Preparing RFP responses can feel like all you're doing is working off of someone else's checklist. In truth, RFP responses can be great opportunities for educating prospective clients about your firm's strengths. The key is to use details in every response to focus the readers on what's important. This turns RFPs into a marketing tool for the immediate project - as well as future projects from the same clients. Opportunities are in the details, and details create opportunities.

Highlights:

• The importance of closing the loop for RFP reviewers
• Focusing on what makes your firm uniquely qualified to do the project
• How architecture firms are like Moleskine notebooks
• Why you can't rely on people looking at your website
• Making the RFP a self-contained document
• How to ensure your RFP response is effective no matter the prescribed format

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Does your firm have that One Great Image that gets used everywhere? In this episode, we unpack the limitations of relying solely on static images in architectural marketing. Learn why embracing video, diverse visuals, and storytelling can set your firm apart.

Highlights:

• How the way people consume information has changed
• The struggle for differentiation
• Why "perfection" is truly your enemy
• Where single images fall down
• The importance of telling the whole project story
• The need to prioritize image creation and collection

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

All of the marketing skills in the world won’t matter much if you don’t have the most important ingredient: curiosity. Being interested in how people think, behave, and make decisions is what helps you identify how, when, and where you need to present information. In this episode, we discuss what it looks like to be curious in your marketing and how to cultivate curiosity.

Highlights:

• What curiosity does for your marketing
• How to channel the curiosity already present in design work into marketing
• Cultivating curiosity as a firm differentiator
• How to go from not-at-all-curious to at least somewhat curious

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Do you find yourself discounting ideas or data because you don't believe something works, it's not how you use the internet, or you've just never "liked" a particular thing? This is how bias works, and it can harm your marketing and your firm growth. In this episode, we discuss how to be aware of these biases and make more informed decisions.

Highlights:

• Biases in data interpretation
• Clarifying the value of data points
• The importance of asking "so what"?
• Why it's important to identify goals before you identify tools

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Don Semple, AIA, Partner at Chicago-based architecture firm Krueck Sexton Partners, talks with Brian Jones about the role of technology in design and in the architecture profession. Don also discusses the evolution of his career and the approach Krueck Sexton Partners takes to discovering a project’s hidden potential. With a project portfolio that includes the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning & Leadership, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, and the Benjamin P. Grogan and Jerry L. Dove Federal Building, Don shares his design inspirations and the educational experiences that have shaped his career to date.

Highlights:

• What it’s really like to make the transition from architect to partner
• Technology’s role in evolving building and drawing methods
• Mentorship and fostering growth in multi-generational firms
• Design’s role in climate change mitigation
• The future promise of AI in architecture

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Connect with Don Semple, AIA

• https://ks.partners/people/don-semple/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-semple-aia-5596429/

Images showcase the amazing work your firm does, but using the wrong format or size can cause issues for your website – and the people visiting it. So how do you fix that? In this episode, we talk tips on balancing aesthetics and practicality to make your firm’s projects stand out.

Highlights:

• Oversized project images on architecture firm websites.
• User frustration with giant images.
• The need for dynamic imagery, including video.
• Importance of optimized image sizes for load time.
• Challenging the default “above the fold” design strategy.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

You might hear from close friends when they get a promotion or leave a company, but what about the people you don’t keep in touch with as much? You might reach out to someone to find a bounce-back email, or someone you don’t know answering the phone. That’s why it’s important to keep up to date with the people around you and be aware of when they change job titles or leave a company. In this episode, we go over the best practices to keep in contact with everyone through social media, and best practices to reach out to someone after a career move.

Highlights:

• Consequences of Outdated Information.
• Using LinkedIn for Contact Updates.
• Opportunities Arising from Congratulatory Outreach.
• Value of Helping and Connecting Others.
• Observing Market Trends from Job Movements.
• Step-by-Step on Keeping Contacts Updated.
• Reaching Out for Belated Congratulations.
• Expanding Network During Reviews.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

It’s decision time. It may not be do or die, but how you make your decision can decide whether your team is on board or not. No matter the decision, big or small, it’s important to build a consensus among your team to foster trust and growth. In this episode we talk about the importance of getting everyone’s opinion before moving forward with decisions that impact your firm.

Highlights:

• The importance of consensus brings diverse ideas and comfort.
• Small decisions are a building block to building consensus
• How different backgrounds can offer different viewpoints
• Agreeing on direction and strategies.
• Addressing obstructionists: Clear goals and paths.
• The importance of articulating goals to your team

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/