There never is a dull moment serving as a business development representative for Wessler Engineering! Connecting the Wessler team with so many great clients tops the list of what I enjoy most. There are six ways we maximize our effectiveness to ensure the most beneficial and meaningful collaborations our clients deserve.
Project identification We don’t know what we don’t know, and you can’t know it all. It’s impossible for a city/county or regional engineer to know every detail of every piece of infrastructure in his or her jurisdiction. Many of the issues we solve at Wessler Engineering don’t revolve around broken or failing infrastructure projects, but rather are driven by changes to state or federal law such as a new policy designed to protect a community’s creeks and streams or a city’s move towards renewable energy in the form of anaerobic digestion. The relationship with local leadership and the business development (BD) representative should always be built around who is the client, their priorities and the results they want to achieve.
Education A significant part of our role is to ensure the communities we partner with fully understand the what, why and impact in addressing a project. We understand no one likes a surprise when it comes to getting a project off the ground and completed successfully, so we take pride in educating our client partners all along the way. With more than 41 years of experience in civil engineering projects, the Wessler team knows how to define the characteristics of a successful project. We don’t tell you what to do; we ask you what hurts most. Then we partner with you to solve your problem.
Funding Finding old or failing infrastructure in the United States doesn’t take a private investigator. But sometimes, finding funding for a project takes some sleuthing. Having the money to pay for a project is the primary reason a project does or does not get addressed. We understand the importance of being able to clearly articulate funding options available to clients. From projects locally funded to ones that require bonding to State Revolving Fund loans (Indiana SRF and Ohio SRF) and grants from the federal government, successful funding procurement for client projects is a source of pride for our BD team.
Timeline management Mysteries and question marks surrounding timelines, next steps and project responsibilities can lead to a project being derailed, an outcome no one wants. No one should ever leave a meeting unaware of next steps and the timing of those actions. Timeline management is the difference in taking pride in your clients’ successes and taking them for granted. At Wessler, we don’t take anything for granted. We deal in the world of critical infrastructure where timelines matter and the ability to manage those timelines are of utmost importance. When building a house, you don’t start on the walls until you have set the foundation. The same approach applies to timeline management. We start at the beginning and place benchmarks on each step, so our clients know what to expect and when to expect it.
Communication Here at Wessler, it’s what you say and how you say it! Wessler sets itself apart from the pack in this regard. We believe it is our responsibility to understand who needs or wants technical information versus who needs or wants a cliff notes version of the same material. My years in this field have taught me there are usually two answers for each question on a project: a technically heavy response typically only understood by an engineer and a less complex reply that allows the non-engineer client to understand what is being done to solve his or her issue. It’s our job to know our clients’ communication preferences. If a representative doesn’t ask you how you prefer to be communicated with, he or she is lumping you together with every other client they have. We don’t operate that way and neither do our clients.
Resource Connector Every BD professional approaches his or her job differently. I see myself as an extension of staff for Wessler clients. I understand how tight municipal budgets are and how that limitation can result in staff only being able to address the hottest issue of the day. What’s your pain? We use our experiences and resources working with state and local government officials and staffs to bring ideas and best practices to our clients.
Ready to launch a partnership to help ensure your maximum success? I’m just a phone call away: Tyler Graves (317) 222-7694 or TylerG@wesslerengineering.com.
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