gilbane workplace review
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Building Company
Workplace ReviewBMGT458A
Isabel Tzeng
Workplace Review Interviewee: Leslie David, Sales Services Manager
Company: Gilbane Building Company 7901 Sandy Spring Rd., St. 500
Laurel, MD 20707
Isabel Tzeng BMGT458A
Design & Innovation in Marketing Fellows Professor Mary Harms
Due: December 5th, 2013
Workplace Review Interviewee: Leslie David, Sales Services Manager
Company: Gilbane Building Company For my interview I decided to interview Leslie David, the Sales Services Manager
of Gilbane Building Company. Gilbane is a large construction and real estate
development company. The location I interviewed Leslie at is located in Laurel, MD and
it is the company’s Mid-‐Atlantic Regional Office. Gilbane is an important company to
me as I have worked there since May as an accounting intern. I was interested in seeing
the marketing and design sectors of the company—collectively under the Business
Development department. In addition to being interested in the marketing I also realize
that business development was the meat of our business. Without the Business
Development department we would not have any projects and the business would
cease to exist.
I looked up Gilbane Building Company on IBIS World. Predictably, the company
fit into multiple industries, including commercial building construction, municipal
building construction, prison & jail construction, hospital construction, and green &
sustainable building construction. This is indeed accurate—I know the Mid-‐Atlantic
office has had projects in every aforementioned sector. Commercial building
construction includes restaurants and stores, whereas municipal construction includes
schools and government buildings. It was interesting to read these industry summaries
on IBIS World, because the website accurately and conclusively summed up the majority
of the company’s work in just a few charts and sentences. I found that the commercial
building construction analysis gave the most detailed view of the overall process. Under
“main activities” and “major products and services in this industry” the website listed
the following items:
1. Design, bid, build contracts
2. Design-‐build contracts
3. Integrated product delivery contracts
4. Construction manager at-‐risk contracts
5. Turnkey contracts
This list illustrates the proposal creation and bidding process to the contract win to the
actual contract possibilities (for example, a turnkey contract is a project where it is
agreed that the construction company will build from start to finish, finish being defined
as ready for the end users). IBIS World also mentioned that the primary companies in
this sector are General Contractors—this means that the companies are the prime
contract holders who then later delegate work out to small subcontractors. Thus, one
can generally conclude that companies who are the major players in the construction
industries are more project managers and project executives rather than tradesmen.
However, Leslie’s job is most focused in the very first service—“Design, bid, build
contracts.”
Leslie informed me that her job consisted of a lot of different tasks, but the most
important was that she and the other members of the Business Development team
worked together on proposals to try and secure new projects for the company. These
proposals are large packets of information put together for specific projects in order to
persuade project owners to give Gilbane a chance to bid on their upcoming project. If
the proposal is accepted then Gilbane is given a chance to place a bid on the project. If
the bid is accepted, then Gilbane wins the project. Without proposals there would be
no business. Together the Business Development department follows industry trends
and client requests to try and tailor their specific proposals for strategic wins. The
construction industry is highly competitive, and business is tight because many major
clients are unable to afford construction at this time. The greatest example of this is the
United States federal government. While in times of economic boom the government
was a large, steady client of Gilbane’s (notable projects include the Smithsonian Air and
Space Museum, the US Capitol Visitor Center, and the renovation of Union
Station). However, the federal government is heavily in debt and the recent recession
has made money for construction spare. This makes Business Development even more
crucial for Gilbane’s survival. There are fewer jobs to compete for, and competition is
fierce. Gilbane’s competitors in this area include Clark Construction, James G. Davis
Construction, and Grunley Construction.
