What kind of role are you giving clients in your Architecture/Engineering/Construction project summaries? Are your clients given a cameo or supporting role, or are they a star? The answer? It probably depends on the significance of the project and the company’s long-term goals.
A/E/C firms complete countless projects each year and feature many of them on their websites, in proposals, and other marketing collateral. Depending on the firm, these project summaries may include a client testimonial or a few quotes in the write-up. In some cases, it may be worth your time to prepare a more extensive client-focused case study that offers information about your client’s challenges, your solution, and project results.
Including client stories, quotes, and descriptive narratives in marketing materials adds authenticity to a firm’s brand. No one else can tell those stories. These narratives also create emotional connections with potential clients, and they’re usually more memorable than facts and figures.
It’s been said that people make buying decisions based on emotion and then justify them with logic.
In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), original stories and client quotes can help create a stronger human connection with the reader. A/E/C prospects value the technical expertise of professional services firms. But they also want to know, like, and trust the experts they will hire.
Consider the three ways you can use your client’s views to provide social proof that your firm delivered a successful project.
Client Testimonials: A Cameo Appearance
Many project summaries include technical details and describe the deliverable. Client testimonials may be included as part of the narrative. These testimonials can come from industry award entries or positive comments shared with project managers or associates. Many clients will allow you to share their comments in your collateral if asked.
This approach provides some client insights but may not fully reveal their challenges and how your firm collaborated to solve a problem.
A/E/C firms have countless projects to highlight their expertise. Even brief testimonials can remind readers of the value of your projects to your clients.
Brief Client Stories: A Supporting Role
While a short testimonial can highlight a firm’s value, a more detailed narrative may have more impact. Your firm could offer more information about how you resolved your client’s challenges and provided successful outcomes.
You can include quotes from a client and reveal how the project has made a difference for your client and the end user. This narrative may only be a short paragraph. Can your client explain how an improved park’s usage has increased or how a downtown development project resulted in more retail traffic?
A project summary may focus on your firm and how you delivered services. By including some client quotes and their insights, you’re demonstrating the value your project is bringing to your client. Perhaps you can go into detail about your planning process and outline how you collaborated with the client to understand their goals.
Client-Focused Case Study: A Starring Role
A traditional case study describes your happy client’s challenges, your solution, and the results, although not necessarily in that order. With this format, the client gets more of a starring role. However, your firm is still portrayed as the trusted mentor and guide that led the client to a successful outcome.
This type of case study highlights the happy client, but the content also provides information about your services. If applicable, you can also quote your firm’s project manager to offer their point of view.
Case studies are typically two to three pages and include project graphics, relevant metrics, and a headshot of the happy client.
Sidebars can list project details and other relevant information, such as subconsultants, timelines, and industry awards.
A call to action at the end of the case study provides information about how prospects can contact the A/E/C firm.
Choose Your Approach to Match the Project
How will you humanize your project summary? Take on the role of casting director as you plan your next project summary. Will you feature a client in a cameo role and share a testimonial from them? Or perhaps you’ll go into more detail about their collaboration with your firm. In that case, they get a supporting role.
If you want to give a key client a starring role, consider a client-focused case study where they offer more information about their challenges and the solution you provided.
In some cases, it may be enough to share technical details. Perhaps that’s all you can do because of rules imposed by the client. When possible, you can humanize your content by including information from a client’s perspective.
Use Social Proof
One way to differentiate your firm in the age of AI is to take a more human-centric approach to your content. By adding testimonials, short stories, and more extended case studies, your firm will build trust and credibility with the readers. And in the end, that’s what you’re seeking with your firm’s marketing collateral. Use client input to provide social proof regarding the value of your services.
Have Questions?
How are you featuring happy clients in your marketing collateral? I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Subscribe to A/E/C Connect to learn more. If you have a challenge or question you would like me to address, post it in the comments section or contact me at blaizecommunications@gmail.com.
