senior management team for a company update and discussion of management role changes. During this presentation a question came up about training and I also had a flashback to a period of a nine year employment with a very large engineering firm. Within that firm there was at times mention of mentoring programs, but no programs were ever successful because many of the employees had the wrong perspective. The work environment and management style created a situation where people were scared to teach each other or share information for fear of losing their job to that person. For example, as an aspiring designer at that time with no formal engineering schooling I once asked an engineer to show me how to size a culvert. The engineer told me that if she showed me how that I would be able to replace her. This was typical throughout the office and as a result the work environment was stagnant for everyone. No one was moving. As an employee at that company you just became very good at the exact same task year after year or you tried your very best to learn those tasks on your own.

My move to the next company provided a totally different perspective from top to bottom. During my first week a senior engineer sat with me and taught me more in that week than my 9 years at the other company. I was so astonished that I asked the engineer why he was taking so much time to teach me. His reply was the more he could teach me the less he would have to work on the details of the project, and he would be free to complete the more difficult project tasks, managing the client and taking on new tasks for himself.

Notice the two completely different views.   One view was if I share information with you I may get phased out and the other was if I teach you more I will be free to learn more and move up. So which of the two is better? The people that wanted to protect themselves actually hurt themselves by not helping others grow. The process will hopefully reciprocate from the top down to the bottom. How often do we hear or we are asked by others if a place of employment offers growth. Most us want to know that we can progress through the years.

During the presentation Victor told us how senior management and others would be taking on new roles and be learning new things, but what about us? Later that evening I wondered what I could provide to Aquaterra Engineering. Again it is perspective. It is not just about what I can gain personally, but what I can provide to others. After leaving that large firm a number of years ago I have had the privilege to train many designers and engineers how to refine their design abilities using CAD software. Instead of protecting knowledge it becomes a joy to watch someone else grow by sharing knowledge. Later you can stand back and reflect on their growth and how you had a hand in shaping their career. Being helpful in sharing information with others typically reciprocates. In other terms, you reap what you sow.  Those who I teach are typically willing to teach me as well and the end result is we all become a better team.

The following is something to consider when thinking about the difference between training and mentoring.

Mentoring is relational. It is like a father to his child or a friend to a friend, where as, coaching and training is a task assigned and obligated to complete. Mentoring is building a relationship with someone and helping them grow. Not out of obligation, but because you want to see them grow. Training is typically assigned and measured as we see on annual reviews as tasks set by management. Did you learn this assigned task? Yes or No? Did we make the opportunity for you to learn this task? Yes or No? Mentoring, on the other hand, has no boundaries. I can mentor to someone above, below or equal to my level. A person seeking a mentor typically does not need to seek the approval of management and management may or may not even recognize this growth. Yet the mentor and the mentored can find personal fulfillment in the experience. You know you are growing as an employee in your skills and knowledge or you know you have helped someone else grow.

I can only effectively mentor those in my office since that is where I build day-to-day working relationships, but I can provide coaching to staff abroad, if desired. I have started a personal blog with a few entries relating to using advanced CAD methodologies. I hope to add to this blog as others have questions. I have a lot to learn myself as far as Civil 3D goes, but if you have a question about using these design software products let me know and maybe we can learn something together. If you are interested in access to the blog you can email me.

-Jesse Aldridge

At Aquaterra we have been holding monthly “lunch and learn” presentations since 2006. They are not great production efforts, but they do allow our whole company to sit down together (via webcasts) and hear one of our own talk about something that he/she is excited to share with their peers. For instance, we have one on Monday about Dam Safety issues. Dan Aucutt, P.E. manages several large project of this nature for us in Baton Rouge, and he will review some of the things that he has learned in this work.

One must always consider the cost/benefit ratio of things that are not essential, and make decisions to use those with ratios that are good. The c/b ratio for our lunch and learn program is good. In fact, I see several avenues of benefit to a firm like Aquaterra. I thought that I would consider a few of those with you.

Education “ That is obvious, but it alone is worth the effort. We impart to other employees the knowledge of our experts in various fields.

Cohesion “ As seven offices in five states and with 140 people, we can’t possibly know each other personally. This time together provides a sense of unity for our company.