While proposals are a large part of her job, Leslie’s job also includes making
other marketing materials for clients. These materials include informational pamphlets,
qualification packets, and giveaways. The proposals offer a lot of information to
potential clients, but these other supplements are necessary. Informational pamphlets
are quick, at-‐a-‐glance materials that help enforce Gilbane’s image and mission. The
qualification packets do exactly what their name says—they show to client why the
company is a the right fit for the job. These packets include information on personnel,
similar past jobs, and other company experiences that may be relevant to the job. The
giveaways are small gifts that help Gilbane stand out in a client’s mind. Giveaways vary
per client—for example, when pitching to K-‐12 clients (elementary, middle, and high
schools) the giveaway is a small inflatable Gilbane beach ball that shows the company’s
“fun” side and commitment to future generations. To other clients the giveaways may
be pens or notepads or tiny hard hats. Leslie helps create all of these marketing
materials in addition to the proposals. Pamphlets and qualification packets all must
follow the same design schemes as the proposals, and they must all convey the correct
message. These materials are meant to be supplements to the proposals, and must
show professionalism, high quality work, and accurately portray Gilbane as a good,
capable company.
I was quite interested in what role design had in Leslie’s work. Proposal writing
is extremely important, but seemed like more writing and strategy than design. The
marketing materials fell in a similar boat and also seemed like more strategy than
design. However, I was pleased to discover that design was still a big part in Leslie’s
job. Leslie informed me that she actively uses Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and
Photoshop for the creation of both proposals and marketing materials. She particularly
emphasized that in such a competitive industry it was important to design materials that
were clean and clearly expressed professionalism, high-‐quality work, and Gilbane’s
desired reputation. Additionally, since Gilbane is an international company it is also
important that everything the Mid-‐Atlantic Business Development team puts out is
consistent with the other branches’ work as well, including logos and themes. Also, it is
important to remember that all of the things Leslie helps create—proposals,
informational pamphlets, qualification packages, giveaways—are given to the
client. Thus, aesthetics play a large role in her job as well. While it is important for the
correct information to be conveyed to the customer, it is also important how it is sent to
them. Everything given to the client needs to be functional, clean, and aesthetically
pleasing, because everything given to the client puts a preconceived notion in the
client’s mind. For example, cluttered pages may seem unorganized and poorly
prepared, leading to think that our work would be sloppy and undesirable. Everything
Leslie and the Business Development team is a mix of strategy and design. It is best
summarized that Leslie uses design as a tool in her marketing-‐focused job. Her job is
not design, but it is heavily influenced by it.
Leslie was kind enough to give me a proposal to show the class and some
samples of the giveaways. At first glance it is immediately clear what Leslie meant when
she said that design plays a huge, strategic part in the creation of the proposal. The
proposal is neatly bound and has solid plastic covers. The cover sheet is simple and
clearly displays the Gilbane logo. When flipping through the proposal all of the pages
are clean and simply laid out. The writing is a reasonable size, pictures are aligned, and
there is plenty of whitespace that allows the eye to rest as it goes through the
proposal. The Gilbane logo is embossed on every page to keep the company’s name
fresh in the viewer’s mind. When a client first reads this it is immediately implied that
Gilbane would also put an equal amount of work into the project as they did the
proposal. The proposal also conveys the idea that Gilbane has its bearings together and
would provide organized, professional, high quality work. The sample marketing
materials include the K-‐12 beach ball and the pens. These are all clearly Gilbane
giveaways and are nice quality and appropriate for a variety of potential clients. It is
obvious why the giveaways also make good supplements for the proposals.
I asked Leslie what her personal design philosophies were and she echoed a lot
of the principles we covered in class. In terms of designing proposals Leslie is a fan of
simplicity in design. Cluttered pages are noisy and unsightly, and Leslie emphasized the
importance of being comfortable with whitespace. She also likes to set up pages in a “Z
formation” because the human eye is more likely to stay focused and read information
in a Z-‐like pattern. She uses a mixture of design knowledge and psychological
knowledge to create the most effective materials.
