See It in Action
For AEC firms, business development goes beyond traditional sales tactics.
It involves managing complex projects, tracking client interactions, and ensuring that each proposal or bid is crafted to stand out.
But with so many tasks to juggle, how can AEC professionals keep their business development efforts streamlined and efficient?
The answer lies in choosing the right business development tools.
By using specialized software tailored to the needs of the AEC sector, firms can simplify their workflows, gain valuable insights, and improve their chances of winning new projects.
This article will explore five top business development tools to help AEC firms drive growth, manage client relationships, and enhance operational efficiency.
ProjectMark is a CRM and marketing platform specifically designed for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry.
Unlike generic business development tools, ProjectMark caters to the unique needs of AEC firms, providing a suite of features that streamline client relationship management, project showcasing, and proposal creation.
Founded with a mission to enhance business development in AEC, ProjectMark enables firms to manage their client interactions and leverage their project portfolios as powerful marketing assets.
At the heart of ProjectMark is a robust CRM system built to help AEC firms maintain organized, comprehensive records of their client interactions.
The CRM centralizes all client data—contact details, communication history, and project preferences—allowing business development teams to easily access and update information.
This centralization enables AEC professionals to track each client’s journey from initial contact to project completion and ensures that no opportunity is missed.
With ProjectMark’s CRM, teams can set follow-up reminders, track client interactions, and manage leads, helping them nurture relationships and move prospects through the sales pipeline efficiently.
One of ProjectMark’s standout features is its proposal and portfolio management capabilities, which allow firms to create visually appealing project portfolios and professional proposals.
The platform lets teams compile high-quality project images, descriptions, and team credentials, which they can present to potential clients to demonstrate expertise and past successes.
With easy-to-use templates, business development professionals can assemble proposals that showcase the firm’s work and highlight its unique value propositions tailored to each client.
This feature is particularly valuable for AEC firms looking to make a strong impression in competitive bidding situations, as it combines aesthetics with detailed information.
ProjectMark offers powerful analytics and reporting tools that provide valuable insights into business development performance.
The platform tracks key metrics, such as win rates, client engagement, and lead conversion rates, allowing firms to evaluate the effectiveness of their proposals and marketing efforts.
These data-driven insights help AEC professionals decide which strategies are working and where adjustments are needed.
For example, if the data shows a high engagement rate for certain projects, the firm can prioritize similar projects in future outreach efforts.
With ProjectMark’s analytics, business development teams can continuously optimize their approach, increasing the likelihood of winning new projects and achieving sustained growth.
ProjectMark’s construction-specific features make it a valuable asset for AEC firms looking to streamline business development and improve client engagement.
CRM integration ensures that teams have a centralized view of client interactions, helping them build and maintain strong relationships over time.
With the ability to create professional project portfolios and proposals, ProjectMark enables AEC firms to present their work in the best light, enhancing credibility and competitive positioning.
The platform provides detailed analytics that provide actionable insights, allowing firms to refine their strategies and focus on high-impact activities.
ProjectMark is uniquely tailored to the needs of the AEC industry, setting it apart from general-purpose business development tools.
Its combination of CRM, portfolio management, and analytics makes it an ideal solution for firms that build client relationships, showcase projects, and make data-driven business decisions.
For AEC professionals seeking a specialized platform that aligns with their industry’s challenges, ProjectMark offers a comprehensive solution that enhances operational efficiency and client engagement.
ClickUp is an all-in-one project management and productivity tool that has gained popularity for its versatility and extensive feature set.
Although not exclusive to the AEC industry, ClickUp’s customizable options make it a powerful tool for AEC firms managing complex projects, tracking deliverables, and ensuring team collaboration.
With ClickUp, construction, engineering, and architecture teams can streamline their workflows and stay organized, making meeting project deadlines and client expectations easier.
One of ClickUp’s core strengths is its highly customizable task management feature. This feature allows teams to create tasks, assign them to team members, and track progress from start to finish.
