revenue is what happens when preparation meets opportunity
IN IT TO WIN IT
We all know that converting shortlist opportunities into project wins is absolutely critical to the financial health of design and construction firms. There are many experts out there who can offer guidance around how to improve utilization or shore up your multipliers or reduce costs. AEC Coach is focused specifically on TOP-LINE revenue growth. Winning work.
Winning—or even just standing out from the competition—isn’t a matter of luck; it’s a matter of executing in a way that consistently works. Think, plan, create, rehearse, refine, deliver.
While architects, engineers, and construction industry professionals invest a great deal of time, expense, and effort in getting to the shortlist, they all too often drop the ball when it counts the most: the interview. If you’ve ever been in a hotel room at 2am working on the content of your presentation, or stood in front of the selection committee with no idea who “owns” what slide (or why it’s even in there in the first place), or watched the client’s interest and attention slip away: I get it, and I can help.
I'm a senior level specialist in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, where I focus on strategy, messaging, and skill building to help firms capitalize on shortlist opportunities. Over the course of my career, I have helped my AEC clients and colleagues win well over $100 million in net architecture fees alone.
I have received presentation skills training and interview coaching from three different companies. All of them have been good experiences, but working with Lisa stands out for two big reasons. #1: she understands the AEC industry! #2: Lisa has a brilliant approach: First, she breaks your team down, unafraid to give you tough feedback on everything from content to mannerisms. Then, she builds your team up with increasingly positive reinforcement, through multiple practice rounds, until the crescendo of the main event. You feel like you have won the prize before you even leave the interview. It’s an experience you cannot afford to pass up. If you have ever considered coaching or if you have worked with other coaches before, you should try working with Lisa. I would be surprised if you don’t become a repeat client.
Jacob Knowles
Director of Sustainable Design | BR+A
PURSUIT-SPECIFIC COACHING
RESEARCH, PERSUASION, CHEMISTRY
Every shortlist opportunity is chance to build your firm’s reputation (and your personal reputation) within the design and construction industry. In my experience, three elements typically tip the scales toward one team or another: research, persuasion, and chemistry.
When it’s game-time—when you have only a few days to prepare for the selection committee—there’s no time to lose. On those extremely important days, I become a member of your team.
Together, we’ll develop the strategy, create strong messaging, evaluate your competition, and rehearse. I’ll help you balance the cadence and energy of the overall presentation, and make sure we are doing everything we can to highlight your firm’s advantages and shore up potential areas of weakness. I’m in the trenches with you, working to optimize, polish, and perfect every element.
“Do we even practice the jokes?” You bet we do.
My goal is to ensure that your team walks into the interview with confidence, knowing you’re ready to execute at the highest level. I can’t guarantee a win every time, of course, but I can make sure you’ve given yourself the best possible chance. And, to ensure our goals are aligned throughout, AEC Coach is based on a success fee model. When you win, we win TOGETHER.
Lisa is an expert at strategy, particularly as related to proposals and interview preparation. She understands the AEC industry from deep experience and, while at Goody Clancy, utterly transformed the way we approach competitive business development. The lessons and approaches she taught us will have far-reaching positive consequences, enabling us to be more successful going forward.
Roger Goldstein FAIA
Principal | Goody Clancy
A STRONG FOUNDATION
While there are many things to think about when preparing for a winner-takes-all interview, none is more important than creating the right strategy. Developing your “argument” in conjunction with the other members of the interview team (and getting their buy-in) builds a strong foundation for the preparation and rehearsal phase to follow.
At the start of interview prep, I urge you to consider (and discuss) the following:
Does the client already know your firm?
And, if not, how does that affect your interview strategy?
Do you know the makeup of the selection committee?
What do they care about?
How will you protect the client's investment?
What is their tolerance for risk?
Who is attending the interview?
How will they move your team closer to a win?
Why should you win?
And ... why should you lose?
Are you passionate about the project?
How will you communicate that excitement?
For a more in-depth discussion of these questions, click below to view an expanded version.
PRESENTATION TRAINING
Communicating ideas in a compelling and clear way is not a talent that comes naturally to everyone. Nor is knowing how to connect with others and create trust. While senior design and construction leaders may have honed their abilities through decades of experience (and trial and error!), others in your firm have likely had far fewer opportunities to practice these vital skills.
Beyond the Pursuit Specific Coaching described above, AEC Coach also offers three additional learning opportunities:
BUILD-A-
RAINMAKER
WORKSHOP
In this interactive, small group workshop, participants will go through a series of engaging exercises built around specific communication challenges related to winning new work, a responsibility most AEC professionals will have at one time or another. As a group, we will discuss approaches and best practices designed to help individuals (and teams) deliver dynamic and compelling content. This session can be customized to achieve your specific goals.
