u/ScaleCare

One thing I don't understand about drafting:

Why don't more people intentionally practice?

Most of us get better by doing the job.

- You work through projects.
- You get corrections.
- You learn new systems as they come up.

But you're also trying to hit a deadline.

I've found it helps to carve out time where the only goal is to get better at something.

- No project.
- No deadline.
- No pressure if you mess it up.

When I wanted to get better at sheet metal fabrication, I spent time making practice parts and messing with bend deductions and K-factors.

I could try something, get it wrong, figure out why, and try again.

That kind of practice is different from learning while you're buried in a live project.

I think more drafters would improve faster if they treated practice like part of the job instead of something that only happens on the job.

https://preview.redd.it/58rld8oot5kh1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=669072b5795e0f86ad7562baf0a43ea17778688a

Curious if other drafting teams actually build time in for this.

One of the easiest ways to lose days on shop drawings is bad field information.

I've dealt with this more times than I can count. You ask the field for dimensions, and a few days later the measurements and pictures come back, but you're still missing that one width, depth, thickness, or location you actually need.

Now the drawing stops again.

And if the part has to fit existing conditions, guessing isn't really an option.

One thing that's helped me is making a simple field measurement drawing before anyone goes out. I mark exactly what I need measured, and every unknown dimension gets a blank.

That way, the person in the field doesn't have to figure out what I'm trying to design. They just fill in the missing information.

The pictures below are a good example. The first version left too much room for interpretation. The second and third made it much clearer what needed to come back from the field.

It's a small change, but it makes the handoff between the field and drafting a lot cleaner.

How does your team usually send field dimensions back to drafting? Marked-up drawings, photos, Bluebeam, something else?

https://preview.redd.it/0cnihgmrm0jh1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6da924bacf1ce98857b1a7dbd6c650f6ea9ebf9

https://preview.redd.it/wtic0hmrm0jh1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e54e39c58a19224b85126dfa41c6cf9031d71ad

https://preview.redd.it/vj7i7gmrm0jh1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f33b8b98f0046962e61ba735f779b6ff0775511d

Does anybody have experience selling into the AEC Industry?

Note: I’m not looking to recruit or hire anybody. I’m looking for somebody who is dependable and to build a real business.

I’ve been doing drafting and design in the AEC industry for the past six or seven years now and I never wanted to work for another company. Last year, I started my own architectural drafting agency in Charlotte, NC and have been struggling to hit my growth goals.

I managed to get a couple of clients even one who effortlessly paid me 5k for drawings. But, my biggest bottleneck is still that I’m a technical founder, more of a COO than anything.

I’m confident in fulfillment, maintaining relationships, productizing the service, creating the operational infrastructure, outsourcing/building an internal team, training, pricing and identifying/ speaking directly to my ICP and market/ trend analysis.

What I’m struggling with is the sales & marketing. I am more of the individual who quietly builds behind the computer than the person who goes out into the world and builds the brand.

Does anybody have experience selling into the AEC Industry?

Note: I’m not looking to recruit or hire anybody. I’m looking for somebody who is dependable and to build a real business.

I’ve been doing drafting and design in the AEC industry for the past six or seven years now and I never wanted to work for another company. Last year, I started my own architectural drafting agency in Charlotte, NC and have been struggling to hit my growth goals.

I managed to get a couple of clients even one who effortlessly paid me 5k for drawings. But, my biggest bottleneck is still that I’m a technical founder, more of a COO than anything.

I’m confident in fulfillment, maintaining relationships, productizing the service, creating the operational infrastructure, outsourcing/building an internal team, training, pricing and identifying/ speaking directly to my ICP and market/ trend analysis.

What I’m struggling with is the sales & marketing. I am more of the individual who quietly builds behind the computer than the person who goes out into the world and builds the brand.

Does anybody have experience selling into the AEC Industry?

Note: I’m not looking to recruit or hire anybody. I’m looking for somebody who is dependable and to build a real business.

I’ve been doing drafting and design in the AEC industry for the past six or seven years now and I never wanted to work for another company. Last year, I started my own architectural drafting agency in Charlotte, NC and have been struggling to hit my growth goals.

I managed to get a couple of clients even one who effortlessly paid me 5k for drawings. But, my biggest bottleneck is still that I’m a technical founder, more of a COO than anything.

I’m confident in fulfillment, maintaining relationships, productizing the service, creating the operational infrastructure, outsourcing/building an internal team, training, pricing and identifying/ speaking directly to my ICP and market/ trend analysis.

What I’m struggling with is the sales & marketing. I am more of the individual who quietly builds behind the computer than the person who goes out into the world and builds the brand.

Does anybody have experience selling into the AEC Industry?

Note: I’m not looking to recruit or hire anybody. I’m looking for somebody who is dependable and to build a real business.

I’ve been doing drafting and design in the AEC industry for the past six or seven years now and I never wanted to work for another company. Last year, I started my own architectural drafting agency in Charlotte, NC and have been struggling to hit my growth goals.

I managed to get a couple of clients even one who effortlessly paid me 5k for drawings. But, my biggest bottleneck is still that I’m a technical founder, more of a COO than anything.

I’m confident in fulfillment, maintaining relationships, productizing the service, creating the operational infrastructure, outsourcing/building an internal team, training, pricing and identifying/ speaking directly to my ICP and market/ trend analysis.

What I’m struggling with is the sales & marketing. I am more of the individual who quietly builds behind the computer than the person who goes out into the world and builds the brand.

Please note, this is not an ad.

I run a small agency and I’m trying to scale.

I’m finding it hard to switch between outbound and prospecting constantly. I figured I’d do the prospecting, then find someone to do outbound and follow up, splitting the workload.

Does anybody have experience with commission only SDRs? I’m not sure how crucial a base salary is and if I’d be able to still get a good rep If I just gave them \~ 2-$2.5k for every $5.5k retainer they helped me close.

I’m not sure how incentivizing that is or isn’t to a good rep. Should I just keep doing it myself until I can put an SDR on salary…thoughts?

Please note this is not an ad

I run a small agency and I’m trying to scale.

I’m finding it hard to switch between outbound and prospecting constantly. I figured I’d do the prospecting, then find someone to do outbound and follow up, splitting the workload.

Does anybody have experience with commission only SDRs? I’m not sure how crucial a base salary is and if I’d be able to still get a good rep If I just gave them \~ 2-$2.5k for every $5.5k retainer they helped me close.

I’m not sure how incentivizing that is or isn’t to a good rep. Should I just keep doing it myself until I can put an SDR on salary…thoughts?

I run a small agency and I’m trying to scale.

I’m finding it hard to switch between outbound and prospecting constantly. I figured I’d do the prospecting, then find someone to do outbound and follow up, splitting the workload.

Does anybody have experience with commission only SDRs? I’m not sure how crucial a base salary is and if I’d be able to still get a good rep If I just gave them \~ 2-$2.5k for every $5.5k retainer they helped me close.

I’m not sure how incentivizing that is or isn’t to a good rep. Should I just keep doing it myself until I can put an SDR on salary…thoughts?