Lead-finding service gives AEC firms a competitive edge
We’ve talked before about the necessity of generating, maintaining and following up on leads. It’s a marketing task that requires daily and ongoing activity to ensure your firm is well-positioned to secure new work. While the internet makes finding project and client leads easier, the amount of information a marketer can find in a manner of seconds can be overwhelming.
As a marketing consultant for the design and build industry and freelance consultant for MARKETLINK, Beth Fillerup recently was looking for a reliable and efficient lead-finding service for several clients who depend on knowing what is happening in their specialized public market sectors.
She had used IMS, a Dodge data and analytics company, nearly two decades ago and had found it to be extremely helpful. After doing some research she found IMS is still a leader in advance notice public leads specifically for architects, engineers, and construction management professionals.
We asked Beth to share some of her takeaways from her research and use of IMS:
Time is Money
IMS takes the lengthy research out of the process. “I was impressed with how easy it is to find each public agency’s CIP, budgets, projects they have put out for RFP/RFQ, and what they have in the pipeline,” describes Beth. In the past, she may have spent hours on websites and making phone calls to find out what an agency had in the works. Now she simply goes to imsinfo.com for direct links to their home, contact, and CIP pages.
Customer Service
IMS touts that customer service is the glue that bonds IMS data together and Beth has found it to be true. “I rate their customer service very high,” she discloses. “They respond promptly to questions and reach out annually to make sure I know about any new features or updates.” IMS account managers also serve as helpful resources for explaining a feature Beth doesn’t know or understand.
Gaining an Edge
Every day subscribers receive a customized email that outlines any new or updated projects in the services, markets, and geographies they have outlined as targets. “During initial setup, IMS asks questions to determine what your firm’s needs are and then sets up the account,” Beth explains. “You can give them feedback on whether you are seeing what you were hoping for, and they continue to work with you to fine-tune your profile as needed.” And when Beth has needed to add services, IMS has been very responsive and made the changes quickly.
While she found the website search feature clunky and not always intuitive, Beth has been pleased with the marketplace knowledge she has gained from this research firm. Tapping into this data can be invaluable for bringing new business to our firms.
Beth Fillerup is an AEC marketing consultant based in San Luis Obispo, California. She has over 25 years of experience in the design and building industry, having worked in marketing for architecture, engineering, and construction firms. She has published articles in North American Clean Energy, Municipal Water Leader, and Utah Construction and Design Magazine. She has been sourced as an industry expert on Houzz.com.