INTENSIVE
ONE-ON-ONE
TRAINING
This in-depth, custom session is hyper-focused on key team members who bring value to your firm in certain ways but who require additional skill building to successfully interview for projects, present to clients, or speak at industry conferences. The intent of these one-on-one sessions is to create a private and supportive learning environment, where participants are provided with the skills, tools, and feedback they need to communicate more effectively.
PRESENTATION
BEST
PRACTICES
This one-hour group lecture is packed with practical and actionable tools members of your firm can begin to use immediately to improve their presentations. This session will address topics like crafting the right set of messages, the importance of storytelling, communicating trust and likeability, information versus persuasion, understanding the audience and the context, reading non-verbal cues, and creating powerful visuals. This session can be customized to address specific goals.
Lisa has been an inspired coach and a very perceptive guide for interviews and presentations over the years we've worked together.
Peter Kuttner FAIA
Principal | Cambridge Seven Associates
WHY AEC COACH?
I’ve spent my career in the AEC industry training my clients and colleagues to make their case to decisionmakers, so it’s only fair that I do the same.
My name is Lisa Quackenbush and my extensive experience in the AEC industry as both a consultant and as a principal have led me here.
The interview prep and training sessions I’ve led have resulted in well over $100 million in net architecture fees alone, and positively impacted share price and bonuses. I’ve helped my clients and colleagues add more than 50 new client “logos” to their portfolios (the toughest pitch of all) and win dozens of additional projects with their current and former clients.
And I’m a good teacher, but make no mistake: I have high expectations. I’ll meet your team where they are in terms of their skills and competencies, but I’m here to make them better. I’ll be gentle, but I also won’t pull any punches. Perfection isn’t my goal, but real and lasting improvement is.
I’ve watched order and clarity emerge from the chaos. I’ve seen people surprised by their own growth. I’ve been dazzled by the joy people feel when they know they’ve done their best.
It’s why I do what I do, and why I absolutely LOVE IT.
TESTIMONIALS
"We are buzzing with excitement—the interview went very well. The team was extraordinary, everyone hit their key points, everyone told meaningful stories. We kept it light and relaxed but showed our expertise and kept bringing the focus back to the client. The selection committee was visibly pleased with the presentation, and the Q&A was lively and congenial.
Whatever the outcome is, we all feel that we gave 100%. Thank you so much for all your guidance and insight, it was absolutely invaluable.”
Cooper Melton AIA
Principal | Ayers Saint Gross
"Working with Lisa has been transformational for our team, from her creative approach and ability to bring diverse voices together to her energy she brings to each session—we have had fantastic outcomes. Lisa jumps right in, truly becoming part of the interview team and gets people comfortable, helping each individual shine. In working with our next generation, she has helped people find their voice within a crowded room while refining our team’s winning message. The chance to work with Lisa has been a delight and we can’t wait until the next opportunity arises."
Amy Cuddy, CPSM
Director of Marketing and Communications | Wilmot Sanz
"Lisa brings extensive experience and enthusiasm to the AEC industry. She has been a vital part of preparing for project opportunities and interview preparation. Having worked with Lisa for many years, I would highly recommend her for the unique skillset that she brings to interview preparation."
Julian Astbury
Associate Principal | Arup
“Very rarely do you meet someone who lives their passion—I did. I first met Lisa on an interview with an Architectural firm for a big opportunity and I experienced her passion first hand ... compassion for the client’s vision ... dedication for the campus culture ... professionalism for her team interviewing...all of this leads to successful opportunities.”
Nancy Sturm
Principal Consultant | The Sextant Group
"I’ve known Lisa Quackenbush for more than 15 years and in that time, I’ve come to appreciate that she has one of the keenest strategic minds in the AE industry. Her skill set is unique; a lightning fast ability to grasp the most intricate of issues—she distills the salient points into winning strategies for her clients. She moves the needle using project wins (and of course project monetary gains) to transform design firms. Whipsmart and fearless, she elevates everyone around her."
Jocelyn Hutt
Public Relations Professional
“Lisa has been an inspired and inspiring coach. What I value most is her effectiveness at interview prep. She works with me to fine tune and hone my presentations until they are perfectly thought through and seamless. I am deeply thankful to her for the coaching work she has done with me. She has absolutely affected my practice’s bottom line in a very meaningful and positive way.”
Maryann Thompson FAIA
Principal | Maryann Thompson Architects
“Lisa is open, collaborative, passionate about her work and very smart about helping us to position our firm in the world. She has helped us make our proposals and interviews tighter and more compelling, and helped our employees improve their presentation skills.”
Patricia Intrieri AIA
Principal | Cambridge Seven Associates
