“So, You Want Me To Hire Your A/E/C Firm?”

fusebd2017
Dec 18, 2025
3 min read

Over 100 buyers of A/E/C services told us what really matters to them when your firm comes calling. Here’s what they said… — **Over 100 buyers of A/E/C services** told us what really matters to them when your firm comes calling. Here’s what they said…

“I don’t wake up thinking about which A/E/C firm I want to meet this week. I wake up thinking about capital budgets, aging infrastructure, shutdown risks, staffing gaps, regulatory pressure, and how to keep my facilities running.”

“So, if you want me to hire your firm, you should understand something first: You don’t earn my attention by staying in touch. You earn it by giving me what I need.”

"Here’s What Actually Matters to Me as an End-User":

"If You’re “Checking In,” You’re Already Behind"

I get a lot of outreaches. 7-15 meeting requests a week aren’t unusual. Most of them sound the same:

“Just checking in”
“Wanted to introduce our firm”
·“Let me know if you have anything coming up”

Here’s the truth:That doesn’t help me do my job. If you don’t understand my facilities, my risks, or my priorities, another touchpoint just becomes noise. The firms that stay top of mind aren’t the most persistent — they’re the ones that bring something useful to the table before a project exists.

Depth beats frequency. Every time.

"Access to your Principals/Project Managers Isn’t a Bonus — It’s the Baseline"

If you want me to seriously consider your firm, don’t start by sending someone who can’t answer real questions.

I want access to:

Principals
Project Leaders
The people who actually understand the work

Why? Because they:

Know the risks
Understand sequencing and constructability
Can talk through options without a follow-up meeting
Have the authority to make decisions

I’m not interested in a gatekeeper.I don’t want a message relayed through three layers of internal approval.

If your leadership team is “too busy” to engage early, that tells me something — and it’s not good.

"Stop Selling. Start Helping."

I’m not looking to be sold. I am looking for firms that:

Educate me
Share lessons learned
Flag risks I may not see yet
Help me think longer-term about capital planning

The fastest way to lose credibility with me is a scripted pitch or a meeting that exists solely to “build the relationship.”

Real relationships are built by:

Solving problems together
Having honest conversations
Being accountable
Showing up when it matters

That’s what I remember.

"I Don’t Hire Firms. I Hire People."

Here’s something many firm’s underestimate:

If a Principal or Project Leader earns my trust, I’m far more likely to follow them than a logo.

Why? Because trust is built through:

Project delivery
Tough decisions
Shared accountability
Real-world problem solving

That’s also why I pay close attention to who shows up for interviews. If the people pitching the work aren’t the people delivering it, that’s a red flag — not a selling point.

"What Actually Keeps Your Firm “Top of Mind” With Me"

It’s not volume.

It’s not branding.

It’s not marketing automation.

It’s:

Principal-led conversations
Early, thoughtful engagement
Technical insight that helps me reduce risk
Fewer interactions — but better ones

A short note from a Principal sharing something genuinely useful? I’ll read it. Another generic email blast? I won’t.

"The Bottom Line"

If you want me to hire your A/E/C firm, send me:

People who know the work
People who understand my world
People who can add value before a project exists

"Then we can talk"

I’m Steve McGill, founder of Fusion BD. We help Principals/Project Leaders move "beyond "The Check In" to overcome the barriers to BD and enable your team to engage more End-Users and win work.

Fusion BD is not like other consulting firms. We don’t just give advice. We put my 25 years as an A/E/C business developer to work for you to: