Session Descriptions:
OPENING SESSION
More Cowbell: How to Empower Your Technical Professionals to be Business Development Rockstars
“More Cowbell” refers to something you need more of, a remedy. As the business developer, you may be the lead singer, but unless you’re embarking on a solo career, your band of doer-seller’s must each master their parts and together you’ll earn your place on the Grammy stage. This (jam) session will give you unique, fun and proven methods to inspire even those who play cowbell to amp up their role in the business development efforts of the firm.
Join the Cowbell crew in an interactive talk show style discussion with three diverse industry experts who will share creative, successful, and positive techniques they have employed that changed the way their technical professionals look at business development, the way their firm’s leadership is measuring business development performance, and how these programs highlight BD Rock Stars firms never knew they had.
SESSION 1
A) Hit the Mark—Implementing a Strategic Business Development Program in your Firm
Does your firm employ the shotgun approach to business development, marketing to the masses with no clear focus? Does your firm have issues with organization, communication and follow through? Do you seem to get close but are having trouble closing the deal? Do you often hear the excuse there is just no time? Implementing a strategic business development program in your firm can help your firm transition to a more strategic rifle approach placing more focus on specific targets. By implementing a business development program driven by a priority based client management approach, you can be sure you are spending the majority of your time on your highest priority clients while addressing your other clients at the same time. This session will take you step by step through a successful Business Development Program that can work for any size firm to improve your return on business development investment. Once you have identified your strategic priority one clients, by developing and implementing a client capture plan for each of them, you can ensure you are maximizing your business development efforts to win work and stay ahead of your competition.
B) Pulling Out All the Stops to Win
A lot has been written about the power of relationships in professional services marketing, but having a good working relationship with the top decision maker is not enough to win. In the competitive, post-Great Recession era, it takes more. It takes a strategy, a plan and, most importantly, the exact amount of where-with-all to follow through on it. Winning work is about getting to the root of what a client genuinely needs.
“Pulling out all the stops” offers participants a variety of take-home tools that can be put to work that day. These include tools to track competition, to uncover a client’s real needs, to put together an unbeatable team, and more. The session offers the blueprints for strategy and the team needed to bring it home. Whether it’s winning multi-million dollar federal contracts or a great foot-in-the-door project with a new client, these tools are customizable, easy to use, and offer different ways to find your edge.
SESSION 2
A) Networking for Introverts
You don’t have to be an extrovert to be a good networker! Networking is an essential component of any career, from job search to career advancement and business development to social development. For some, networking presents particular challenges such as resistance, anxiety, exhaustion, and a feeling of being overwhelmed. This hands on workshop will help attendees explore ways in which the networking process can be adapted to fit the unique skills and style of the introvert. Best of all, attendees will leave with a Networking Strategy Workbook to continue building their networking skills.
B) Leveraging Your Professional Association for Business Development
Does your firm ever ask how professional associations benefit business developers? Business Developers in the A/E/C industry depend on their networks to position their firms for success. This session brings together a panel of seasoned professionals to share how involvement in professional associations has built a solid network to open doors and reveal opportunities for their firms. The experiences shared will cover opportunities on local, regional and national levels. The panelists will share their business development styles and examples of making the connection to position their firms for future projects.
Speakers:
Frank Lippert, CPSM, FSMPS 
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Frank is Parsons Brinckerhoff’s business development manager for the Western United States focusing on the water infrastructure market. He works with a dynamic team of seller/doers, helping them position for and win work. From the first meetings through the interview, Frank coaches, guides and help his team find the right strategy and angle to set themselves apart. Frank is a former SMPS national president (2011- 2012) and former SMPS Foundation president (2004 – 2005), but he’s focusing his SMPS involvement today by working with and promoting the next generation of leadership in the organization.
Jason Vesuvio 
Director of Business Development, Faithful+Gould
Jason is a versatile, creative and successful marketerand business developer of architecture/building industryprofessional services, with a record of accomplishment of newproject awards and establishing new client relationships ina variety of market sectors. He is experienced in a broad range of marketing and business development areas, including strategic vision; planning and implementation; new client and services business development; teaming strategies; geographic expansion; branding; and hands-on participation in proposals, presentations, graphic design, web design and CRM tools.
Andrew Weinberg, FSMPS, CPSM 
Regional Business Development Manager, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Andrew has served in a marketing or business development capacity in the A/E/C industry for more than 16 years. He is currently the Regional Business Development Manager for Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), a national engineering firm that designs, investigates and rehabilitates structures and building enclosures. Andrew is responsible for establishing and strengthening relationships with clients and industry partners, building awareness for the firm’s NYC, leading the initiative to increase the business development culture and activities of the senior staff, and helping educate and coach all levels of technical staff on appropriate business development practices.
Jennifer Yoder, CPSM 
Vice President - business Development, JRB Engineering
Jennifer has served the A/E/C industry for more than 20 years and currently serves as Vice President of Business Development for JRB Engineering, a full service DBE geotechnical, construction materials testing, and environmental consulting firm with offices throughout Texas. Jennifer develops and implements strategies along with creating teaming opportunities to capture work throughout the Southern US. Jennifer also represents Rone Engineering, mentor firm to JRB Engineering.