I was curious to how Leslie got to the position that she is in today. She told me
that she has three degrees: an undergraduate degree in marketing, a master’s degree in
marketing, and an MBA. She ultimately chose to settle in construction marketing
because she had previously worked at an architecture firm. She was interested in the
idea of seeing her work lead to the creation of something tangible, and she felt that
work in the architecture firm was very conceptual versus the work of a construction
company. I also asked her why she chose to pursue a career in marketing versus a
career that only involved design, and she said that she liked how marketing was
versatile. In marketing it is encouraged to use graphic design and other design skills as
supplementary tools, but to her graphic design seemed very one-‐dimensional and boxed
in. Leslie’s advice that she would give to anyone aspiring to get into her type of work—
marketing, with a strong hold in design—and she told me that patience and flexibility
were important characteristics to have. Also, in this type of work rejection and strong
opinions are abundant, so it is necessary to have a thick skin. She also said not to be
afraid to try out different jobs. Her first job was as a paralegal in a law firm, and she
hated how stiff and intangible the work felt, which lead her to architecture
instead. Ultimately patience and hard work was key.
It was truly gratifying to speak with Leslie about her job and her experiences. It
was important to me to learn about other divisions in the company I am working for,
and it also helped clarify my views on what I may want in a future job. I liked how
design played an important part in her job, but it wasn’t the only thing there. In
addition to design and marketing Leslie and the rest of Business Development also
utilize psychology and strategy in order to secure wins and continue to bring business to
Gilbane. It is also noteworthy that the results of her work are clear. A good proposal
would directly lead to a chance to bid, the bid could lead to a project win, and a few
years later a building could exist because of that same proposal she worked on years
ago. While it may not be important to some people, it is important to me that the final
outcome is something tangible and visible because it offers a type of gratification that
makes the hard work put in seem even more effective. Leslie’s work seems dynamic
and exciting, and I am glad I had a chance to interview her.
Appendix Exhibit 1: E-‐Mail Correspondence & Request for Interview
Exhibit 2: Interview Transcript Interviewee: Leslie David, Sales Services Manager Company: Gilbane Building Company Q: What is a general overview of your job? A:
• Teaming with local Business Development Managers (BDMs), maintains and communicates competitor information—their message and their communication style
• Follows market trends related to key market segment initiatives outlined in assigned Center of Excellence (COE) and regional strategic plans
• Contributes to regional business plan and aligns local marketing communications priorities with plan
• Responsible for quality control on proposals, presentations and marketing materials, as directed by BDM and Doer/Seller
• Participates in regional go no/go and strategy development sessions with BDMs • Develop qualifications, proposal and presentation responsibility matrices based
on RFQ/P criteria • Coaches and guides production team on all major efforts • Performs RFP triage and can clearly articulate the direction and understanding of
the project—through communication with BD staff and Operations staff • Responsible for writing selected proposal sections to incorporate innovative
approaches that differentiate and position Gilbane (e.g. theme, proposal creativity, staffing matrix, presentation mediums, etc.)
• Communicate options to BDMs for technical content and multi-‐media assistance • Participate in focus account lessons learned sessions • Represents Gilbane with potential clients and works with senior management to
identify new client relationships (e.g. clients, architects and industry consultants) • Aware of customer satisfaction impact on future client relationship and current
similar pursuits • Aware of competitor positioning and implications to Gilbane sales and marketing
strategy • Develop A/E relationships and related consultants • Attend and participate in brainstorm sessions and account capture plan
meetings • Contact BDMs and Doer/Sellers during pre-‐sell stage to discuss market and client
specifics for “Must Win” proposals • Represent assigned COE at tradeshows • Brings “best-‐in-‐class” knowledge to assigned COE through regular participation
in monthly calls and strategic plan development • Works with local management and National Sales and Marketing Services
(NSMS) to support market focused initiatives
• Promotes national communications of events, new awards, etc. • Oversees planning and coordination of regional events such as; dinners,
subcontractor events, groundbreakings, golf tournaments, etc. • With Regional BDM plans and directs regional strategic marketing plan initiatives
with detailed supporting budget (e.g. direct mail campaigns, announcements, press releases, forums, tradeshow participation, etc.)
• Annually conduct an inventory of marketing collateral, presentations, conferences, forums or tradeshows, advertisements, awards, and public relations
• Manages a timetable of all regional announcements • Collaborates on marketing deliverables with NSMS Marketing Services Director • Demonstrates mastery and can instruct & supervise in the use, maintenance and
data integrity of NSMS tools and applications (e.g. Prospect Pyramid, Project Database, Resume Database, etc.)
