Engineering 60sec Pitch III - Thinking Laterally

Here you will find more networking ideas for an engineering business elevator pitch.

"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." ~Victor Borge

Good morning my name is [insert name], I’m a structural engineer and we are [insert company name].

I thought that we all needed a bit of cheering up this morning. So here is a joke.

Engineering 60 Second Pitch II - Pile Relief

Another racy little 60 second elevator pitch for those Engineers out there, who are still looking for ways to connect with non-engineering businesses.

Note: This post was inspired by Richard Salmon. Please follow him on Twitter :-)

I hope you have success with it, and please let me know how it went!!

Good morning my name is  [insert name] , I'm a structural engineer and we are  [insert company name] . 

As a follow on from last week’s request for chimney breast removal referrals, this week we are doing a special run on pile relief for our clients.

It sounds amazing, but some of you may not be aware, that the majority of soil upon which foundations are built in the area of St Albans [and in general Hertfordshire], are clays. Surprising is it not?

The combination of naturally formed clays and nearby trees means that sometimes, traditional mass concrete foundations are so deep that they become impractical to construct. Therefore, painfully expensive piled foundations may have been specified as the next best thing.

Not necessarily. One of the weapons in our arsenal to help relieve our clients of their piles, is a concrete raft foundation. This effectively spreads heavy loads across the whole footprint of the building.

If you hear of anyone having trouble with piles, then please prescribe them a meeting with [insert company name] .

My name is [insert name], and we make the pain of piles disappear, for good :-)

Engine[er]

Engineering 60 Second Pitch I - Boobies!!

Finding ways to educate ordinary business folk of the many ways to refer our structural engineering businesses to their contacts can feel rather dry and boring . But from time to time - I like to titillate my audience with something a little racy. Enjoy, and please let us hear about your 60 second pitches.

"Good morning my name is [insert name here], I’m a structural engineer and we are [insert company name here]. 

For the last few weeks I have been labouring under a slightly different career pass time, and it’s turned into a bit of an obsession of mine.

I HAVE BEEN OPERATING ON 'BREAST REDUCTIONS'  :-)

You see, structural engineers are also employed to help facilitate the removal of home owners redundant CHIMNEY BREASTS.

Over the last 2 weeks I have worked on [??] separate breast     reductions or removals. Approximately [??] of them since the beginning of this year. 

More often than not my clients incorporate a chimney breast reduction or two within their plans to extend and update their homes.

Some can be very straight forward, but if the breast is particularly large or nestled on a party wall - quite often a structural engineer is called in to design the support.

So if you hear of anyone complaining about an unsightly or a space hogging breast in their lounge or dining room, then ask them to give us a call.  

My name is [insert name] and we are

[company name], breast reduction specialists."

Engine[er]

Why Blog? [please forgive my language]

Not so long ago we were all being told that we can all blog! Yeah you can blog! Do it, even if you are the guy or gal who can't be bothered to write your own shopping list. "Get online and join in on the OUTRAGEOUS fun!"

We are now being told that if we are businesses and professionals looking for a personal branding make over, that we should be blogging too. "You have a voice, use it for business sake!" Start a blog dammit!

The benefits which being sold to us are;

1. Being able to reach out to your customers / future employers.
2. Build a following.
3. Get more hits?
4. MORE HITS PEOPLE!

Sound good don't they? [sarcasm level set to kill]

But it begs the question. Why are so many blogs *%$& then? 

I mean, why have I got to read through a tonne of detritus, and self promotional material before I reach that useful and important message? Can't I just have the message? Please?

Apparently not. You are made to suffer the whole post right up and until you are ready to give up, and then we tease you with a glimpse of what you are here to learn. 

The morsel of knowledge, if cleverly delivered, will give you a boost towards the end of your week. It might even make you smile [your smiling now, and not because I spelt you're wrong either]. 

You may even be considering sharing the message you learned with some colleagues. But you don't want to look stupid or uncool - so you probably won't do that. You are still waiting for the message.

So what's my message this week?

Just recently I read a blog post which asked the question: Is blogging the new career boost? [click here] It's a good post actually. 

In true blogging style, the original question was answered in the first few paragraphs, and then glossed over in lieu of a more self promotional line of inquiry.

"What can I tell you about what I know, without sounding too preachy". I'm doing it right now. 

