#117 How to Structure Your AEC Marketing Department:
Insights from Industry Leaders, Part 2
In the second part of our series on structuring your AEC marketing department, we continue our conversation with industry leaders Anna Skeete, Russ Sanford, and Kinnari Desai. This episode delves deeper into the inner workings of their departments and explores how they are perceived by colleagues, teaming partners, and clients. The focus shifts to topics such as time management, effective communication, and streamlined workflows that contribute to efficient and successful outcomes. By listening to these experts, you’ll gain valuable insights into how differently sized firms establish effective marketing departments.
The episode kicks off by addressing the perceptions of coworkers, partners, and clients towards the marketing structure implemented by each guest. Starting at the timestamp 2:20, you’ll hear their thoughts on the overall effectiveness and reception of their respective department structures.
Recruiting, retention, career growth, and firm growth take center stage at 14:49, as our guests share their strategies and experiences in nurturing talent within their teams. They discuss the importance of creating an environment conducive to professional development and outline how this positively impacts both individual careers and the overall growth of their firms.
Determining the right time to expand the marketing team is a crucial aspect of departmental structure. At 23:29, our guests provide valuable insights on recognizing the need for additional team members and the factors they consider when making such decisions. This discussion sheds light on the importance of balancing workload and maintaining optimal productivity.
At 31:54, the focus shifts to how department structure contributes to staff career growth. The guests explore various approaches, including mentorship programs, training initiatives, and cross-functional opportunities that foster individual advancement. By creating a supportive framework, firms can align employee growth with the overall goals of the marketing department.
Finally, at 38:39, the episode concludes by examining how departmental organization supports the overall growth of their respective firms. Our guests share their strategies for leveraging an efficient department structure to maximize opportunities, optimize resources, and adapt to changing market demands.
Tune in to this insightful episode to gain invaluable perspectives from industry leaders on structuring your AEC marketing department, enabling you to enhance your team’s efficiency, nurture talent, and foster sustainable growth within your firm.
Here are some highlights from the episode:
- Perception of Marketing Structure: Starting at the timestamp 2:20, our guests share their insights on how coworkers, teaming partners, and clients perceive their marketing department structures. Understanding these perceptions is crucial for assessing the effectiveness and reception of your department’s organization.
- Nurturing Talent and Firm Growth: At 14:49, the discussion revolves around recruiting, retention, career growth, and firm growth. Our guests provide valuable strategies and experiences on how to cultivate talent within your marketing team, creating an environment that fosters professional development and contributes to the overall growth of the firm.
- Adding Team Members: Determining when to expand your marketing team is a key decision. Starting at 23:29, our guests shed light on the indicators that signal the need for additional team members and the factors they consider when making such decisions. This discussion helps you understand the balance between workload and productivity to optimize your team’s performance.
- Career Growth within the Department: At 31:54, the guests discuss how department structure supports staff career growth. They delve into various approaches such as mentorship programs, training initiatives, and cross-functional opportunities that empower employees to advance professionally while aligning their growth with the department’s goals.
- Departmental Organization and Firm Growth: The episode concludes at 38:39 by exploring how a well-organized marketing department can support the overall growth of the firm. My guests share their strategies for leveraging an efficient department structure to maximize opportunities, optimize resources, and adapt to evolving market demands.
By listening, you’ll gain valuable insights into creating an effective AEC marketing department structure, nurturing talent, and driving sustainable growth within your firm.
Kinnari Desai, Marketing Manager, Geosyntec Consultants
Kinnari is a marketing professional with over 15 years of experience developing integrated marketing campaigns for technology brands until the AEC industry caught her eye in 2021. Marketing for services in the physical world have as many technical complexities as hardware and SaaS marketing which continues to challenge Kinnari in her career growth. She thrives in distilling technical jargon into impactful value propositions agnostic of the marketing touchpoint.
Geosyntec Consultants is a consulting and engineering firm with a combined staff exceeding 1,800 engineers, scientists and support personnel in over 90 offices globally. At Geosyntec Consultants, she helps engineers and scientists meet their sales goals in Geosyntec’s ‘Sell-Manage-Do’ model. Kinnari has a M.S. in Communication Management from the University of Southern California and B.A. in International Studies and Business Management from the University of California, Irvine.
Russ Sanford, FSMPS, CPSM, Chief Growth Officer, Kleinschmidt
Russ is an engineer by education, but a business leader by choice. He is passionate about helping technical professionals learn and master the art of winning work! He serves as a strategist, coach, and mentor for technical professionals while developing a seller/doer culture at Kleinschmidt, a national engineering and environmental consulting firm with a focus on energy, water and the environment.
Russ earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering and has over 30 years of marketing, business development and sales experience within professional service firms including engineering, construction and architecture. He is a Fellow and a Certified Professional Services Marketer (FSMPS, CPSM) from the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS).
Anna Skeete, Marketing Director, Protean Design Group, Inc.
Anna Skeete is the Director of Marketing for Protean Design Group, Inc., a small transportation-focused engineering firm in Florida. Bringing 15 years of marketing experience in the AEC industry, Anna oversees all marketing efforts within Protean—from proposal development to presentation coaching, strategic planning to overall branding, CRM customization and implementation to annual project manager training. During her 8 years with Protean, Anna has contributed to a 350% increase in sales through streamlined and targeted practices and has built a department to support the growing marketing responsibilities. Anna has been active with the SMPS Central Florida Chapter since 2008.
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