What are the biggest business development mistakes design professionals make? What are the do’s and don’ts for firms looking to expand into new markets? How do you ensure ongoing client satisfaction and engagement after a project is underway? Kelly Fehr—a business development consultant for the design and construction industry—answered these and many other key questions to help futureproof your business.
Kelly Fehr is a business development consultant specializing in helping architectural and engineering design firms worldwide. With a background in behavioral science from UC Davis, she took an unconventional path into the design and construction industry. She built her expertise from the ground up, learning how to connect design professionals and contractors with the right opportunities.
She has helped design firms land multi-million-dollar projects, including work at Denver International Airport. Her approach combines deep market research with strong relationship-building—what she calls “discovery-driven client development.”
Kelly has spoken at national and local American Institute of Architects (AIA) conferences. She leads workshops on how to talk to clients about climate change and the built environment. For Kelly, innovation happens when owners and design professionals truly connect, and she believes business development (essentially business relationships) should be both productive and fun.
Listen to Kelly’s insights on The Future of Buildings with Joe Havey in your favorite podcast app.
In this episode:
01:30 Meet Kelly Fehr
02:45 Kelly's unconventional career path
03:27 Behavioral science and business development
05:30 Denver International Airport opportunity
07:45 Discovery-driven client development
15:10 Expanding into new markets
18:35 Ensuring ongoing client satisfaction
23:00 Making business development fun
25:50 Futureproofing your business
26:50 Final thoughts
Connect with Joe:
Connect with Kelly:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyfehr/
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