The blog post writer believed there to be three distinct reasons, or 'blog styles' which you may need to consider before embarking upon your litery career. They are:

1. Knowledge Advancement. The blogger suggests that by researching subjects in which you intend to present to your readership, that you the blogger, go on a journey. This journey increases your knowledge of the chosen subject. I tend to agree. It's called learning. It happens all the time in university, and in consultancies the world over. You don't need to blog to do this though. So you probably will want to do something else, won't you?
2. Relationship Building. If you are able to flash a glimpse of your real character to a highly fickle and time stricken audience through your writing style, then great job - you will make loads of friends. If your writing skills are not yet developed enough to demonstrate to your readership that you are genuinely trying to help them - or have a real opinion which has got to be shared; then be prepared for a few years of trial and error. Relationships are two-way connections. Therefore you will be looking for some feedback. If you're writing self promotional posts which do not generate a reaction or a comment - then stop and think. Can you really afford to write for hours a week, every week for a year or two? My point is that if you do not quite yet possess the necessary writing skills to share, and to build relationships, then you might want to think again. 
3. Demonstration of Skill. Look here, I know something that you don't, and I'm about to ram it down your throat for 10 minutes. Afterwards, you may not agree with me and probably never read another one of my posts again... or... you are about to learn something cool. My thoughts are this. If I need to understand anything new or refresh my memory on a particular area of engineering, I will automatically reach for official documents, design standards, and best practice guides which have been tested and pier reviewed. I'm not going to be designing structures on the basis that the technical content of a blog post I read somewhere seemed genuine enough. Nor do I think that you should. This is neither a good reason or a sustainable reason to begin writing a blog. 

So I don't agree with the above reasons for writing blogs. What do you think?

The MESSAGE:

[Here it comes. This is the big pay-off. So far you have been in a zombie like trance, just waiting for the punch line. Your dedication is admirable] 

Why do we Blog? Because some of us love to write, some of us fancy reading it.

Blogging was going on long before monetizing was an option. Simply posting messages into a big black void, was akin to writing a secret diary in the early days. Blogging communities were not enticed by notoriety [but it did happen]. It was [and still is] a simple way to express ourselves.

So when did blogging ever become an effective form of marketing for companies? I believe that it never has... 

Blogging still is what it always meant to be. A channel for creative writers, and experts who enjoy sharing cool stuff in their lives and industry factoids.

Use blogging solely as a marketing strategy [personal or otherwise] at your peril. Readers will see right through it. 


It would be fun to see you on our new LinkedIn Group called - Blogging for Engineers. 

Engine[er]

AMI better than you?

Question:
Why are we engineers, graduates and students of engineering so sold on the idea of becoming Chartered?  Did you know that there are other qualifications which may be better suited to your talents? For example Incorporated Engineer and Engineering Technician, have you given them enough thought I wonder...

"Goals. There's no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There's no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There's no telling what will happen when you act upon them." Jim Rohn [entrepreneur]

The way I see the world, is that goal setting or planning the stepping stones to fulfil your dreams are the best ways to actively chase them down, and ultimately achieve them. My life has been a maelstrom of these types of encounters. In stops and starts. Yet, my ambition plateaued around 5 years ago.

I became professionally qualified as an AIE [Average Incorporated Engineer - don't worry, it's a term i use for almost everyone]. After that I felt that I could puff my chest out with pride, and then joined a long list of ex mentors and ex bosses who inspired me to achieve this career milestone. As a result I was offered more work opportunities. No surprise there.

The plateau I spoke of came about when I found myself in a lessened state of hunger for the next obvious goal. You see my plan had always been to become Chartered. This had AND has not changed. What HAD changed in me was the my attitude towards why I was striving for this level of achievement.

For the first time in my career, I was experiencing professional prejudice. Strangely though, before I had been given my qualification, I was still just another experienced graduate, doing the job of an engineer.

What happened was, I had set out my stall as an AIE, and suddenly my very presence was being scrutinised by other engineers [mainly of a Chartered status...]. This feeling was not palatable at all.

As it turns out, the most influential mentors in my professional life were all AMIStructE qualified. They were technically marvellous, but none of them regretted not [or even half heartedly] shooting for the C.Eng status. Yet they wished it for my future. Why? Were they not confident in there own abilities? Yes of course they were. They were great.

Did they see themselves as any less of an engineer? No. They managed the day to day activities of busy engineering offices, continuously adding to their knowledge, whilst finding the time to pass on their technical mastery to the newly qualified AND experienced engineers alike.

