For many AEC leaders, selling is uncomfortable. It feels separate from the real work.
Engineering, architecture, and construction professionals are trained to solve problems,
manage risk, and deliver results. Selling, by contrast, is often viewed as transactional,
awkward, or even misaligned with professional values.
And yet, growth requires it.
The tension most AEC leaders feel around business development is not because selling is
wrong. It is because it is often misunderstood. When selling is framed as persuasion or
pressure, it clashes with how technical professionals often see themselves. When it is
reframed as service, clarity, and leadership, however, it becomes something entirely
different.
David Olsen’s Feel Good About Selling helped shape my view that selling, when done well, is
rooted in service, rather than persuasion. In this blog, I build on that idea and explore why
AEC leaders must rethink selling, not as something to tolerate, but as a leadership
responsibility that creates clarity, trust, and long-term opportunity.
Selling Is Clarifying, Not Convincing
At its best, selling is not about convincing someone to buy. It is about helping both sides
determine whether working together makes sense. In the AEC industry, the most valuable
outcome of a sales conversation is clarity.
Effective AEC leaders use business development conversations to surface priorities,
constraints, and expectations. They ask thoughtful questions. They listen for what is said
and what is left unsaid. They help clients articulate what success truly looks like.
This approach removes pressure. When selling is about clarity, it becomes an extension of
problem solving. It allows leaders to say yes with confidence and, just as importantly, to say
no when alignment is not there. Firms that sell in this way protect their teams, their
margins, and their reputations.
Selling Is Leadership in Action
Many AEC leaders delegate selling too quickly or avoid it altogether, assuming it should sit
elsewhere in the organization. While teams and partners play important roles, leadership
presence in business development matters.
Clients do not just buy services. They buy confidence in leadership. They want to
understand how decisions will be made, how challenges will be handled, and whether the
firm can be trusted when things get difficult. These signals are sent most clearly in early
conversations.
When leaders show up with curiosity, humility, and conviction, selling becomes a form of
leadership. It sets the tone for the relationship and models how the firm operates. Over
time, this approach builds a pipeline of not just work, but of right-fit clients.
Selling Protects the Firm as Much as It Grows It
One of the most overlooked aspects of selling is its protective role. Good business
development is not only about winning work. It is also about avoiding the wrong work.
Misaligned clients, unclear scopes, and unrealistic expectations rarely appear for the first
time after contracts are signed. In most cases, the signals are present early, during initial
conversations, proposals, and scope discussions. Thoughtful selling creates space to
surface these issues before they become problems for delivery teams.
Firms that feel constant strain often trace that tension back to business development
decisions. Selling that prioritizes fit over volume leads to healthier teams, more predictable
margins, and stronger long-term relationships.
Conclusion: Selling as Service
When AEC leaders rethink selling as service, everything changes. Business development
becomes an act of leadership, clarity, and stewardship. It aligns the firm with the right
clients, the right work, and the right expectations.
Selling done well does not require pressure or posturing. It requires presence, curiosity,
and the willingness to be honest about fit. For leaders who embrace this mindset, selling
becomes a disciplined act of leadership because it serves both client and firm.
If selling still feels uncomfortable, it may be time to reframe it. If you are ready to scale with
greater clarity and carry less of the weight of growth alone, let’s connect. Email me at
info@odysseyadvisors.us, and let’s start doing simple better together.
