{"id":733088,"date":"2024-04-15T05:04:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T04:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=733088"},"modified":"2024-04-15T08:59:11","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T07:59:11","slug":"the-coach-how-can-i-best-help-my-practice-pitch-for-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/opinion\/the-coach-how-can-i-best-help-my-practice-pitch-for-work","title":{"rendered":"The Coach: How can I best help my practice pitch for work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The partners in my practice have asked me to play more of a part in pitching for projects. I think it is because I am good and they value me, but also because my gender and ethnicity are something they are keen to promote. I want to excel at winning work, do you have any suggestions?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s great you want to make the most of this opportunity for your career. This kind of role has lots of profile-building potential. I frequently sit on selection panels and I often see how architects don’t help themselves at interview stage; it can actually be quite frustrating to observe. So here are some thoughts from the other side of the table.<\/u><\/u>\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

The key to successfully winning a job is to identify what the client wants out of the project. Empathise with this, and address their goals, not yours. In my experience, countless teams rattle on as if talking to fellow architects about what architects find interesting, which is not a universal. Your potential clients are unlikely to be architects.<\/u><\/u>\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Too often, a design team with a 15-minute presentation slot wastes 10 minutes with evident observations on how wonderful the opportunity is<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Try and identify the role they are looking for you to fill. Is the client looking for a safe pair of hands, to be challenged, to manage their own internal conflicts, someone who won’t throw out the work from a previous design team? Of course, many projects are a complex mix of these but there can often be fundamental requisites in there.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

If you cannot identify these drivers, you just have to try and excel on all fronts, simultaneously emphasising your strengths and addressing your weaknesses. <\/u><\/u>\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Too often, a design team with a 15-minute presentation slot wastes 10 of those minutes with evident observations on how wonderful the opportunity is. The client knows the brief; they wrote it. Being at an interview is your chance to communicate your approach and what you would make of the project \u2013 not to flatter.\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Another simple aspect that puts clients off is doubt about whether the staffing of a project will be different from the job winners. The easiest teams to select are those who come with the actual named staff for the project, who can demonstrate they are available. No one should attend an interview and not say a word.<\/p>\n

AJ Coach Matthew Turner is an architect and careers consultant who runs the Building on Architecture consultancy. Email him in confidence at\u00a0<\/i>hello@buildingonarchitecture.com<\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The partners in my practice have asked me to play more of a part in pitching for projects. I think it is because I am good and they value me, but also because my gender and ethnicity are something they are keen to promote. I want to excel at winning work, do you have any …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81033,"featured_media":733098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[745],"tags":[1232,1526,3260],"yoast_head":"\nThe Coach: How can I best help my practice pitch for work?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An architect has been invited to be involved in pitching for projects. 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