Success Spotlight

Watch this video to discover how effective marketing and sales is changing the lives of architects and design professionals from around the world ...

Woman Owned Firm Finds Success Through Effective Marketing

What Others Are Sayin' ...

Architect’s confidence and client’s understanding leads to a ‘phenomenal close rate’

“I'm paced to earn 35% more money this year. My billings for the first two months are up 175% from last year. The reason is - I've been closing projects. I've sent out 9 proposals from mid-December to mid-February … 7 have signed up.”

Now I think of marketing as educating, and I feel empowered. I'm attracting the right kind of clients. My website educates. … and the proposals I've been sending out are to my ideal clients. When people come into my office and talk to me … I use the FAB method of speaking to them. My preparation makes me confident. Speaking the language of the buyer ... I make sure [my architect clients] understand the value of what I'll bring to them ... The combination of my confidence and their comprehension is a phenomenal close rate … Take the best thing, not the first thing.”

Peter Twohy
2e Architects
Towson, Maryland


Interested in getting results like our successful members?

Register for our FREE Online Master Class to find out:

*Attendees are eligible to receive 1 AIA Learning Unit

British architect takes action, using a Monkey’s Fist and architect referral marketing

“We've been enrolled [in AMI] since March 10. In just three months … we’ve taken action. First thing was a Monkey's Fist ... and a Needs and Options Review to describe to the customer what the benefits are for them. At a trade show this year, we've got 65 leads. ... Far better than the results we got last year at the same show. In our first edition of a newsletter, we featured an interview with someone who's on our Dirty 30 list ... He’s found work from it, and we're able to refer work to him. Another key part is referral marketing.”

“Financially, we're looking upwards of 50% profit ... It's just where we want to be. It's enabled us to do a lot of things, including come to this great Architect Business Development Summit. We've always wanted to come to New York. Getting our time back has been great. I'm able to manage our time ... I'm booking people in advance. AMI has accelerated our journey … I encourage any of you who have any doubts at the moment ... take action, do it today, do it now.”

James Sizer
SA Architectural Services
Norfolk, England


Raised revenue by 50% in six months

I started being more consistent in charging for initial consultations, which I now call a Feasibility Study. I already had a low cost initial design package, but I raised the fees on that as well and call it a Preliminary Schematic Design. I admit, it was really scary for me to raise my fees. I was doubting my ability to convince other people that I was worth it. That worry didn't last very long. I began seeing results … within a few weeks. Within just 6 short months, I had raised my revenue for my [architecture firm] about 50%. So I had to get new talents (staff) to help me fulfill my commitments to my clients.”

“It looks like we're going to be raising our [architecture firm] revenue 70%. And the year is only halfway done! I also implemented some automations by using ArchReach - great tool. I also filmed a video on Houzz.com and I started sharing more on social media. I want to thank you ... at AMI... by bringing all of this confidence. “

Jennifer Kretschmer, AIA
J. Kretschmer Architect
Los Gatos, California


Instead of doubting, ‘I just did it’

"I think one of the hidden pieces to it is something that Richard Petrie and I talked about ... I got out of my own way and, instead of second guessing and doubting some of the marketing strategies and tools that they were teaching us, I just did it. I stopped coming up with excuses. I stopped doubting it and I just went forward and did it. The results have come back and I’ve got to say that I'm pretty pleased with them. Stick with it. This works."

Shannon Doyle
SPD Architecture
Fort Collins, Colorado


Architect finds freedom … and fun!

"What was 2e Architects like before we met Architect Marketing, say, five years ago? We were doing any project that came through the door. That meant additions, renovations, that kind of stuff, but it also meant basements. It even meant a small porch. Now, we're doing whole-house renovations. We're doing brand new homes. We're very selective about the clients we accept. That means I get to pick and choose which projects I want to work on but, just as importantly, which clients I want to work with. That makes everyone happier. The matches are closer and more successful. Life is a little bit more fun. It's a great thing."

Peter Twohy
2e Architects
Towson, Maryland


Architect takes ownership, grows firm

“We're kicking butt:)

I've moved from being a technician to being a business owner. I've just hired my second full time employee and fourth independent contractor. We are clearly growing as the market leader in our niche and are receiving weekly inquiries to work with our team.”


Zeke Freeman
Root Architecture and Design
Denver, Colorado, USA


Interested in getting results like our successful members?