Confidence Building “ We are the typical firm; not all of our technical professionals are comfortable speaking in public. This provides a “friendly forum” for us to hone our skills and get more comfortable with this task. We encourage all of our professionals to give technical presentations to our peers, and this is a good start for this process.

Humility “ At the outset of this post I said that we don’t make a big production of this. As a result, we have often had problems with audio, web connections, etc. in front of a very important audience “ Aquaterrians. Just when we think we have gotten our technological act together, we have a glitch in the process, and we all are humbled by the effort.

Improvement: We get better and better.

Worth the effort? I certainly think so. What about you?

Providing great service is the best possible competitive differentiator and the most difficult for any competitor to copy or duplicate. If you stop and think about it, our clients do not really need to hire us or use our services - they do have choices. One firm that comes to mind is Southwest Airlines, as they always say “Thank you for flying Southwest “we know you have choices”. Maybe they say it just to be nice and as you leave the plane want you to want to fly with them again. Well, sounds like a good idea because that is what they want us to do isn’t it? The truth is that very few companies in any industry have established a sustainable competitive advantage based on service. Just imagine if you really made great service happen for every client on every project, every day of every week. That would be awesome!

In order to truly excel at great service you must have complete and total buy-in from everyone on your team. The importance of great service does not just apply to Aquaterra’s operations groups (those with outside clients); it also applies equally to those in a corporate support role (operations is the corporate client). Everyone that works for Aquaterra from the administrative assistant to the technician to the engineer to the corporate employee to the senior manager must be service oriented and service focused. Service orientation applies to the manner you interact with and treat clients, prospects, other employees, peers and anyone that you come in contact with as part of your job at Aquaterra. Is your team or group, or you, committed to your clients and with providing them superior service? If not, what can you do or suggest to your team or group or even personally, to excel and stand out in our service oriented business? You don’t need anyone’s permission to provide great service - make it contagious!

Is commitment or even obsession too much to ask for when it comes to doing it right and making it right for the client? I don’t think so. I realize that when it comes to client service, it is the front line employees that really make a difference. But what sparks the front-line is the clear and unambiguous obsession for doing it right and making it right for the client. Obsession for the client starts at the top€¦so all managers and group leaders reading this€¦are you and your team obsessed with service? I hope so, and if not, why not? Try it you will like it!

So what is great service? Great service or service excellence starts with quality and consistency. You can’t excel at providing great service unless you deliver quality and do it consistently. Remember, quality equals conformance to requirements. But great service takes more than just being consistent and providing quality. Really great service comes from the surprises or the unexpected that one receives from truly great service companies€¦the personal, hand written thank you note; the lead about a project; the hand delivered report to discuss findings and recommendations; the desire to solve a problem when service challenges arise.

“In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and positions.”
~ Margaret Wheatly

Exceed Expectations€¦€¦€¦.

- Ricky
* Parts of the above adapted from The Circle of Innovation, by Tom Peters; and other documents.

Ask yourself how your clients and prospects react to and remember you.  Are you just another engineer or marketing representative with a business card?  Does your presentation lack punch and conviction?  Are you memorable and do you make a good impression?  Will your clients and prospects take your calls and return your emails?  You don’t have to be a full time marketing person to ask yourself these questions and embrace the concepts discussed in this edition of BYB.

The goal is for you to totally separate Aquaterra from everyone else.  Everyone else = Your Competition.  I relate to this in personal experiences with my wife as we have been searching for a new house.  All I hear from her is that this house does not have the WOW Factor.  I asked her what she meant, and as she explained her thought process I realized that is the same thing our clients should be experiencing with Aquaterra.  What does this mean?  I think it means the same thing whether you are looking for a house, or an engineer or a consultant.  We all want to experience the WOW Factor.  The WOW Factor turns your prospects into customers and your customers into loyal clients.  The WOW Factor is your ability to be different and to stand out, and is directly linked to increased sales and growing revenue.  By giving that extra effort, being responsive, having on time delivery, and showing you care about the client, their project, and possibly their problem are all part of our clients experiencing the WOW Factor in Aquaterra.