AEC professionals can set up task boards, lists, or timelines according to their project needs, using templates tailored for construction and engineering workflows.
For example, project managers can divide a project into phases—such as planning, design, and construction—and create tasks within each phase, assigning responsibilities and setting due dates.
ClickUp’s task management flexibility makes it ideal for the AEC industry, where projects often have multiple stakeholders and complex timelines.
ClickUp includes various collaboration tools that make it easy for AEC teams to communicate, share files, and update project details in real time.
The platform allows team members to leave comments on tasks, mention specific colleagues, and upload documents directly to the task board, ensuring everyone can access the latest information.
This real-time collaboration is especially beneficial in AEC, where multiple teams (e.g., architects, engineers, contractors) may work on different aspects of the same project.
With ClickUp, team members can stay aligned on project goals, avoid miscommunications, and resolve issues quickly, leading to smoother project execution.
ClickUp integrates with over 1,000 popular tools, including Google Calendar, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and various CRM systems, making it easy for AEC firms to incorporate it into their existing workflows.
These integrations allow firms to sync their project management data with other applications, ensuring consistency and minimizing the need for duplicate data entry.
For example, integrating ClickUp with Google Calendar enables team members to see task deadlines and milestones alongside other scheduled events, making it easier to manage time and resources.
By connecting with widely used tools, ClickUp provides AEC professionals with a seamless, cohesive workspace that integrates all aspects of project management.
ClickUp offers a free plan with essential project management features, making it accessible to smaller AEC firms or those wanting to test the platform before committing.
For teams needing additional features like time tracking, advanced reporting, and automation, ClickUp’s paid plans start at $10 per user per month, providing affordable options for firms of all sizes.
The flexibility in pricing ensures that AEC firms can choose a plan that matches their specific needs and budget, making ClickUp an attractive option for small and large teams.
ClickUp’s customizable task management, collaboration tools, and extensive integrations make it highly adaptable to the AEC industry's unique needs.
The platform’s ability to structure tasks according to project phases and assign responsibilities helps AEC teams maintain organized workflows and meet project deadlines.
Real-time communication features ensure that team members stay informed and aligned, reducing the risk of delays caused by miscommunication.
For AEC firms looking for a flexible, affordable project management tool, ClickUp provides a powerful solution that enhances productivity and project coordination.
ClickUp is a versatile project management tool that combines flexibility with powerful features, making it suitable for complex AEC projects.
While not specifically designed for the AEC industry, its extensive customization options and integration capabilities allow firms to adapt it to their unique workflows.
For AEC professionals seeking an all-in-one platform that supports task management, collaboration, and productivity tracking, ClickUp offers a robust solution that helps teams stay organized and efficient.
Asana is a project management and collaboration tool that enables teams to organize, track, and manage their work effectively.
With its intuitive interface and powerful project visualization features, Asana is particularly well-suited for AEC firms managing complex, multi-phase projects.
Asana’s focus on task organization, accountability, and real-time updates makes it a valuable tool for construction, engineering, and architecture teams working on tight schedules and complex deliverables.
One of Asana’s standout features is its project tracking capabilities, which allow AEC teams to visualize project progress through boards, timelines, and calendars.
With Asana’s Kanban-style boards, project managers can see tasks arranged by stage, making monitoring each project phase and identifying bottlenecks easy.
For more detailed planning, the timeline view offers a Gantt chart-like interface. Teams can set task dependencies and map out the entire project schedule visually.
These visual tools provide AEC professionals with a clear overview of project status and help ensure that every phase is completed on time.
Asana allows users to set task dependencies, a critical feature for AEC projects that require certain tasks to be completed before others can begin.
Asana helps teams manage project timelines and maintain accountability across departments by linking tasks with dependencies.
For example, suppose the engineering team needs to finish structural calculations before the design team can proceed. In that case, Asana’s dependency feature ensures everyone knows the sequencing and can avoid missteps.
