Construction Business Environment 293
Marketing Yourself.
Develop professionally designed brochures and other marketing materials. As you are essentially sell-
ing a special service, be sure to know how to market it. A marketing plan and strategy are necessary for
services that target your ideal customer. Now that you’ve set up the company for success, you need to
get the word out. Figure 12.1 shows a typical marketing letter to let customers and potential clients know
you are ready for business.
Time Management.
A secretary/office manager could help make the operational aspect of the business as efficient as pos-
sible to allow you to concentrate on managing and growing the business. This will free you from having
to process orders, pay bills, pay employees, pay taxes, maintain your permits, etc. The more organized
you are, the more efficient you are.
12.6 SELLING YOURSELF.
Professional performance means much more than doing your job effectively. The way you conduct your-
self in a business environment not only reflects your position within a company but impacts your chances
for career growth.
Many people are unsure of the proper protocol for various situations in a business setting.
Most potential clients can decide within minutes whether to trust you or your employees. Trust is piv-
otal in establishing relationships that can ultimately lead to business partnerships.
Awkward introductions, weak handshakes, poor communication, ineffective meetings, and lack of
consideration can negatively affect your career and business relationships. When all else is equal, good
manners can be your greatest strength.
Correspondence.
Correspondence is a tricky subject since there are numerous ways to communicate today. The decision
to communicate with a client via telephone, email, or face-to-face depends largely on one’s personality.
Introverts tend to prefer email because it is efficient and avoids direct contact; extroverts on the other
hand prefer direct communication.
Confidence.
If you are confident, you will appear as an accomplished professional to others. Confidence is attained
by being organized and prepared and having the necessary knowledge to execute the job successfully.
Being confident doesn’t mean never asking questions or succumbing to challenges. Paradoxically, con-
fident people know the importance of questions. Remember to be cool, calm, and collected, and, above
all else, think before you speak. Whether you are entering a new work environment or attempting to rein-
vent yourself professionally, know that you can do it. The corporate world can be rough, but with the
aforementioned skills you are already on a path for success.