Architect Proposals: Why does decision making on a building project take so long?

The difficulty of decision-making is one of the biggest barriers to an Architect's efforts to sell his or her services. It is so incredibly difficult – and slow – to get the final go-ahead for a project.

Of course it can be agonizing when prospective clients time and time again postpone the decision... you keep calling them... and they keep stalling. "Call me next week, next month, the 15th," ... and it goes on and on.

Sometimes there ARE legitimate reasons for postponing the final decision. Financing is a usual one. However, especially with business owners, there's a specific reason behind this indecision.

Here's a staggering fact: Most intended projects NEVER get to the actual decision-making phase but are abondoned before that... and instead, the corporation starts to look for a piece of real estate that could proximate their unique needs!

Obviously, you seldom - if ever - hear about these abandoned projects since they "aren't" projects at the time and nobody knows about them.

Nevertheless, this single problem represents a loss of business averaging hundreds of millions annually. Lost business for Architecture - and a definite loss to the client also.

Clearly, it isn't in anyone's interests that this occurs. But what causes it?

Making the decision itself is not the REAL problem

Making decisions seems difficult and thus, people generally believe it is the MAKING of the decision that presents the problem.

But it isn't, not really.

Usually the reason why a decision cannot be made depends on the process of decision-making itself. It's not the decision that is difficult.

The difficult part is getting the information on which the decision is based - and having certainty that the data is correct, that it is in correct order of importance... and ALL the needed data is there.

Let's take an example from your life.

Say you want to come up with a new idea for some structure or detail. How long does it take to get the idea? Well, if we examine this closer, we find out that ONCE you have all the information and data you NEED for the solution... the idea itself comes like a lightning — fast, almost instantly.

It certainly takes time to transform it into a complete, detailed drawing. It takes time to implement. But the decision – the coming of the idea, the forming of the concept itself – is fast once all the information required for the solution exist.

Making an important decision is much like coming up with an idea. It's not the decision that takes time... it is the gathering of information and ensuring that it is correct.

Why not give the client that information and certainty about the project?
Business owners and boards of directors are quite used to making decisions on matters within their own expertise and experience. The everyday issues are something they are familiar with and know the basic information on.

Business life requires lots of decisions over the years. When to advertise when to hire or fire... these are subjects where decisions are made on constant basis. These are very FAMILIAR areas and the factors involved are known and understood. Maybe it's not EASY to make these decisions — but in any case, they are made.

In a sizeable matter like a bulding project... something the owner is totally unfamiliar with... well, you get what you have right now: A decision-making process that lasts forever. With many businesses you can actually take that "forever" literally: The decision just won't be made - ever.

Why not be proactive, find the client BEFORE he makes the final decision... and GIVE him the information and certainty he needs to be able to make the decision?

If your prospective client HAS all the information needed; every part and thing detailed, explained in layman terms, and understood — the decision can and will be made 99 times out of a hundred.

What would the benefits be for your Architecture firm?

What kind of rapport would it create with the client if you were to help him with finding, formulating and explaining to him those factors that he needs to know to decide? Would that get you "in there" way before the project becomes publicly announced?

How would you rate the trust the client has for YOU as compared to those new Architects that enter their proposals? That's assuming that the client would even ASK for proposals from other Architects...?

Would it give you a slight advantage? A better-than-average headstart over other Architects? Or a formidable competitive edge that ensures you get 90 percent OR MORE of those projects?

If nothing else, it would at least ensure that the corporate client wouldn't bypass Architects altogether. More than half do, you know - they just go directly to a construction contractor. They think an Architect is not needed - or that he would be expensive.

You and I know how silly that is - and how much that business owner is going to pay for his "savings"... both in money, time and loss of value and functionality - to say nothing of issues concerning corporate image and aesthetics.

But that's how HE thinks - because he doesn't KNOW.

So, there are many benefits in early project involvement. How you can FIND these projects before the final decision and SIGN THEM ON right then and there to get this unique advisory position with the client - those parts we have saved for our Architect Marketing Guidelines.

CLICK HERE here to see the contents of this online manual to get your Architecture firm an edge over the competition.

Many Architects have used this system — and the good thing is that if you USE the set of tools created and APPLY them according to the simple instructions in the Architect Marketing Guidelines manual, you WILL succeed.

Best wishes,

Harry Kafka
HDK Consultants U.S.A. Inc.
PMB 211
411 Cleveland Street
Clearwater, FL 33755
U.S.A.
Phone (727) 474 1206
Calls from outside USA: +1 727 474 1206
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