This level of organization is essential in AEC projects, where missed deadlines or uncoordinated workflows can lead to costly delays.
Asana’s reporting features provide valuable insights into project performance, team productivity, and workload distribution.
With custom reports, AEC managers can track metrics such as task completion rates, overdue tasks, and resource allocation, allowing them to make data-driven decisions.
For instance, if a report shows that certain team members are overburdened, managers can reassign tasks to balance workloads and improve efficiency.
Asana’s reporting tools help AEC firms maintain high productivity levels and ensure that projects stay on track, even in complex multi-stakeholder environments.
Asana offers a free basic plan with core project management features, making it accessible to smaller AEC firms or teams just starting with project management software.
Premium plans start at $10.99 per user per month for firms needing advanced features like timelines, task dependencies, and reporting.
Asana’s tiered pricing allows AEC firms to choose a plan that best fits their project complexity and budget, ensuring that teams have the necessary tools without overpaying for unnecessary features.
Asana’s task organization, visualization, and reporting capabilities make it an effective tool for AEC firms managing complex projects.
The ability to visualize project timelines set task dependencies, and track performance provides construction, engineering, and architecture teams with the structure needed to deliver on time and within budget.
Asana’s emphasis on accountability and transparency ensures that everyone knows their responsibilities, reducing the risk of missed deadlines or miscommunication.
For AEC firms that value organized, efficient workflows, Asana is a robust solution that enhances project coordination and team productivity.
Asana stands out for its ease of use and powerful project visualization tools, making it ideal for AEC firms that need a structured approach to managing complex projects.
While not AEC-specific, its features align well with the industry's accountability, scheduling, and team collaboration demands.
For architecture, engineering, and construction professionals seeking a flexible platform supporting task management and reporting, Asana offers a comprehensive solution that simplifies project oversight.
Aircall is a cloud-based phone system tailored to the needs of sales and business development teams. It offers an efficient way to manage client communications.
Aircall provides an integrated calling solution for AEC firms that enables business development teams to reach prospects and clients seamlessly, keeping communication organized and accessible.
With features designed to streamline outbound and inbound calls, Aircall helps AEC firms maintain clear, consistent communication with their clients, which is critical for relationship-building and project acquisition.
Aircall’s power dialer feature allows AEC business development teams to call through lists of prospects efficiently, saving time and improving call throughput.
The power dialer automates the dialing process and reduces downtime between calls, enabling teams to reach more potential clients in less time.
This is particularly useful for AEC firms that need to stay in touch with numerous prospects or follow up on multiple leads, as it ensures no opportunity is missed due to manual dialing delays.
Aircall enables users to leave notes and tag calls directly within the platform, making it easy for business development teams to track conversations and schedule follow-ups.
For instance, after a call with a potential client, a team member can add notes summarizing the discussion and tag the call with relevant keywords, such as “project interest” or “follow-up needed.”
These tags and notes keep everyone informed about each client’s specific needs and preferences, ensuring timely and relevant follow-ups.
This feature is invaluable in AEC, where personalized follow-up can make a significant difference in winning a project.
Aircall integrates seamlessly with popular CRM platforms, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho, allowing AEC firms to sync their communication data with client records.
By connecting Aircall to their CRM, AEC teams can access call histories, notes, and tags alongside other client information, creating a comprehensive view of each client relationship.
This integration minimizes the need for data entry and ensures that all relevant information is accessible in one place, improving the efficiency of business development efforts.
CRM integration ensures that communication is consistent and data-driven for AEC professionals focused on client acquisition and retention.
Aircall’s monthly pricing starts at $30 per user, with higher-tier plans offering additional features such as advanced analytics, call recording, and voicemail transcription.
While the cost may be a consideration for some firms, Aircall’s extensive calling features and CRM integrations offer significant value for teams that rely heavily on phone communication for client outreach.
Investing in Aircall can lead to more organized and effective client interactions for AEC firms with active business development teams.