Register for our FREE Online Master Class to find out:

*Attendees are eligible to receive 1 AIA Learning Unit

Multi-lingual architect in Spain finds her niche

There weren't enough leads and we weren't making money and I was sick of it. I was actually thinking of changing career when I came across the Marketing Academy and it all sounded, actually, pretty good. The main thing is that we identified a group of clients that was going to be good-value clients for us to go for. It was so screamingly obvious, but we weren't doing it. [Now] we very openly go for that market and that actually is the market with money at the moment. Things are getting better in Spain, but that's the market that's improving most rapidly. Now, I'm earning money and that's fantastic. So thank you!

Co Govers
Zest Architecture
Barcelona, Spain


After 20 years of doing it wrong … Success!

"For the last 20 years, I've been a struggling single-person practice. Always had lots of clients. Never made any money. They were all giving me a lot of grief and not paying me very much, so I joined the Architects Marketing group less than a year ago in an attempt to do something about it. My aim was to thin out my clients, so I have adopted two strategies: Firstly, charge to go and see someone. ‘That'll thin them out,’ I thought, so right … Nope, it just meant that they started paying me, and they started saying things like, ‘Wow you can charge to come and see us? You must be good.’

Still too much work. Okay, need to put my fees up. Well, I put my fees up 300%. That's surely now going to stop people from wanting to use me, and I can get on with doing some work. Nope, that just meant that now people are paying me more. Twenty years of doing it wrong, now I have a drafting technician. I have a graduate architect working for me, and I have a BA in spacial design and interior design working for me as well."


Darryl Mackenzie
New Zealand


Her best year yet, approaching $1M

"Thank you all, I really appreciate your support. I love being part of this Architect Marketing group … I'm actually on track to have my best year ever. Pretty close to hitting $1M this year, which is about 40% higher than last year, so not too shabby, I'd say. All this massive action is starting to pay off."

Tanya Shively
Sesshu Design Associates
Scottsdale, Arizona


From ‘haphazard marketing’ to part of a community

"From my personal experience, I felt like, before we started in this program, all we knew how to do in terms of marketing was to put up a website, maybe ask around for referrals and hope that some of these random efforts would pan out. It all felt kind of haphazard. Now I feel like we have a whole system for marketing.

I think the most profound change that we've experienced is a psychological change and that, if I were to summarize the benefits of this program that we've gone through in just one word, that word would be connection. Whereas before, we were slugging away at this marketing effort on our own, now we feel really a bit more connected to a community of architects helping each other with their marketing efforts."


Tyrone Yang
Yang Architects
Greater Boston, Massachusetts, Area


Winning more projects at higher fees

“Very positive results so far. Although only 30%-40% of my overall marketing plan is in place, I'm closing a higher percentage of projects and at higher fees.

Attitude toward marketing has changed dramatically - actually excited about it for the first time - ever!

Spending less time chasing "bad" projects and focusing on the niche in which we are best suited to excel.”


Dan Sherer
Sherer Architects
West Columbia, SC, USA


Firm reignites drive to develop client relationships

“Positive responses from existing and potential clients. Growing engagement from our team to explore a better way of presenting the practice. Increased confidence to express the value we offer in a language the client understands. Self awareness of the old bad ways of our accidental architectural practice.

The team has refocused on what is important to our clients and what is important to us.

This engagement has reignited our drive to develop client relationships and put the fun and challenge back into the office culture. It is the start of a long journey that everyone is on board and enjoying. Much, much more to do.”


Dennis Butler
Vabasis Architects
Greenslopes, QLD, Australia


Secured better quality projects

“I no longer give free consultations, thus eliminating the tire kickers and Walmartians. My clients are ready to buy my way or they take the highway. I have secured several better quality projects as a result and spent less time punishing myself.”

Ron Halfhill
Verdant Ventures
Sunnyvale, CA, USA


Had to decline projects due to too much work!

“Excellent, within 2 months of targeting a new design-build contractor, I had two new substantial residential addition/renovations, and several more leads that I had to decline due to too much work.”

Thomas Downer
Downer Associates
Cambridge, MA, USA


Major planning and design project won

“We entered into a needs and options contract for $5,000, and that turned into a major Master Planning and Design project with $2,000,000 in fees, along with a marketing agreement with the client.”