Aquaterra is experiencing many WOW Factor moments when we impress our clients or the client of our competition sees what we are producing and how we are responding to the needs of our clients.  By continuing to operate and conduct our business in a manner that will WOW our clients, they will continue to come back for more.  This is how we will turn the tables on our competition, and continue to solidify relationships with existing clients.

So ask yourself, “Are our clients saying WOW?”  And more importantly, ask yourself “How can we illustrate the WOW Factor with our clients and prospects to build our business?” Ask yourself€¦

• Would you buy from Aquaterra if you were the client?
• Would you buy from you if you were the client?
• Do you have what it takes to stick with it, stick to it and do it until it’s done?  Are you professional, prepared, passionate and believe in yourself and Aquaterra?
• Will your client be compelled to act as a result of your presentation or proposal?
• Will the client remember you and talk to others about you and Aquaterra in a positive way?
• Do you have the attitude and confidence in yourself, your peers, and your operation to really deliver the WOW Factor?

Stay tuned for Part 2 of The Wow Factor.  I’ll give you some ideas and actions on how to present the Wow Factor.

- Ricky

As a company we spend significant time and expense to attend association meetings, client events and civic functions. The primary purpose for doing this is to meet people, and to increase the awareness and visibility of yourself and Aquaterra in the marketplace. If done properly and consistently this is one of the best ways to build your business and grow income. This skill or activity is called networking, and networking is key to both your personal and Aquaterra’s success.

The definition of networking is the exchange of information, ideas and resources with business and/or social contacts. Networking is about:

• Getting known by those that can help build your business.
• Creating momentum toward achieving business and career success.
• Getting together with business and social contacts and turning them into clients and friends.
• Building and nurturing long-term relationships.
• Building a people resource bank that pays interest and dividends that compound annually for life.

Successful networking will result in more business contacts, more sales, more business and community knowledge, more profit and more fun!

So, how good are you and your staff at this important business skill called networking? Do you really manage this process and have a game plan for networking success? To get started you need to answer the following questions.

1. Where do you network now?
2. Where should you network?
3. Where do your best clients and prospects network? (Ask your clients/prospects)
4. What are the best organizations or associations to join and get involved with?
5. Who are the ten key people you want to meet? (People that can impact your business)
6. Which are the ten key companies you want to do business with? (Companies that are important to your business that need our services that aren’t currently using Aquaterra)
7. What are your networking goals?

Once you have answered the above questions, you will have the basis to put in place a plan to maximize the networking success of your office and yourself. Now the key becomes working your plan and being proficient at networking. I have been to numerous events and functions during my career and offer the following networking fundamentals.

• Pre-plan the event or outing€¦do your homework and be prepared. (Who is coming to the event? Do you have an attendee list or membership roster? Whom do you want to meet?
• Never be late€¦show up early and stay late. (Association meetings and important civic events should be unbreakable appointments that you put on your calendar)
• Pick and choose the people you talk to carefully.
• Lose your friend and co-workers€¦split up! (Don’t shadow each other around or sit together)
• Don’t sit, stand or talk to the same old people€¦take a risk and talk to strangers!
• Don’t stand by yourself or sit at an empty table€¦empty has no value.
• Don’t follow the crowd€¦follow your clients and the money.
• Get involved, get involved, and get involved! (Be a leader and get on a committee or on the Board)
• Assume everyone you meet has valuable information.
• Have your 1-minute Aquaterra commercial memorized.
• Don’t waste time; spend a maximum of 5 minutes with each stranger.
• Your job when networking is to screen people and to gather/share information
• Don’t butt in or be rude.
• Eat early or don’t eat and don’t drink when mingling and networking.
• Don’t smoke or chew gum.
• Don’t sell Aquaterra€¦sell an appointment to discuss ways you can help each other.
• Follow-up, follow-up and follow-up.

Networking involves you taking people risks and investing yourself. Just introduce yourself to people you don’t know and use the fundamentals above. And, use the following five key questions to qualify and determine if the stranger (new potential client and friend) is someone worth having in your network.