Aircall’s cloud-based phone system is valuable for AEC firms looking to streamline client communications and improve follow-up efficiency.
The power dialer, call tagging, and CRM integration ensure that business development teams can systematically manage their outreach efforts, leading to stronger client relationships.
For firms where regular client communication is essential, Aircall’s tools provide structure and efficiency, enabling teams to focus on building connections and winning projects.
Aircall is a specialized communication tool that combines ease of use with powerful features tailored to client outreach and business development.
Its ability to integrate with CRM systems and streamline call management makes it a strong choice for AEC firms focused on growth.
For business development professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction, Aircall provides a cohesive platform for managing client calls, improving follow-up, and enhancing overall client engagement.
Gong is a sales intelligence platform using AI-driven insights to help business development teams understand and optimize client interactions.
While Gong is widely used across industries, it is especially valuable for AEC firms looking to refine their business development strategies by analyzing client conversations and identifying trends.
Gong enables AEC professionals to improve client engagement and make data-backed decisions that drive growth by providing deep insights into calls, emails, and meetings.
Gong’s conversation intelligence feature records, transcribes, and analyzes client calls, capturing essential details and providing a searchable record of each interaction.
This feature allows AEC business development teams to review conversations, spot trends, and gain insights into what resonates with clients.
For instance, Gong can identify specific keywords or phrases that frequently come up in successful sales calls, helping teams replicate winning strategies in future interactions.
The conversation intelligence tool ensures that critical information from client calls is never lost and allows teams to maintain consistent messaging across multiple interactions.
Gong’s deal intelligence feature provides an overview of all ongoing client interactions, giving business development teams a clear picture of real progress and potential roadblocks.
With deal intelligence, AEC firms can track each stage of the client journey, from initial outreach to proposal discussions and final negotiations.
For example, Gong can alert the team if there has been a gap in communication with a key prospect, prompting timely follow-up to keep the deal on track.
This level of visibility helps AEC firms manage their pipeline more effectively and ensures that no opportunities are overlooked.
In addition to analyzing client interactions, Gong provides market intelligence by tracking trends, client sentiment, and competitor mentions in conversations.
This feature offers AEC firms valuable insights into industry trends and emerging client needs, allowing them to tailor their business development approach accordingly.
If, for example, multiple clients express interest in sustainable building practices, Gong can help identify this trend early, enabling the firm to adapt its messaging and offerings to align with market demands.
With Gong’s market intelligence, AEC business development teams can stay competitive and responsive to client expectations.
Gong’s pricing is customized based on the organization’s size and specific needs.
Interested AEC firms are encouraged to contact Gong directly for a tailored quote that aligns with their requirements.
Although Gong is a premium solution, its advanced analytics and AI-driven insights provide significant value for AEC firms focused on improving client engagement and driving growth.
Gong’s AI-driven insights make it an invaluable tool for AEC firms looking to enhance their client interactions and fine-tune their business development strategy.
By analyzing conversations, Gong enables business development teams to better understand client needs, optimize messaging, and improve follow-up timing.
The deal intelligence feature provides visibility into the sales pipeline, helping firms manage client relationships proactively and avoid missed opportunities.
Gong offers a powerful, analytics-driven solution for AEC firms that want to use data to improve their approach to business development.
Gong is an intelligence platform that goes beyond traditional CRM features by providing actionable insights into client interactions and market trends.
Its ability to analyze conversations, track deal progress, and uncover emerging client needs makes it a unique asset for AEC firms seeking growth.
For business development professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction, Gong offers a data-driven approach to client engagement that can transform their strategy and drive long-term success.
For AEC firms, selecting the right business development tools can tremendously impact operational efficiency, client engagement, and growth.
ProjectMark is an industry-specific solution designed to address the challenges AEC firms face in managing client relationships, showcasing project portfolios, and leveraging data for strategic decisions.
Ready to see how ProjectMark can transform your business development efforts? Get a demo here and discover how a construction-focused platform can support your firm’s growth and success.
