Seven People Management Keys In Construction Marketing

Construction Marketing has become high on the agenda for most construction managers and business owners since the 2007 economic crisis hot the industry. And one of the keys to company growth is to manage your workforce well.

When times get tough, (and even when they are not!) it is essential that you keep your workforce onside. Most business development experts will talk about how essential it is to have Key Performance Indicators that you apply to every aspect of your business to set targets and monitor progress. Not me! I can see the value of them. I can understand that business owners want to keep records of growth, monitor progress, cost efficiency and work rate, and it is essential that your five year Business Plan is based on concrete facts and expectations. But there is a better way, especially in a time of economic uncertainty. Key Performance Indicators can be a nightmare! Rather than motivating your workforce to work harder, do better and make the grade, they can de-motivate, disenfranchise and disconnect the most valuable asset you have. You need to impart the visions and dreams you have for the success of your business to your workforce. Once they own the vision, they are in a much better position to enable you to reach your goals.

There are seven essential keys to ensure you keep your staff and workforce on track which is crucial, especially in a time of recession. These are classic construction marketing strategies that are proven to work.

1. Build relationships with your workforce. This is a key concept in construction marketing today, whether internally with your own staff or externally, targeting current and potential clients. Marketing speak, jargon and hype don’t work, especially in construction marketing.

2. Enable them to own the vision. This means you need to speak from the heart. The construction industry is notoriously bad at this! There is a misconception that builders don’t possess emotions. Not true. If you can impart the vision of your business in a way that connects with the heart, you will have success on your hands and a loyal workforce behind you.

3. Set achievable targets that have been agreed by the workforce. Reaching goals can be liberating and motivating for people. But they need to take ownership of their personal goals, targets and achievements and understand how they can reach their potential working inside your business. So involve them and let them see how your business model can benefit them.

4. Find meaningful ways of rewarding those who rise to the occasion. This is a given. People need encouragement and recognition. As a company owner one of the powerful weapons in your construction marketing armoury is the loyalty of your workforce because they will become living commercials of your brand. They will do this if they feel valued.

5. Involve them in the evolving vision for your company which should be articulated well in your Mission Statement and integrated into your Business Plan. Have regular meetings with your workforce to enable them to feel part of the business development. They are the people on the ground, so get feedback from them and as a construction business owner, be approachable.

6. Have regular meetings with your workforce to share with them what is happening with the company – encouragements, disappointments, objectives. An annual dinner can be a great time to share what is going on with the company in a relaxed, non threatening atmosphere.

7. Engender a business-like family atmosphere. The last of the seven keys follows the same pattern as the rest. It’s all about establishing a good, positive working environment that will encourage growth, participation and ownership of the vision and values you hold dear.

Masterclass In Construction Marketing

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Tags: construction management, Construction Marketing, Construction Videos, making construction work, marketing for construction