1. What does your firm do?
2. What is your position with your firm?
3. How long have you been with your firm?
4. What is your target market?
5. Who are your clients?

(Be sure to take notes, pay attention and be polite.)

Asking the above questions will help you determine the potential value of networking with this person and whether they have the potential to help you build your business.

To really make your network “work”, the primary rule is to stay in touch and follow-up. Good networkers share information and exchange ideas. They give first and give again€¦remember networking is the exchange of information, ideas and resources. Becoming a successful networker takes commitment, persistence, patience and time. Mastery of this skill will result in you being seen as a leader and in more business for Aquaterra.

“But I am shy and not good at this!” I know that is what some of you are saying. Or perhaps you have some other reason or excuse for why you can’t or won’t network better. In response I offer the following advice.

• There are no strangers, only friends we haven’t met.
• Shyness is a habit not a trait (Do physicians tell parents in the delivery room€¦we have a problem your kid is shy!)
• Practice and plan for success€¦don’t haphazardly network or just wing-it.
• Involve all appropriate staff in networking and networking events€¦use the power of your team!
• Look in the mirror and challenge yourself€¦have fun, be passionate and be enthusiastic. (And, you will build your business and grow income!)

Applying the above information will best position you to network, build your business and profit!

- Ricky

Selling is a process, and there are certain fundamentals or steps that must be taken for the process to work. I have been selling for many years. And, I have noticed certain selling mistakes made repeatedly, by both veteran business development/operations managers as well as new hires. These mistakes often become habits, which lead to less than desired results and wasted efforts. Let’s take a look at five of the most common selling mistakes and how you can avoid or correct them.

1) Lack of Preparation. How many of you really take the time to properly prepare for a sales or client call? It doesn’t matter whether the call is face-to-face or via phone, you should make sure that you are prepared and focused for success with the person you are contacting. Make sure you are doing the following:

• Prepare a written outline of what you expect to achieve on the sales/client call€¦don’t just “wing-it”, plan the call! What is your objective? Spend some time understanding the real needs and wants of your prospect or client.
• In addition to the outline, prepare a list of questions or issues that you want to address with the client/prospect. Remember that time is valuable€¦for both you and your prospect/client.
• Use DataFax (or other resources) to determine current and pending project opportunities with your prospect/client.
• Use the Internet or other media to learn more about your client/prospect and their business.
• If two or more people are going on the sales/client call, make sure each person understands their role and the purpose or objective of the call.
• Bring with you applicable marketing materials, reports, etc. that are necessary for the meeting.

2) Don’t Understand and know Aquaterra and the services we can provide. Effective selling and relationship building start with you really knowing and understanding the company you work for and the services it can provide. How can you expect your prospect or client to understand how Aquaterra can be of service to them if you don’t really understand Aquaterra yourself?

To improve your knowledge of Aquaterra, the technical services we provide and how we operate, make sure that you have done everything suggested in the last BYB blog post.

3) Talk too much; don’t ask good questions and don’t listen. Some of you simply talk too much! When you are talking, you are not listening. And when you are not listening, you are not learning about your prospects/clients needs or wants. The general rule is that a good sales or business professional should talk 30% of the time and listen 70%. Remember, you have two ears and one mouth€¦this is no coincidence.

Proper preparation for the sales call or client visit will assist greatly in this area. I have found that in the absence of preparation we often overcompensate for not really knowing the purpose of the call/meeting and talk endlessly. Don’t spend too much time with non-business conversation about personal matters, sports, weather, etc., unless the client takes you there. Remember that your clients are busy, have a job and are expected to produce results too€¦taking too much time with small talk or hanging around for no reason is unprofessional and breeds resentment.

4) Don’t ask for the job or opportunity. I firmly believe that you are missing out on many projects and much new business just because you don’t ask the prospect/client for the job! If you are properly prepared, have a receptive prospect/client and were professional in your presentation of Aquaterra, you have the right to ask for the job, contract or project!

Make it a habit to ask for the job on every sales call or client meeting!