• Demonstrates ability to utilize and apply research materials gathered from external sources (e.g. Internet or vendor supplied research)
• Supervises the regional usage, maintenance and data integrity of NSMS tools and applications (e.g. Prospect Pyramid, Project, Resume and SF 330 databases, and g.MAM)
• Manages the development of new content to Gilbane’s web site • Work with production teams to troubleshoot technical issues with equipment
and software to resolve problems quickly with GTG or outside service vendors • Produce reports from Prospect Pyramid for operations and RBDMs upon request • Ensure regional data is maintained and updated • Performs as and is viewed by colleagues as a team player and leader in NSMS • Effectively orchestrates strategic input in the pre-‐sell process, including inter-‐
Regional/ corporate collaboration • Confident in a leadership role representing NSMS • With Sr. SSM/NSMS Director guidance, interview and recommends candidates
for hire and manages through focal point performance reviews all assigned departmental support positions
• Direct supervision over NSMS staff functions and fosters a collaborative team working environment
• Inspires, motivates, mentors and guides coordinator staff to advance in their role • Manages focal point performance reviews for all direct reports
Q: Do you use any programs in Adobe Creative Suite? What for? A: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator -‐ to design proposals and marketing materials Q: Do you create any solid deliverables with your job? What is a concrete output of your job? A: Proposals for projects, brochures, pamphlets, qualification packages
Q: How would you say design affects the outputs of your jobs? A: It affects the company’s brand and image. Because Gilbane is a large company with over 60 locations nationwide, we want to make sure everything looks the same. consistent messages, logos, etc. Q: Do you believe that aesthetics play a large part in your work? A: Yes. This industry is so competitive that your deliverables have to stand out, look good, convey professionalism and quality work. Q: Do you have any personal philosophies on design? A: White space is our friend. Designing in a Z -‐-‐ using people’s natural eye-‐tendencies to my advantage. People are more likely to read things in the pattern of a Z. Q: Would you say the set-‐up of your work environment is conducive to you getting work done? A: Yes and no. Because we have to communicate so much open space is important, but the traditional cubicles are better for having your own space and focusing. Q: What would you say to someone aspiring to get into a career such as yours? A: You have to love it to stay in it. Be flexible. Be a people person, because you deal with a lot of attitudes. Have a thick skin. Patience. OCD. Q: What lead you to your job here today? A: 3 degrees: UG: Marketing, Masters: Marketing, MBA First job was as a paralegal -‐-‐ terrible. Then, architecture. Then, construction. Construction is more detail-‐oriented vs. architecture which is more conceptual. Q: Why would you choose to do marketing functions within a construction organizations vs. straight-‐up design (graphic design)? A: Graphic design feels 1-‐dimensional. As a marketing person you can do graphic design but also write proposals. Not limited to design.
Exhibit 3: Thank You Note to Leslie David
Exhibit 4: Photos of Leslie’s Workplace, Gilbane Building Company Mid-‐Atlantic Regional Office
4A: Leslie’s desk in her office.
4B: The view from Leslie’s office.
4C: A long bulletin board for job scouting and ideas.
4D: Leslie’s old cubicle.
4E: Cubicle space (in contrast to Leslie’s new office)
Exhibit 5: IBIS World Data
5A: Gilbane Building Company look-‐up and related industries
5B: Main Activites of the Commercial Construction Industry
Exhibit 6: Gilbane Informational Pamphlet
6A: Informational Pamphlet – Cover Page
6B: Informational Pamphlet – What We Do
Exhibit 7: Gilbane Proposal
7A: Proposal – Cover Page
7B: Proposal – Past Performance Examples
7C: Proposal – LEED Experience Examples
Exhibit 8: Gilbane Giveaways
(from top) Gilbane beach ball for K-‐12 clients, Gilbane pens, Gilbane notebook, Leslie’s business card, Gilbane lanyard, Gilbane letterhead paper