"If you are the best person you can be -
the company will benefit."

By attending the Build Business Conference in Boston this year, I am a better person and my company is benefiting. The most inspiring portion of the conference came from keynote speaker, Eric Wahl. His incorporation of painting while discussing marketing and business development strategy made me realize that we all too often get caught up in the monotony. Creating from the negative space to make the idea reality is all it takes to build business, and now, my challenge of doing this daily!

Overall, the conference event speakers ranged from highly inspiring to didactic reminders of good business principles. Taking a notebook, I filled nearly every page with tips and hints on how to seal the deal and how to leave a lasting impression on a client when doing a "cold" call.

The ability to interact with a room full of A/E/C marketers also reminded me that I am not alone. All too often, on the stretched budgets of firms, the marketing/business development departments (sometimes one in the same) get bogged down with deadlines and the energy ceases to remain. Build Business was a wonderful forum for discussing lessons-learned and for listening to seasoned veterans share ideas on how to get upper management buy-in for streamlining processes and strategic planning.

The entire conference wasn't just note taking and head nodding, the CPSM day included interactive roundtables and the evening events proved highly entertaining. Networking not only with people across the US but also with the Colorado Chapter provided me with a stronger sense of SMPS community and the comfort of knowing that I can reach to other members for advice, support and an occasional tequila shot! The accumulation of over 20 CEU's also made the event worth my while.

If you are ever in doubt on whether or not to attend an SMPS national conference - just think, do I know it all? If you answer no, then pack your bags and join us in 2011!

W. Celeste Davis, CPSM
Business Development Liaison
Kiewit Building Group

SMPS Colorado Wins 1st Place for the
Sales on Fire Education Program!

The Colorado Chapter is very proud to have been awarded the Striving for Excellence Education Program Award from SMPS National. Thank you to the entire team who pulled together this amazing program for our members. We also want to thank the Striving for Excellence committee who did an outstanding job putting the submission together!

The SMPS Striving for Excellence Chapter Educational Program Award recognizes a chapter's outstanding educational program. It was presented at the National Awards Gala held in Boston on Thursday, July 15th.

  Download and Read the Award-Winning Submittal (3MB)