Vincent Pieri
Pieri Architects
San Juan, Puerto Rico


Three tier fee proposal yields high results

One of the techniques [from AMI is] on proposal writing. The suggestion is to include three different levels of fees. The first level of fee would be less than what the client was asking for - not only lower fee, lower services. The second was exactly what the client was looking for in terms of services. ... The third was a 'wow factor' fee; - everything you can include in the services and make sure it includes something the client wasn't looking for. “

“The result of that type of proposal was really surprising. 5 out of 5 clients were very appreciative for the multiple options. They had greater clarity ... a lower fee meant less services; a higher fee meant more services. That was something we took for granted ... but they seem to be understanding that at a much higher level. Ultimately, the payoff was... 4 out of 5 that we've submitted these last two months have been successful. We got the call-back, we won the contract, started the work, we've started turning our firm around. We're seeing half of the fee target for the year; we trust that the latter half of this year will meet the rest of our fee target or exceed it.

Howard Lee
Vision Architects
Clarksville, Tennessee


75% success rate in signing clients who receive a Shock and Awe Box

Last summer, I finally signed up for the Architect Marketing training. ... I eagerly devoured the 12 marketing lessons. What I learned from the AMI training was completely different than approaches from the earlier PR in marketing companies. My first success was with a potential [client] who couldn't get another architect in town to call him back. Our LCC was to go and look at a piece of property he was considering buying. We charged $400 for the site visit and that turned into a $175,000 fee for his new house - not bad!

We've had about a 75% success rate in signing potential clients who have first received our Shock and Awe Box. ... We also raised our fees as instructed by Richard...and that was actually pretty easy. The area where I'm seeing the most potential growth is with the ArchReach and Circle of Love. ... With custom homes, it could be years as people mull and think about their new house before they finally get started. ... Now, when our monthly Circle of Love emails goes out, there are several potentials who always email me back. I expect when they're ready to build they'll call us first.

Jane Frederick, FAIA - 2020 President of the AIA

Former AMI Mastermind Member, "Hurricane Jane"
Frederick + Frederick Architects
Beaufort, South Carolina



From pigeon-hole to profitable niche

"As an expert [in Universal Design], the outside world, I think, sees me differently … I was called for a quote from a journalist [and] I was able using the tools of the AMA to convert that phone call from a quote into being the prime source for the whole article. Then, the day that the article came out, I got a call from Madison, Wisconsin. It was somebody who was organizing a symposium and wanted to have me there as a speaker.

We got a project recently that's a $400,000 remodel, and then another one last week that's a new winery. I've never done a winery before, but these people were so confident about my process and my structure that I had to offer them, and the questions that I was asking them, that I got both of these projects with just a half-hour phone consultation and a presentation of my system. It's incredibly exciting to have new types of work coming in the door like that."


Erik Mikiten
Mikiten Architecture
Berkeley, California


Interested in getting results like our successful members?

Register for our FREE Online Master Class to find out:

*Attendees are eligible to receive 1 AIA Learning Unit

From ‘networking in vain’ to buying her own office

"I'm standing in front of what is perhaps the most visible sign of my success. This is my office that I bought last year with the increased revenue from my business … I didn't want to go into business for myself … but I needed to do this only because I was waiting for the recession to be over and then I could get a ‘real job’ again. People suggested that I try networking. I spent that year networking my ass off. I went to referral groups and Chamber of Commerce meetings. I went to coffee groups and I went to ladies groups and it was all in vain. Then, I joined Architect Marketing and started working with Richard, Enoch and Eric, developing strategies on how to get clients."

Rachel Burton
Swallowtail Architects
Summerville, South Carolina


Raised average fee per project

“LCC & multi-option proposals have worked a treat to raise the average fee per project.”

Duncan Sinclair
Blackpineblackpine.co.nz
Whanganui, New Zealand


36-year-old firm systematizes, becomes more profitable

"Before Architect Marketing, we tended to approach marketing in a very reactionary way, so that meant that we would wait for proposals to come or request for proposals … Since we've done this course, we have implemented a few things. The inner circle [and] the newsletter to our inner circle using a modified version of the templates provided by Architect Marketing. We've started using the Low Commitment Consultation in our proposals, which … certainly eases them in … We've also implemented the systematized referrals as well as the flow chart.

