Developing future leadership with client-getting skills is not only one of the most important issues a firm faces, but also one of the most difficult. A firm's success in this area will affect its future growth rate, its profitability, its management succession and even its survival.

Ford Harding, author of "Creating Rainmakers: The Manager's Guide to Training Professionals to Attract New Clients," will guide a half-day workshop on January 27, 2009. This session will explore ways that firms can turn their architects and engineers into client-getters. This interactive session will present four or five situations commonly faced by the management of architecture and engineering firms. These situations have major implications for the development of future sales leadership. They include situations such as:

• Selecting a person to head a practice or office
• Dealing with staff resistance to developing business
• Advising young, high-potential employees on how to get started at bringing in new business
• Advising a former client minder in a new job that requires client finding

This program will begin with comments from Ford Harding based on his firm's research into the characteristics of rainmakers. Then, the audience will discuss each situation in small groups in accordance with a structure provided by Ford Harding and then share their findings. Harding will then add his insights, based on his years of consulting professional firms on client development and extensive research into the issues.

Ford Harding, Harding & Company, can be contacted at (973)763-9284 or at fharding@HardingCo.com.

Jan Quintrall will talk about the recent BBB-Gallup survey about trust in American business. How can you capitalize on reputation and actions, what can you do to set yourself apart and why are more people turning to the BBB, Angie's List and other rating sources before they buy.

The BBB in Spokane serves Eastern Washington, North Idaho and Montana with dispute resolution, pre-purchase reliability reports on business and Scam Alerts. In 2008 this office delivered just under 416,000 report on businesses located in the three state service area. Start with Trust is our mantra, and we encourage donors and buyers to check bbb.org before they open their wallet.

About our Presenter:

Jan Quintrall, President / CEO, Better Business Bureau
Serving Eastern Washington, North Idaho & Montana

Jan served the BBB of the Pike's Peak Region, Inc. in Colorado Springs, CO for nine years before relocating to the Northwest in December of 1998 to pursue the position of President with the BBB serving the Eastern Washington/North Idaho area. As President of the BBB, Jan has successfully taken the neutral non-profit organization from a $325,000 working budget to a $1.6 million dollar endeavor.

In January of 2002, the BBB of the Inland Northwest, under Jan’s leadership, took over the Better Business Bureau of Central and SE WA. Most recently, in January, 2004, the Bureau then acquired the state of Montana. Through this growth the BBB has gained a greater service outreach and expansion in its accredited business base. The BBB Serving the Inland Northwest has now become the BBB Serving Eastern Washington, North Idaho & Montana.

With the BBB now servicing a large and varied number of media groups, Jan has cultivated an excellent regional partnership with radio, television and print. She does monthly live talk radio shows, and consistently wields interviews with reporters regarding the latest topics in customer-business relations as well as writing articles for the Spokesman.

Marketing Associates of Spokane proudly welcomes Ed Clark, Owner of The Clark Company and publisher of the How’s Business Newsletter to speak at our March 11, 2009 meeting.  Mr. Clark will discuss the “Big R” word and share with us some strategies to thrive in a down turning economy. Ed will offer his insight and suggest real and meaningful tips you can use in your professional and personal lives. During the lunch and discussion you will hear more about:

• Growing your business when others are stalled
• Putting new media opportunities to work for you
• Building LTR with your customers
• Sending the right messages
• Now’s the time for good PR
• Tips to make your news releases more effective
• And more….

About our Presenter

Ed. Clark, born and raised in Spokane, has been in the advertising, marketing, public relations business in the Pacific Northwest since graduating from Eastern Washington University in 1969. He has also served on many community, business and government boards. 

Ed is the owner of The Clark Company, an advertising, public relations, media agency that serves a wide variety of clients in the inland Northwest. In addition to handling business clientele, his firm has also been instrumental in passing community issues that resulted in the Arena, the Convention Center Expansion and Spokane public schools. He also writes and produces a radio business report for KXLY and is the publisher of the How's Business Newsletter that goes to over 5,700 readers a week.

In addition to his business and civic endeavors Ed has taught advertising, marketing and public relations classes at Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, Spokane Falls and Spokane Community College. He is a frequent guest lecturer on marketing as well as an emcee for community events.

Rich previously served as the chief executive officer of Chambers of Commerce in Saint Paul, Minnesota-1986-1993, Boulder, Colorado-1980-1986, and Kalispell, Montana - 1977-1980.

Rich’s voluntary involvement includes both professional and community roles.  He is Past Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), and a board member of the Spokane Area Workforce Development Council, Washington Chamber of Commerce Executives, Association of Washington Business, and Colbert Presbyterian Church.

Rich graduated from Iowa State University and was a Naval Air Intelligence Officer during the Vietnam War. Rich and his wife, Rita, have been married 38 years and have two children. Rita is a third grade teacher in the Spokane Public Schools.  Son Jeremy has a small business in the music industry and daughter Brittany is a junior at the University of Puget Sound.

What Challenges do you face at work? Crafting an effective marketing plan and marketing communications? Finding sure-fire ways to position the organization and sell its products and services? Achieving double-digit growth? Reducing turnover? Getting people to take action?

Stories can help you address these critical business issues - and much more! Hear about key insights and practices gathered from over 70 organizations around the world like Kimpton Hotels, Levi Strauss Signature, Kimberly Clark, Fisher & Paykel and Microsoft that are using stories to strengthen their overall performance. Learn why stories work, how they are distinctly different from examples, case studies, and anecdotes, and how to effectively use stories within the strategic marketing plan process, in business development and in your organization's branding efforts.