5) Don’t follow-up! No follow-up and no follow-up system equal no sale! It is a mystery to me why the concept and importance of follow-up is so difficult to grasp by some. If you believe in yourself and Aquaterra, and you have a viable opportunity with a receptive prospect/client, and the client has asked for something from you (return my call/email, send me a proposal/SOQ, deliver my report, schedule lunch or dinner, etc.), why do many of you fail to follow-up consistently? Also, how many of you routinely follow-up sales calls or client meetings with a short email or written thank-you/summary note of the meeting and agreed to actions? Finally, take a good look at your outstanding proposals and make sure all proposals have an assigned person and date for follow-up with the prospect/client €“ and make sure you do it or it gets done!

Don’t leave follow-up to chance or manage this important function haphazardly. Follow-up is mandatory for sales and client development success. Your follow-up habits and skills are responsible for 80% of your sales. Improve your follow-up and improve your sales. Persistence is the key to follow-up success. Obstacles can’t stop you. Problems can’t stop you. More important, other people can’t stop you €“ ONLY YOU CAN STOP YOU!

Fifty percent of success is believing you can€¦simply put, you become what you think about!
- Ricky

One of the keys to successful business development is to know Aquaterra, the services we can provide to our clients and the resources available to help your efforts.  Regardless of whether you are a new employee or a veteran of many years, to really grow and succeed both personally and professionally, you need to know and understand Aquaterra.

Some of you may think, “How can I get up to speed quickly on Aquaterra and what resources are available to help me?”  Below are my suggestions for how to become knowledgeable on Aquaterra, services offered, resources available to help you grow, and the company in general.  (PLEASE NOTE:  The below is not just for new hires€¦many of you Aquaterra “old-timers” would benefit from using the below too!)

1. Aquaterra “service overviews” for our primary service offerings are available in our marketing materials for your review and use.  These overviews provide a basic explanation of what we do and why we do it.  They also define some key terms and language common to the technical side of our business.  All new employees (current employees will benefit too) should read these materials
2. For information on Aquaterra facts and how we are organized, we have a dedicated area that includes corporate facts, organization charts and other important company information.  Please click on Company Information.
3. Aquaterra publishes several newsletters to help keep employees informed of company news, strategies and other important information.  The newsletters include Fellow Aquaterrians (Vic’s weekly email/mail-out), Terratimes (Aquaterra’s bi-monthly publication provided to all employees and offices) and now Building Your Business (emailed to all management and staff weekly).
4. For comprehensive information on Aquaterra’s technical capabilities review the capabilities sheets on all services provided by Aquaterra.  Please click on Capabilities.
5. Aquaterra recently redesigned and launched an updated web site on the Internet.  This site contains general information on Aquaterra, office locations, services offered, and much more.  Visit the Aquaterra web site at www.aquaterraeng.com.

Certainly the above is not all inclusive of the resources available to help you succeed.

I encourage everyone to visit the above sites and use the information to best understand Aquaterra and to grow our business!

Ricky Simon

Information produces knowledge and knowledge is power. And, it is my observation that many City/Regions and managers are not fully utilizing the information available through published resources such as DataFax, city, state and government websites, ABC databases, etc. to best build their business. I guarantee you that a few minutes of your time invested in understanding the information available from these resources, and how to use it, will lead to increased opportunities and sales. Here are two immediate ways to use these resources to help grow your income!

1) Use DataFax or Another Published Resource Before Any and All Sales Activities
Proper preparation and up-to-date client knowledge are keys to successful sales results. Prior to any and all sales calls or client visits, take a few minutes and run a quick DataFax scan for current project activity within the client’s firm. This scan is easy and fast to run, and the information you receive will best prepare you for your sales/client call. For those that do not have access to these reports, a manager or other staff member can pull specific clients or projects for use in preparing for these calls.

2) Set Up and Perform Routine Report Scans for Your Best Clients/Prospects
Many of you think you are aware of all of the development or construction activity that your best clients and prospects are involved with. Based on recent visits and discussions with managers in several City/Regions, this isn’t reality. I strongly believe that much “low hanging fruit” (potential projects) exists within your current client base that you just don’t know about.

