Marketing Books for AEC Firm Leaders
My primary goal at Wyman Projects is to introduce AEC firm leaders to new, more effective ways to market their services. These strategies find their roots in tech startup marketing.
Here are a few must-read books that I’ve read and highly recommend. Each book listed below helped me shift my perspective from “old marketing” to a new, more effective kind of marketing that is iterative and accessible.
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On Writing Well
By William Zinsser
My former colleague Coe Hoeksema recommended this book to me two decades ago. It’s still my go to reference for learning how to write simple, straightforward text. Less is definitely more.
Professional Practice
By Paul Segal
This is the book I give to anyone new to working in or adjacent to the AEC industry. It’s a practical guide that clearly explains each person’s role in the building design and construction process.
Atomic Habits
By James Clear
I love frameworks and James Clear’s book is just that. It’s an easy-to-implement framework for optimizing your habits, especially bad ones. I learned that a little bit of consistency every day goes a long way.
The Lean Startup
By Eric Ries
A lot of AEC professionals get caught up in the details. That’s fine when it comes to project work, but it’s a roadblock to marketing.
This book challenges you to implement lean processes to test, fail, and learn fast.
Obviously Awesome
By April Dunford
I recommend this book to anyone who struggles with positioning their services.
April provides a step-by-step guide for identifying your firm’s unique position and voice.
Sales Pitch
By April Dunford
When you work at a young startup, you wear many hats. For me, one of those hats included giving demos to clients.
While the AEC industry doesn’t sell a product, this book is an excellent intro guide to honing your sales messaging to clients.
Inbound Marketing
By Brian Halligan & Dharmesh Shah
Hubspot introduced the Flywheel marketing approach a decade ago.
This is their essential guide to creating content that propels potential clients through the buying journey.
The New Happy
By Stephanie Harrison
A lot of us were raised to believe that personal achievement and wealth were the keys to happiness. This book will shift your perspective. And like Demand Generation Marketing, it asks you to look out instead of in.
About the Author:
Jessica Wyman is chief marketing strategist and graphic designer at Wyman Projects. She’s spent the past two decades building healthy marketing systems and client relationships for AEC clients and startups. Contact Jessica >