During her presentation, Lori Silverman will help you discover:

• How to appropriately listen for and evoke stories on a daily basis.
• How to dig into stories to enhance organizational knowledge and decision-making.
• Criteria for selecting stories that reinforce key business messages.
• The steps for crafting memorable stories.
• Multiple ways to embody stories in order to positively impact people's behaviors, attitudes and thinking.

Check out Lori Silverman's website: www.lorisilverman.com

Mike McDevitt's Final PowerPoint Presentation 

At times like this it is critical to get the most from every penny, yet people often overlook ways to optimize what should be their most efficient marketing channel.

The May MAS program is about simple things you can do yourself to make your company more discoverable online. So if you have ever worried about what all those three letter acronyms like SEO, SEM, PPC, CPC, CPA, SMM mean and which of them matter to your business, this presentation should help. During the lunch and discussion, you will hear more about the following:

• What Google Sees. How search engines work, what your site looks like to search engines, and what that means for your business.
• How you can influence your results by consistently using some basic best practices.
• Setting priorities, and discovering tools you can use to help you make informed decisions about what you need to do first and why.
• Getting beyond the hype and understanding which technologies and resources make sense for your business (i.e. do you really need to tweet?)
• When to ask for help, and what to look for if you do. What should a saavy, but non-technical, marketer look for in a subject matter expert.

Understanding how search engines view and rank websites is critical to understanding how your actions influence that process. We will cover what factors influence which site shows up first when you type a query into Google, and what you can do to improve your performance. From common mistakes you can easily correct on your own to what to consider as you look at paying for tools and consultants.

Personal Biography

Mike McDevitt is the President and Co-Founder of Seattle-based Foundry Interactive. Foundry is an interactive agency which builds, markets and optimizes websites that connect customers and business in ways that are both meaningful and measurable. Their core services include search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), corporate blogging strategies, social media marketing, email marketing, site analytics, and custom web and mobile development.

Mike is a graduate of Princeton University with over 10 years experience working in interactive media. He has worked with companies such as Google, Expedia and Zillow.com. Het has a firm appreciation of traditional direct marketing techniques having worked in traditional media at publications like Better Homes and Gardens and Country Living.

Years of working with large marketers solving complex online marketing problems have given him insight into the technologies and techniques which define this highly competitive marketplace. However, his passion is helping small to mid-sized businesses learn how to leverage these technologies to efficiently source and service customers in a rapidly changing environment.

Mike lives in Seattle with his wife, Janet, and their two young children, Colin and Alexa.

On June 11th you will learn how to make your stuff more readable than the next guy's by using practical tools that can transform everything from text-heavy collateral to direct mail and proposals... even your correspondence!

A few other items you will learn about include:

• New insights into marketing your message
• Practical tools you can put to work the very same day
• Clear explanations and sound reasons behind recommendations
• Valuable criteria to help you make decisions and evaluate work-for-hire
• Handouts you'll want to keep

Presenter Suzanne Foust is the owner of Kindred Creative Services, a marketing communications company that specializes in fresh ideas and clear differentiation for clients across the country.

Celebrating 13 years this May, Kindred Creative Services was based in St. Paul, Minnesota until 2006 when Suzanne moved the business to Spokane. Her marketing career spans over 30 years, 17 of those were invested with a Fortune 500 company where she was Senior Creative Director for much of that time.

Bringing Kindred Creative Services to Spokane has introduced a new market to Suzanne's gift for telling client stories with impact and empathy. She promises clients and prospects that she can provide writing that gets read, design that gets remembered and joy throughout the process.

Suzanne will work for coffee....this invitation explains the coffee stain on her business card. The offer: Buy Suzanne a cup of coffee and she will give you an hour or two of her time without charge to explore whatever marketing matters are on your mind.

You can contact Suzanne at Kindred Creative Services at (509) 466-2208 or email her at sfkindred@comcast.net.

More information on this program can be found at http://www.developingspokane.org/incentives/default.aspx. 

Click on the following link for a copy of the PRESENTATION.

Todd S. Woodard
Director, Marketing/Public Relations
Spokane International Airport
9000 West Airport Drive, Suite 204
Spokane, Washington 99224
Phone: 509-455-6470
Email: todd.woodard@spokaneairports.net

MAS presents a discussion and Q&A session with Todd Woodard and Dan Johnson, representatives from the Spokane International Airport, Felts Field Airport and the Airport Business Park.  Learn more about the organizational structure, a review of 2009-2013 capital projects, passenger/cargo data, air service and the various ways of doing business with the organization. 

This presentation will also address the following questions provided by some of our MAS membership, to share what is new with the Spokane International Airport:

- How should local A/E/C firms position themselves to work more with SIA?
- What are tips for SOQs and interviews that could differentiate ourselves from the competition?
- How does SIA rank shortlisted firms during the interview process?
- How often does SIA refer to their small works roster to hire for projects?
- Any upcoming improvement projects that SIA has in store for the next five years?
- What is the plan for growth and business expansion at SIA (including growth of SIA staff)?

Click for more information on this month's program.

Meeting sponsored by:

Technical staff members in A/E/C firms are often afraid of marketing, but in reality the track to principal level requires that you market - and market successfully.  This session begins to reduce or remove these fears, by redefining the concept of 'marketing,' discussing tactics for marketing activities, and developing the approach of pursuing clients rather than projects.

Click for more information on this month's program.