So many architects struggle to attract their ideal clients…
You rely heavily on referrals, as you always have. That worked well for a long time, but it’s not working like it used to, and you’re a little worried about the pipeline of projects coming up.
You believe in your practice, and your work. You want to market yourself better
But, it’s challenging to figure it all out on your own. You’ve tried to do it alone, but none of it worked the way you expected. You’re not really sure why, and you’ve wasted a lot of time.
You aren’t sure what the best strategies are for your firm. You’re concerned that what you’re doing right now could be attracting less-than-ideal clients. You need some objective feedback and advice from a consultant with real experience in architectural marketing—someone to talk to who gets what makes architecture unique.
“It’s a bit of a mine field out there, but Dave made it easy for us. Once we had identified a few streams to focus on, he coached our staff through the actions. The results spoke for themselves. Our Instagram following doubled within the space of a couple of months!”
PHILIP STEJSKAL, PHILIP STEJSKAL ARCHITECTURE
You don’t have to do it on your own.
I’ve helped over 100 architecture firm principals who were facing the same situation you’re in right now.
I know why you’re where you are, and how to help you to get where you want to be. I understand why you made the previous marketing decisions you did, and why they didn’t work.
I’ve combined my background in architecture, and insights generated during thousands of hours of conversation with leading architects about what works (and doesn’t work) in their marketing, to create a consulting process designed for the unique marketing and business challenges architects face.
I’ll help you to implement proven marketing strategies, so you can grow your firm (the right way) and attract more appreciative and profitable clients. Through marketing coaching, you’ll learn new skills, tools and principles that will benefit your business for years to come.
The benefits of hiring a coach.
- Increase in leads and client quality.
- Clear strategies that connect with your goals, and an understanding of how to position and promote your firm.
- A simple marketing plan with straightforward action steps that will give you clarity on where to direct your energy and time.
- Detailed training on how to harness the power of various marketing approaches, such as social media platforms; print and online media coverage; Instagram, Facebook and Google advertising; website performance, copy, conversion and SEO; and content marketing (blog, podcast, video and live events).
- Advice from an architectural marketing specialist who has honed effective strategies and tactics from working with over 100 architecture firms around the world in different stages of the journey who were facing the same challenges you’re dealing with right now.
“Dave just gets it! He quickly understood our small Architecture firm. We were convinced by his knowledge and experience from our very first meeting. Dave continues to give us regular direction and invaluable advice, in our inspiring monthly meetings!”
David Nicholson, Robert Nichol & Sons
one-time
- Discover critical issues
- Clarify your message
- Detailed recommendations
then A$385/mo
- An effective plan
- Detailed next steps
- Tested strategies
one-time
- Clear next steps
- Expert advice
- Honest feedback
*Want to know what my main coaching service costs in your currency? Approximately $995 USD or £738 for the first stage, then $274 USD or £203 per month.
Here’s how the process works.
A discovery call, followed by three 60-minute sessions in the first month, then a single 60-minute session each month.
Step 1 – Book a discovery call.
We’ll meet for 30 minutes via Zoom to chat about your practice, work out whether we’re a good fit and discuss next steps. If we’re both ready to get started, we’ll confirm the dates and times for our first three meetings, and I’ll send you an invoice and questionnaire for you to complete before our next meeting.
Step 2 – We’ll schedule three 60-minute meetings to discuss your goals, analyse your current marketing and develop your plan for the months ahead.
- Discovery: Learning more about you and your firm as we closely examine your current situation and give you space to reflect on your goals and direction.
- Onboarding: Guiding you through the technology and systems that we’ll use to run your marketing, so you can save time and track the progress you’re making.
- Recommendations and planning: Discussing observations and recommendations for your marketing strategy and mapping out a set of actions for you to begin working on right away after each meeting.
This individualized program includes
Three 60-minute strategy calls over one month, so you can start out strong with a clear marketing plan and receive guidance that you can put to use after the very first call.
Unlimited email support, so you’ll never have to rely on Google for marketing advice again.
The most effective strategies, tools and techniques for every relevant marketing channel, so you can grow your business with confidence long after we’ve finished working together.
Recordings of each meeting for reference, so you’ll always have them on hand to review when necessary.
Investment: A$1400 (approx. $995, £738) one-time.
Step 3 – We’ll meet once a month to review progress, answer your questions and train you and your team on the next steps.
- Ongoing monthly 60-minute Zoom calls to work on implementing your plan together. You’ll leave each meeting with 5 to 10 specific action items and total clarity on the next steps to take to reach your goals.
- Have your questions answered, learn and setup tools and systems to help you achieve more in less time, discuss strategy and planning, and work on marketing directly via screenshare, so you’ll feel continuously supported and confident executing your marketing plan.
- Unlimited email support in between regular monthly meetings to answer any questions that pop up and keep you moving forward. It will feel like you have a marketing expert on your team.
Investment: A$385 (approx. $274, £203) per month.
Meet Dave Sharp, M.Arch
When I was studying architecture and starting my career working in small practices, I saw first-hand how hard it is to promote your work and your services effectively (and tastefully) as an architect.
I realised that what small practices needed was someone who could advise them with objectivity and experience, and figure out what they were doing wrong, and the big opportunities they were missing. I knew this is where I could best serve the profession, so I set about learning everything I could about digital marketing and social media. To date, I have worked with over 100 architecture firms and have helped take them to the next level through tasteful and effective sales and marketing techniques. I’d love to do the same for you.
