​I’ve been reminded a few times lately that it is sometimes a good marketing decision to turn down work. Saying no to certain clients and projects is a good marketing strategy for several reasons.

1. Working for clients who only want low bid work see engineering or architecture as just another commodity, or worse, a necessary evil to get through a project. Do you want to be a commodity or a necessary evil?
2. Some clients love scope creep! They love to get you contracted for one scope of work, only to change and add scope tasks but expect not to be billed for the extra work. Do you want to keep working on projects that lose money?
3. The client and project may be a great fit, but you know from the beginning you cannot make their timeline or stay within their budget. You either tell them this upfront and let them decide on still hiring you, or you gently pass and let them know that while you would enjoy working for them, you just cannot take on their project at this time.
4. You have a great client who asks you to do a project you know is outside of your level of expertise. You know enough to “get by” but also recognize there are other consultants who would do a much better job. Help the client find the right consultant to do the job.

Good marketing does not allow engineering services to be commoditized or viewed as a necessary evil. Good marketing means completing profitable projects and getting paid for your expertise. Good marketing is being honest and open about what you can and cannot do. Good marketing is staying within your ability and not trying to be all things to all clients. 

The most common error many marketers and engineering professionals make when telling their company’s story is placing themselves in the role of hero. I cannot emphasize this enough; 

Many of you take construction site photos before, during, and after a project. Most of these photos are for project purposes such as gathering site data, inspections, and closeouts. Sometimes, you may take a photo that accidentally is good for marketing purposes. However, most of the photos have no marketing value. Here are some tips for taking good marketing photos while on a project site.

Quality
The first aspect to consider is the quality of the camera you are using. Most of you likely use your smartphone for project photos. While this is not ideal, it can be a good quality photo if you know how to use your smartphone camera appropriately. A few easy things to remember include;

1. Do not use your zoom-in feature which diminishes quality,
2. It's best to use the default photo setting,
3. In some smartphones, you can touch your screen in various sections to change the brightness settings as you see fit.

If you want to increase the quality of your photos, learn how to use a decent digital camera. Take some quick courses online or buy a photography “how-to” book. However, the best camera is the one you have with you. So just learn more about the tools you already have to get the best quality out of them.

Composition
Composing a great marketing photo is not as difficult as you may think. There are a few simple rules to composing a great photo.

1. View your photo in thirds. This means looking at the view and adjusting it to capture three significant subjects in equal thirds (i.e., roadway, sky, trees).
2. Look for unique and unconventional angles. Try to position yourself and your view at an angle typically not seen from the natural eye.
3. Get as close to your subject as possible without losing the context. This takes some practice, but when you get it right you will know by the results.

Like any skill, composing a great photo takes practice. The good news is you have a digital camera on you at all times on your smartphone. You can practice all you want without wasting film.

Volume
Don’t be afraid to take too many pictures. Because the photos are digital, you are not wasting film. Sometimes you must take eight or ten shots of the same subject to get one really great photo. That’s fine. Whatever you take, be sure to save ALL the photos and share them with your marketing staff.
Depending on the project and its marketing value, your best decision may be to spend a little money and hire a professional photographer. If you do, make sure to hire a photographer that regularly shoots landscapes, buildings, and infrastructure. Be sure to ask to see some of their work. If they will let you, request to go on their shoot with them, and don’t be afraid to share your ideas. It is also an opportunity for you to learn how to take better pictures.