Calling All Marketers: Get Organized

A well-organized marketing department is essential to a firm’s success. Marketers work on tight deadlines and need to access information quickly. Summertime is the perfect season to dig in and get ready for the fall proposal season.

Below are tips to stay organized:

Clear the Decks: Take time between proposals to throw away what you don’t need. File digital documents and hard copies. Also make sure that your final document (the one sent to the client) can be easily located by the marketing team and principals.

Start With Proposal Checklist: Develop a proposal checklist sheet to keep track of basic information such as the client, project address, square footage, inhouse team and consultants. Also write a simple project description. If you get the job, you won’t need to hunt through the RFP to develop a description for resumes and project sheets.

Click here to download a free proposal checklist for architecture firms.

Use A Basic Proposal Template: Begin with a clean slate. Don’t take an old proposal and do save as. Sometimes the wrong client name will remain in a document. Other mistakes can occur no matter how many people proof the proposal.

Maintain A Boiler Plate Folder: New content is often created during the proposal process. Use this material again. Place write ups and other documents (such as proof of insurance and certifications) in one place. Don’t waste critical time going through old proposal files looking through documents.

Moving from proposal to proposal can place tremendous stress on your marketing team. It’s important to take time at the end of the proposal cycle to acknowledge a job well done before starting something new. Think about scheduling a lunch or a short outing to celebrate your team before tackling the next big project.

Elizabeth Tuico spent a decade preparing proposal submissions for two architecture firms in Washington, DC. Through this experience, she understands how important marketing department organization is to winning work. She consults with AEC clients on how to improve the marketing workflow process, in addition to refreshing collateral, crafting award submissions, and updating image libraries.

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Hirshhorn Museum, 2019