Construction Business Development Communication Secrets

Business development professionals serving the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industries know that the face to face meeting is golden. As technology progresses and the generation gaps have become segmented much has been said about Gen-X, Gen-Y and how texting and social media are growing exponentially. So what communication method is preferred? Let’s look at the four segments and how they are different and similar in communication styles.

As our generations age, each generation has it’s own quirks and preferred communication styles. Instead of me defining each from Traditionalists to Gen-Yers, you may want to review the details from this article “What are the cut off birth dates for the generations…”

The 4 generations have district differences and preferred communication styles that everyone in Business Development should be aware of. In a survey done for the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) Valley of the Sun Chapter and presented by Jill Santa, founder of InspireAtWork.com Traditionalists prefer the face to face meeting. Look at these results and you’ll see that texting is a no-no with these folks.

Baby Boomers are a bit more tech savvy and are open to email but still prefer face time.

As we move to Gen-Xers it’s as surprising to see the similarities with their Baby Boomer counterparts. Marketing and Business development take note!

The Gen-Yers are reaching management positions with too many assumptions placed upon them. Are your marketing and sales approaching them correctly?

While this survey was small and focused on the construction financial manager, I believe this to be true in Operations and Leadership positions throughout the AEC industry. Perhaps as people grow in experience and rise in the ranks, we all become more focused on building meaningful relationships. This is the secret to success in business and business development.

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As a construction software specialist I’m here to help with any technology needs, please consider connecting with me on LinkedIn, email or call. I’ll be happy to have a face to face meeting if you’re in the Phoenix Metro area.