“Dave has been fantastic at keeping up my momentum and focus around marketing. He understands the broader design and architecture field and is able to offer valuable feedback and advice.”
Mairead Murphy, Maike Design Studio
Marketing Coaching is for you if:
- You are a principal of an architecture firm with 20 or fewer employees.
- You want to have a clearer understanding of how to position and promote yourself, and want to know how to approach every aspect of your marketing.
- You are motivated to put the work in to improve your business.
- You are ready to take personal responsibility, be organized and engage in the process fully to see the benefits.
- You are excited to learn the tools to help you become more efficient and successful.
- You are ready for real results and for clients to say, “We just fell in love with your firm as soon as we saw your website,” or “I’ve read every one of your posts and just had to work with you.”
Marketing Coaching is NOT for you if:
- You are not a principal of an architecture firm or you have more than 20 employees
- You are looking for a quick fix, silver bullet or overnight marketing success.
- You want to completely offload your marketing duties and have someone else take care of them for you.
- You are not willing to learn new skills, experiment with different tactics, make mistakes and stretch outside your comfort zone.
“Dave has opened our eyes to opportunities we didn’t know existed. He’s helped us clarify and articulate our vision and he’s given us great insights into the world of marketing. He is friendly, funny and totally understanding of the obstacles that face small architecture practices. He always allows us time to feel comfortable with our decisions going forward and explains everything to make sure we understand. We love working with him.”
Karen Pisaniello, EON Design
Frequently asked questions.
What size are the firms that you work with?
I have performed most paid services for firms with 1-30 people. My entire consulting and advisory practice is built on knowing the differences between firms of different sizes. If you have only two employees, I can help you at the current stage and tell you what is coming next. If you have 30 people, I understand your unique issues too.
Speaking of expectations, can you explain further what mine should be?
My work is not a silver bullet. What clients appreciate the most, though, is an outside perspective on how they are really doing, or how to accomplish something without reinventing the wheel. They realise that change is still dependent on them, but they want to be pointed in the right direction based on what has been successful for other architecture firms.
What will a typical meeting look like if we work together on a monthly basis?
Each session will typically start off with an assessment of your situation and a review of changes you have made since our previous meeting. We’ll then form a game plan for the month ahead, decide on 5-10 specific tasks for you to complete before our next meeting, and discuss the implementation in detail. We may also work on more complicated tasks together during the session to save you time.
How long should we expect the process to take before I start to see results?
Long-term results take time and consistent effort every month. My carefully planned process will usually take 12 months for the typical firm to see a significant improvement. However, you will start picking up signs of progress right away. New clients will mention that your website and social media really resonated with them, your traffic and audience will start growing faster, and you’ll start feeling more confident and positive about the direction your firm is heading.
Can you help me to implement some of the recommendations?
In most cases, it’ll be better for you to implement the changes yourself, at first. I will assist you in finding and managing a freelancer to take over, or offer to provide assistance with the implementation myself if you prefer.
How can you help me from Melbourne?
Melbourne is my home base, but I work with firms all over the world. My clients hire me because they think I know what I’m doing and not because I’m nearby. I conduct all engagements via Zoom.
Can you show me sample recommendations?
No.
I’d recommend that you read everything that interests you here and on my blog to get a feel for how I think and work with clients, and then just go with your gut. I appreciate new clients taking the time to familiarise themselves with my content.
Which areas of my marketing will you provide advice on?
These are the most common marketing topics I help my clients with:
- Website improvement, copywriting and search engine optimisation.
- Email marketing (newsletters).
- Instagram and Linkedin marketing.
- Facebook and Instagram advertising.
- Project PR (media kits, getting published and project pages.)
- Content marketing (blogs, videos and podcasts).
- Sales and negotiation.
- Automation, systems and processes.
- Mindset, positioning and overall marketing strategy.
I’m not an architect, can we still work together?
No. My expertise is highly specialised and tested for architecture practices. I do not offer speculative marketing advice to brands in other verticals. I will happily refer you to someone else who will be a better fit for your firm.
Who will be working with us?
Dave Sharp does all the work with clients. When you engage me, you’re working with me directly.
What does your monthly consulting fee cover?
The monthly fee covers my time meeting with you each month, the research and analysis I conduct prior to that meeting and a portion of the capacity I have available to answer your questions via email and think about your firm between our meetings. It also contributes directly to paying for the advanced tools and apps I use to provide you with data and insightful analysis during our meetings.
My firm has plenty of work, how can you help me?
My process adapts to firms at every stage of the growth journey, whether they’re just getting started, or they’re already the established industry leaders and are looking for new opportunities. I have worked with a number of fast-growing, successful firms who have no trouble getting work. Instead, they seek my advice on a wide range of subjects including: improving client quality, systems and processes, delegation and management, reporting to shareholders & boards, auditing external marketing vendors, personal branding, book launches, public speaking, pro bono & philanthropic initiatives and much more.
What do you provide for me after each meeting?
You will receive a todo list that summarises all of the action items and recommendations generated during our meeting.
You will also receive a link to a Google Drive folder than contains the full HD recordings of our meetings so that you can re-watch anything you’ve missed.
After our meeting I’ll be available to answer your questions and provide further advice (where possible) via email as you implement the action items.
How soon can we start?
I request at least a three-week lead-time for new coaching relationships. I typically have 1-2 openings for new clients each month, but those fill up quickly. The sooner we can start the conversation, the better.
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