It is simple to routinely search these resources for new project opportunities or activities for your best or most important clients. This scan can be run weekly to see if any new projects are identified in pre-planning or planning within your client’s firm. If you see a new project or one that you weren’t aware of, you can make an immediate call or visit to your client and ask for the job!
- Ricky

YOUR BEST PROSPECTS ARE YOUR CURRENT CLIENTS
Looking for new prospects or more sales? Aren’t we all! It is my observation that many City/Regions have lots of immediate opportunities that just aren’t being recognized. Where are these opportunities . . . with your current clients! Your current clients should offer the following:

1) They know you.
2) They like you.
3) You have established a relationship and rapport.
4) They have confidence and trust in Aquaterra, and respect you.
5) You have a history of providing on time delivery and satisfaction.
6) They routinely use your services and will act as a reference.
7) They will return your calls and emails.
They are receptive to your visits and service offerings.
9) They are your friend and not just a customer.
10) They pay their bills and are fun to work with.

Would you rather have€¦50 to 100 satisfied clients to do business with or several hundred prospects to whom you are trying to market your services? Obviously you would choose the first option!

So, what can you do to earn more business from your existing clients? Here are some ideas to get your current clients to buy more - now:

1) Sell the client something new. Are your clients aware of all the services that your office provides? Clients want to buy additional services they need from someone they know. Your enthusiasm will set the tone, so create excitement about how Aquaterra can serve them.

2) Sell the client more of the same and perhaps to different people or divisions. Many of you have happy clients that routinely use Aquaterra, but there may be other people or departments within the client firm that also have a need for our services but don’t know us! Don’t be afraid to ask your contact who else at their firm might need our services. If there is someone then ask for help in setting up a meeting.

3) Get in front of your clients. Bring them some doughnuts or bagels, get them out of the office for lunch or golf, and let them know you care. No matter whether you get work or not, continuing to be in front of your clients builds relationships, friendships and goodwill. This is easily done by bringing them doughnuts, or King Cakes (for us Mardi Gras types), to playing golf, going to lunch, and letting them know about our business resources such as this BLOG. Say€¦Thank you, I appreciate your business. What else can Aquaterra do for you? We often forget to thank our clients and to ask for more work. Don’t be afraid to ask for the work. Do this and your revenue will grow.

If you can’t call or visit your current clients, or if you perceive that you can’t do anything more or provide anything else to your clients, this really means:

• You have failed to establish rapport and trust with your clients.
• Your client has some problem or issue with you/Aquaterra and you are reluctant to call and open a can of worms.
• You have not followed up well or at all after the last job or opportunity.
• You are in need of more training and supervision to do the above.
• And, most importantly€¦the client really doesn’t know you and you have not developed a good relationship.

I challenge all of you to take a close look at your current client list and evaluate it carefully and honestly. I guarantee that there are many jobs and opportunities just waiting to be awarded. Let’s get going.

**Some of the above was adapted from The Sales Bible by Jeffrey Gitomer, and other published information. **

In 2007 we will embark on a more defined marketing plan and strategy for Aquaterra. This will include additional staff and resources to move Aquaterra toward our long term goals and continue in our desire to become the pre-eminent earth sciences and engineering company in the Southeast.

Growing income, increasing fees, improving the top line, selling more€¦whatever you want to call it… is absolutely critical to the success of any business. The management team emphasizes the importance of the simple equation P=I-E (profit = income - expenses), and the fact that income growth along with expense control are the keys to maximizing profit.

To maintain awareness for income growth and to share best practices, ideas, tips and information to help you grow income, I will lead a blog series I’ve entitled Building Your Business. I’ll try to post on approximately the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. Building Your Business is specific to Aquaterra and our industry, and intended to be a quick, informative and educational tool to assist in marketing and income growth efforts.

I am excited about presenting this information to you all and hope you find Building Your Business both useful and beneficial. I welcome your ideas, suggestions and comments related to the financial growth and the creation of additional revenue. Let me know if there is a topic or area related to building Aquaterra’s business that you would like covered. Also, please share any ideas, suggestions or proven tactics for sales growth and product delivery excellence that you have with me or other members of the management team. I look forward to receiving your opinions, thoughts or comments regarding this series, and welcome any insight into what works for you.

Thanks!

Ricky Simon