A marketing guru and peers weigh in on whether "freebies" win clients or drain profits—or whether there's a better approach for all concerned.

The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and SMPS Foundation recently undertook a major research initiative to determine how A/E/C firms are handling business development - particularly when it comes to staffing the position between dedicated business developers and seller-doers.

In today's competitive marketplace, A/E/C firms often view their competition as the similar firm across town. Yet the new reality in business is that supply chains increasingly compete against supply chains. A/E/C firms that understand this and work to positively impact their clients' supply chains will gain a competitive edge.

Many firms in the design and construction industry are beginning to realize the importance of brand in differentiating their firm; however, too many A/E/C firms fail to understand what a brand really is.

Human resources and marketing go together like peanut butter and chocolate – and savvy A/E/C firms have already taken advantage of their unique, complementary skill sets to create a better work environment.

Creating effective marketing plans for A/E/C firms entails far more than just setting goals and employing hope as a strategy.

Marketing planning is about far more than just defining target markets and determining advertising buys - it is also about creating realistic sales goals and determining who is accountable for business development.

Marketing planning is critical to the success of A/E/C firms, but far too few companies take the time to develop an effective, actionable plan.