I want to thank all of you, String and Richard and Enoch, for giving us the insight into systematizing certainly our marketing, but also giving us a new approach to looking at other areas of the practice … As a new generation of leadership takes over for the firm, we look to the systematizing of all the areas of our practice, so that our practice can be scalable as well as more profitable."

Chris Doktor
Olson Lewis + Architects
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts


Solo practitioner competes with big firms

“More clients that are ready to move forward more quickly. Increased profit. I'm a start up firm so learning how to market well is key to moving forward and getting to the stuff that actually pays.

Large firms have full time marketing staff and principals whose jobs it is to get the work. Solo firms - 1 head and I don't know how many hats.”


Greg Croft
Sage Leaf Group
Idaho Falls, ID, USA


From recession to leveraging power of social media

"Since joining Architect Marketing, my eyes have been opened. I thought that I knew how to market my firm but I very quickly learned that I did not … I had been lulled into complacency after the years of growing the firm. I had a staff of 12 prior to the recession. In 2008, when everything crashed, I shed staff and by the fall of 2010, it was only myself and my business partner. My firm was in survival mode for years. In that time, I searched on and off for a marketing education devoted to architects ... to no avail.

Upon joining AMI, I discovered that I already had many of the things discussed in place … I had been utilizing social media to the best of my ability for several years and I've really ramped it up in recent months but I had never thought that it all could be codified into a useful and powerful marketing strategy."


David Businelli
Studio 16 Architecture
Staten Island, New York


Studio busier, happier

“With targeting our niches, we're doing less wheel spinning and chasing inappropriate work.

By thinking about the LCC we’ve started packaging an introductory scope and fee for quick turnaround of proposals. A sense of spending time more effectively. We are busier, partially due to AMA.”


Gary Moshier
Moshier Studiomoshierstudio.com
Pittsburgh, PA, USA


Architect learns best practices

“The training has given me a lot of new ideas, which, with many others I have learnt over the years of practice, have been able to be brought together into a good process for dealing with potential clients.

The monkey's fist and systematic follow up emails is a good way of securing contacts. I feel a lot more confident having a process to work through when dealing with initial contact from potential clients, as well as a way of following up with them after that first contact.”


Peter Hill
Hill Architects
Glebe, NSW, Australia


Almost 100% conversion from enquiries to paid appraisals

“Excellent response to LCC Needs & Options Appraisal (N+O). New approach to client enquiries leading to almost 100% take up of N+O Appraisals.

Great basis for taking job forward within office as formal brief established. Also helps to weed out one or two clients who don't want to pay!

More efficient process in dealing with new clients. Guides for clients found to be very useful. N+O appraisal excellent start for new projects. Now too busy to move other areas of marketing but conscious of the need to do so!”


Rod Hughes
2030 Architects
Penrith, United Kingdom


Interested in getting results like our successful members?

Register for our FREE Online Master Class to find out:

*Attendees are eligible to receive 1 AIA Learning Unit

Got hired for full package, no price haggling

“Recent exercise of pricing options had great results. Got hired for a full package of services without price haggling. Will definitely keep this from now on.”

Roderick Anderson
Sarco Architects
Costa Rica


Not wasting time on unqualified prospects

“LCC [low-commitment consultation] works great. Not wasting time on tyre kickers.”

Carol Marrayeh
Marra + Yeh Architects
Darlington, NSW, Australia

Increased gross revenues

“Positive results: Increased gross revenues and good conversion rate.”

Lawrence Schreiber
Lawrence S Schreiber, Architect, Inc.
Lakewood, NJ, USA


Armed with the right marketing

“I feel I am armed with not only right weapons but also the best to prove my worth projects right from the first meeting to the last bit of the design phase.”

Samson Omara
Lira, Uganda


Getting more traffic to website

“I seem to be getting more traffic to my website and have had 6 people download my free guide since implementation in the past month.”

Cameron Maltby
Maltby Design
North Vancouver, BC, Canada


Increased Profits Year Over Year

“Prior to this new program my practice was borderline financially, but since we began the new marketing program we have steadily reported increased profits year over year.”

Mona Quinn
Callidus Architects
Wellington, New Zealand


Interested in getting results like our successful members?

Register for our FREE Online Master Class to find out:

*Attendees are eligible to receive 1 AIA Learning Unit