Again, why would they feel a need to push those who they were responsible for towards becoming Chartered? I mean, If it didn't prevent them from doing their job... why is it that they wished something different from their prodigies?

I think that I know the answer. Or to put it more accurately; my experience and research has led me to a conclusion.

C.Eng, it offers more opportunities. The qualification of C.Eng is well marketed across the globe, and represents a higher level of professional qualification than of Eng.Tech or I.Eng. So why would you not want to go for it? If the option was available to you of course.

You have to realise that in a world where an engineer only understands what an engineer does, a certain 'level', an order or ranking helps non-engineers appreciate our hard work and gives us a 'status'. C.Eng is a vehicle to market engineers to the world.

It is important to note at this stage that no one should disregard the other obvious benefits from this qualification, which are; a heightened sense of achievement, higher paid and enjoys more employment opportunities. These are all very important considerations for graduates as well as experienced engineers.

It is a thing of beauty, the C.Eng status. In a world full of competent workers, our customers are crying out for the tagline that says 'fully charged, elite, and responsible expertise here' - the Chartership status is a marketers wet dream. A complete and unadulterated success. Interestingly, so successful is the marketing, that it appears to have brain washed some of its own members into believing the hype too...

The C.Eng status is essential for engineering. Look how it has captured the imagination of the public, marvel at how students and graduates are physically, mentally, and emotionally charged with becoming a Chartered Engineer. Nothing less will do!

The truth is that the core requirements of my institution [IStructE] are marginally greater for Chartership status than Incorporated. However, it does not qualify that a practicing Associate Member of the IStructE or ICE is any less experienced or capable in their job than say a Chartered Engineer. It just means that they have not gotten a qualification to show this. That realisation is important.

A qualification exemplar is essential to our profession, as it highlights great competency, responsibility and excellence. These terms are not incompatible with other qualifications such as Eng.Tech and I.Eng. though. Sure, we do not expect clients, recruiters and the public at large to understand that we are all essentially the same, measured only by time served and the quality of our portfolios.... but we do expect other engineers to.

We expect our own kind, at the very least give us our dues, earned.

Now this works both ways. For example, I do not think that every Chartered Engineer is going to be a walking ego, with little else to add to a project apart from overly inflated hourly rates. They are useful. Technically and politically proficient. That is all.

I essentially take engineers as I see them.

I do however believe that there is a huge barrier to the success of an ACE [an Average Chartered Engineer], and I would like to share this with you.

Whilst you are are still working your way to C.Eng status, you are hungry for the accolade. When you finally become qualified, you are hungry to prove yourself amongst your peers.

This feeling will inevitably diminish as you age, and you will find either your niche or finally reach the extents of your particular limiting beliefs. You are only as good as your training, experience, and ambition allows you to be.

Unless of course that you are a Level 5 Leader [save that for another time].

As an I.Eng, you appear to be in is constant state of flux. Never quite passing the finish line. You feel like you are on a journey and that the ending this journey will not be a good thing. Knowledge is essential to a good career, but learning how to pass on this knowledge is essential to a GREAT career.

C.Eng, will for the foreseeable future be the highest level of engineering qualification available [at least in the UK], and the most desirable. The less obtainable that it is, the more desirable it remains. The more coveted and rare the title, the more marketable it becomes. The public has been sold.

If you are Chartered, please, do not make the mistake of thinking that you have passed the finishing line quite yet. You are still average like the rest of us. Infact, you could very well be of less use than an AIE [Average Incorporated Engineer] who really loves what they do! Possibly.

Our abilities are directly proportional to our experience gained and application of skills learned.

The hype is created so that we can market our talents to our clients, our employers. Not you.


Engine[er]

Dipping in your Toes [the journey begins here]

Good morning. Last post I spoke of marketing [in 60seconds] for an Engineer.

Well, to that end I have recently been frequenting a newfangled [networking] get together in St Albans, my home town. A completely dressed down and informal way to meet local business owners, and a rare opportunity to chat about marketing, SEO and social media with the experts - without being the subject of a sales pitch.

I managed to glean many golden nuggets of information from the afternoons socialising [special thanks to a kindred snowboarder Gabriel Homer]

The group call themselves An Afternoon in the Pub. I warmly suggest that if you are in the area of Hertfordshire when one of their meets is scheduled, come over and have a chat with them.

So, without further ado... please follow this [link] to my guest post for them.

As usual, let me know what you think and watch out for my Friday blog post later!!




Engine[er]